What Is a Platformer? The Jumping Genre, Subgenres, Key Titles
Platformers explained: core appeal, subgenres from 2D and 3D to runners, and key titles from Donkey Kong to Super Mario, Sonic, Celeste, and Astro Bot.
Press a button and the character leaps into the air, then runs past pits and spikes all the way to the flag. The description is that short, yet the genre has produced countless masterpieces for more than 40 years. It's the platformer (platform game).
The platformer is also the first game genre many people ever played. Many of gaming's iconic characters, such as Super Mario, Sonic, and Kirby, were born in this genre. In this post, we look at what a platformer is, what types it divides into, how it evolved from the arcade to 3D and indie games, and, from a design perspective, what makes a "well-made jump."
Definition and Core Appeal: Crossing Between Platforms
English Wikipedia defines the platformer as a subgenre of action games in which the core objective is to move the character from one point in the environment to another. There is uneven terrain and floating footholds (platforms), and the basics are crossing them by jumping and climbing. Moves such as swinging on vines, wall jumping, gliding, and springs are sometimes added.
Most of the fun of platformers comes from skills you learn with your hands:
- The fun of control: Jumping and running that feel perfectly responsive are enjoyable in themselves.
- The fun of mastery: A section you fell from dozens of times at first is suddenly cleared in one go.
- The fun of discovery: Exploration to find hidden paths, collectibles, and shortcuts is added on top.
The genre's name wasn't settled from the start, either. In the early 1980s, terms like "climbing games," "ladder games," and "Donkey Kong-type games" were used, and Shigeru Miyamoto liked the expression "athletic games." The term "platform game" took hold in the late 1980s, mainly through British game magazines.
Subgenres
| Type | Traits | Key titles |
|---|---|---|
| 2D side-scroller | A side-view screen that scrolls left and right as you progress | Super Mario Bros., Sonic the Hedgehog |
| 3D platformer | Free movement through 3D space, with camera control | Super Mario 64, Crash Bandicoot |
| Puzzle platformer | Solving puzzles, more than jumping, is the main challenge | Braid, The Lost Vikings |
| Run and gun | Platforming with heavy emphasis on shooting | Contra, Metal Slug, Cuphead |
| Cinematic platformer | Realistic movement; a single mistake can be fatal | Prince of Persia, Limbo |
| Platform adventure (Metroidvania) | Explore a large map while gaining abilities | Metroid, Hollow Knight |
| Precision platformer | Retry short, difficult sections countless times | Super Meat Boy, Celeste |
| Runner (auto-running) | The character runs automatically; you only control jumping | Canabalt, Temple Run |
Many games blend several types. Celeste is a precision platformer with a strong emphasis on story, and Hollow Knight, though a platformer, is more often classified as a Metroidvania.
Notable Titles Through History
| Year | Game | Developer | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Donkey Kong | Nintendo | First game to clear obstacles by jumping; Mario's first appearance |
| 1982 | Pitfall! | Activision (David Crane) | A wide stage of 256 screens linked side by side |
| 1985 | Super Mario Bros. | Nintendo | Set the standard for side-scrolling platformers |
| 1989 | Prince of Persia | Jordan Mechner (published by Broderbund) | Cinematic platformer with realistic movement via rotoscoping |
| 1991 | Sonic the Hedgehog | Sonic Team (published by Sega) | A sense of speed racing through loops and hills |
| 1996 | Super Mario 64 | Nintendo | Set the benchmark for 3D platformers along with the analog stick |
| 1996 | Crash Bandicoot | Naughty Dog (published by Sony) | Kept linear courses in 3D graphics |
| 2008 | Braid | Number None (Jonathan Blow) | Puzzle platformer built around rewinding time |
| 2010 | Super Meat Boy | Team Meat | More than 300 short, difficult stages |
| 2015 | Super Mario Maker | Nintendo | Players create and share courses |
| 2018 | Celeste | Maddy Makes Games | Demanding controls and the difficulty-adjusting "Assist Mode" |
| 2024 | Astro Bot | Team Asobi (published by Sony) | 3D platformer using DualSense haptics and triggers |
A Genre That Started on a Single Screen
Early platformers were games of climbing ladders and platforms within a single screen. Space Panic in 1980 had ladders but no jumping, and Donkey Kong in 1981 was the first to let players jump over obstacles and gaps. That's why Donkey Kong is often cited as the first platformer. The following year, Pitfall! expanded the stage by linking multiple screens together.
The Era of Scrolling and Mascots
Super Mario Bros. for the Famicom in 1985, with its left-to-right scrolling stages, items such as mushrooms and flowers, and hidden paths, became the prototype for the genre. Afterward, the idea spread that every console needed a signature platformer and mascot, and in 1991 Sega released Sonic the Hedgehog, which put speed front and center. In the early 1990s, platformers were the most popular genre in console games.
The Leap to 3D
The era of 3D graphics brought new problems: the camera and depth perception. Jumping Flash! in 1995 is recorded as the first 3D platformer on a console, and Super Mario 64 in 1996, with its analog stick, wide 3D spaces, and structure of "collecting stars to open the next world," became the benchmark for later 3D platformers. The same year, Crash Bandicoot opted for linear courses that move forward, even within 3D graphics.
2D Revived by Indie Games
In the 2000s, platformers' market share declined sharply. According to Wikipedia, their share of sales fell from 15% in 1998 to 2% a few years later. But along with the success of New Super Mario Bros. in 2006, indie developers brought 2D platformers back to life. Braid with time manipulation, Super Meat Boy with extreme precision, and Celeste with a story about anxiety and depression each showed a new direction.
Design Traits
Platformers look simple, but making a "satisfying jump" requires careful design.
- Air control: Some games, like Donkey Kong, have fixed jump arcs, while others let you change direction in midair. Many platformers make jump height depend on how long you hold the button, enabling fine control.
- Forgiving detection: Celeste has "coyote time," which still allows a jump for a very brief moment after you've just stepped off the edge of a platform. It reduces the frustration players feel when they think, "I definitely pressed it."
- Quick restarts: The harder the platformer, the more likely it is to let you restart right on the spot after dying. Lowering the cost of failure makes players attempt more.
- Level design that introduces new elements one at a time: Show a new mechanic first in a safe place, build on it once players are familiar, and finally test them with a difficult twist.
- Difficulty options: Celeste's Assist Mode offers features such as slowing the game speed or turning on invincibility. Conversely, collectibles and hidden stages provide extra challenges for skilled players.
- Camera: In 3D platformers, a camera that clearly shows where you'll land is as important as the controls.
Who It's For
- People who like short sessions and the feeling of improving right away
- People who want the thrill of finally clearing a hard section after countless retries
- People looking for a game to play with children or with someone new to games (easy 2D and 3D platformers)
- People who like indie games with simple controls but brilliant ideas
If quick reactions feel like a burden, it's a good idea to start with puzzle platformers or games with difficulty adjustment features.
Platformers Today
Platformers once stalled because of a perception that they were "a genre for kids," but today both major publishers and indie developers keep coming back to the genre. Super Mario Bros. Wonder in 2023 was the first new 2D Mario since 2012, and Astro Bot in 2024 became the highest-rated game of that year on Metacritic. Celeste has sold more than 7 million copies since release.
On mobile, there are runner games played with one-handed touch controls, and online, games like Fall Guys mix platforming with battle royale. The trend of players creating and sharing their own courses, as in Super Mario Maker, also continues.
That so many different games can come from a single jump is why the platformer is still called the foundation of game design.