Platformers are some of the most popular and enduring video games around. The genre has been around for decades, dating back to the earliest days of home consoles and arcades, and has produced some of the most recognizable characters in gaming history. From Mario and Sonic to newer stars like Astro, platformers have remained a major part of the video game landscape and continue to attract millions of players around the world.
One of the biggest strengths of the platformer genre is just how diverse it can be. Some games focus almost entirely on jumping and navigating obstacles, while others incorporate exploration, puzzles, combat, collecting, or even elements of role-playing games. There are straightforward titles designed to introduce young children to video games, as well as demanding releases that can challenge experienced players for hours.
That sort of variety makes platformers a particularly good fit for kids and teens. Younger players can start with relatively forgiving games that teach them the basics of movement and timing, while older kids can gradually move on to more challenging titles that put their skills to the test. With that in mind, we’ve put together a selection of some of the best platformer games currently available on modern systems, covering a wide range of ages, play styles, and difficulty levels.
Astro Bot Is A Near-Perfect Modern 3D Platformer
Astro Bot is one of the best examples of what a modern 3D platformer can be. Players control the cheerful little robot Astro as he travels across a series of beautiful planets in search of his scattered crew. Each world introduces new environments, enemies, collectibles, and platforming challenges. Meanwhile, Astro’s various abilities give players plenty of ways to interact with the environment. The game is easy to pick up, but gradually introduces more challenging stages for players who want to test their skills.
What really makes Astro Bot stand out is how consistently creative it is. New gameplay ideas appear throughout the game, and almost every level has some kind of surprise waiting around the corner. There are plenty of collectibles for kids who enjoy exploring every nook and cranny, and there are optional challenges that give more experienced players something to work toward after completing the main stages. As a bonus feature, Astro Bot is packed with references to PlayStation’s history, making it especially fun for parents who grew up gaming on Sony’s consoles.
Why Kids Will Love Astro Bot: Kids who enjoy colorful worlds, collecting things, and discovering new abilities will have a lot to enjoy here. The controls are approachable enough for younger players, but the later stages provide some surprisingly tough challenges for older kids and teens.
ESRB Rating: E10+ for Everyone 10+
Content Descriptors: Fantasy Violence, Crude Humor
Platforms: PlayStation 5
Players: Single-player
Super Mario Bros. Wonder Reinvents Classic 2D Mario Platforming
Super Mario Bros. Wonder takes the traditional side-scrolling Mario formula and gives it a huge injection of creativity. Players get to travel through the Flower Kingdom, running and jumping through various levels while collecting coins, defeating enemies, and searching for hidden secrets. The biggest addition is the Wonder Flower, which can dramatically change a level upon being activated. The game comes with some fairly challenging levels, but Assist Mode can be used to make things more forgiving for younger players.
Wonder is particularly good at making traditional platforming feel fresh again. The levels are generally short enough that kids can make meaningful progress without committing to lengthy play sessions. There’s also a good amount of replay value here, with optional collectibles and harder challenges giving players a good reason to revisit levels. Up to four players can play together on one system, but the game works just as well as a single-player experience.
Why Kids Will Love Super Mario Bros. Wonder: This is a great starting point for kids who are new to platformers. The controls are simple, the levels are interesting and constantly changing, and playing with friends or family makes the game even more enjoyable.
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone
Content Descriptors: Mild Fantasy Violence
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2
Players: Single-player; up to 4-player local multiplayer
Super Mario Odyssey Gives Kids A Huge 3D World To Explore
Super Mario Odyssey is a collection of huge 3D kingdoms filled with secrets, collectibles, puzzles, and platforming challenges. Mario’s biggest new trick is Cappy, his magical hat, which allows him to capture enemies and objects and temporarily take control of them. The ability dramatically expands what Mario can do, letting players turn into everything from a dinosaur to a tank while exploring the game’s environments.
The open-ended design makes Odyssey particularly rewarding for curious kids. Players can follow the main objectives or simply wander around looking for Power Moons, costumes, hidden areas, and other secrets. There are plenty of challenges that require precise platforming, but the game generally gives players enough freedom to choose what they want to tackle. That makes it approachable for beginners while still offering an enormous amount of content for older kids with a knack for completionism.
Why Kids Will Love Super Mario Odyssey: Kids who like exploring will find something new around almost every corner. Cappy’s abilities keep the gameplay interesting and the huge number of collectibles gives players plenty of reasons to return to kingdoms they’ve already completed.
ESRB Rating: E10+ for Everyone 10+
Content Descriptors: Cartoon Violence, Comic Mischief
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2
Players: Single-player; 2-player local co-op
Kirby And The Forgotten Land Is A Great Introduction To 3D Platforming
Kirby and the Forgotten Land was Kirby’s first mainline game to make the jump into fully 3D platforming. The game allows players to explore abandoned cities, beaches, factories, and other interesting locations as they strive to rescue Waddle Dees and battle the Beast Pack. Kirby can copy enemy abilities, inhale objects using Mouthful Mode, and use his powers to both fight enemies and interact with the environment. The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition adds improved visuals, performance enhancements, and a new story called Star-Crossed World.
The game’s biggest strength is its accessibility. Kirby can float through difficult sections, copy a wide variety of abilities, and generally has plenty of room for error compared with many other platforming heroes. That doesn’t mean the game is completely devoid of difficulty, though. Optional Treasure Road challenges and later stages provide considerably more demanding tests for players who want them. The game features a two-player local co-op mode that lets a second player take control of Bandana Waddle Dee.
Why Kids Will Love Kirby and the Forgotten Land: This is one of the easiest 3D platformers to recommend to kids who haven’t played many games before. Kirby’s abilities make mistakes less frustrating and there’s plenty of entertainment to be had experimenting with Kirby’s silly Mouthful transformations.
ESRB Rating: E10+ for Everyone 10+
Content Descriptors: Cartoon Violence
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2
Players: Single-player; 2-player local co-op
Donkey Kong Bananza Gives Platforming A Destructive Twist
Donkey Kong Bananza puts the famous ape back in the spotlight with a 3D platformer built around destruction. Kids get to travel through the underground layers of a mysterious planet, smashing through rocks and structures, collecting bananas, solving puzzles, and battling enemies. Donkey Kong has a bunch of abilities at his disposal, including punching, smashing, throwing chunks of the environment, and using his strength to create new paths through the world.
The destructible environments are what make Bananza feel different from most other 3D platformers. Instead of always looking for the intended route through a level, players can frequently make their own paths by breaking through walls and floors. The game gradually introduces new Bananza abilities that expand both exploration and combat, giving players more options as they progress. The game is a particularly good showcase for what the Nintendo Switch 2 can do in terms of physics and innovative gameplay.
Why Kids Will Love Donkey Kong Bananza: Kids who enjoy smashing things will have a great time here. Almost everything in this game can be interacted with and there’s something very satisfying about destroying walls or floors to reveal something new.
ESRB Rating: E10+ for Everyone 10+
Content Descriptors: Fantasy Violence
Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2
Players: Single-player; local co-op
Yoshi And The Mysterious Book Is A Brand-New Platformer For Younger Kids
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is a 2026 platformer designed around exploration and observation. The gameplay primarily revolves around helping Yoshi restore the blank pages of a mysterious book by exploring habitats, meeting strange creatures, collecting tokens, and completing various objectives. Yoshi can swallow enemies, throw eggs, and interact with the environment in familiar ways, as each area introduces new creatures and situations to investigate.
The focus on observation makes this a particularly interesting choice for younger children. Rather than constantly pushing players toward difficult combat or precise platforming, the game encourages them to look around and experiment with the creatures and objects they encounter. While older players can also have plenty of fun with the game, Yoshi And The Mysterious Book was clearly developed with young kids in mind.
Why Kids Will Love Yoshi and the Mysterious Book: Younger players who like cute characters and exploring at their own pace should feel right at home here. It’s a particularly good pick for inquisitive players as the book’s strange creatures give kids plenty of reasons to look around and see what else they can discover.
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone
Content Descriptors: Mild Fantasy Violence
Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2
Players: Single-player
Duskfade Brings Back The Classic 3D Platformer
Duskfade is a 3D action-platformer that feels like a long-lost game from the PlayStation 2 era. Players take on the role of Zirian, a young hero searching for his sister after a clockwork disaster tears apart his home. The game draws obvious inspiration from older 3D platformers such as Jak & Daxter, Ratchet & Clank, and Kingdom Hearts. This is another brand-new game that came out earlier in 2026 and so far it’s been well received by both critics and players alike.
Duskfade is particularly interesting because there simply aren’t that many new games being made in this style anymore. Its clockwork fantasy setting gives the familiar collectathon structure a distinctive visual identity, while the combination of platforming, exploration, and combat offers players plenty of content variety. Duskfade isn’t quite as polished as something like Astro Bot, but its original world and classic platforming structure make it an easy recommendation for kids and teens interested in this particular style of game.
Why Kids Will Love Duskfade: Kids who enjoy exploring 3D worlds and collecting hidden items will find a lot to like here. Duskfade especially appealing to older kids and teens who want something that feels like a modern version of the classic 3D platformers their parents might remember.
ESRB Rating: E10+ for Everyone 10+
Content Descriptors: Fantasy Violence
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2
Players: Single-player
Deer & Boy Tells A Heartfelt Story Through Platforming
Deer & Boy is a cinematic 2D/2.5D platformer about an unlikely friendship between a runaway boy and a lost fawn. The pair travel through a dangerous world together, solving environmental puzzles, climbing through ruined landscapes, sneaking past threats, and gradually learning how to work together. The fawn grows throughout the story, eventually becoming a much more capable companion who can help the boy overcome obstacles that would be impossible to handle alone.
Unlike many platformers, Deer & Boy puts as much emphasis on atmosphere and storytelling as it does on jumping and climbing. There’s no dialogue in this game, with the story instead being communicated through animation, music, and the relationship between the two characters. The game is relatively short, making it easier for kids to finish than many lengthy platformers, and its family-friendly presentation avoids complex text or graphic violence. Its emotional story does become heavier in places, though, so it may resonate most strongly with older children and teens.
Why Kids Will Love Deer & Boy: Kids who enjoy animals and emotional stories will find something special here. The puzzles encourage players to think about how the boy and deer can help one another, while the short length makes it a good choice for a few relaxed gaming sessions.
ESRB Rating: E10+ for Everyone 10+
Content Descriptors: Fantasy Violence
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Players: Single-player
Sonic Superstars Gives Classic Sonic A Modern Makeover
Sonic Superstars brings Sonic’s classic side-scrolling platforming into a modern 3D-looking presentation while retaining the fast-paced gameplay the series is known for. Players can choose between Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy as they race, collect rings, defeat enemies, and take on giant bosses. Each character has their own abilities, which means players can approach certain sections in different ways.
The biggest advantage Sonic Superstars has over many older Sonic games is its emphasis on multiplayer. Up to four players can work through the campaign together, making it a very good option for siblings and families. The game also includes special abilities tied to the Chaos Emeralds, giving players additional tools to experiment with as they progress. The game can get fast and chaotic, particularly during boss fights, but the basic controls are straightforward enough for younger players to understand.
Why Kids Will Love Sonic Superstars: Sonic’s speed makes every level feel energetic and the multiple playable characters give kids different ways to approach the same challenges. The four-player support is an especially nice bonus for families with multiple kids.
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone
Content Descriptors: Mild Fantasy Violence
Interactive Elements: In-Game Purchases
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Players: Single-player; up to 4-player local co-op
Rayman Legends Remains One Of The Best 2D Platformers Around
Rayman Legends remains one of the easiest platformers to recommend to kids and teens, even more than a decade after its original release. The game sends Rayman and his friends through a huge collection of beautifully animated side-scrolling levels filled with all manner of engaging activities to partake in. Among other things, the game includes music-based stages that turn songs into elaborate platforming challenges.
Rayman Legends constantly introduces new mechanics, but gives players enough time to gradually become more comfortable with the timing and movement required to complete harder stages. The platformer supports up to four players locally, making it another strong family choice. As a bonus, the game also includes a huge amount of content, so kids who really get into its platforming have plenty of levels to work through.
Why Kids Will Love Rayman Legends: The bright visuals, goofy characters, catchy music, and responsive controls make this a must-play platformer. Kids can start with the easier levels and gradually work their way toward the game’s tougher challenges.
ESRB Rating: E10+ for Everyone 10+
Content Descriptors: Cartoon Violence, Comic Mischief
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Players: Single-player; up to 4-player local multiplayer
Crash Bandicoot 4 Is A Tougher Platformer For Older Kids
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time continues the classic Crash Bandicoot formula with a modern game built around precise jumping, spinning attacks, dangerous obstacles, and increasingly difficult levels. This time around, Crash and his friends travel through different eras while attempting to stop a new threat, with several playable characters and new masks adding extra abilities to the familiar gameplay centered on platforming.
The important thing for parents to know is that Crash 4 is considerably more difficult than most of the other games on this list. Early levels are fairly approachable, but later stages demand careful timing and repeated attempts. That makes it a particularly good choice for older kids and teens who have already played easier platformers and want something that will really test their reflexes. There are plenty of collectibles and optional challenges, too, giving skilled players even more reasons to replay levels.
Why Kids Will Love Crash Bandicoot 4: Kids who enjoy challenging games will get a lot out of Crash 4. The cartoony presentation keeps things lighthearted, but demanding platforming provides a genuine sense of accomplishment whenever a difficult level is finally conquered.
ESRB Rating: E10+ for Everyone 10+
Content Descriptors: Alcohol Reference, Cartoon Violence, Comic Mischief, Language
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Players: Single-player
Spyro Reignited Trilogy Is A Classic Platforming Compilation
Spyro Reignited Trilogy brings three classic PlayStation platformers into the modern era with completely remade visuals. The collection includes Spyro the Dragon, Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage!, and Spyro: Year of the Dragon. The gameplay centers around controlling the purple dragon as he explores fantasy worlds, collects gems, rescues characters in need, and uses fire breath and charging attacks to deal with enemies.
Spyro’s slower pace makes the trilogy a nice alternative to faster games like Sonic and Crash. Much of the fun comes from exploring each level and figuring out how to reach areas that initially seem inaccessible. There are plenty of collectibles for kids who like completing everything, but players can generally progress through the games without needing to find every single item. Getting three full games for the price of one is another big selling point here.
Why Kids Will Love Spyro Reignited Trilogy: Spyro is a great fit for kids who enjoy fantasy worlds but don’t necessarily want extremely fast or difficult platforming. The three games provide plenty of content, and exploring each level feels a little like searching for a giant treasure chest.
ESRB Rating: E10+ for Everyone 10+
Content Descriptors: Cartoon Violence, Comic Mischief
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Players: Single-player
The Plucky Squire Jumps Between 2D And 3D Worlds
The Plucky Squire is one of the more imaginative platformers released in recent years. Players control Jot, a storybook hero who discovers that he can leave the pages of his book and enter the 3D world outside it. From there, the game constantly shifts between traditional 2D platforming and 3D environments, with puzzles, combat, mini-games, and other challenges built around this unusual concept.
The constant switching between perspectives is easily the main selling point of The Plucky Squire. Some of its mini-games and puzzles are particularly good at incorporating that feature, making The Plucky Squire a good choice for kids who enjoy platformers but want something that feels different from the usual mascot games.
Why Kids Will Love The Plucky Squire: Kids who enjoy books, drawing, puzzles, and imaginative worlds will probably get a kick out of Jot’s unusual journey. The constant changes between 2D and 3D keep the gameplay from becoming predictable.
ESRB Rating: E10+ for Everyone 10+
Content Descriptors: Fantasy Violence
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Players: Single-player
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series Revives Two Charming Classics
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series brings together remastered versions of two classic platformers: Klonoa: Door to Phantomile and Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil. Both titles center around the adventures of the titular Klonoa, a rabbit-like creature reminiscent of Nintendo and Sega mascot characters. The remaster includes adjustable difficulty options and supports two-player co-op, making it more accessible to modern players.
Klonoa’s biggest strength is the way it combines straightforward platforming with light puzzle-solving. Enemies can often be picked up and used to reach new areas or solve environmental problems. The two games also have an appealing visual style and a strong emphasis on storytelling, giving them more personality than their relatively simple mechanics might suggest. The collection is an especially good choice for parents who want to introduce kids to a classic platforming series without making them track down old hardware.
Why Kids Will Love Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series: The controls are easy to understand, but Klonoa’s magical Wind Ring gives kids something interesting to experiment with. Adjustable difficulty and co-op support make the collection particularly family-friendly.
ESRB Rating: E10+ for Everyone 10+
Content Descriptors: Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Tobacco
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Players: Single-player; 2-player local co-op
Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove Is A Modern Classic Worth Playing
Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove takes inspiration from classic 8-bit platformers while adding modern conveniences and a surprising amount of content. The collection includes the original Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope alongside several additional campaigns that put other characters in the spotlight. The basic gameplay revolves around running, jumping, attacking enemies with a shovel, collecting treasure, and navigating increasingly challenging side-scrolling levels.
The retro presentation may look simple, but Shovel Knight is a surprisingly deep platformer. Each campaign introduces unique movement abilities and mechanics designed to overcome specific challenges. Shovel Knight is more difficult than a typical Mario or Kirby game, but the difficulty is generally fair and teaches players through repetition. The result is a great stepping stone for kids who have already mastered easier platformers and are ready to tackle something that feels more like the classics.
Why Kids Will Love Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove: Kids who like pixel art and old-school games will get a real kick out of this one. The shovel is both a weapon and a platforming tool, and the different campaigns give players several distinct characters and play styles to experiment with.
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone
Content Descriptors: Mild Fantasy Violence, Use of Alcohol
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Players: Single-player; multiplayer modes available in select campaigns
Hollow Knight And Silksong Are Must-Plays For Older Kids And Teens
Hollow Knight is a sprawling 2D action-platformer that sends players into the ruined underground kingdom of Hallownest. Players can look forward to exploring a huge interconnected world filled with secrets, hidden paths, strange creatures, and challenging bosses.. The Knight gradually gains new abilities that open previously inaccessible areas, giving the game a strong exploration component alongside its platforming and combat.
The sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong, gives fans another enormous world to explore, this time putting Hornet in the starring role. Her movement is faster and more acrobatic than the Knight’s, creating a different style of platforming while retaining the exploration, combat, and boss battles that made the original so popular. Both games are considerably more challenging than most of the other titles here, and their darker settings can be intimidating for younger children. They’re best viewed as recommendations for older kids and teens who are ready for something more in-depth.
Why Kids Will Love Hollow Knight and Silksong: Players who enjoy discovering secrets and overcoming difficult challenges will find an enormous amount of content to explore. These games reward patience and practice, making it particularly satisfying to finally defeat a difficult boss or reach a previously inaccessible area.
ESRB Rating: E10+ for Everyone 10+ for Hollow Knight; check the current regional rating for Silksong
Content Descriptors: Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood for Hollow Knight
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Players: Single-player
Sheepy: A Short Adventure Is A Tiny Platformer With A Strange Atmosphere
Sheepy: A Short Adventure is a tiny pixel-art platformer that takes players into a forgotten and broken world as an abandoned plush toy brought to life. Sheepy’s adventures sends him through several atmospheric areas, unlocking new abilities, navigating environmental obstacles, discovering secrets, and gradually uncovering more about the strange world around him. Despite its cute protagonist, the game has a darker and more mysterious atmosphere than most games on this list.
The biggest reason to include Sheepy is its scale. The main story can be completed just an hour or two, making it an easy game for kids to finish in a single sitting. Sheepy: A Short Adventure is free on PC and only costs a couple of bucks on Switch. The platforming itself isn’t especially complicated, but the combination of pixel art, music, secrets, and mysterious storytelling gives the game considerably more personality than its short length might suggest.
Why Kids Will Love Sheepy: A Short Adventure: Kids who enjoy spooky stories and mysterious worlds may find Sheepy’s unusual presentation especially appealing. The game is short enough to finish in one sitting, but the secrets and atmosphere give players reasons to explore every area carefully.
ESRB Rating: E10+ for Everyone 10+
Content Descriptors: Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2
Players: Single-player
A Hat In Time Is A Colorful 3D Platformer With A Darker Side
A Hat in Time is a 3D platformer starring Hat Kid, a young space traveler whose magical Time Pieces have been scattered across a strange planet. The game is deliberately reminiscent of classic 3D platformers such as Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie, with plenty of open-ended exploration and collectibles. That said, A Hat In Time does manage to stand out from the crowd in several ways and isn’t exactly a clone of those games.
Despite its colorful presentation and cute protagonist, A Hat in Time is one of the more age-sensitive choices here. The ESRB rates it T for Teen because of Blood and Fantasy Violence, with one particular sequence depicting an apparent murder and a pool of blood before revealing that the scene is fake. The rest of the game is much more playful, but that moment and some of the darker material mean the game is more suitable for teens than younger children. There’s plenty of genuinely excellent platforming underneath the darker material, though.
Why Kids Will Love A Hat in Time: Teens who want a traditional 3D platformer with lots of exploration will find a lot to enjoy. The different hats provide useful abilities and players can expect each world to contain plenty of secrets and collectibles to discover.
ESRB Rating: T for Teen
Content Descriptors: Blood, Fantasy Violence
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Players: Single-player; 2-player local co-op on supported versions
Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown Is A Platformer Designed For Teens
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown takes the series back to its platforming roots with a fast-paced 2D action-platformer. Players control Sargon, a young warrior searching for a kidnapped prince while exploring the dangerous Mount Qaf. The game combines precise platforming with exploration, environmental puzzles, and sword-based combat. Sargon gradually unlocks new movement abilities that allow him to reach previously inaccessible parts of the world.
This is one of the more demanding games on the list and is clearly aimed at older players. The Lost Crown’s platforming often requires precise timing, while its combat involves regular fighting against human and supernatural enemies. That makes it considerably more intense than Mario, Kirby, or Yoshi, but it is an excellent next step for teens who have already mastered traditional platformers. The interconnected world and growing collection of movement abilities also give it a satisfying sense of progression.
Why Teens Will Love Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown: Teens who want something more challenging will find a lot to sink their teeth into. The movement feels fast and responsive, and new abilities constantly open up previously inaccessible areas.
ESRB Rating: T for Teen
Content Descriptors: Blood, Mild Language, Violence
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Players: Single-player
Ori And The Will Of The Wisps Is A Beautiful But Challenging Platformer
Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a gorgeous side-scrolling platformer that combines fast movement, exploration, puzzles, and combat with a surprisingly emotional story. Players control Ori, a small forest spirit who must travel through a dying wilderness and uncover the source of a threat corrupting the land. Ori gains new abilities throughout the game, including increasingly powerful movement skills that make it possible to reach new parts of the world.
The game’s beautiful presentation makes it easy to recommend, but its platforming is considerably more demanding than its cutesy art style might suggest. Later sections require players to chain together jumps, dashes, wall climbs, and other abilities with increasing precision. That makes Ori an excellent choice for older kids and teens who are ready for a challenge. Ori’s story can become emotional, too, giving the game more dramatic weight than most of the lighter platformers on this list.
Why Kids Will Love Ori and the Will of the Wisps: Kids and teens who enjoy beautiful worlds and challenging platforming will find plenty to love. Ori’s movement becomes increasingly satisfying as new abilities are unlocked, and the world is filled with secrets for curious players to discover.
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone
Content Descriptors: Mild Fantasy Violence
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Players: Single-player
