Platformer Games Online: Jumps, Wall Jumps and Kinds to Play
Updated
Platformer games online are about getting from one end of a level to the other by running and jumping between platforms, past gaps, spikes and enemies. Some keep it gentle and full of things to collect, some test every pixel of a jump, and some turn the level itself into a puzzle. Below are the moves, the main kinds and games from the platformer games collection.
What makes a platformer
Wikipedia's article on the platformer describes a game whose core objective is to move your character between points in a level, with uneven ground and suspended platforms that require jumping and climbing. It lists other moves that often join in, such as jumping off walls and bouncing from springboards or trampolines.
The moves, and where to learn them
| Move | What it does | Where to practice |
|---|---|---|
| Double jump | Jump a second time in mid-air | Nutty Rush: press Space again in the air |
| Wall jump | Slide down a wall, then jump to climb it | Blocky Adventures, Neon Velocity |
| Dash | A short burst of speed | CAT CITY and Neon Velocity: double-tap A or D |
| Charged jump | Hold to charge, release to jump higher | Crazy Bouncer: hold Space |
| Gravity switch | Flip which way you fall | Mini Switcher: X, Space or a click |
Most platformers jump with W, the up arrow or Space and move with A and D or the arrow keys. More on the usual keys is in keyboard controls for browser games.
Classic platformers: run, jump, collect
- Nutty Rush is a cozy 3D platformer starring a squirrel. Run, jump and spit nuts at foes across 25 levels in five worlds, each ending with a boss you hit with nuts when it is open. You can ride Sivri, a grey mouse, for extra speed, and progress is saved automatically.
- Pengu Pengu asks you to collect every fish and reach the mother penguin and her egg, past polar bears and traps.
- Frog Adventure stars a pixel-art ninja frog that jumps over traps and dashes through enemies, with levels built around timing.
- CAT CITY is rooftop parkour across dozens of levels, with a double jump, a dash and on-screen buttons on a phone.
- Pogo Peggy bounces left and right on a pogo stick, on ground that can crumble at any moment, while crows try to knock you off.
Precision platformers: hard but fair
Precision platformers are short levels with little room for error, and they restart you right away so that one more try costs nothing.
- Neon Velocity calls itself a hardcore precision platformer: 50 levels of running, wall-jumping and dashing, where a dash through an enemy drone destroys it. Crumbling platforms and laser grids get in the way, and respawns are instant.
- Blocky Adventures has 50 levels across five worlds, from icy caverns to volcanoes, plus a secret mega-level and a Speedrun mode. It uses a dash (X or Shift), a double jump and a wall jump.
- Crazy Bouncer is a bouncing ball: hold Space to charge a jump, release it to go higher, and reach the green flag without touching the red zones.
Habits that help on hard levels:
- Learn one jump at a time. Instant respawns are there so you can repeat the hard part until it sticks.
- Watch a moving platform or a laser for a full cycle before you go.
- Let go of the direction key as you land. On a narrow platform, most falls come from sliding past the edge.
- Practice the move the level is built around. A level with tall walls is asking for wall jumps.
One-button runners where the character moves on its own, timed to the music or to the obstacles, are in games like Geometry Dash.
Puzzle platformers
Here the hard part is working out how to get through, not the jump itself.
- Mini Switcher guides a small blob to the goal over around 30 levels by switching gravity, with X, Space, a left click or a tap. There is a speed run mode too.
- DuaLight A Reflected Game hides its platforms: they are invisible in the level and only show in the reflection below. Watch the reflection to find the path.
Action platformers
Mask of six Moons is a pixel-art action platformer. Fight monsters behind the moon gates and loot weapons from 12 types, including greatswords, scythes, bows and chain whips, each with random bonuses. Level up, spend points on five stats, and gain the dash, double jump and wall jump as you go. Two gates are open: the Sunken Crypt and the Fungal Caverns. It supports a gamepad.
Two-player platformers
Co-op platformers put two characters on one keyboard, and the levels need both of them.
- Inca Adventure sends a father and his daughter through 20 levels to the treasure, and they only get there by cooperating. Each has three health per level. Player 1 uses W A S D, F to hit and G for grenades; player 2 uses the arrow keys and L to hit. Both can walk on walls.
- Miners Adventure sends a grandpa and his grandchild into the mines for precious stones, past traps and animals, solving puzzles together. Player 1 shoots with F and uses a whip on G; player 2 digs with K and throws grenades with L.
- Prison Twins has two brothers escape a prison by pressing buttons that move platforms and finding three golden keys. The big brother breaks doors, and the thin one fits through narrow gaps.
Co-op puzzle platformers with one character per player are also in games like Fireboy and Watergirl.
Platformer games FAQ
What types of platformer games are there?
The main kinds are classic platformers about running and collecting, precision platformers built on hard jumps, puzzle platformers, action platformers with combat, two-player co-op platformers, and auto-runners where the character moves on its own. 3D obstacle courses are in obby games.
What is a hard platformer?
A precision platformer: short levels, exact jumps and instant restarts. Neon Velocity and Blocky Adventures are both built that way.
Are there 3D platformers?
Yes. Nutty Rush is a 3D platformer with five worlds and boss fights.
Can two people play a platformer together?
Yes, on one keyboard. Inca Adventure, Miners Adventure and Prison Twins split the controls between W A S D and the arrow keys.
Do platformers work on a phone?
Several do. CAT CITY, Blocky Adventures and Nutty Rush show on-screen buttons on touch devices, and Mini Switcher switches gravity with a touch. The site works in the browser of a phone, a tablet and a computer.
The platformer games collection has many more levels to jump through.
