The 20 best platform games, from Super Mario Odyssey to Sonic the Hedgehog

A countdown of the best platformers of all time

Platformers – video games in which players must jump, climb and traverse obstacles to reach their goal – have been at the very forefront of the gaming world for decades.

While platform games started out in 2D, with maps stretching from left to right, the invention of 3D gaming on the PlayStation and N64 revolutionised what platformers could do.

From timeless Nintendo classics like Donkey Kong and the Mario franchise, to more modern independent gems such as Limbo, the genre has always found new ways to keep itself feeling fresh.

See below for a list of the 20 best platformers from down the years, ranked.