12 Best Platformers On Xbox Game Pass

The platformer genre is one of the oldest in all of gaming, so it’s no surprise to know that there’s a whole host of platformer games available on Xbox Game Pass. Whether you prefer to hop from platform to platform in 2D or 3D, or if you prefer your platformer games to be focused on combat or movement, Game Pass offers plenty of games that you can sink your teeth into.

With that in mind, we’re compiling a list of the best platformer games on Xbox Game Pass. Naturally, this list is subject to change over time, as new games are added and old games are removed, but this list is reserved for the best of the best. Here’s the 12 best platformer games on Xbox Game Pass across PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X & S.

 

The Best Platformers On Game Pass

12. Clustertruck

Developer: Landfall Games
Publisher: tinyBuild

If you’re looking for a platformer game that’s about as chaotic as the pun name would imply, Clustertruck is the perfect game for you. Instead of just exploring a regular world, you find yourself surfing on top of a convoy of trucks trying to reach the goal while avoiding touching the ground. The trucks are all moving in a set direction, but Clustertruck is a physics bonanza so no two runs through a level will be the same.

While the randomness of Clustertruck could make it frustrating for some, the instant restarts and short levels make it an addictive game to keep plugging away at, as each failed attempt just begs for a retry. Clustertruck also features an array of power-ups and abilities that make traversing the convoy much easier, whether it’s a jetpack, slow-mo or a grappling hook. It’s a simple game, but Clustertruck is so much fun.

 

11. Human Fall Flat

Developer: No Brakes Games, Codeglue
Publisher: Curve Digital

Another physics-based platformer, Human Fall Flat is less about advanced skills and controls, and more about using the environment and tools around you to solve puzzles. You control a customisable blob of a character, who finds themselves exploring a bunch of themed levels that are floating in the sky. It’s a paper thin premise at best, but the game’s hook is how you use physics, objects and a bit of ingenuity to solve the game’s various challenges.

Human Fall Flat features a variety of themed levels, with more having been added over time in post-launch updates. Each level features a variety of intricate challenges and puzzles to solve that all inevitably lead to some hilarious consequences. If that’s not enough to convince you, Human Fall Flat also features 8-player online co-op, so if you can gather a bunch of friends together, there’s few platformers that are as fun.

 

10. My Friend Pedro

Developer: DeadToast Entertainment
Publisher: Devolver Digital

Not all platformers have to be about leaping from floating platform to floating platform, collecting shiny tokens to unlock the next world. Sometimes they feature combat systems that put most first person shooters to shame. My Friend Pedro fits into the latter category, offering a gratuitous ballet of bullets, acrobatics and slow-motion that’d put even the likes of The Matrix to shame. As platformers go, My Friend Pedro is one of the best platformer games on Xbox Game Pass right now.

As an unnamed protagonist, you’ll be commanded by a sentient banana known as Pedro to commit some violent deeds in the name of friendship and points multipliers. You have plenty of weapons and tricks up your sleeve to complete the various levels that My Friend Pedro throws at you, and with online leaderboards and multiple difficulty levels, you’ll have plenty of incentive to keep coming back.

 

9. The Pedestrian

Developer: Skookum Arts
Publisher: Skookum Arts

Have you ever just imagined that little person on public signs running around? The folks over at Skookum Games clearly have, as they created The Pedestrian, which deserves to be included amongst the most inventive and enjoyable platformer games ever made. If you’re looking for a platformer game that’ll challenge you just as much as it’ll astound you, The Pedestrian is a perfect choice.

The Pedestrian is a 2.5D platformer that utilises the environment in clever ways. As the little guy from all the public signs you see, you’ll move from sign to sign, solving puzzles and moving from objective to objective along the way. In order to succeed, you’ll have to move signs around, connect them in various ways and ultimately explore your surroundings as best as you can. It’s an experience unlike any other, making The Pedestrian a perfect Game Pass platformer.

 

8. Rare Replay

Developer: Rare
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios

Why settle for just one platformer when you can have several? Rare made their name in the 90s by creating some of the best platformer games ever made, so it would make sense that a collection celebrating their history would be featured on a best platformer games on Xbox Game Pass article. If you feel like experiencing a massive wave of nostalgia, Rare Replay is perhaps the best game on Xbox Game Pass for you.

Rare Replay comes complete with 30 games, but not all of them are platformers. However, the package does include the likes of the Banjo-Kazooie trilogy, Conker’s Bad Fur Day, Kameo and others, which will provide dozens of hours of top-tier platformer entertainment. Unfortunately, Rare’s classic Donkey Kong Country isn’t included, for obvious reasons, but the rest of the platformer games on offer here more than make up for it.

 

7. Dead Cells

Developer: Motion Twin, Evil Empire
Publisher: Motion Twin, Playdigious

The beauty of the platformer genre is it can be used as a foundation to create a whole variety of different games, with one avenue being the Metroidvania roguelite. It’s a niche genre, but it’s one that gives Dead Cells the unique identity that’s made it such a hit over the years. If you want a platformer game that’ll threaten to swallow your entire life, you’d be wise to download Dead Cells through Game Pass.

Dubbed a “RogueVania,” Dead Cells is a challenging adventure that relies on permadeath to regulate the player’s progression. Players must explore a mysterious and changing castle, filled with varied biomes and dangerous enemies. Each run will net you various items and materials that you can use to unlock weapons and upgrades that’ll make subsequent runs much easier, making for an addictive and rewarding experience.

 

6. New Super Lucky’s Tale

Developer: Playful Studios
Publisher: Playful Studios

Super Lucky’s Tale is widely considered to be one of the best traditional 3D platformers of all time, so it would make sense that the remake version, New Super Lucky’s Tale, would be considered one of the best platformer games on Xbox Game Pass. While it might not ever give Mario or Sonic a run for their money, New Super Lucky’s Tale is certainly an incredibly enjoyable platformer game.

You control Lucky, a cute little creature who must explore the different worlds found in an artifact known as the Book of Ages. Each world and level is filled with an array of collectibles and secrets to discover, and with a good selection of varied worlds, New Super Lucky’s Tale is a brilliant platformer game for fans of the genre. Just don’t be surprised if you spend more time playing dress up with Lucky than actually playing the main game.

 

5. Unravel Two

Developer: Coldwood Interactive
Publisher: EA

NOTE: Xbox Game Pass Ultimate/EA Play required.

Yarny might be a top contender for one of the cutest playable characters of all time, which is probably what helped propel the original Unravel to becoming a much beloved platformer title. If you’ve never played the Unravel games before, you should definitely start there. However, the sequel improves upon the Unravel formula in enough key ways to make it worthy of recommendation.

Unravel Two sees Yarny accompanied on their journey by a second Yarny, who can either be controlled by one player, or through local co-op. The two Yarny’s then explore different levels across an island together, joined by a piece of thread. While the game is still incredibly fun as a solo player, Unravel Two truly comes into its own with two players, making for a delightful platformer experience.

 

4. The Artful Escape

Developer: Beethoven & Dinosaur
Publisher: Annapurna Interactive

While some platformer games focus on just the gameplay and challenges you can encounter, The Artful Escape puts its story and character development front and centre, making for an unforgettable experience. With its beautiful art style and captivating story, The Artful Escape stakes its claim as one of the very best platformer games on Xbox Game Pass, and it’s one that you should seek out.

The Artful Escape sees players controlling a teenage guitar prodigy on the night before his first big performance. With the shadow of his famous folk legend uncle hanging over his head, the prodigy embarks on a psychedelic trip where he deals with the weight of expectations while trying to create his own musical persona. The end result is an experience that needs to be seen to be believed.

 

3. Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition

Developer: Team Cherry
Publisher: Team Cherry

Metroid and Castlevania are two of the most iconic platformer games ever made, so it makes sense that their legacy has since filtered down to various games in the years since. One of the most popular iterations on the Metroidvania genre is Team Cherry’s Hollow Knight, which combines epic worldbuilding, satisfying gameplay and a gorgeous visual style to create one of the best platformer games on Xbox Game Pass.

Hollow Knight sees players controlling the titular Knight, an insectoid warrior exploring the Kingdom of Hallownest which is being plagued by a supernatural disease. Players will fight lots of bosses, gain plenty of abilities which then allows you to reach new areas in the game. As far as difficulty goes, Hollow Knight is probably the most challenging platformer game on this list, but the satisfaction that comes from beating the game is undeniable.

 

2. Ori And The Will Of The Wisps

Developer: Moon Studios
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios

A critically acclaimed masterpiece of a platformer, Ori And The Will Of The Wisps is one of the crown jewels of platformer on Xbox Game Pass, making it a damn near unmissable experience. Like Unravel Two earlier on this list, the prequel game Ori And The Blind Forest is still a worthy platformer experience that demands your attention, but the sequel is just that little bit better.

After the events of the first game, Ori has a chance encounter with an owlet known as Ku, and the resulting events will force the two to explore the land, reunite a family and attempt to heal a world that’s almost irreparably broken. With an amazing, vibrant art style, improved platformer and combat mechanics and a musical score that’ll be sure to tug on your heart strings, Ori And The Will Of The Wisps is a brilliant platformer on Xbox Game Pass.

 

1. It Takes Two

Developer: Hazelight Studio
Publisher: EA

NOTE: Requires Xbox Game Pass Ultimate/EA Play.

Hazelight have already established their reputation as excellent co-op game developers with A Way Out, and while there’s similarities with It Takes Two, the two games are completely world’s apart. That seal of quality from Hazelight shines through though, and It Takes Two cements its place as the best platformer game on Xbox Game Pass through its entertaining story and constant influx of new ideas during gameplay.

It Takes Two sees players controlling the parents, Cody and May. The two parents have been clashing, but through some magic, have now been shrunken down to toy doll size. Now, they’ll be forced to work together in order to survive various perils. Each level sees both Cody and May graced with unique abilities that’ll force them to co-operate or perish. Finishing It Takes Two with a friend or loved one is absolutely wonderful, and it deserves its title as the best of the best platformer games on Xbox Game Pass.

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