Platformpelit

Platformpelit, or platform games, constitute a video game genre where players control a character navigating a level built from playable platforms. The core loop typically involves running, jumping, avoiding hazards, and reaching an end goal, with optional elements such as item collection, combat, or puzzle solving. The term is used in Finnish gaming discourse to describe both traditional 2D side-scrollers and 3D platform adventures.

Gameplay and design focus on precise movement and timing. Level design often rewards memorization, experimentation, and skillful execution, using checkpoints, hidden paths, and power-ups to extend play. Visual clarity and responsive controls are crucial to allow players to master jumps and sequences. Subtypes include traditional 2D platformers, 3D platformers, speedrun-oriented titles, puzzle-platformers, and metroidvanias that blend exploration with platforming.

History and development span several decades. The genre originated in the early 1980s with arcade and home-console games such as Donkey Kong and Super Mario Bros. It diversified through the 1990s with titles like Sonic the Hedgehog and Donkey Kong Country, then expanded into 3D with games such as Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie. In the 2000s and 2010s, indie developers revitalized platforming with compact, tightly controlled experiences, including Braid, Super Meat Boy, Ori and the Blind Forest, Rayman Origins, Celeste, and Hollow Knight.

Reception and influence remain strong. Platformers attract a broad audience, support speedrunning communities, and continue to thrive on consoles and PC. The genre persists through hybrids and innovations in level design, while maintaining its core emphasis on precise movement, timing, and inventive level construction.