platformer

A platformer is a video game genre defined by navigating a character across varying terrains by jumping between platforms. Gameplay typically emphasizes precise movement and timing, often featuring vertical progression, hazards, and a focus on traversal over combat. The design often blends running, jumping, climbing, and aerial maneuvers with physics that affect how the character interacts with the environment.

Core mechanics include running, jumping, and landing on platforms, with additional techniques such as wall jumps, double jumps, dash moves, or grappling hooks in different titles. Level design relies on spacing, momentum, and obstacle placement to challenge reflexes, planning, and pixel-perfect timing. Collectibles, power-ups, and checkpoints commonly pace progression and provide incentives.

Origins trace to late 1970s arcades and early home consoles. Donkey Kong (1981) helped establish platforming, followed by Super Mario Bros. (1985), which defined side-scrolling progression. The 1990s introduced speed and momentum with Sonic the Hedgehog. 3D platformers appeared in the mid-1990s, notably Super Mario 64, expanding movement into three dimensions. In the 2000s and 2010s, indie developers broadened the form with puzzle and precision titles such as Braid, Limbo, Celeste, and Spelunky, and with roguelike and exploration-infused variants.

Notable subgenres include 2D platformers, 3D platformers, puzzle-platformers, and precision-focused games, with many titles blending exploration in metroidvania-style layouts and platforming challenges. The genre continues to influence speedrunning communities and remains a focal point for independent development, experimentation, and accessibility considerations.