Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.
15 best platformer games for Android
Platform games are one of the oldest genres in all video games and it’s also one of the most popular. Almost everyone who games has played at least one platformer, usually something super popular like the Mario franchise. Platforming on mobile has only evolved to its current state over the last few years. Developers finally started figuring out how to translate the platforming experience to mobile without it being terrible. Thus, there are some pretty good mobile platformers out there. Here are the best platformer games on Android!
The best platformer games for Android
Blackmoor 2
Price: Free / Up to $4.99
Blackmoor 2 is one of the newer platformer games on the list. It’s a mix of platformer, beat ’em up, and arcade action elements. Players make their way through a story mode with boss fights, ten heroes, and a decent, if simple narrative. You can also build your own dungeons and share them with the Blackmoor 2 community and we quite like custom dungeon builders. Some of the other features include an online PvP, cooperative multiplayer, and Google Play Games cloud saving. There are in-app purchases, but nothing is too expensive or intrusive.
Dandara
Price: $5.99
Dandara is one of the newer platformer games on mobile. The mechanics are quite unique as well. Players sling from wall to wall (or from ceiling to floor) in order to avoid obstacles, defeat bad guys, and stay alive. It’s also a classic Metroidvania. That means it has a large, interconnected world, free and open exploration, and unlockable areas. It’s also a 2D side-scrolling game with puzzle, adventure, and action elements. We really like this game a lot. It originally went for $14.99 but the developer has it at a much more reasonable $5.99 now. For that price, it’s hard to not recommend this one. It’s also free via Google Play Pass if you use it.
Dan the Man
Price: Free to play
Dan the Man is one of the newer platformer games on mobile. It features a classic platformer experience mixed with modern mobile mechanics. Your goal is to avoid obstacles, kill bad guys, and fight bosses. The game includes a story mode, an endless survival mode, and even a battle mode. You also get upgradeable weapons, abilities, and more. It’s a freemium game. Thus, you should adjust your expectations accordingly. Aside from that, though, there isn’t much to complain about.
Dead Cells
Price: $8.99
Dead Cells is a classic 2D arcade platformer. Players jump around levels while avoiding obstacles and killing bad guys. Additionally, the game features roguevania elements so the in-game world is interconnected and players can explore it at will. Some other features include wicked smooth gameplay, an auto-hit mode, custom software controls, hardware controller support, and more. The graphics are a bit retro, but everything else feels super modern. The only potential caveat is the price tag. We think $8.99 is maybe a bit high, but the game is super good so we didn’t feel bad spending the money. Like many, it’s also available on Google Play Pass for free.
Levelhead
Price: $6.99
Levelhead is one of the best platformers to hit mobile in years. You play as a delivery robot and you try to train it to deliver packages. The game features a campaign mode with over 90 levels along with features for speedrunning. It played at a solid 60fps on our tester devices and it was a very smooth experience. The big-ticket item, though, is the level creator. You can download levels other people make or create your own to upload. It’s almost like a non-Mario version of Mario Maker and it is compatible with Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, and PC with cross-platform save syncing. There is virtually nothing wrong with this one and it should sate the platformer urges of any fan of the genre. It’s also free to play with Google Play Pass.
Limbo
Price: $4.99
Limbo is a classic mobile game but still one of the better platform-puzzle games. You walk your way through Limbo to save your sister from Limbo. There are a variety of puzzles to deal with and most of them involve platformer mechanics. The atmospheric music and graphics lend to a unique gaming experience copied many times by competitors later on. At its core, though, it’s a smooth, 2D side scroller with a decent little narrative. It runs for $4.99 or is free on Google Play Pass. The only downside is how short the game is for some folks.
Oddmar
Price: Free trial / $4.99
Oddmar is another one of the newer platformer games on the list. It’s by the same developers of Leo’s Fortune, a classic platformer on mobile. Oddmar follows the story of a disgraced Viking. You help Oddmar get his dignity back through the course of the game. Levels each have three-star ratings for replay value and the game has super simple controls. The game features 24 levels, Google Play Games cloud saving, support for hardware controllers, and more. That makes it good for Android TVs as well. You can try out a few levels for free and the full experience goes for a very reasonable $4.99.
PewDiePie: Legend of Brofist
Price: $4.99
PewDiePie: Legend of Brofist is a slightly different platformer. You play as the venerable YouTube star through various trials and tribulations. Some of the features include boss fights, retro-style gameplay, and more unlockable YouTube stars to play with. It is one of the better platformer titles and there are elements of other game genres as well. There are a bunch of goofy hijinks and pop culture references to keep it fresh and fun. In our humble opinion, this is the better of the two PewDiePie mobile games.
SEGA Forever platformer games
Price: Free / $1.99 each (usually)
SEGA Forever is a series of old console games from SEGA. Some of them are platform games. They include Sonic the Hedgehog, Kid Chameleon, Ristar Classic, Gunstar Heroes, and others. SEGA also sells Sonic the Hedgehog 2 as well as Sonic 4. Each game has its own set of mechanics, graphics, and styles. Each one is also free to play with advertising. You can pay $1.99 for each one to remove those ads. This is a great way to stock up on some retro platformer games on the cheap.
Summer Catchers
Price: $3.99
Summer Catchers is an endless runner with some platformer mechanics. You run along a horizontal field while using your platformer skills to avoid obstacles and win the race. The game features a variety of levels in a variety of settings. Plus, there is an actual story to follow along with some rhythm game and racing game mechanics thrown in. It’s a fun indie mashup of genres and there are more than enough platformer elements to enjoy the game. It runs for $3.99 with no other in-app purchases or ads. It’s also available via Google Play Pass for free.
Super Cat Tales 2
Price: Free / Up to $4.99
Super Cat Tales 2 is the second game in a platformer series about cats. Oddly enough, this is also one of two cat platformers on this list. In any case, this game features 2D side-scrolling platformer mechanics along with some puzzle and adventure elements. Players also get over 100 levels, multiple playable characters, boss battles, loot, secret areas, and achievements. The gameplay is smooth and enjoyable with colorful graphics and simple controls. This feels a lot like a Super Nintendo era platformer but on a touch screen instead of a controller. It’s also kid-friendly and free to download.
Super Mario Run
Price: Free / $9.99
We may catch a little flack for this one, but that’s okay. Super Mario Run is actually one of the better mobile platform games. It doesn’t adhere to classic Mario mechanics, though. Mario runs forward through each level. Your goal is to collect as many coins as you can. There are mini-challenges like collecting purple coins as well. It also has online multiplayer elements and other game mechanics to play with. You get the first four levels for free. A single $9.99 purchase unlocks the whole game. It’s not the best game. However, it’s definitely better than its current 3.7 rating on Google Play.
Swordigo
Price: Free / Up to $1.99
Swordigo is an older platformer, but it still holds up by today’s mobile platformer standards. The game contains 3D-ish graphics, but a purely 2D side-scrolling experience along with some adventure, RPG, and action elements. Players find various weapons to help on their quests and face off against a bunch of different monsters. The controllers are simple and also customizable. The game has a decidedly arcade platformer feel similar to arcade games in the 1990s. It’s not just jumping from platform to platform. The game is also free to download with cheap in-app purchases to remove the advertising. You can also play it for free via Google Play Pass.
Teslagrad
Price: $6.99
Teslagrad is another one of the newer platformer games for mobile. This is also the third Playdigious game on the list (alongside Evoland 1 and 2). The game features hand-drawn style graphics, 2D side-scroller mechanics, and plenty of puzzle elements. Players find various relics that unlock various powers. Those powers are useful for solving the game’s many puzzles and defeating bad guys. You also get boss fights, hardware controller support, and support for Android TV and NVIDIA Shield devices. This is easily in the top two or three best platformers of 2018. It runs for $6.99 with no in-app purchases or advertisements. This one is also available on Google Play Pass if you use it.
Witcheye
Price: $2.99
Witcheye is one of the newer platformer games on the list. It follows the story of an old witch. A knight breaks in and steals her food. The player controls the witch as she takes the form of a floating eyeball. You move around each level while also avoiding obstacles. It’s a bit different from most platformer games, but it keeps the spirit alive. Plus, players get 50 levels, various secret locations, a decent soundtrack, a hard mode, and more. That’s not bad for $2.99.
If we missed any of the best platform games for Android, tell us about them in the comments. You can also click here to check out our latest Android app and game lists.
Thank you for reading. Try these out too: