Steer by what it is tap once for more of it, twice for none of it
360 games like Headlander · 1991 – 2026
Timed PlayStation exclusive
Thomas Happ Games · Linux, Switch, PS4 +5
After a lab accident, a scientist awakens in a mysterious, alien world. Is this a distant planet? The far future? Or a complex virtual-reality computer simulation? Plumb the recesses of a large, labyrinthine world in order to learn its sec
80 rating9 lists11 h main storyOften paired
Switch, PS4, Windows +1
A mysterious agent, capable of becoming a digital ghost, sneaks aboard the Nakamura Space Station. This is where the fun begins: the station is well-protected with its heavy defences, never-ending arsenal of weapons, and mysterious artifact
83 rating4 lists13 h main storyOften paired
Timed PlayStation exclusive
Linux, Switch, PS4 +4
Join renegade mechanic Robin and uncover the secrets of a dying planet. Explore a huge, open world filled with intricate puzzles, oddball characters and menacing bosses in a beautiful platform adventure telling a personal story about faith,
80 rating5 lists11 h main storyOften paired
Image & Form · Linux, Nintendo 3DS, Switch +6
SteamWorld Dig 2 takes you on a platform mining adventure forged in Metroidvania flames. When an old trading town is struck by mysterious earthquakes, it’s up to a lone steambot and her unlikely companion to uncover what trembling terrors l
86 rating8 lists7.5 h main storyOften paired
WayForward Technologies · Switch, PS4, PS5 +5
Shantae embarks on her first full HD adventure! After three highly successful outings with Shantae, Shantae: Risky's Revenge, and Shantae and the Pirate's Curse, Shantae and her friends finally get a full HD console-based sequel! Boasting v
81 rating10 lists9.5 h main storyOften paired
D-Pad Studio · Linux, Switch, PS4 +3
Owlboy is a platform/action-adventure video game created by Norwegian developer D-Pad Studio. Explore a vibrantly crafted pixel world in this flying adventure platformer. Being a mute, Otus struggles living up to the expectations of owl-hoo
84 rating5 lists8 h main storyOften paired
PlayStation console exclusive
ACE Team · PS4, Windows
The Deadly Tower of Monsters is an action-packed adventure, full of time-honored literary themes: the daughter versus the tyrant father, the planet full of innocent ape-creatures, the dashing space-age liberator, the robot companion, the to
75 rating2 lists4 h main storyOften paired
Timed Sega exclusive
Sonic Team · Amazon Fire TV, Android, Apple TV +15
Sonic the Hedgehog is a 2D side-scrolling platformer developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Genesis/Mega Drive. Players control Sonic the Hedgehog, who can run at near supersonic speeds and sets out on a quest to defeat Dr. R
83 rating16 lists1.5 h main storyOften paired
Timed Nintendo exclusive
Inti Creates · Nintendo 3DS, Switch, PS4 +3
"The 2D high speed, old-school style side-scrolling action that you remember from Azure Striker Gunvolt is back! In this game, Gunvolt's rival Copen from the first installment returns to the fray as a playable character!"
78 rating3 lists5 h main storyOften paired
Timed Nintendo exclusive
Renegade Kid · Nintendo 3DS, Switch, PS4 +3
Xeodrifter is an action-packed exploration game with a retro graphical style. Blast your way through alien landscapes, seek out valuable secrets, and defeat ancient guardians to unlock powers from a legendary supreme culture in this excitin
74 rating6 lists1 h main story
Renegade Kid · Nintendo 3DS, PS3, PlayStation Vita +2
Love pixels? Fond of platformers? Is there a special place in your heart for the 8-bit and 16-bit era? Want to have fun? Yes!? Well, you’ve come to the right place, my friend. Mutant Mudds Deluxe is a “12-bit” action platformer full of pixe
71 rating7 listsOften paired
Frogwares · PS3, PlayStation Portable, Windows +1
When technology meets Cthulhu! Magrunner: Dark Pulse is an action-puzzle game in which technology confronts the Cthulhu Mythos, as imagined by author, H. P. Lovecraft. You are Dax, one of seven Magrunners selected among the elite to parti
58 rating3 lists8.5 h main storyOften paired
Capcom · Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, Windows +1
Pragmata is a sci-fi action-adventure game set in the near future. The story follows Hugh and his android companion Diana as they navigate a Lunar research station. Gameplay incorporates action elements alongside mechanics involving interac
87 rating7 lists10 h main storyOften paired
Switch, PS5, Windows +1
Traverse the perilous lands of a dying world in this bullet-hell inspired metroidvania! Strong enemies emerge from distant lands as the iron inventions of men succumb to the decay of rust and time. Use a trusty grappling hook and uncover ne
75 rating4 lists7.5 h main story
WayForward Technologies · Linux, Switch, PS4 +2
"A powerful ancient evil has arisen, and the war to save humanity has begun! The Mummy Demastered throws you into a 16-bit-inspired battle against the undead in a 2D, nonlinear, action-packed adventure. As an elite agent in the monster-hunt
73 rating5 lists5 h main story
Tiger Style · Android, Linux, Windows +2
Waking Mars is a one-of-a-kind adventure in which you jetpack through subterranean Mars encountering a host of extraordinary alien lifeforms that operate as a living, breathing ecosystem. Learn and master the behaviors of these creatures to
79 rating2 lists6.5 h main story
Timed Nintendo exclusive
doinksoft · Switch, Windows, Xbox One
Pounce inside of your cozy armored mech and set off on a dangerous trek through an alien underworld full of irritable creatures and treacherous obstacles in a valiant effort to save your stranded captain and his crashed spaceship. Tiptoe o
76 rating1 list3.5 h main story
Nintendo exclusive
Sanzaru Games · Nintendo 3DS
Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice, known as Sonic Toon: Fire & Ice in Japan, is a 2016 action-adventure platform game developed by Sanzaru Games and published by Sega. It is part of the Sonic Boom spin-off franchise of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, a
61 rating5 listsOften paired
Xbox console exclusive
Linux, Windows, Xbox 360 +1
In this Insanely Twisted, 2-D action-adventure game, explore unique environments and battle bizarre creatures as you make your way toward the center of the mysterious Shadow Planet! Solve complex puzzles and upgrade your ship with alien tec
76 rating6 lists5 h main story
Double Helix Games · PS3, PS4, Windows +2
Strider Hiryu, the original assassin that inspired many third person action titles returns in a completely new game for a new generation of gamers as he takes on the Grand Master Meio. Use an arsenal of moves and weapons against your enemie
76 rating6 lists8 h main story
Thomas Happ Games · Linux, Switch, PS4 +4
You may have played Axiom Verge, or heard it referenced as a benchmark for indie “metroidvania” adventures. Axiom Verge 2 is part of the same story as Axiom Verge 1 but is a completely new game: new characters, new powers, new enemies, and
74 rating5 lists8.5 h main story
Xbox console exclusive
Alientrap · Linux, Windows, Xbox 360 +1
Capsized is a fast paced 2D platformer focused on intense action and exploration. As a intrepid space traveler, your ship has crash landed on a mysterious alien planet. You must navigate through the perilous environment and fight off blood-
67 rating4 lists4 h main story
Insomniac Games · PS4, Windows, Xbox One
A metroidvania-style action-adventure game following a young girl’s quest into the unknown to find her missing father.
72 rating3 lists7 h main story
Rain Games · Linux, Switch, PS4 +4
Teslagrad 2 is the sequel to the original Teslagrad, developed by Rain Games and released in 2023. This 2D puzzle platformer builds upon the magnetic and electrical mechanics of its predecessor, with players once again using these abilities
74 rating2 lists3 h main story
Timed Nintendo exclusive
Over The Moon · Linux, Switch, PS4 +4
The Fall is a side-scrolling adventure game with platforming and combat elements. Your character is an AI controlling a combat suit whose occupant is unresponsive and presumably dead or seriously injured. You have crash landed on an unknown
78 rating5 lists
Allods Team · Switch, PS4, PS5 +3
Blast Brigade is a colorful 2D action-adventure that combines intense platformer gameplay with metroidvania exploration. Assemble the team of superspies and run’n’gun through a tainted paradise island to take down the evil genius Dr. Cread
4 lists19 h main story
Timed Nintendo exclusiveOver The Moon · Linux, Switch, PS4 +4
The Fall is a side-scrolling adventure game with platforming and combat elements. Your character is an AI controlling a combat suit whose occupant is unresponsive and presumably dead or seriously injured. You have crash landed on an unknown
78 rating1 list3.5 h main story
Android, Linux, Switch +4
It's a metroidvania-style action RPG with fishbowl-powered medieval robots! Explore a huge medieval world, improve your combat skills by smashing a lot of mechanic creatures and talk to other robots using unique animated dialogues.
79 rating3 lists7.5 h main story
Arkedo Studio · PS3, PlayStation Portable, Windows +1
Ash, a skeletal rabbit and the prince of Hell, has inherited the role of ruler of Hell from his father. After a photographer takes a picture of Ash playing with a rubber duck in the bathtub, Ash sets out to kill the 100 monsters that have s
70 rating5 lists8 h main story
Linux, NES, Switch +4
Use your magic staff and progress through a large interconnected world where you'll solve puzzles, fight enemies and defeat bosses in order to help free the land of Alwa. Explore and uncover the secrets by using your platforming skills in t
76 rating4 lists7 h main story
Game Freak · Switch, PS4, Windows +1
"Giga Wrecker is a 2D puzzle-platform action game developed and published by Game Freak. You play as a cyborg girl, who has the power of reconstructing debris and scraps into various weapons, and explore a world invaded by an army of myster
80 rating3 lists11 h main story
The Game Atelier · Switch, PS4, PS5 +6
A legendary game series returns with an all-new adventure! Monster Boy is a colourful side-scrolling action adventure created in cooperation with Ryuichi Nishizawa, the creator of the Wonder Boy Monster World series (Trademark of SEGA Corpo
83 rating10 lists18 h main story
Old Moon · Switch, PS4, PS5 +3
On the desolate moon of Lorian V, a long-dormant Deadsuit awakens from slumber. Journey beneath the surface on an atmospheric 2D adventure of self-discovery, ancient mysteries, and cosmic terror. Explore winding caverns and acquire new abil
74 rating1 list10 h main story
Windows, macOS
Light up the world! As Plug, you are charged with restoring the expansive Amp-Tree-System, and thwarting an enigmatic intruder. Solve puzzles and explore in 1000 Amps!
76 rating1 list4 h main story
Timed Xbox exclusive
Haruneko Entertainment · Switch, PS4, Windows +2
You are Sarah, princess of the peaceful realm of Kaleiya. The quiet life of your kingdom was lost the day your father was seduced and then kidnapped by Lilith, a demon mistress. Travel through ice castles, cold dungeons, lava caves and much
55 rating1 list3 h main story
Daisuke Amaya · Dreamcast, Linux, Nintendo 3DS +4
A side-scrolling platformer in which a robot traverses a strange world that has been thrown into disorder due to its violent history and a doctor that is attempting to exploit the inhabitants to aid him in his own pursuit for power.
84 rating8 lists6.5 h main story
PS4, Wii U, Windows +1
Chronicles of Teddy : Harmony of Exidus is a 2D Adventure / Action game with a Pixel Art Retro finish. Help Tarant in a quest, in which you will have to fight, use your sense of direction and hearing to accomplish your mission.
62 rating2 lists14 h main story
Live Wire · Switch, PS4, PS5 +3
Decades after the Rain of Death, a new journey begins in the Land of Fumes, where mystical powers lie beneath the earth. The kingdom’s desire for conquest led to the creation of the Homunculi, machine-like artificial life forms prepared to
85 rating2 lists17 h main story
Timed Nintendo exclusive
GalaxyTrail · Linux, Switch, PS4 +3
Freedom Planet is a combat-based platform adventure that pits a spunky dragon girl and her friends against an alien attack force. There's trouble around every turn, from insects to giant robots to sheer explosive destruction, but you'll hav
80 rating5 lists1.5 h main story
Timed Nintendo exclusive
Inti Creates · Nintendo 3DS, PS4, PlayStation Vita +1
The Steam version and the Japanese only PlayStation Network port of the game includes the Nintendo 3DS DLC levels. "Get ready for a blast from the 8-bit past with the all-new 2D action/platforming game, MIGHTY GUNVOLT! A loving nod to the
61 rating1 list0.5 h main story
Linux, Switch, PS4 +3
Nefarious is a 2d-animated action platformer, where your objective on each stage is to kidnap a princess and then escape with them! Heroes will attempt to thwart you, and many things may not go quite as expected.
63 rating3 lists4 h main story
Xbox console exclusive
Haruneko Entertainment · Windows, Xbox 360, iOS
You are Akane, a Kunoichi ninja secretely loving her master Goro, a noble samurai. One day Goro is kidnapped by the evil Hiromi - you have to rescue him, but it won't be an easy task!
50 rating1 list2 h main story
Switch, PS4, Windows +1
When an old woman's computer system is taken over by a fascist virus bent on total annihilation, you assume control of an ordinary software program transformed into an elite combat machine. Retake the system and build your character into a
50 rating3 lists3 h main story
Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PS4 +4
MIO: Memories in Orbit is a 2.5D side-scrolling metroidvania platformer. Players control a robot named Mio who explores a vast spaceship called the Vessel, gaining new abilities such as wall climbing, dodging, grappling, and gliding while f
79 rating4 lists10 h main story
Bit Kid · Linux, Switch, PS4 +4
Chasm is a procedurally-generated RPG Platformer for PC (Win, Mac, & Linux), Playstation 4, and Nintendo Switch. Taking equal inspiration from hack 'n slash dungeon crawlers and Metroidvania-style platformers, it will immerse you in a proce
69 rating2 lists9 h main story
Long Hat House · Android, Linux, Switch +5
"As a metroidvania carefully designed with both touch and gamepad in mind, we considered how you could achieve exploration and fast action using either input. The result was a gravity bending world where movement is comprised of jumping fro
65 rating3 lists7 h main story
Curve Games · PS3, Wii, Windows
An explosive homage to SNES-era platformers mixed with a modern physics-puzzle twist, Explodemon is non-stop action mayhem like you've never seen before. Players use Explodemon's self-destructive nature to combat enemies and fly through the
70 rating2 lists5 h main story
Bombservice · Switch, PS5, Windows +1
Join Momo, High Priestess of the village of Koho, as she embarks on a divine mission to save her people from imminent destruction at the hands of the demon hordes summoned by a malevolent bellringer.
81 rating2 lists7.5 h main story