<h2 class="mdc-typography--headline5">15. <a href="https://whatoplay.com/pc/planet-alpha/">PLANET ALPHA</a></h2>

<p class="mdc-typography--body2">A mesmerizing indie platformer from Team17 that takes you to a hostile    planet with mystery and danger. A sunnier counterpart to PlayDead's morose and monochromatic INSIDE, lead a young man as he makes his way out of the brutal world by solving puzzles and moving forward. Described as a cinematic platformer that's wholly immersive, Planet Alpha suffers from clunky controls and an incompatible pace. While it doesn’t let you enjoy the view, it edges into our list with a score of 7.64
</p>
<h2 class="mdc-typography--headline5">14. <a href="https://whatoplay.com/pc/runner3/">Runner3</a></h2>

<p class="mdc-typography--body2">Choice Provisions launched the third and latest entry to the series formerly known as Bit.Trip. Not only shuffling off parts of their title, Runner3 also marks their exit from their usual pixel world. Diving into the world of polygons, Runner3  amps up CommanderVideo’s platforming shenanigans Explore the game's branching paths, shoot out some rainbows, meet new playable characters, and bring back the past in retro challenges. Reinventing themselves into something fun and funnier than ever, it gets a PlayScore of 7.72
</p>
<h2 class="mdc-typography--headline5">13. <a href="https://whatoplay.com/pc/timespinner/">Timespinners</a></h2>
	 
<p class="mdc-typography--body2">	A love letter to the metroidvania genre, Timespinners takes a turn in bending the reality of space and time. Inspired from the classic pixel legends like Metroid and Castlevania, avenge your parents as you travel back through time and defeat an evil empire responsible for their demise. Meet mysterious familiars to train you in battle, face challenging bosses, locate secrets, and Discover a rich and beautiful world dipped in pixel art visuals. It’s just like a classic metroidvania adventure should be.
</p>
<p class="mdc-typography--body2">After its successful Kickstarter campaign, it received numerous praise for its beautiful presentation, fantastic homage to the classic video games, and simple, yet heartfelt story. It has a PlayScore of 7.73
</p>
<h2 class="mdc-typography--headline5">12. <a href="https://whatoplay.com/pc/dandara/">Dandara</a></h2>

<p class="mdc-typography--body2">	Another indie metroidvania game on the list. Developed by Long Hat House, Dandara is a fantastic adventure. Step inside the shoes of their brave heroine, and guide her through the twists and turns of her gravity defying world. It pays tribute to the timeless classics with its pixel-perfect landscapes. One of the best things about this game is it retains the charm and tropes of the retro era--mixing innovation into the gameplay alongside its dizzying and directionless universe. 
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<p class="mdc-typography--body2">Although not without its flaws, it’s controls might be a let-down for some, but it’s fancy visuals and tight soundtrack is a feast for disoriented senses. It has a PlayScore of 7.77 
</p>

<h2 class="mdc-typography--headline5">11. <a href="https://whatoplay.com/pc/unruly-heroes/">Unruly Heroes</a></h2>

<p class="mdc-typography--body2">	The legend of the Monkey King lives on in this fun and action-packed platformer from Magic Design Studios. Ancient China’s harmony is in the midst of destruction, and it’s up to four implausible heroes to turn back the tide. Sanzang, Wukong, Kihong and Sandmonk travels to fantastical lands to gather scroll pieces and fight evil. 
</p>
<p class="mdc-typography--body2">Master the combined strength of these unique heroes and test your reflexes across a multitude of challenging enemies and bosses. It’s an immersive trip to 16th Century China. When the single player experience gets boring, grab a friend and fight against them in local or online PVP. It receives a PlayScore of 7.85
</p>
<h2 class="mdc-typography--headline5">10. <a href="https://whatoplay.com/pc/qube-2/">Q.U.B.E. 2</a></h2>

<p class="mdc-typography--body2">	The sequel to the hit first-person indie puzzler from Toxic Games. Players assume the role of Amelia Cross, a stranded archaeologist looking to escape from a mysterious alien territory. Utilize her high-tech suit to solve over 80 unique and creative puzzles and navigate its colorful and mind-bending dungeons. 
</p>
<p class="mdc-typography--body2">Not only does it present a layer of existential dread, it generates thought-provoking questions about the main character’s purpose, and the origins of the structures she’s navigating. Packed with an original musical score by BAFTA Nominated Composer, David Housden, this all new adventure is as magical as it is beautiful. It has a PlayScore of 7.85 
</p>
<h2 class="mdc-typography--headline5">9. <a href="https://whatoplay.com/pc/toejam-and-earl-back-in-the-groove/">ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove</a></h2>

<p class="mdc-typography--body2">	Return to the lives of this dynamic duo in a funky and fresh roguelike adventure. Rekindle the old school hip-hop from the 1991 Classic because Funk Lord and Greg Johnson are back at the helm for this sequel fans have been waiting for. 
</p>
<p class="mdc-typography--body2">Navigate the Planet Earth in search of your ship’s missing pieces and team up with a friend in its fun co-op experience. Discover secret locations and make new friends along the way as you voyage around its unpredictable world. Featuring 9 playable characters, over 30 groovy tunes, and a ton of new content, this extraterrestrial bonanza is a wonderful treat for the old and new fans of the series. It receives a PlayScore of 7.95 
</p>
<h2 class="mdc-typography--headline5">8. <a href="https://whatoplay.com/pc/la-mulana-2/">La-Mulana 2</a></h2> 

<p class="mdc-typography--body2">	A sequel to NIGORO’s metroidvania-indie adventure. Follow the story of Lumisa Kosugi as she explores the mystical land of Eg-Mulana, a ruin shrouded in enigma. This game excels in its adorable pixel-designs alongside its fantastic exploration that rewards players with keen eyes. 
</p>
<p class="mdc-typography--body2">Explore at your own pace. Decipher numerous cryptic texts scattered throughout the ruins. Aside from its increased amount of content, the game is quite long. Players are expected to finish this in 20-30 hours, especially with its non-linear surprises. Use an arsenal of tools as you fend off creatures of the dark and make it out alive from the dangerous depths. It receives a PlayScore of 8.05 
</p>

<h2 class="mdc-typography--headline5">7. <a href="https://whatoplay.com/pc/forgotton-anne/">Forgotton Anne</a></h2>

<p class="mdc-typography--body2">An adventure with the feel of your favorite Studio Ghibli film. Steeped in the wonders of magic realism, Forgotten Anne tells tales of a world where objects take sentience. Seeing it through the eyes of anne, we get to decoding the strange phenomena as she herself takes on her journey home. Not only drawing you in with the intrigue of their Spirited Away-like universe, its platform puzzles are also uniquely engaging. Though not as precise and complex as most platformers, Forgotten Anne lets the charm of their narrative speak for itself. Combining captivating stories and charming puzzles into one, it gets a PlayScore of 8.36
</p>
<h2 class="mdc-typography--headline5">6. <a href="https://whatoplay.com/pc/bloodstained-curse-of-the-moon/">Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon</a></h2>

<p class="mdc-typography--body2">A retro platformer that wears their inspiration on their sleeves. If you're still on the lookout for a Castlevania alternative for the modern platforms, this just might be it. Bringing in the convincing and impressively detailed 8bit visuals, Inti Creates made the perfect loveletter to the classic series. Earning a whopping 10/10 on Steam, Curse of the Moon earned praise for its branching storylines, solid platforming, and endless replayability. More of a tribute, it doesn't add anything new to the original platforming, but it's a notable recreation that comes with a large serving of nostalgia. It has a PlayScore of 8.45
</p>
<h2 class="mdc-typography--headline5">5. <a href="https://whatoplay.com/pc/mega-man-11/">Mega Man 11</a></h2>

<p class="mdc-typography--body2">While we're on the subject of classics, here's one from the original platform superstar. Coming quite a long way from its 1987 origins, Mega Man 11 culminates everything we loved about the series in a fancy new package. Capcom brings back the blue robot in a refreshing 2.5D aesthetic that merges old and new sensibilities into one. Might take some getting used to at first, but from the looks of things, the visual tweak served to add a sense of novelty to an otherwise familiar title. Making up for a mashup of their original formula, it comes strong with the double gear system and a heightened difficulty curve. It has a PlayScore of 8.46
</p>
<h2 class="mdc-typography--headline5">4. <a href="https://whatoplay.com/pc/iconoclasts/">Iconoclasts</a></h2>

<p class="mdc-typography--body2">Uncover the secrets of a dying planet and join the renegade mechanic, Robin, in this interesting metroidvania game from Joakim Sandberg. Putting on the ever-popular retro skin for that full platoforming vibe, Iconoclasts takes us on a field trip of old tricks of tropes with a colorful world rife with old-timey aesthetics. Not just a platformer, it also offers a dash of extra action with a its shooting gameplay. Offering a less than perfect narrative experience, its the gameplay that makes Iconoclasts truly shine. Getting comparisons to Yacht Club Games' Shovel Knight, it evokes the same kind of nostalgia while adding a slew of new features to the mix. A PlayScore of 8.55
</p>
<h2 class="mdc-typography--headline5">3. <a href="https://whatoplay.com/pc/yokus-island-express/">Yoku's Island Express</a></h2>

<p class="mdc-typography--body2">Villa Gorilla's action platformer is a union of unlikely genres. Set in a sprawling 2D open world, Yoku takes you on an a metroidvania tour of ancient caverns in--get this--pinball fashion. Bouncing players around from one end to the next, it's a unique adventure experience that, for some reviewers, definitely enhances the genre's usual meandering pace. On top of its charming visuals and overall presentation, it also offers engaging puzzles, with each area always ripe with secrets to scour for. It has a PlayScore of 8.64
</p>
<h2 class="mdc-typography--headline5">2. <a href="https://whatoplay.com/pc/dead-cells/">Dead Cells</a></h2>

<p class="mdc-typography--body2">Live and die, and live and die again. Even with its insane jumble of genres, Motion twin's indie roguelike metroidvania hack and slash hits the target on all of them. Inspired the by the vastly different but action packed titles like Binding of Isaac and Team Fortress, Dead Cells became a hit both for its satisfying combat and addictive roguelike mechanics. Making sure there's always surprises in each run, it manages to be rewarding no matter how many times you play. Creating a fun environment for roguelike repetition, it has a score of 9.03
</p>
<h2 class="mdc-typography--headline5">1. And the best PC Platformer is <a href="https://whatoplay.com/pc/celeste/">Celeste</a></h2>

<p class="mdc-typography--body2">Bagging award after award last year, Celeste is a recent favorite among the crop of exquistely crafted indie platformers. A fusion of platforming and storytelling bigwigs, Towerfall Ascension's Matt Thorson and Skytorn's Noel Berry teamed up to create a game that both punished and inspired. Dealing with tough issues like mental health, Celeste tells the story of Madeleine's treacherous climb to self-discover. The mountain is the metaphor, so to speak, and it’s a big and memorable one at that. Playing to their simple but inventive contro, it’s both a dexterity tester and heartwarmer in one agets a PlayScore of 9.15
</p>

Ranking of the top platforming games that you can play on your Windows, Mac or Linux gaming machine.

15 Best Platformer PC Games of 2018-2019