Summary
Historically, the platforming genre was one associated with children’s games, bright colors, and lovable characters. From Donkey Kong to Mario, Sonic to Spyro, Crash Bandicoot to Banjo-Kazooie, and Rayman, when most people think of platforming games they are likely to think of these iconic beloved children’s characters and their bright and breezy games.
But platforming games new and old alike have put darker twists on this genre. From grimmer settings to sinister antagonists, or even just some very mature and often distressing topics, these are a widevariety of platforming gamesthat put a much darker spin on the platforming genre.
On the surface,It Takes Twomay seem to fit the brief of a bright and colorful platformer with lovable, if a little eccentric, characters. ButIt Takes Twois used to bending the conventions of the platformer, partly because it is a completely two-player game. It also covers some very mature and challenging topics, despite its often comedic tone.
The game centers around Cody and May, a married couple with a daughter who are seeking a divorce. Already a distressing topic,It Takes Twoshows its darkest side when the shrunken-down parents attempt to get their daughter’s attention by brutally murdering her beloved toy elephant, Cutie. It’s a haunting scene that stands out in a mostly comical game.
The platforming gamesOri and the Blind Forest, and its sequel,Ori and the Will of the Wisps, arebeautiful fantasy gameswith cute characters and gorgeous music. That doesn’t stop them from having a dark streak.
Alongside spooky locations and music, such as the Thornfelt Swamp,Ori and the Blind Forestcovers some dark topics. A terrifying owl has cursed the land, and the player character has been separated from their parent. Ultimately, the dark aspects ofOricome from it embracing themes of grief.
Cupheadis another deceptively cute platforming game that covers a much darker story.Cuphead’shand-drawn art style is reminiscent of the old-school rubber hose animation, which helps make it and its anthropomorphic cup characters look adorable. But the brothers, Cuphead and Mugman, aren’t as innocent as they look.
They are heavy gamblers who made a deal with the devil, and the plot of the game sees them facing debtors and collecting their contracts to challenge the devil himself. Despite its innocent appearance,Cuphead’schallenging gameplay, and themes of gambling with the devil make it a darker game than it might initially appear.
Portal 2is an ingenious comedic puzzle platformer involving the use of two different colored portals totraverse the maps and solve puzzles. While the tone ofPortalis primarily comedic, a lot of its comedy is drawn from dark humor.
The player is forced to complete these challenges by an evil robot called GLaDOS, who killed the facility’s employees, and later a robot core called Wheatley that betrayed the player character. The dark humor and apocalyptic lonely setting drive the dark aspects of this unique platformer, but an even darker story can be found for those who seek out the hidden Aperture scientist, Doug Rattmann.
A big jump up in the dark themes, perhaps,Hollow Knightis a cute game but profoundly dark. A Metroidvania-style platformer, players control a little insect-like Knight as they explore a vast underground world of caverns. The world is plagued by an infection that affects any creature with free will, sentience, and hope. Thankfully, the player character is immune because they are made of void.
Told primarily through exploration of the environment, the story becomes a dark tale about the attempts to contain this literally soul-destroying infection, with the potential for some very dark endings. This is without taking into account some of the terrifying monsters and locations that players can encounter, specifically Deepnest and Nosk.
Limbois adeeply sinister puzzle platformer. The narrative is told without a single line of dialogue but seems to be about a young boy making his way through a twisted afterlife, hence the nameLimbo, to try and find a mysterious girl.
Already a dark premise,Limboplayers are bound to see their poor little character suffer countless gruesome deaths throughout his journey. The cute but monochromatic art style assists this.Limbois an adorable nightmare that platformer players looking for a burst of horror should definitely give a chance.
Brambleis an indie platformer that takes its fantasy narrative from Swedish mythology. That doesn’t mean it’s going to be a whimsical fantasy romp.Brambleis another horror platformer with a young boy, Olle, as its protagonist.
Similarly toLimbo, he is chasing after a young girl, his sister, Lillemor, who has gone missing in the woods. Throughout his adventure, Olle must contend withcountless fantastical monstrositiesthat want him dead in various gruesome manners. It’s a stunning fantasy horror platformer that deserves the love it has gained.
Insideisthe spiritual successortoLimbo, and continues with the cute but disturbing platforming story, although this narrative is a little more complex. The game begins with another little boy (yes, there is a pattern here) running away from some men in the woods, hunting him down with dogs.
It’s not immediately clear what he’s running from. All players quickly learn is that the only thing that matters is that they will die if they get caught. Gradually, the game begins to unfold a narrative of dystopia and mind control, only growing more disturbing and dark as the game progresses.
TheLittle Nightmaresseries follows in the footsteps of games likeLimboandInside, expanding the premise into a full-blown cutesy platforming nightmare. Players control a young girl in the first game, and a young boy in its sequel, as they progress through various nightmarish worlds, huge in proportion to the miniature protagonists.
They encounter various disturbing monsters, all capable of ending their little lives in horrific ways, and include some really twisted moments of betrayal, highlighting the deep darkness of the world that they inhabit. It’s a truly dark platformer that should be experienced by fans of the gameplay and genre.
It would be inconceivable not to mention theCastlevaniaseries when discussing dark platformers. Released in 1997,Symphony of the Nightis considered one of the pioneers of the Metroidvania platforming genre.
Already making thisan infamous platforming game, it also has a reputation for defining and popularizing dark platformers, with its narrative and setting that plays on Gothic horror, particularly surrounding vampires. As an exceedingly dark platformer and cornerstone of the genre, it well and truly earns its top spot.
