platformer

noun

plat·​form·​er ˈplat-ˌfȯr-mər 

variants or less commonly platformer game

plural platformers also platformer games

: a video game where the play is primarily focused on moving past obstacles in real time with one's avatar by using various abilities (such as jumping and climbing) and items (such as weapons)

Mario games have traditionally been platformers, where the character has to run and jump, collect items and fight enemies.

—Raju Mudhar

… Stray is not a challenging platformer, but will instead let players safely jump from platform to beam to air conditioning window unit to makeshift gondolas without fear of falling to one's death.

—Michael McWhertor

It's a 2D platformer where you spray flames with water, use your axe to chop down obstacles, and even fly through the air with a jet of H₂O.

—Shaun Musgrave

She can walk and run and jump, like just about any other character from any other platformer game, but she is also capable of balletic dance moves.

—Colin Campbell

called also platform game

Examples of platformer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The game is widely considered not only to be one of the best mainline Mario platformers, but one of the best video games of all time. —Jack Dunn, Variety, 12 Nov. 2025

Most everything else seen comes from Galaxy, which is considered one of the best entries in the entire series, as well as an all-time great 3D platformer. —Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 12 Nov. 2025

In fact, its influence can be felt today in Astro Bot, another excellent platformer. —Jeffrey L. Wilson, PC Magazine, 20 Sep. 2025

Let’s also not brush aside the fact that these are objectively two of the best 3D platformers ever made, with Super Mario Galaxy sitting at a healthy 97 on Metacritic, and Super Mario Galaxy 2 matching that score with its own beastly 97. —Mitch Wallace, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1988, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for platformer

• conformer
• informer
• performer
• reformer
• transformer
• dormer
• former
• warmer