The Best 2D Games That Prove Dimension Is Overrated
The best 2D games across every genre, pixel art masterpieces, hand-drawn adventures, and side-scrolling classics that prove 2D remains essential.
2D games never disappeared. Despite the industry's obsession with 3D since the PS1 era, 2D games have continued producing some of the most creative, focused, and mechanically excellent games made. The indie scene especially thrives in 2D because smaller teams can commit to tight design in 2D that would require massive teams in 3D.
This guide covers the best 2D games across multiple genres, metroidvanias, platformers, RPGs, fighting games, and action games.
What are the best 2D metroidvania games?
The best 2D metroidvanias include Hollow Knight, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Blasphemous 2, Nine Sols, Animal Well, and Metroid Dread. These games combine interconnected world exploration with tight combat and progression systems, representing the pinnacle of the genre across indie and AAA studios alike.
Hollow Knight is the modern metroidvania peak. Hand-drawn art, massive interconnected world, excellent combat, deep lore.
Hollow Knight: Silksong is the long-awaited sequel.
Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps are gorgeous emotionally affecting platformers. Ori coverage.
Blasphemous and Blasphemous 2 are Spanish religious horror metroidvanias.
Nine Sols combines metroidvania exploration with Sekiro-style deflection.
Animal Well is compact metroidvania with enormous secret depth.
Tunic is isometric but 2D-inspired with cryptographic puzzles.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is Ubisoft's return to 2D Prince of Persia.
Metroid Dread is Nintendo's 2D Metroid return.
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night established modern metroidvania design.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night continues the Igavania tradition.
Salt and Sacrifice is 2D soulslike with metroidvania elements.
Ender Lilies captures Hollow Knight's melancholy.
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist is the sequel.
What are the best 2D platformers?
The best 2D platformers are Celeste, Super Meat Boy, Cuphead, Shovel Knight, and N++. These games emphasize precise movement mechanics, tight level design, and pixel-perfect control. Whether you want emotional storytelling (Celeste) or pure skill-based challenge (Super Meat Boy), 2D platformers deliver some of gaming's tightest experiences.
Celeste is precision platformer with emotional narrative about anxiety.
Super Meat Boy and Super Meat Boy Forever are brutal precision platforming.
Cuphead is jazz-era boss rush action platformer. Cuphead coverage.
Shovel Knight is the retro-inspired platformer franchise.
Shovel Knight: King of Cards and other expansions.
Hollow Knight (also platformer elements).
A Hat in Time (3D technically but shares 2D sensibilities).
The End Is Nigh is darker precision platformer from Edmund McMillen.
N++ is pure momentum-based precision platformer.
VVVVVV is gravity-flip platformer with excellent music.
Spelunky 2 is roguelike platformer.
Spelunky HD is the original classic.
Downwell is 2D drop-based action platformer.
Katana Zero is cyberpunk 2D action platformer with neon aesthetics.
What are the best 2D RPGs?
The best 2D RPGs include Chrono Trigger, Sea of Stars, Chained Echoes, Octopath Traveler 2, Undertale, and Omori. These titles span classic SNES-style JRPGs, modern HD-2D remakes, and genre-subverting indie gems, proving that 2D remains the ideal format for turn-based storytelling and exploration.
Chrono Trigger remains the greatest 2D JRPG ever made. SNES coverage.
Sea of Stars from Sabotage Studio is a love letter to classic JRPGs.
Chained Echoes captures SNES-era JRPG energy with modern design.
Octopath Traveler and Octopath Traveler 2 use "HD-2D" aesthetic.
Live A Live is Square Enix HD-2D remake of cult classic.
Undertale subverts JRPG conventions. Undertale coverage.
Omori uses cheerful pixel art for devastating story.
Crystal Project is indie JRPG with open-world exploration.
Dragon Quest XI S has 2D mode option for classic aesthetic.
What are the best 2D action games?
The best 2D action games are Dead Cells, Enter the Gungeon, The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth, Hotline Miami, and the Metal Slug series. These games deliver fast-paced combat with roguelite replayability, bullet hell intensity, or arcade-pure run-and-gun action depending on your preference.
Dead Cells is action roguelite platformer at its most polished.
Risk of Rain (original) is 2D action roguelite.
Enter the Gungeon is 2D bullet hell roguelike.
Nuclear Throne is 2D shooter roguelike.
Realm of the Mad God is 2D bullet hell MMO.
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is horror roguelike with biblical imagery.
Hotline Miami and Hotline Miami 2 are neon-violent top-down action.
Katana Zero (mentioned above).
Metal Slug series are legendary arcade 2D action. Neo Geo coverage.
Broforce is explosive cooperative 2D action.
What are the best 2D fighting games?
The best 2D fighting games are Guilty Gear Strive, Street Fighter 6, Skullgirls, The King of Fighters XV, and Samurai Shodown. These fighters use 2D planes for precise spacing, frame data, and combo execution that define the competitive fighting game community across anime, traditional, and weapons-based subgenres.
Guilty Gear Strive is Arc System Works' current peak anime fighter.
Street Fighter 6 is Capcom's current premier fighting game.
Tekken 8 is 3D but has 2D fighting DNA.
Mortal Kombat 1 is the 2023 reboot.
Samurai Shodown is weapons-based 2D fighter.
BlazBlue series are anime fighter classics.
Skullgirls is independent 2D fighter with excellent art.
Them's Fightin' Herds is My Little Pony-inspired 2D fighter.
The King of Fighters XV is SNK's legendary team fighter.
Marvel vs. Capcom 2 remains influential crossover fighter.
What are the best 2D strategy games?
The best 2D strategy games include Into the Breach, Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp, FTL: Faster Than Light, Slay the Spire, and Monster Train. These games prove that tactical depth thrives in two dimensions, spanning deckbuilders, tactical wargames, and roguelike strategy hybrids.
Into the Breach is tactical puzzle-strategy.
Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp is tactical wargame classic.
FTL: Faster Than Light is 2D space roguelike.
Slay the Spire is deckbuilder roguelike. Full Slay the Spire coverage.
Monster Train is deckbuilder roguelike.
Griftlands is narrative roguelike deckbuilder.
Wargroove is tactical wargame.
Advance Wars series classics.
What are the best 2D adventure games?
The best 2D adventure games are Limbo, Inside, Gris, Oxenfree, Night in the Woods, and Kentucky Route Zero. These atmospheric titles use 2D space to tell powerful stories through environmental design, dialogue systems, and visual storytelling without relying on complex 3D navigation.
Limbo and Inside are atmospheric Playdead classics. Limbo coverage, Inside coverage.
Gris from Nomada Studio is 2D platformer about grief.
Planet of Lana is hand-drawn 2D adventure.
Oxenfree is supernatural teen horror with dialogue choices.
Night in the Woods is narrative adventure about returning home.
Gone Home is walking simulator in 2D perspective (3D but similar feel).
Kentucky Route Zero is magical realism point-and-click adventure.
What are the best 2D survival games?
The best 2D survival games are Terraria, Don't Starve, Project Zomboid, Starbound, and Core Keeper. These games offer deep crafting, resource management, and exploration loops in a 2D or top-down perspective, making survival mechanics more readable and accessible without sacrificing depth.
Terraria is 2D Minecraft-alike with combat focus.
Starbound is 2D sci-fi sandbox.
Don't Starve is Tim Burton-aesthetic survival.
Don't Starve Together adds cooperative play.
Project Zomboid is top-down zombie survival.
Core Keeper is top-down sandbox mining.
What are the best 2D puzzle games?
The best 2D puzzle games are Baba Is You, Stephen's Sausage Roll, Patrick's Parabox, Tetris Effect: Connected, and A Monster's Expedition. These titles push logic and spatial reasoning to their limits using rule manipulation, recursive structures, and Sokoban-style mechanics within clean 2D frameworks.
Baba Is You pushes words to rewrite rules.
Stephen's Sausage Roll is brutal Sokoban.
Patrick's Parabox uses recursive boxes.
Jelly No Puzzle is free 50-puzzle escalation.
A Monster's Expedition is charming Sokoban-adjacent.
Understand teaches systems by showing examples.
Tetris Effect: Connected is modern Tetris with visual/audio splendor.
The Witness is 3D but shares 2D puzzle design sensibilities.
What are the best 2D sports games?
The best 2D sports games include Windjammers, Football Manager 2025, Out of the Park Baseball, and Golf Story. These games use 2D perspectives for arcade action or deep management simulation, proving that sports gaming does not require 3D to deliver competitive thrills or strategic depth.
Windjammers series is frisbee-throwing competitive arcade.
Football Manager 2025 is 2D view for managerial depth.
Out of the Park Baseball is 2D baseball management.
Golf Story and Sports Story are narrative golf RPGs.
Why are 2D games still worth playing?
2D games remain essential because they strip away camera issues, confusing environments, and unclear hit detection. This clarity lets developers focus entirely on mechanics and aesthetics. Small indie teams can match AAA quality in 2D, making the format a breeding ground for ambitious, tightly designed experiences.
2D games succeed because the format strips away complexity that 3D adds. You can't get lost in environments. Camera issues don't exist. Movement is clear. Hit detection is obvious. This clarity enables designers to focus on mechanics and aesthetics without technical distraction.
The modern indie scene thrives in 2D because small teams can match AAA quality in this format. Cuphead's hand-drawn animation, Celeste's precision movement, Hollow Knight's interconnected world, all these required less than 30 people to create. 2D enables ambition without massive team investment.
Different 2D subgenres appeal to different players:
| Genre | Best For | Top Pick |
|---|---|---|
| Metroidvanias | Exploration | Hollow Knight |
| Platformers | Precision | Celeste |
| RPGs | Narrative | Sea of Stars |
| Fighters | Competition | Guilty Gear Strive |
| Strategy | Planning | Into the Breach |
| Action | Fast-paced combat | Dead Cells |
Start with Hollow Knight if you want 2D metroidvania peak. Celeste for precision platformer emotional excellence. Dead Cells for action roguelite. Sea of Stars for modern classic JRPG. Hades for action RPG. All represent 2D design at its current peak, and all remain genuinely excellent games regardless of their dimensional limitations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best 2D games of all time?
The best 2D games across all genres include Hollow Knight (metroidvania), Celeste (platformer), Chrono Trigger (RPG), Dead Cells (action roguelite), Guilty Gear Strive (fighting game), Into the Breach (strategy), and Terraria (survival). Each represents the peak of its respective 2D subgenre.
What 2D game should I play first?
Start with Hollow Knight for metroidvania exploration, Celeste for precision platforming with emotional storytelling, Dead Cells for fast action roguelite gameplay, or Sea of Stars for a modern classic JRPG experience. All are accessible entry points to their genres.
Are 2D games still being made in 2025?
Yes, 2D games thrive in the modern indie scene and beyond. Recent standouts include Nine Sols, Animal Well, Sea of Stars, and Hollow Knight: Silksong. Small teams can achieve AAA-quality design in 2D, making the format a constant source of creative, mechanically excellent releases.
What are the best 2D metroidvanias like Hollow Knight?
The best metroidvanias similar to Hollow Knight include Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Blasphemous 2, Nine Sols, Animal Well, Metroid Dread, Ender Lilies, and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Each offers interconnected exploration, tight combat, and atmospheric world design.
