I‘ve compiled this comprehensive expert list of the absolute must-play platformers available for Xbox One. As an avid gamer since the early 2000s across multiple systems, I‘ve experienced first-hand the evolution of platforming games to today.
After extensively analyzing critical reception, awards, franchise histories, and sales data alongside my own gameplay, I narrowed it down to the 10 best platforming experiences you simply cannot miss on Xbox One. I‘ll explore what makes each special with extra details game historians like us crave!
#10: New Super Lucky‘s Tale – More Playful Platforming Magic
- Release Year: 2020
- Developer: Playful Studios
- Avg Playtime: 6+ hours
- MetaCritic Score: 70
Playful Studios won over platformer fans with 2017‘s cute and challenging Super Lucky‘s Tale. This overhauled follow-up maintains the family-friendly charm while refining existing levels and adding new ones across strangely alluring locales.
As the plucky fox Lucky, you‘ll tail whip, burrow, and pounce across obstacles in forests, carnivals, and sweets-themed cities. Tight responsive controls make traversing platformed challenges a pleasure as you collect clovers and overcome nefarious cats.
Critics praised efforts eliminating frustrating elements from the original while retaining trademark charm and accessibility. Though considered slightly too easy for hardcore players, New Super Lucky‘s Tale delivers smiles for platformer veterans and younger newcomers alike.
Franchise Sales Data:
- Super Lucky‘s Tale – 500,000+ units
- New Super Lucky‘s Tale – 300,000+ units
#9: Unravel Two – Share Secrets Through Stunning Shared Platforming
- Release Year: 2018
- Developer: Coldwood Interactive
- Avg Playtime: 5+ hours
- MetaCritic Score: 81
This co-op driven sequel shifts the formula of Coldwood‘s acclaimed 2016 platformer into a brilliant teamwork-focused experience. Two adorable Yarnys must use their string-based abilities to swing, rappel, and suspension bridge across nature‘s threats from toxic goo to intimidating crows.
Each area dynamically shifts between serene beauty and life-threatening danger that you must navigate carefully but quickly. As in the original, Unravel Two‘s stunning environments burst with tiny realistic touches like blades of grass and clumps of dirt.
By introducing a communication-centric co-op element, Coldwood avoided the common multiplayer pitfall of simply amping up combat. Critics praised the way playing together enhanced the tranquility and emotional resonance. Unravel Two proves powerful concepts need not grand spectacle.
#8: New ‘N‘ Tasty! Oddworld: Abe‘s Oddysee – A Twisted Platformer Reborn
- Release Year: 2015
- Developer: Oddworld Inhabitants
- Avg Playtime: 8-10 hours
- Metacritic Score: 80
This impressive remake of beloved 1997 dark comedy platformer Abe‘s Oddysee introduces new fans to Oddworld‘s bizarre universe. As Mudokon slave Abe, escaping the meat processing RuptureFarms factory requires mastering 2D puzzles where possession and coordination rules.
The nightmarish dystopian premise oozes twisted humor across cutscenes and propaganda poster-adorned walls. Dozens of dialogue-free storytelling touches reinforce steely corporate dominance over worker rights without heavy-handedness.
Critics admired maintained design complexity alongside considerably friendlier checkpoints and visuals. Though Oddysee‘s minimalist narrative style isn‘t for everyone, immersing yourself in this imaginatively oppressive world proves darkly intoxicating.
Franchise Sales Data:
- Original Abe‘s Oddysee – Over 1 million units
- New ‘N‘ Tasty! – Over 500,000 units
#7: Super Lucky‘s Tale – Bursting with Playful Life and Charm
- Release Year: 2017
- Developer: Playful Corp
- Avg Playtime: 6-8 hours
- Metacritic Score: 72
Super Lucky’s Tale envelopes you in an endearing world where smiles hide around every corner. Our brave fox hero Lucky pursues adventure at his peril across lively locales like ancient temples and brilliant beaches.
Accessible gameplay centering 3D platforming fundamentals spotlights Playful‘s focus on family-friendly experiences over difficulty. Limited mechanically yet unlimited in joyful style, Super Lucky‘s Tale proved Playful‘s mascot potential after previous attempts with underwhelming hybrid games.
Critics widely praised the bouncy style marrying gameplay and technical polish even if the experience doesn‘t stand out from acclaimed contemporaries like Yooka-Laylee. Still, delightful games exuding this much heart rarely disappoint.
#6: Rayman Legends – Musical Platforming Mastery
- Release Year: 2014
- Developer: Ubisoft
- Avg Playtime: 12-15 hours
- Metacritic Score: 92
Rayman Origins revived Ubisoft‘s limbless hero in charming 2D form back in 2011. This sequel perfects the formula with new four-player local co-op hijinks and specialized rhythm-based levels. Stylized hand-drawn locales set to thumping musical cues must be traversed in sync to eye-popping spectacle.
Rayman Legends outclasses most multiplayer platformers through well-considered asymmetry between differently skilled players. Daily and weekly rotating challenge levels with leaderboards provide ongoing competition once the lengthy campaign concludes.
Critics widely applauded precise platforming gameplay enhanced by environmental variety and musicality rather than overstuffing levels with distracting collectibles. Rayman Legends remains the gold standard for kinetic, skill-based 2D platforming experiences years later.
#5: Guacamelee! 2 – A Luchador‘s Epic Journey Continues
- Release Year: 2018
- Developer: Drinkbox Studios
- Avg Playtime: 12+ hours
- Metacritic Score: 87
This sequel to indie darling Guacamelee! expands the Mexican-themed action platforming universe into a sprawling metroidvania-style adventure. Our new wrestling hero Juan Aguacate gains interdimensional shifting abilities allowing inventive navigation across vividly colorful locales.
Dense forests,villages seemingly frozen in time, and Aztec-inspired temples house humorous writing complementing combo-based fisticuffs against skeleton bandits and goat wizards. Chaining normal and special attacks feels satisfyingly bone-crunching thanks to detailed animation and physics.
Critics praised Guacamelee! 2‘s lengthier adventure and challenging dimension-shifting platforming sequences while noting the weaker story doesn‘t outshine its acclaimed predecessor. Still, engaging combat and Metroid-esque exploratory rewards make Guacamelee! 2 a worthy follow-up well worth unraveling.
#4: Ori and the Will of the Wisps – A Stunning Storybook Brought to Life
- Release Year: 2020
- Developer: Moon Studios
- Avg Playtime: 12-15 hours
- Metacritic Score: 90
Will of the Wisps continues fledgling forest spirit Ori‘s somber yet magical journey through a meticulously detailed natural world. Flowing watercolor vistas populate every landscape married to an equally enchanting piano-led score echoing nature‘s beauty and melancholy.
Expanded RPG-lite progression lets you customize Ori‘s skills to enhance mobility, combat, spirit magic, and sustainability when far from replenishing soul links. Escape ferocious beasts while uncovering fabric woven tales of loss, purpose, and unity across decaying forest cities and misty marshes.
Critics widely praised refined traversal and combat mechanics complimenting Moon Studios‘ trademark sumptuous art direction. Emotion resonates stronger when conveyed subtly through play rather than overt tear-jerking tactics. Will of the Wisps synthesizes mechanics and artistic vision masterfully.
#3: Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove – Retro Platforming Bliss
- Release Year: 2017
- Developer: Yacht Club Games
- Metacritic Score: 89
- Avg Playtime: 10+ hours
Crafted as an earnest love letter to challenging 2D 8-bit classics, Shovel Knight instantly enraptured retro enthusiasts upon 2013‘s original release. This content-packed Treasure Trove edition bundles beefy sequels letting you embark on adventures starring Shovel Knight‘s former foes.
The base game retains punishing enemy patterns and pixel-perfect platforming forcing pattern recognition mastery. Charming writing and emotive 16-bit cutscenes reinforce connections to leads Shovel Knight and Shield Knight between dynamic boss encounters stretching skills to their limit.
Each character-focused expansion branches gameplay styles further without losing signature difficulty. Mobile siege engine adventures as Plague Knight, magic-focused journeys with Specter Knight, and item-juggling quests starring King Knight translate distinct themes mechanically rather than just narratively.
Shovel Knight rekindled appreciation for retro platformers through authentic design and modern polish rather than purely chasing nostalgia. Treasure Trove‘s tremendous value cements its place among the genre‘s all-time finest examples.
#2 Cuphead – A Glorious Animated Bullet Hell Odyssey
- Release Year: 2017
- Developer: StudioMDHR Entertainment
- Metacritic Score: 86
- Avg Playtime: 6-8 hours
Few games fuse aesthetic commitment and demanding gameplay as flawlessly as run ‘n gun platformer Cuphead. StudioMDHR‘s framing homage to 1930s animated shorts translates into grueling multi-phase boss battles accentuating pattern recognition endurance.
Our anthropomorphic hero Cuphead loses his and pal Mugman‘s souls to the devil through ill-advised gambling only for the pair to fight for contractual liberation by collecting soul contracts from indebted scoundrels. Vengeful vegetables, crazed carnivals, and towering machinery harness the era‘s rubberhose style with oodles of personality but clear damage-dealing aggression.
Approachable initial areas lull less-seasoned gamers before severely escalating beyond most platformers. Relentless dedication separating readable tells from fakeouts makes eventually toppling proudly presented bosses immensely gratifying. Critics praised equally punishing local co-op play for allowing buddies to fail together.
Cuphead won‘t click with everyone given hardcore emphasis over accessibility. Still, platforming fans craving engrossing audiovisual execution alongside a gauntlet testing their creative endurance need look no further.
#1 Hollow Knight – Exploring Gorgeous Treacherous Ruins Never Felt More Rewarding
- Release Year: 2017
- Developer: Team Cherry
- Metacritic Score: 88
- Avg Playtime: 30+ hours
The crowdfunded Hollow Knight embodies everything remarkable about contemporary indie platformers. An expansive subterranean bug kingdom entices you to scour every crevice from overgrown crossroads to precarious crystalline caverns.
Punishing combat and demanding traversal mechanics only amplify the payoff from mastering movesets and patterns of 60+ imaginative boss battles. Customizable loadouts tweaking damage, mobility, longevity, and other attributes allow players to mitigate weaknesses while maximizing effectiveness.
Koji Igarashi‘s iconic Castlevania series popularized interconnected 2D worlds rich with secrets beyond critical paths. Hollow Knight evolves this formula even further through layered backtracking, multiple ability-gated paths, and late-game tweaks dramatically shifting perspective on earlier areas.
Critics widely heralded Team Cherry‘s meticulously woven adventure prodding you continually forward from every setback rather than relying on extrinsic rewards like achievements. Constant small revelations accumulate into monumental peaks mirroring navigation‘s gradual vertical ascent to majestic heights — exactly what great Metroidvania platforming embodies.
