15 Best Video Game Platformers Ever

As an 8-bit game first released in 2014, Shovel Knight initially felt like a throwback to a bygone era. However, while the graphical style is very classic, it’s crammed with modern ideas.

The eponymous shovel is used both as a weapon and as a tool to dig for treasure. The attacks can be used in a surprising number of ways too, especially as you collect more treasure to build up your arsenal.

What’s most inventive about Shovel Knight is the way it allows you create your own difficulty setting. The game provides checkpoints and infinite lives, although death does cost treasure. However, for bonus treasure, you can elect to blow up checkpoints, sending you back further if you die but netting more treasure in the short term.

It’s a great twist on the usual risk vs reward mechanic which platformers often lean on.

With a rich level design full of hidden rooms and avenues to explore, Shovel Knight has a complexity that belies its simple design. It’s easy to see why Shovel Knight is an icon amongst indie games.

With Shovel Of Hope, Plague Of Shadows and Specter Of Torment, Shovel Knight really is a treasure trove of platforming.