It Takes Two 2021
Why it still holds upWith a partner it is still worth playing now: the ideas change level after level, and every one of them needs both players.
Xbox One platformers that still hold up
First released on the Xbox One
Games
It Takes Two 2021
Why it still holds upWith a partner it is still worth playing now: the ideas change level after level, and every one of them needs both players.
Ori and the Blind Forest 2015
Why it still holds upOri moves nimbly and the story is told through play and not through long cutscenes, so it is still a pleasure to control now.
On sale
Celeste 2018
Why it still holds upEach chapter revolves around a different environmental mechanic and the game keeps adding ideas, so it stays fresh today, with Assist Mode letting anyone set their own difficulty.
Inside 2016
Why it still holds upThe puzzles are why it still plays well: they are natural obstacles that make sense in the context of the game, and the wordless boy is expressive enough to carry it.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps 2020
Why it still holds upThe way the map opens up is still the reason to play: each ability Ori finds sends you back through Niwen by a route that was shut.
Cuphead 2017
Why it still holds upBoss fights built on learning patterns, in that style, are the reason to play it now.
On sale
Psychonauts 2 2021
Why it still holds upThe minds are why it is still worth playing: each level is a new place drawn from someone's head, and most end with Raz helping that person.
On sale
Sonic Mania 2017
Why it still holds upMomentum based movement and three characters with different abilities still give each stage different routes today.
Child of Light 2014
Why it still holds upA firefly that slows enemies and heals allies, and a surprise strike for whoever reaches an enemy's back first, still give every battle a small tactical choice.
On sale
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night 2019
Why it still holds upExploring is still rewarding, because shards dropped by monsters, each with a different attack, make every defeated enemy a possible new skill.
On sale
Little Nightmares II 2021
Why it still holds upThe tension is the reason to play it now: slow stretches of sneaking give way to desperate escapes, with Six at your side.
On sale
Yoku's Island Express 2018
Why it still holds upGetting around the island is still fun, because a hero who cannot jump has to use flippers, bumpers and ramps, and every route is worked out with the ball.
On sale
Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom 2018
Why it still holds upExploring is still a matter of trying each form: five forms each open a different path and dying costs nothing.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time 2020
Why it still holds upPlayed today, the platforming is the draw, with the masks and the other characters changing what each jump asks of you.
Spyro the Dragon 2018
Why it still holds upOpen levels with something to find in every corner make each world worth clearing in full today.
On sale
Little Nightmares 2017
Why it still holds upEvery room is a matter of timing and cover, since hide and seek against threats that catch you in a glance is the whole game, and it stays tense today.
Super Time Force Ultra 2014
Why it still holds upBecause every avoided death turns into a power up, mistakes do not stop the action.
On sale
Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition 2013
Why it still holds upThe Mexican setting still gives the adventure a style of its own.
On sale
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero 2016
Why it still holds upEven now, what was out of reach on a first pass becomes a reason to replay a stage.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated 2020
Why it still holds upThe collecting holds up today, because reaching every part of a level takes the moves of each character it gives you.
On sale
Blasphemous 2019
Why it still holds upEvery enemy is still a pattern to learn and a parry to time.
On sale
Unravel 2016
Why it still holds upThe thread is still both the hero's tool and his limit, the same piece of string.
On sale
Mega Man 11 2018
Why it still holds upLearning each stage until you can run it cleanly is still part of the series' appeal.
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2018
Why it still holds upQuick runs and a party to swap still make a short game easy to return to.
Unravel Two 2018
Why it still holds upPlayed today, it still works as well alone as with a friend beside you.
On sale
Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap 2017
Why it still holds upThe switch still keeps the original one button away, at any moment.
On sale
Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince 2019
Why it still holds upThe puzzles are why it holds up now, since the three heroes' tools combine in several ways to reach the same goal.
On sale
Hue 2016
Why it still holds upA single idea, a color that makes objects vanish, still drives every room.