Gaming

What are the best 2D platformers for younger kids (5+)?

6
Options 
Considered
0
User 
Recs.
Last 
Updated

Terraria vs Rayman Legends vs Scribblenauts Unlimited

 vs Little Big Planet 3 vs Super Frog vs Fur-Guardians

Specs

Genre

2D platformer / Minecraft-like

Co-Op

8 Player Online / 8 Player LAN

Controller Support

Android (MOGA / HID), Steam (Full)

Platforms

Windows, Mac, Xbox 360/One, PS3, PS4, Nintendo 3DS, Switch, iOS, Android

Multi-Player

Local WiFi/Servers

Steam Rating

-

Platform

-

Genre

Platformer

Co-Op

Local Wireless

Controller Support

Full

Platforms

-

Multi-Player

-

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Platform

Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows

Genre

-

Co-Op

-

Controller Support

-

Platforms

-

Multi-Player

-

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Platform

-

Genre

-

Co-Op

-

Controller Support

-

Platforms

-

Multi-Player

-

Steam Rating

-

Platform

-

Genre

-

Co-Op

-

Controller Support

-

Platforms

-

Multi-Player

-

Steam Rating

-

Platform

-

Genre

-

Co-Op

-

Controller Support

-

Platforms

-

Multi-Player

-

Steam Rating

-

Platform

-

Pros + Cons

Pro
 Large community

Terraria has a very large community as it is a very popular game. Released on just about every platform including mobile, PC/Mac/Linux, consoles, it allows for anyone to play no matter their prefered device. This also means that with many players comes many servers to play on as well as tutorials and Let's Plays. So finding content or help or just basic information on the game will be quite easy.
Comment

Pro
 Playing with friends allows for endless scenarios

Up to 8 players can join any Terraria world. You can progress through the game normally, build a race course and compete in it, or split into factions and wage war against each other. The scenarios are endless, you just have to let loose your creativity.
Comment

Pro
 Encourages creativity for all ages

Terraria is like a 2D Minecraft, so you can alter the world around you and craft things, which teaches creativity and critical thinking skills. This is great for children who enjoy building and discovering new ways to tackle ideas just as it is great for adults who enjoy the same things. It also makes for a great objectiveless game where you can do just about anything you want, which allows for less stress due to being able to play at any pace the player likes.
Comment

Pro
 Multiplayer with up to 8 player online co-op

Up to 8 online players can be invited to join a shared Terraria world, including worlds that are also used in single-player mode. This allows for large co-op or PvP games to be played, for those that are interested, meaning you can choose how you play. Build something big together, or destroy the other guy's base.
Comment

Pro
 Allows for freedom of expression for all ages, all at your own pace

Terraria has all kinds of tools and materials you can use to build whatever you can imagine. From housing, to furniture, to weapons, to types of structure, the possibilities are almost endless. This is great for children who enjoy building and problem solving, and for adults who enjoy the same. It also makes for a great objective-less game, where you can do just about anything you want at your own pace.
Comment

Pro
 Intriguing world

Terraria uses a bright color palette and an upbeat chiptune soundtrack to ease you into its world. However, once you start exploring and spend time in it you'll notice it's not as cozy as it first seemed to be. Blood Moons that rouse the dead from their graves. Goblin armies trying to destroy everything in their wake. Vast and dark cave systems, filled with odd creatures and various dangers. Ancient ruins, teeming with the restless dead and evil spirits. Pockets of decaying land, thriving with misshapen monstrosities. It's really fun to explore and discover something new about the world of Terraria.
Comment

Pro
 2D retro-platformer style

Instead of building a deliberate feeling of suspense, Terraria uses bright palettes and arcade action to provide a fun experience outside of the survival elements. When those elements gradually appear one by one, each is all the more shocking from the contrast.
Comment

Pro
 Extensive crafting system

The vast majority of items in Terraria can be used to create other items, often requiring specific crafting stations (which themselves must be crafted). This is the core of character advancement, since gear defines nearly everything about your character.
Comment

Con
 Gameplay can feel slow

While there is little to show progress in the game over gaining many items and having many structures built, progress overall can be slow due to having to collect every item needed to craft the necessary tool, equipment and materials. This can be time consuming and may turn some people off.
Comment

Con
 No tutorial and un-intuitive menus

There is no tutorial to speak of and the menu system can be a bit cumbersome and confusing.
Comment

Pro
 Visually impressive boss stages

The visual mechanics in the boss stages are pretty impressive as they use 3d rendering but still hold to the 2D graphical look of the game. This allows for bosses that weave in and out of stages as well as attacks that can come from the foreground or background depending on where the boss is located.
Comment

Pro
 Daily and weekly online challenges

There are daily and weekly online challenges that users can compete in, against their friends or just the high scores listed.
Comment

Pro
 Fun cute characters

The cartoony design of the characters is animated smoothly and looks great on screen. For each their design is cute an amusing while also showing differentiating characteristics.
Comment

Pro
 Up to four player local Co-Op so you can help children through hard parts

Up to four local players can play sharing a single screen at the same time in Rayman Legends which is great for when kids get stuck on hard parts as another sibling or parent can jump in and help them out.
Comment

Pro
 All powers unlocked from beginning

Unlike Rayman Origins, Legends has all of Rayman's powers unlocked from the beginning. Players are able to jump float, wall run and attack starting at the first level.
Comment

Pro
 One of the best platformers released in years

From the beautiful design of the 2D cartoon graphics to the level design, soundtrack and multiplayer, Rayman Legends is on par with the best of platformers.
Comment

Con
 Jump is floaty

The jump action feels a bit floaty which may take a bit to get use to. Normally platformers will offer tighter controls, which people tend to get used to making games that stray from that more difficult or just not something that appeals.
Comment

Con
 No online multiplayer

In this day and age it is disappointing to see a multiplayer game released that does not support online. For a company like Ubisoft this kind of cost should not be an issue which makes it puzzling as to why such a standard feature is missing.
Comment

Pro
 Encourages creativity

In Scribblenauts, the goal is to help other characters perform physics based tasks, and you can solve them in any way you want. You can create any object by typing it out and use them in creative ways to solve the puzzles.
Comment

Pro
 Not too difficult

The game has an appropriate difficulty level for kids and because puzzles can be solved in different ways, the difficulty in inherently flexible.
Comment

Pro
 Builds vocabulary

You can write in tons of nouns and have them appear in game. You can also add adjectives to the nouns to modify them. By having the words appear and add to the gameplay, it encourages building a larger vocabulary.
Comment

Con
 More inventive solutions often do not work

The limitations of the game can be easily seen when solutions that make sense (though may not be the programmed solution) do not work. For those with really vivid imaginations or who use off the wall thinking they may run up against a wall with this title.
Comment

Pro
 Charming graphics and music

Comment

Pro
 Great community levels that offer creative environments

Comment

Pro
 Mesmerizingly good platform levels

Comment

Pro
 Arcade classic

Your dad used to play this when he was young kiddo.
Comment

Pro
 Anyone can contriubute to or view the code

Being open-source means that anyone can download the source code and use it to make their own games or even just pour through the code to learn how the game works.
Comment

Pro
 Totally free for everyone

Free to download, no in-app purchases, no ads as the game is built upon the open-source game called Pandacorps. This is not only great for those that do not like IAP filled games but also a good game to allow kids to play.
Comment

Pro
 Easily customized characters

The player can pick what animal they want to be. Change fur color as well as get new clothing and upgrades with gems collected in the game.
Comment

Pro
 A lot of replayability

Each level is randomly generated making for a new experience every time the game is played which makes for a lot or replayabilty due to the game having fresh levels on each playthrough.
Comment

Pro
 Two control options

Play with left/right/jump buttons for traditional platformer controls. Or switch to auto-run and just tap the screen to jump, like an endless runner.
Comment

Con
 Not much variety in the music

The music for the game gets stale fast as there is not much different music to be found while playing.
Comment

Con
 Only for Android and Windows

For those that own Apple made devices there is no version for them as it only runs on Windows and Android.
Comment
undefinedurl nextprice drop