Side Scroller Hidden Gems on Steam
Unlike generic lists, our game recommendations use a rigorous analysis of Steam user reviews to identify and feature only the best, community-validated side scroller games.
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Master Spy
Throw on your invisibility cloak and put your reflexes to the test in this brutal precision platformer brimming with espionage, intrigue, and betrayal! Featuring an Original Soundtrack by Grammy Award Winner RAC.
In Between
In Between is set inside the mind of a man hit by a cruel twist of fate. Together you are on a journey through the protagonist's head, a world that doesn’t obey the laws of physics.
Call of Tomsk-7
Fight for your life in Call of Tomsk-7, a simple side-scrolling shooter. Horrifying monsters are pouring out of the forgotten and abandoned Soviet-era Tomsk-7 biological weapons facility. You must fight the creatures in a seemingly endless battle of attrition.
Shadow Blade: Reload
Shadow Blade is an action-platformer set in a visually striking world where the ancient teachings of ninjas and samurai clash upon a modern landscape. Sprint through stages littered with traps, slaying enemies along your path without hesitation as Kuro, the blade of shadow!
TEMBO THE BADASS ELEPHANT
Shell City is plunged into a state of emergency after coming under attack from the devastating forces of PHANTOM. As the National Army struggle to contain the terrifying war machines, they call upon the only thing that stands between Shell City’s obliteration and its salvation; the peanut chompin’, villain stompin’, TEMBO THE BADASS...
Super Cyborg
Super Cyborg is an old school non-stop hardcore run'n'gun action game! You are an elite battle cyborg who is sent in to investigate a series of anomalies on a mysterious island. The merciless alien known as the 'Xirxul life form' has been awakened by unwitting scientists and now: all humanity is in danger!
Streets of Fury EX
Fight the gangs of Paris in this action packed Beat'Em up. Up to 4 players can join in, to cooperate, or fight against each other! Many unlockables, game modes, crazy combos and devastating furies await you in this deep fighting game.
Super Chibi Knight
The Kingdom of Oukoku is threatened by the spicy influence of General Tso. Citizens have placed their hope in a small knight who fits the requirements of ancient legends. Which path will the Chibi Knight choose...
Tcheco in the Castle of Lucio
Tcheco in the Castle of Lucio is an exciting, fast-paced action game.Help Tcheco the Adventure Boy to leave a mysterious castle full of deadly creatures! Be ready for a big challenge, full of nonsense humor and retro goodness.
JumpJet Rex
Test your dinosaur jump-jet skills with a game that redefines the platformer genre, aptly renaming it "platflyer." Simply put, you're a t-rex with rocket boots trying to save earth from an incoming asteroid. Do you have what it takes to stop it?
Zombie Kill of the Week - Reborn
Zombie Kill of the Week - Reborn is a challenging, fast paced, 2D survival shooter! Featuring a compelling single player survival mode and cooperative multiplayer for up-to four players, this is one zombie firefight you're not going to want to miss!
Ukrainian Ninja
Ukrainian Ninja is a multiplayer platformer game for Windows. The Ninja shoots and slashes, using weapons sold by the trader to clear each world.
REVOLVER360 RE:ACTOR
The world really does revolve around you in this mind-bending shooter where changing your perspective could save your life.
Silence of the Sleep
You play as a man called Jacob Reeves. A man who has lost his reason to live. He throws himself into a blackness to end his misery, but instead of it being the end he wakes up without a memory of his life before.
Super Win the Game
Throw on your nostalgia goggles and travel back in time with Super Win the Game, a retro-core explosion of exploration and platforming action!!
Beyond Gravity
Beyond Gravity is procedurally generated "platformer" where you jump in-between planets and try to collect as many pickups as you can. This gets progressively harder the further you jump. No need to worry tho as you can upgrade your character with loads of upgrades and power-ups!
Knightmare Tower
Break through ceilings, rescue princesses and escape boiling lava as you slash your way to the top of the Knightmare Tower!
Enemy Mind
A retro shooter with a new power: the power to become any ship.Lost in the depths of space, you are a being of pure psychic energy with the uncanny power to take over and control anything you see in order to survive.Built for PC, Enemy Mind lets you battle your way through 70+ waves of challenging enemies.
1001 Spikes
Discover the lost treasures of Ukampa in South America as Aban Hawkins searches for his estranged father, world-famous archeaologist, Jim Hawkins. Aban Hawkins races into the frozen tundra of the antarctic, undiscovered temple ruins and the vast caverns of South America in search of his father and the legendary treasure rumored to lie...
Monochroma
Monochroma is a cinematic puzzle platformer. It’s a game about being a kid, growing up with a little brother that needs your help, facing obstacles and solving unique puzzles in a dystopian 1950's setting.
Retro Game Crunch
Retro Game Crunch is a series of 7 games, full of the charm and challenge of the 8-bit generation. Each world feels like an authentic NES classic. A massive genre-spanning collection.
GIGANTIC ARMY
Side-scrolling mech-shooting bad-assery is BACK!GIGANTIC ARMY is a heartfelt homage to 16-bit era mech shooters such as Cybernator / Assault Suits Valken, Metal Warriors, and Front Mission: Gun Hazard, developed by the studio behind the acclaimed shooter SATAZIUS.
Oniken: Unstoppable Edition
When a global war nearly decimated humankind, an evil military organization called Oniken takes advantage of the situation to dominate and oppress the few remaining survivors. Even though any resistance to this organization seemed hopeless, a small rebel movement organizes strikes against Oniken.
Aqua Kitty - Milk Mine Defender
Aqua Kitty is a fast paced retro styled submarine arcade shooter with optional 2 player local Co-op.Blast through hordes of mechanical sea monsters in your kitty sub and defend the deep sea milk mining kittens!THE MILK MUST FLOW!
Aces Wild: Manic Brawling Action!
Aces Wild is a fast-paced, hardcore, aerial beat 'em up!Engage in insane aerial martial arts combat against countless opponents!It utilizes a 'Wild Meter' which increases the power of your attacks butalso makes enemies more aggressive!
Signs of Life
Signs of Life is a sci-fi survival sandbox platformer with a combination of procedurally generated and hand-crafted content. You'll explore mysterious locations, Mine blocks for resources, and meet strange (and some familiar) creatures, some of which don't even want to kill you and eat your corpse.
Gunman Clive
In the year of 18XX, the west is overrun by thugs and outlaws. A group of bandits have kidnapped Mayor Johnsons daughter and are spreading havok across the land. Only Gunman Clive can bring order to the west and save the girl!Jump and shoot your way across 16 diverse and challenging levels and fight massive bosses.
Ballpoint Universe - Infinite
Ballpoint Universe Infinite is a shoot-em-up adventure game featuring artwork entirely drawn in ballpoint pen. Explore immaculate worlds, discover the secrets of the doodles, and customize your Ink-Ship for battle! Press"Ballpoint Universe Infinite is too exuberant to ignore.
Oozi: Earth Adventure
Oozi: Earth Adventure is a classic 2D platformer with old school gameplay - no puzzles, no punishment, just 100% pure classic platforming fun! Its most prominent features are HD visuals and beautiful hand-drawn art, but despite its visual style, it’s a good fit for all kinds of gamers!
Syder Arcade
Killing zombies never gets old, but sometimes you just need a break. Get back to some serious old-school gaming with Syder Arcade! Syder Arcade is a love letter to Amiga games of the ‘90s, no coins, no upgrade grinding, just your tenacity and a motherload of alien invaders.