Best Side Scroller Games on Steam

Steam currently has 5,302 Side Scroller games available to download and play. Explore our list of the best picks ranked by Player Score. Our Player Score rankings are calculated directly from reviews left on the Steam store and will be updated in real-time as more players leave their feedback. Side Scroller game rankings were last updated on 11/28/2024.

Looking for more? Explore other lists such as:

1. Hollow Knight

Forge your own path in Hollow Knight! An epic action adventure through a vast ruined kingdom of insects and heroes. Explore twisting caverns, battle tainted creatures and befriend bizarre bugs, all in a classic, hand-drawn 2D style.

Hollow Knight banner

Hollow Knight holds the #1 spot for "best Side Scroller game on Steam" with a Player Score of 96. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 380,830 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 369,757 positive reviews and 11,073 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.

It is priced at $7.49 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.

Steam Price $7.49
Release Date 2/24/2017
Developer Team Cherry
Publisher Team Cherry
Steam App Id 367520

2. Celeste

Help Madeline survive her inner demons on her journey to the top of Celeste Mountain, in this super-tight platformer from the creators of TowerFall. Brave hundreds of hand-crafted challenges, uncover devious secrets, and piece together the mystery of the mountain.

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Celeste has achieved a Player Score of 96, placing it in the #2 spot for the best Side Scroller games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 110,783 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 107,982 positive reviews and 2,801 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.

It is priced at $4.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.

Steam Price $4.99
Release Date 1/25/2018
Franchise EXOK Games
Developers
Publisher Maddy Makes Games Inc.
Steam App Id 504230

3. BattleBlock Theater®

Welcome to BattleBlock Theater! You’ve got no where to go but up...on stage. Play single player or co-op to free your friends and save Hatty Hattington! Jump, solve and battle your way through a mysterious theater inhabited by highly technological felines.

BattleBlock Theater® banner

BattleBlock Theater® has achieved a Player Score of 96, placing it in the #3 spot for the best Side Scroller games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 70,987 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 69,018 positive reviews and 1,969 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.

It is priced at $4.49 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.

Steam Price $4.49
Release Date 5/15/2014
Franchise The Behemoth
Developer The Behemoth
Publisher The Behemoth
Steam App Id 238460

4. SANABI

SANABI is an exhilarating stylish dystopian action-platformer. Play as a legendary retired veteran and use your signature prosthetic arm to jump over cliffs and skyscrapers, zip through bullets and traps and defeat powerful enemies.

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SANABI has achieved a Player Score of 95, placing it in the #4 spot for the best Side Scroller games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 31,274 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 30,477 positive reviews and 797 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.

It is priced at $9.74 to play and can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is possible to play SANABI on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).

Steam Price $9.74
Release Date 11/8/2023
Franchise NEOWIZ
Developer WONDER POTION
Publisher NEOWIZ
Steam App Id 1562700

5. Broforce

Broforce is an action-packed side-scrolling run ‘n’ gun ode to freedom, putting you in control of an under-funded, overpowered paramilitary organization dealing exclusively in excessive force.

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Broforce has achieved a Player Score of 95, placing it in the #5 spot for the best Side Scroller games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 57,835 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 56,090 positive reviews and 1,745 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.

It is priced at $2.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Broforce on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).

Steam Price $2.99
Release Date 10/15/2015
Franchise Free Lives
Developer Free Lives
Publisher Devolver Digital
Steam App Id 274190

6. Cuphead

Cuphead is a classic run and gun action game heavily focused on boss battles. Inspired by cartoons of the 1930s, the visuals and audio are painstakingly created with the same techniques of the era, i.e. traditional hand drawn cel animation, watercolor backgrounds, and original jazz recordings.

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Cuphead has achieved a Player Score of 95, placing it in the #6 spot for the best Side Scroller games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 172,840 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 166,479 positive reviews and 6,361 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.

It is priced at $13.99 to play and can be played and ran on both Windows and Mac systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.

Steam Price $13.99
Release Date 9/29/2017
Developer Studio MDHR Entertainment Inc.
Publisher Studio MDHR Entertainment Inc.
Steam App Id 268910

7. 100 hidden frogs

The frogs hid. Can you find them?

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100 hidden frogs has achieved a Player Score of 95, placing it in the #7 spot for the best Side Scroller games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 5,903 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 5,802 positive reviews and 101 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.

It is completely free to play and can be played and ran on Windows systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.

Release Date 11/15/2021
Developer Anatoliy Loginovskikh
Publisher Anatoliy Loginovskikh
Steam App Id 1806840

8. The Expendabros

The Expendabros have assembled and set their sights on the forces of ruthless arms dealer Conrad Stonebanks in the forests of Eastern Europe.

The Expendabros banner

The Expendabros has achieved a Player Score of 95, placing it in the #8 spot for the best Side Scroller games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 18,118 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 17,613 positive reviews and 505 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.

It is completely free to play and can be played and ran on both Windows and Mac systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.

Release Date 8/5/2014
Franchise Free Lives
Developer Free Lives
Publisher Devolver Digital
Steam App Id 312990

9. Until Then

A fateful meeting sets off a chain reaction, upending Mark's life. People disappear and memories prove unreliable. Uncover a hidden truth with Mark and his friends in this narrative adventure and race to unravel the mystery before it's too late.

Until Then banner

Until Then has achieved a Player Score of 95, placing it in the #9 spot for the best Side Scroller games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 5,051 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 4,967 positive reviews and 84 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.

It is priced at $13.99 to play and can be played and ran on both Windows and Linux systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.

Steam Price $13.99
Release Date 6/25/2024
Franchise Maximum Entertainment
Developer Polychroma Games
Publishers
Steam App Id 1574820

10. Mark of the Ninja

In Mark of the Ninja, you'll know what it is to truly be a ninja. You must be silent, agile and clever to outwit your opponents in a world of gorgeous scenery and flowing animation. Marked with cursed tattoos giving you heightened senses, every situation presents you with options.

Mark of the Ninja banner

Mark of the Ninja has achieved a Player Score of 94, placing it in the #10 spot for the best Side Scroller games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 15,808 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 15,335 positive reviews and 473 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.

It is priced at $0.00 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.

Developer Klei Entertainment
Publisher Microsoft Studios
Steam App Id 214560

More Side Scroller Games

Explore even more rankings for the 100 best Side Scroller games available on Steam.

ImageName
Actions
Hollow Knight steam charts
7,550
2/24/2017
96
$7.49
Steam Charts
Celeste steam charts
1,944
1/25/2018
96
$4.99
Steam Charts
BattleBlock Theater® steam charts
146
5/15/2014
96
$4.49
Steam Charts
SANABI steam charts
417
11/8/2023
95
$9.74
Steam Charts
Broforce steam charts
385
10/15/2015
95
$2.99
Steam Charts
Cuphead steam charts
2,315
9/29/2017
95
$13.99
Steam Charts
100 hidden frogs steam charts
1
11/15/2021
95
Free
Steam Charts
The Expendabros steam charts
8
8/5/2014
95
Free
Steam Charts
Until Then steam charts
233
6/25/2024
95
$13.99
Steam Charts
Mark of the Ninja steam charts
4
???
94
???
Steam Charts
Your Only Move Is HUSTLE steam charts
600
2/2/2023
94
$3.99
Steam Charts
ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the mist steam charts
22
3/25/2024
94
$19.99
Steam Charts
Touhou Hero of Ice Fairy steam charts
321
4/3/2024
94
$4.61
Steam Charts
Dungeon Munchies steam charts
20
7/27/2022
94
$19.99
Steam Charts
The Void Rains Upon Her Heart steam charts
24
2/14/2018
94
$9.74
Steam Charts
Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition steam charts
436
4/27/2016
94
$4.99
Steam Charts
My Friend Pedro steam charts
55
6/20/2019
94
$19.99
Steam Charts
ASTLIBRA Revision steam charts
472
10/13/2022
94
$18.74
Steam Charts
Tukoni: Prologue steam charts
2
11/19/2020
93
Free
Steam Charts
Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove steam charts
43
6/26/2014
93
$19.99
Steam Charts
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Soures & References

Steambase has best-in-class data powered directly by Steam, our data partners, and in-house experts. Reviews and rankings are enriched, analyzed, and updated in real-time to ensure we surface the most up-to-date insights. Learn more about the Steambase approach to data collection and our review methodology.

  • Valve Corporation. (2024, November 28). Steam Store. Steam Store.
  • Valve Corporation. (2024, November 28). Hollow Knight on Steam. Steam Store.
  • Valve Corporation. (2024, November 29). Celeste on Steam. Steam Store.
  • Valve Corporation. (2024, December 2). BattleBlock Theater® on Steam. Steam Store.
  • Valve Corporation. (2024, November 27). SANABI on Steam. Steam Store.
  • Valve Corporation. (2024, November 28). Broforce on Steam. Steam Store.
  • Valve Corporation. (2024, November 28). Cuphead on Steam. Steam Store.
  • Valve Corporation. (2024, November 18). 100 hidden frogs on Steam. Steam Store.
  • Valve Corporation. (2024, November 28). The Expendabros on Steam. Steam Store.
  • Valve Corporation. (2024, November 28). Until Then on Steam. Steam Store.
  • Valve Corporation. (2024, October 29). Mark of the Ninja on Steam. Steam Store.

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