Best Side Scroller Games on Steam
Steam currently has 5,329 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 12/5/2024.
Looking for more? Explore other lists such as:
- Free side scroller games on Steam
- Best side scroller Steam Deck games
- Best side scroller Linux games on Steam
- Best side scroller Steam games for Mac OS
- Free Steam games
- Most played Steam games
- Best rated Steam games
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 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 382,607 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 371,469 positive reviews and 11,138 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $14.99 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 | $14.99 |
| 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.
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 111,307 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 108,490 positive reviews and 2,817 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $19.99 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 | $19.99 |
| 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® 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 71,010 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 69,040 positive reviews and 1,970 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $14.99 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 | $14.99 |
| 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.
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 31,569 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 30,764 positive reviews and 805 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 | 11/9/2023 |
| 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.
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 57,875 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 56,131 positive reviews and 1,744 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $14.99 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 | $14.99 |
| 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.
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 173,415 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 167,027 positive reviews and 6,388 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $19.99 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 | $19.99 |
| Release Date | 9/29/2017 |
| Developer | Studio MDHR Entertainment Inc. |
| Publisher | Studio MDHR Entertainment Inc. |
| Steam App Id | 268910 |
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 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 17,614 positive reviews and 504 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 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 5,365 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 5,269 positive reviews and 96 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $19.99 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 | $19.99 |
| 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 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 15,812 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 15,338 positive reviews and 474 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.
| Image | Name | Actions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,798 | 2/24/2017 | 96 | $14.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 1,210 | 1/25/2018 | 96 | $19.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 45 | 5/15/2014 | 96 | $14.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 186 | 11/9/2023 | 95 | $9.74 | Steam Charts | |
| 170 | 10/15/2015 | 95 | $14.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 1,186 | 9/29/2017 | 95 | $19.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 2 | 11/15/2021 | 95 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 8 | 8/5/2014 | 95 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 105 | 6/25/2024 | 95 | $19.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 1 | ??? | 94 | ??? | Steam Charts | |
 | 296 | 2/2/2023 | 94 | $4.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 10 | 3/25/2024 | 94 | $19.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 78 | 4/3/2024 | 94 | $5.24 | Steam Charts | |
 | 19 | 7/27/2022 | 94 | $19.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 15 | 2/14/2018 | 94 | $12.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 262 | 4/27/2016 | 94 | $4.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 16 | 6/20/2019 | 94 | $19.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 578 | 10/13/2022 | 94 | $24.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 2 | 11/19/2020 | 93 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 22 | 6/25/2014 | 93 | $14.99 | Steam Charts |
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, December 5). Steam Store. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 5). Hollow Knight on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 5). Celeste on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 10). BattleBlock Theater® on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 11). SANABI on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 5). Broforce on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 5). Cuphead on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, November 18). 100 hidden frogs on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 5). The Expendabros on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 5). Until Then on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 4). Mark of the Ninja on Steam. Steam Store.