Some of the greatest Side-scroller games available for PC today
You don’t get much more classic than a good side-scroller. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t new ones worth playing. We have some suggestions to play that you may not have heard of and some that may bring about some crazy nostalgia.
Let’s start with a newer title…
31. Foul Play
Foul Play Trailer
In our first side scrolling game we have an action packed beat ‘em up! You are Baron Dashforth and you are acting out fights for the amusement of the audience. There is also the option to be joined locally or on online co-op by your young ward Scampwick.
You will battle your way through 22 acts and 50 enemies all from the Baron’s recollections. Did I forget to mention that these enemies and recollections include demons he has hunted?
It’s a flat flat world out there. But with a unique combo system, you’ll battle through it with style and flare and more than likely a few laughs.
I challenge you not to smile during this gameplay…
Fight ridiculous beasts
Gotta love that you can see the actors in their wolf costumes
30. The Swapper
The Swapper Trailer
In this sci-fi adventure you have control over a device which generates up to 4 clones of you. Using the clones, your goal is to find out what happened to the research lab and the planet you have landed on. You must also discover why everyone was so scared of the device which you now must use to survive.
The feel of this game is dark and somewhat creepy. But it is also sweeping and beautiful. You’ll need to master the art of being up to five people at once to solve complex puzzles to get your way out of some tight spots. The controls are easy to learn, however, so it is all a matter of thinking through the puzzles and moving forward.
The Swapper Gameplay
You must solve unique puzzles by cloning yourself
Explore otherworldly settings
29. Trine 2
Trine 2 Trailer
In this game you choose to play as one of three characters who are out to save the kingdom from mysterious dark forces with the help of the Trine. You play as the wizard, the knight or the thief.
This is a game with a sense of humor. You adventure through the world using skills that are unique to each character to solve complex puzzles. There is also the option of co-op so the fun doesn’t have to be something you experience alone.
This game uses physics and other real world factors to contribute to the puzzles’ challenges. You have to consider gravity, fire, water, skills and character abilities when trying to solve puzzles and get through levels. This means that you will need to utilize all three characters to complete the game.
Trine is a fantastic fantasy adventure with amazing graphics and a beautiful world to explore.
The humor of the game shows even in the beginning
Just because it’s a game with humor doesn’t mean there aren’t some serious baddies to fight
Ummm… He doesn’t look pleased to see us…
28. Dex
Dex Trailer
Dex is thrown into the deep end of a rebellion as her door is knocked in by corporate mercs. You must play as Dex and explore this cyberpunk reality and fight through enemies and gain allies in your fight for freedom.
The game is modeled after 90’s arcade games in its style. And the cyberpunk motif gives it a dark, dirty and futuristic feel.
Dex has several paths of development. She can be customized with armor and upgrades and she can handle just about any firearm you might want to throw at her. A woman of many talents, she can also hack into the security systems of the city and use cyberspace to achieve her ends.
Dex Gameplay
Explore a whole new world with many different neighborhoods
Navigate Cyberspace and take down the security built into it
27. Metal Slug 3
Metal Slug Anniversary Trailer
The world is in shambles. You have your choice of four characters to play as. And you must save the world. From what? Well, monstrous crabs and eels, Nazi subs, zombies and more.
Many Metal Slug fans consider Metal Slug 3 the best of the bunch. It is a balance of gameplay and graphics. The game is a third person shooter with style and is originally an Arcade game so it is not terribly story-heavy.
The game has 5 massive missions with equally massive bosses. To fight these bosses you can gain many power-ups from grateful citizens. These powerups can do anything from boost your HP to give you bombs. You can also pick up bigger, badder weapons as you go through the levels. And don’t worry about ammo, since the standard weapons have unlimited ammo. So shoot up those tough mutant bosses and save the world!
Metal Slug 3 Mission 2: ZOMBIES!
Beat up on weird critters with your buddies
Choose your soldier and start your war
26. Shank
Shank Trailer
This game is more than just hacking and slashing your way through hundreds of baddies, there are beautiful animated cut scenes that tell Shank’s story. Shank is a man whose wife has been killed by his former mob boss, and he must now seek his revenge on those responsible.
With artwork inspired by graphic novels, this side scroller is a completely different experience. It is a beat-em-up style game with 2D graphics and play. It’s over-the-top and full of blood as you seek retribution.
You can fight hundreds of enemies and bosses with an exhaustive array of weapons. There is also the option of playing co-op. And what is unique about this co-op experience is that the story is actually set before the single player story.
Take on The Butcher
Fight bosses with chainsaws
Shank’s story starts out pretty rough
25. Shank 2
Gotta wonder why all the bosses are so much bigger than us…
2D never looked so good
24. Assassin's Creed® Chronicles: China
Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China Trailer
Shao Jun recently returned to China after being trained by Ezio, hero of Assassins Creed 2. As the last remaining member of the Chinese brotherhood, she is bound and determined to not only revenge her fallen comrades but rebuild the brotherhood in China.
It takes everything there is to love about the Assassin’s Creed gameplay and puts it into side scrolling action. Hide in the background and assassinate the unsuspecting victims in the foreground. Use numerous weapons and abilities to avenge your brotherhood, including a sweet Chinese-style sword. Use the sword to kill enemies on ledges above you. But if you can make it through a level without being detected and without killing non-assassination targets you gain massive amounts of points.
Enjoy some fun take outs
Survey your surrounding from the safety of cover.
Shao Jun in her beautiful brush strokes
23. Strider
Strider Trailer
You are the ninja assassin, Hiryu Strider. Your mission, this time around, is to bring down Grand Master Meio and his corrupt regime. He will unleash many incredible enemies on you, including the Four Winds who are master warriors set to protect Meio’s cities and developments.
To get there you will use cyphers, incredible power ups that do anything from setting enemies ablaze to freezing them where they stand, and amazingly fast fighting techniques to carve your way through hundreds of enemies.
The world you explore is massive. You’ll need to get through many interconnected levels to reach Meio. And each level contains different styles of enemies. Some of these are other ninjas, some are machines, some are city guards with big guns and big shields. And you’ll need to figure out how to defeat them all if you hope to take down Meio.
Strider Gameplay
Use Cyphers to make it through challenging fights with numerous enemies
This guy looks ready to beat Strider down
22. Guns, Gore & Cannoli
Guns, Gore & Cannoli Trailer
This is an over-the-top shoot-‘em-up set in the roaring 20’s. You are the hardboiled gangster, Cannoli. You’ve come to Thugtown to look for a lost good fella. The problem is every goon in town has turned into a brain-munching undead goon. So now you must take down hundreds of the undead along with still-living mob bosses to try and find your buddy.
This is a 2D, hand-drawn game. It is comical and crazy. You can team up with a friend or figure out the mystery alone. Get ready for prohibition style settings—think speakeasies and cars with serious flair.
This game is loaded with different guns, zombies, and costumes. Cannoli can be anything from a scantily clad woman to a hardened mobster. But no matter the costume, you will have to talk with your Uzi a lot. Mobsters tend not to give out information without some convincing. Ammo can be found in spades and the environment is yours to destroy as well.
Guns, Gore & Cannoli Gameplay
Team up to get down to business in Thugtown
Just a few undead to keep you busy
21. Mighty No. 9
Mighty No. 9 Trailer
You are Beck. You were built to battle other bots in an epic battleground. But something has gone terribly wrong. Every other battle bot has been infected by a mysterious virus, and now you must battle your way through them to find the villain responsible for unleashing the virus.
You can play the classic arcade style game which features 12 missions and lots of platforming fun. Or you can choose to play just the bosses and race the clock. You can even race your friends online to see who can complete each level faster.
This game is meant to be reminiscent of the 90’s arcade classics with their patterned boss fights. So expect to feel like a kid again as you fight through the challenging infected battlebots.
Mighty No. 9 Gameplay
Construction bots can be very deconstructive
Fight the other battlebots to save the city
20. Roguelands
Roguelands Trailer
Things have fallen apart on Earth. This has unleashed a being known as The Destroyer, who has opened a rip in the space-time continuum. You play as a space cadet out to save the universe from this being. Your job is to go to distant planets and gather precious resources.
This game is an epic RPG. And it is in pixelated style. But it is definitely still pretty and a blast to play. You will fight tougher and tougher opponents. And the catch? When you die, you lose everything. Except what you have stored on your ship. This means you do not have any armor or weapons or loot that you may have gathered since leaving the ship.
So be careful out there! And take down The Destroyer.
Roguelands Gameplay
Your ship’s appearance is up to you
There’s a lot of angry critters here
19. Salt and Sanctuary
Salt and Sanctuary Trailer
You were supposed to escort a princess and bring peace to your kingdom after decades of warfare. Instead, a mysterious monster attacks your ship and you wake up washed up on an unknown shore. You must now get through hordes monsters to find the answer to why you are here and what happened to your princess.
Often called the 2D Dark Souls, it is an RPG with some ambitious gameplay. You can customize your character’s looks, class, etc. Just like you would expect from an RPG. From there you’re thrown right into action and must fight a boss you WILL lose against. But don’t let that turn you off to the game. Sometimes you have to lose to move the game forward.
Controls are intuitive and you can have fun stringing together parries, blocks, power attacks, magic and even very satisfying killing blows. The world is extremely open for you to explore. You can take the obvious path or venture off and explore. It’s all up to you.
Salt and Sanctuary Gameplay
That’s some serious lightning
Do we really wanna pick a fight with a boss that big?
18. This War of Mine
This War of Mine Trailer
This city has been torn apart by war. You are one of the unlucky few who did not make it out on the refugee ships. Your job, for however long this war is going to last, is to survive. Nothing more, nothing less. You are not an elite soldier. You are just a civilian trying to make it until ceasefire.
How you survive is up to you. The game is simple enough to understand. You hide during the day. You scavenge at night. You’re scavenging for goods to improve your dwelling and, of course, for food and medicine.
You control not only yourself but up to 3 others to start. More people may join you as you play, if you let them. You’ll need to use all the survivors in your hiding place to craft things that will make your life smoother until the war halts. This can be anything from a shovel, to go through debris, to a weapon, to fight off other scavengers who inevitably come knocking.
This War of Mine Gameplay
Explore looted and destroyed dwellings
Survivors can die if you aren’t careful
17. Broforce
Broforce Trailer
The world is in trouble and it’s up to the Broforce to save it. Armed with basically everything explosive, the broforce is setting out to blow some junk up in the name of freedom. Run and Gun as basically any action hero from pop culture.
These heroes are over-the-top ripped. And most likely will be wearing a tank top. They use guns that range from big to ginormous. And villains are anything from muscular goons to Satan himself.
This is a bit-type game. And everything can be destroyed: walls, cages, oil barrels, everything. Play as Chuck Norris, the Terminator, even a very muscly male Ripley (Alien). Fly that American flag at every check point and kill some demons.
One word: ‘murica.
Broforce Gameplay
Play as Rambo and explode all the things
Can you name all the pop culture references?
16. Sheltered
Sheltered Trailer
Sheltered is set in a post-apocalyptic Earth. Your family had enough forewarning to build a basic underground shelter, but there was not enough time to make the shelter comfortable. So your job now is to make your family comfortable and to survive the apocalypse.
The gameplay is a fairly basic point and click system. You must also craft everything from your toilet to a stable for your optional horse. You can even craft a car or van which will make exploring the wastelands easier. Since you’ll need to explore them fairly extensively for materials and food.
But it is easy to spend hours developing your family and taking care of them throughout the apocalypse. You’ll need to raise all their stats—like charisma for trading with other survivors, or building ability to make things like that toilet you’ll be wanting—and take care of their physical and emotional needs.
Sheltered Gameplay
You can end up with a pretty swanky shelter
How you interact with other survivors is up to you.
15. Kingdom
Kingdom Trailer
You are the king or queen of your domain and you must build your kingdom from the ground up.
This means gathering subjects. Building walls that will, hopefully, withstand the night’s attacks. And if they don’t you’ll need to build up those walls again.
You’ll also need to think about archers, catapults, farms, everything a kingdom needs to survive. Controls are pretty easy to understand and the object of the game is pretty simple: build up your kingdom and fight off the enemies. But with assaults every night from critters that look like something out of nightmares, it will not be easy to maintain your kingdom and you might find yourself rebuilding over and over again.
Kingdom Gameplay
You’ll need lots of farms to feed your kingdom.
Hold the monsters back little archers!
14. Shovel Knight
Shovel Knight Trailer
What would you do if your beloved was taken from you? Well, Shovel knight would set out on an epic quest to bring her back. He has to fight past the Enchantress and her knights of the Order of No Quarter to get to Shield Knight, his beloved, in the Tower.
Made in an 8-bit style, you must play as Shovel Knight. And there’s all sort of bad guys to go through before you get to your beloved. You’ll fight everything from little blob monsters to dragons to other knights on your way to take down the Enchantress and earn back your love.
The gameplay is very much like classic arcade games. There’s no fancy leveling system. But you do buy upgrades for your trusty shovel and your armor. So you need to carefully navigate each level getting as much money as you can if you want to be able to take down the Enchantress.
Shovel Knight Gameplay
It’s rainin’ diamonds
Bubbles are better than fire, I suppose…
13. Oxenfree
Oxenfree Trailer
So Oxenfree is all about a group of high school seniors taking a trip together. It’s a tradition at their high school to go to this island every year. It’s supposed to be some big hang out at the beach and all fun and games. Problem is it doesn’t end up that way. Alex brings along a radio to test out a local theory: you can hear radio stations that don’t exist on the island. But when she starts playing with it everything goes haywire and the group is separated.
Sounds like the beginning of a great horror movie to me. And it is the beginning of a great horror game. Your character, Alex, brought along two things to this party: a radio and her step-brother, Jonas. The radio ends up being pretty important.
You’ll need to use its frequencies to open up portals to another dimension. And yes, that is as creepy as it sounds. But if you don’t use the radio, it’s game over.
You’ll need to navigate your surroundings and figure out how to use that radio to solve the mysteries of this place and hopefully make it out alive.
Oxenfree Gameplay
Maybe some of this equipment will help…
How you react to things is up to you
12. Rogue Legacy
Rogue Legacy Trailer
This game follows one line of knights throughout the generations. And this line of knights is all about exploring dungeons and getting fortunes. One problem though: each generation of knight has some… difficulties. Some are color blind, some have flatulence, some are near sighted, and many more oddities. These problems make each dungeon a little more challenging in different kinds of ways.
How do you progress through generations of knights? Each time you die you must select an heir to continue your adventures. And each heir has a different problem, so don’t get used to playing with difficulty for too long. But because they’re your heir, you never start from zero. They inherit some of your skills and weapons, so they may be different. But they aren’t level 1.
The weapons you use are swords, shields, scythes, maces, and so on. Enemies will test your mettle in various ways. Some will hide in portraits. Others will charge at you haphazardly. The enemies are as different as you are. Anything from giant flaming flying skulls to rabid wolves await you in your travels.
And bosses are even more challenging. They usually come with a set of minions that do their bidding while you battle. And they are big and have quite a bit of health for you to whittle away when you can get hits in between their powerful attacks.
Rogue Legacy Gameplay
That’s a big angry skull…
You don’t regen you name your heir
11. Mercenary Kings
Mercenary Kings Trailer
You are part of an elite group of mercenaries, the Mercenary Kings. CLAW, an evil corporation bent on ruling the world, has killed all of your fellow members. Luckily, you still have a group of weapons and communications experts on your side to help you stop CLAW from achieving their goal of world domination.
This is a 2D run and gun game. But you can upgrade your weapons using things you’ve found in the environment. This can be anything from adding accuracy to an existing weapon, to building a big bad bazooka to take down lots of foes at once. You can also upgrade your melee weapon, a larger than normal, knife. Make it sharper and faster as you see fit.
This is where those weapons experts come in handy, as you’ll have to work with them to create these upgrades to your guns and knives. You can also co-op your way through if you find yourself needing support on the increasingly challenging missions.
Mercenary Kings Gameplay
Ride that rainbow bang bang machine!
Get your orders and roll out
10. Valiant Hearts: The Great War
Valiant Hearts Trailer
WWI split up a lot of families. In Valiant Hearts you follow the stories of several of the people who were brought together and split up by the war. Follow Emile, Karl, Freddie, and Anna as they are torn from their peaceful lives to fight on the Western Front. And they are drawn together by Walt, the adorable Doberman medical dog.
The characters play through several historically accurate battles and settings. Play as different characters to solve different puzzles. These puzzles demand resourcefulness. But that’s part of what’s great about games like this: if you get stuck, you can just stop and take a look around and usually figure out what you need to do.
Valiant Hearts Gameplay
Awwwww the cute puppy is thirsty!
Emile is gonna have to help Freddie out of this one
9. Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara
Chronicles of Mystara Trailer
In this game you will choose your character class and set out to defeat the dragon Synn and its master, a Lich of unimaginable power, as they threaten the land of Mystara. To get to Synn and the Lich, however, you’ll need to fight your way through hundreds of monsters. These monsters can be anything from dragons to scorpions to harpies.
This is a high tech remaster of two classic games from Dungeons & Dragons—Tower of Doom and Shadow over Mystara. You can now play the arcade classics in HD. But they have not lost their arcade look.
This is truly a classic beat-‘em-up. Rush through and beat the dickens out of any kind of evil critter that runs your way. People can drop in to co-op with you at any time. You can also change your character class every time you need to regen. So if the elf isn’t doing so hot, feel free to switch to the warrior. Whatever it takes to save Mystara.
Chronicles of Mystara Gameplay
Guys! Work together to take down that nasty looking cart
I wonder… Do blue flames hurt more?
8. Double Dragon: Neon
Double Dragon Trailer
Skullmageddon strikes again! He has sent his goons to kidnap your ladylove, Marian. So now you and your brother, Billy and Jimmy Lee, must set out to save her from the likes of Abobo, a larger than life muscle-bound wrestler, and Linda, the sadistic seductress who insists on fighting you in a corset and boots with a whip.
This is a remake of a classic video game, with updated graphics and gameplay. It is a beat-‘em-up style game, with outrageous characters. Whether it’s Abobo or Linda, or even the brothers, they’re all over-the-top and rocking various 80’s style fashion. You’ll also use various songs you find to upgrade your characters and unlock new moves.
And their moves are over-the-top as well. Watch out for those flying fists and whips. But feel free to steal their weapons if they drop them. Make it to Skullmageddon and take him down with the brothers’ unique martial arts techniques known as Sosetsuken.
Double Dragon Gameplay
High fives are the only way to end a tough fight
Rockin’ mullets beatin’ people up
7. Flashback
Flashback Trailer
Flashback is all about remembering who you are after you’ve had your memory wiped. The only hint you have, when you wake up in the jungle, is a short recording of yourself saying to find Ian in New Washington and that your name is Conrad. That’s all you’ve got to go on at the beginning. So you’re out to find out why your memory has been wiped and by whom.
The 2013 release is a re-imagining of the original from 1993. The original creators were brought back on this one. It is still the same essential game with new and modern conveniences. There are now leveling systems which are very much in line with the modern RPG.
This version also has much more reactive gameplay which means a more comfortable gaming experience.
Flashback Gameplay
I think that’s me…
Outrun your enemies in this futuristic landscape
6. Pixel Piracy
Pixel Piracy Trailer
You’re beginning your quest to become the most fearsome pirate on the seven seas. But four legendary ship captains stand in your way: Peter Sunde, Gottfrid Svartholm, Aaron Swartz, and Tim Berners-Lee. So your job is to build an impressive crew and ship and take them on to claim your fame.
This is a sim type RPG. You’ll need to craft your ship and hire your crew. You click through maps to discover towns and take on other pirates. You get to answer a series of questions before you begin that determines the style of the game as well. Some of the options are things like: are nights going to be longer? Will there be a plague? What did you get from your father? But of course these are asked in much more entertaining and interesting ways.
Everything about this high seas adventure is customizable. And it would be easy to spend a lot of time reaching your goal.
Pixel Piracy Gameplay
How the townsfolk welcome you is determined by your actions
Board enemy ships and loot those suckers
5. Terraria
Terraria Trailer
Made by the same people as Pixel Piracy, your goal this time is to decide what you want to accomplish in a fantasy universe. Do you want to vanquish evil? Horde resources? Build a city? It’s all up you.
Everything in this game is fully customizable. Your character and their class are up to you. Their appearance is up to you as well. And with 1.3 you get even more items to craft and play with including a portal gun.
This game is very much in the vein of Minecraft. But with more RPG elements. There IS a strong story mode, should you choose to develop it with challenges and objectives. But you can also just build up a city in this fantasy land and just ignore the story and not worry about the evil that threatens your kingdom.
Terraria Gameplay
Some feats deserve fireworks
Explore caves to find resources
4. Never Alone
Never Alone Trailer
Nuna lives with her people in a faraway land. One day a blizzard starts up and just keeps raging. Soon her entire village is faced with the very real possibility of starvation since they cannot hunt during the storm. Nuna decides to set out to find the cause of all the storms. During her journey she is saved by an arctic fox and together they explore to try and save the village.
This is a unique game in the sense that it is also a lesson in Inupiat culture. Lessons on individual topics are unlocked throughout the game and you can pause at any time to view beautiful videos containing them.
When you co-op, the other player plays as the fox who has an entirely separate system of commands. If you play alone the fox is a computer player until you switch to him to solve complex puzzles. So if you go it alone, you’ll need to play as both Nuna and the fox to complete the game, which makes it more challenging and ultimately more fun.
Never Alone Gameplay
Brave the harsh winter
Meet spirits who will help you save your village
3. Deadlight
Deadlight Trailer
Deadlight is a zombie game. But it is not set in some unknown future. It is set shortly after a catastrophic event in the 1980’s that has destroyed life on earth. It isn’t pretty and it isn’t about creating some new future. It’s just about finding loved ones. And you are Randall Wayne and you are trying to do just that: find your wife and daughter in Seattle.
This is truly a horror game. It is dark and disturbing. And this is a game of problem solving. The zombies aren’t slow and meandering, in fact, sometimes the zombies are faster than you. So you need to quickly analyze your surroundings and use them to fight off the hordes or avoid them entirely.
No guns ablazin’ in this game. It’s about surviving not fighting.
Deadlight Gameplay
Seattle just doesn’t look the same anymore… but at least gas is cheap.
It may not kill him, but a boot to the chest will definitely make him back off for a bit
2. Shoot Many Robots
Shoot Many Robots Trailer
The robot factories have started kicking into overdrive. And the robots their turning out have a murderous streak. You are a redneck gun nut who likes his beer like he likes his ammo: unlimited. And you’re gonna save the world.
This is a classic run ‘n gun style game. You can co-op with up to three friends. Take down as many robots as you can. And if your health gets low take a swig of beer and your health will be replenished. Basic weapons can have unlimited ammo, but the bigger guns that you can gain by completing missions will have limited quantities of ammo that will need to be replenished at set points in the game.
There are as many types of robots as you can imagine: from chainsaws with legs to giant cat-shaped bots. They’re out there waiting for you to take them down with guns and beer in tow.
Shoot Many Robots Gameplay
The shot gun should do for this little guy.
Earn bonuses based on just how many robots you can kill
1. Sine Mora
Sine Mora Trailer
This game is all about flying and shooting. You are part of a resistance movement forming against the Layil Empire. You will play as several fighter pilots taking down bosses above and below water. Take down as many enemy fighters as you can in order to try and take down the empire and bring vengeance and justice to the thousands of repressed.
This is not a long game. A skillful player could get through it in 90 minutes. But what makes it so amazing is the unique art and play style. It is a very rare breed with it’s 2.5D style in a shoot ‘em up style. This makes the gameplay extremely challenging since in some cases you almost miss enemies until they are firing upon you because you don’t notice them in the background.
Instead of health, your success is measured in time. All of our pilots have a unique talent for bending time. The pilots can slow down time if they get into a pinch and stabilize time when an area is clear. So it only makes sense that time is a measure of success. Get hit, lose time. Destroy enemies, gain time.
There are never boots on the ground, either. Everything takes place in advanced amphibian planes—meaning they seamlessly fly above and below water. It feels like a classic arcade game but looks like a steampunk masterpiece.
Sine Mora Gameplay
Take down guns that are much stronger and bigger than yours
Take down tough bosses by targeting their weak points
Every single one of these games is worth some time this summer. If that is the 90 minutes to get through Sine Mora or the hours spend on Kingdom, they will all give you an unbelievable experience and are so different that they are worth checking out.
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