SIDE SCROLLING GAMES
Explore our collection of Side Scrolling games. From classics to new releases, find your next favorite game.
Showing games 51 - 100 of 672
Side Scrolling Games
Side scrolling games place you in a world that moves from left to right, sometimes up and down, as you guide your hero across a 2D stage. This perspective first wowed arcades in the late 1970s, then became a household favorite with titles like Super Mario Bros. and Sonic the Hedgehog. Their easy to read layouts and simple controls helped shape video gaming for decades.
The core loop is clear. You move, jump and attack while the camera follows from the side. Tight controls and readable visuals make each leap or dodge feel fair. Power ups and hidden paths reward curiosity, adding a gentle layer of exploration that keeps the action fresh. Progress feels constant, whether you clear a tricky gap or defeat a towering boss.
Side scrolling is more than platforming. Beat em ups let friends clean up city streets together, run and gun shooters test reflexes with walls of projectiles, and Metroidvania adventures open new zones once you earn fresh abilities. Modern indie hits like Hollow Knight and Celeste mix classic movement with rich stories, proving the style still evolves.
Players flock back for skill building, nostalgia and social fun. Speedrunners chase perfect times, parents share childhood favorites with kids, and newcomers enjoy polished art that ranges from chunky pixels to hand painted scenes. No matter the look, the side view delivers clear action and instant thrills.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What defines a side scrolling game?
- A side scrolling game shows the action from the side and scrolls mainly left or right as you move the character through the level.
- Are all side scrollers strictly 2D?
- Most are 2D, but some use 3D graphics while keeping movement on a flat plane. These are often called 2.5D games.
- Why are side scrolling games still popular?
- They offer clear goals, quick controls and short learning curves, making them easy to pick up yet hard to master.
- Which sub genres use side scrolling?
- Platformers, beat em ups, run and gun shooters, Metroidvania adventures, puzzle platformers and endless runners all fit the format.
- What was the first side scrolling video game?
- Sega's Bomber from 1977 is widely considered the first, laying the groundwork for later hits like Defender and Super Mario Bros.
Play the Best Side Scrolling Games!
- Wilt: Last Blossom
You are one of few survivors in a world destroyed by man made pollution. You're doing your best t...
- Effing Worms
NOW WITH UPGRADES!! Eat shitloads of stick figures playing as gigantic worm. Maybe if you eat eno...
- Cyclomaniacs Epic
Cyclomaniacs is back, set in a movie studio, dominated by a megalomaniac Haddock. Or something.
- The Birdinator
Seasonal migration is always a challenge. Even for Birdinator.
- Gravity Guy
You are the master of gravity! Reverse the polarity of the world to manipulate your surroundings ...
- StrikeForce Kitty
StrikeForce Kitty released on Nintendo Switch and Steam! Check out by clicking this links: "Swit...
- Platform Combat
Blast, impale, burn, freeze, snipe, laser and explode other players in this fast paced multiplaye...
- Ghost Guidance
You are the first self aware artificial intelligence. You must infect ships' guidance systems to ...
- Canabalt
Outrun the demolition of your city with just one button!
- Dino Run
The Asteroid has finally hit! Escape the pyroclastic wall of doom and find your dino sanctuary! ...