We all have a 3D platformer that reminds us of simpler times, whether that’s Mario, Croc, Kirby, Crash Bandicoot, or something else. Those games that we spent hours playing on rainy days during the summer are intrinsically nostalgic, and, naturally, we’d want to experience a little of that nostalgia, given the stress of trying to act like adults even though we have no idea what we’re doing 90% of the time.

Platformers are, perhaps, the ultimate escape. Jumping from platform to platform feels safe (mostly), you can gather up and hoard golden coins or other collectibles with little fuss, and there are endless secrets to discover in every nook and cranny you come across. Platformers ignite a sense of adventure and wonder; it’s unavoidable. 

If you want a new 3D platform world to explore, here are 10 of the best indie 3D platformers that have either recently been released or are set to release soon. 

PaperKlay

PaperKlay is a craft-based platformer where you play as a chicken (Chick) and his trusty sidekick (Nugget). Everything that makes up each level is something that would regularly be found in any self-respecting child’s crafting arsenal, such as corrugated card and tissue paper, and it all comes together to form something that feels like pure childlike wonder. 

In PaperKlay, you’ll meet and help a variety of lovable (if not slightly bizarre) friends along the way. You’ll need to help a massive frog mom get her babies back, roll parts of a snow-child back to its snow-dad to prove he isn’t a failure as a parent, and collect baby carrots for a sentient glove with a face on each finger. 

Developed by AnderssonKev, PaperKlay was released on May 27, 2025, and is available to purchase now through Steam. It’s also fully Steam Deck verified, as of July 8, 2025, so you can play it wherever you are.

Teeto

Everybody loves an adaptable protagonist, and they don’t come much more adaptable than Teeto. He’s so adaptable that he can physically absorb the powers of things around him, from trash bags to rocks, and gain new powers depending on what it is he absorbs. Along with his ever-helpful friend Nory, Teeto must fight the Shadow Corruption to bring back color to the world. 

Looking for collectibles? Teeto has you covered there, too! Scattered around the various levels are the ridiculously adorable ‘Michaels’, a result of Nory’s previous experiments, and now lost in the world. Teeto will need to rescue them all if you’re heading for 100% completion, and some are harder to find than others!

Teeto is currently in development by Eat Pant Games, with no announced release date as of yet. However, you can play through three levels in the demo, which is available to download now through Steam. 

MOJITO Woody’s Rescue

While it may be the furthest away from release, Woody’s Rescue is definitely a 3D platformer to get excited for. Playing as a customizable 3D cat, your objective in Woody’s Rescue is to rescue your beloved best friend, a dog called Woody, from an evil cucumber. Even the nod to the “cats are scared of cucumbers” meme alone is worth your attention, here. 

Woody’s Rescue will be split between three perspectives: 2D platformer, 3D linear, and open world, so your attention will definitely be maintained as things switch up on you. If that’s not enough, you’ll also need to solve various puzzles along the way, all working toward being reunited with your best buddy. 

There isn’t a set release date for MOJITO Woody’s Rescue yet, or a demo to try. However, the game will soon be launching its Kickstarter campaign, so if you want to help shape the future of Woody’s Rescue and show your support, you’ll soon get your chance. 

Squirreled Away

Squirreled Away is a combination of survival and platformer, with you playing as a squirrel just trying to live its best life. You’ll craft, gather, complete tasks for friends you meet along the way, and experience the type of freedom that only being a bushy-tailed and tree-leaping rodent can provide. 

Not everything is straightforward, though, even for a squirrel. There’s a dog that needs to be avoided unless you want to become a snack, climbing puzzles that can seem impossible at first glance, and some of the wildlife is distrustful of you in the beginning. You’ll need to prove yourself by helping others, and only then will you get to explore somewhere new. 

Squirreled Away can be played solo or with up to four friends and was developed by Far Seas. If you want to leap through the trees and explore the park, you can get the full game right now on Steam, or there’s a demo to try if you want to get a taste of what to expect. 

Misc. A Tiny Tale

Buddy and Bag Boy are two tiny mechanical beings in a world filled with oversized familiar objects in Misc. A Tiny Tale. Their only aim in life is to spread joy to everyone they meet, at least until something explodes nearby and deposits golden cogs in their tiny world. 

In Misc. A Tiny Tale, you’ll need to clean up various messes and gather up trash to restore the world around you, using everyday objects such as rulers and milk cartons to navigate through the setting. It’s a whole new perspective of the world, and proof that even something so small can make a huge impact. 

Misc. A Tiny Tale has been developed by Tinyware Games and is set for release on July 31, 2025. It will be released on both PC through Steam and Nintendo Switch, so make sure to mark the date! 

Egging On

Egging On definitely takes he prize as the weirdest platformer included on this list, and it also crosses the line to becoming a rage game as well. You are an egg, recently laid, and you find yourself outside of the henhouse. Your mission? To climb up the levels and reach as high as you can. Easier said than done. You’re an egg, after all. 

Have you ever rolled an egg? They have a habit of going off in random directions no matter how hard you try to keep them going straight, and that’s what makes Egging On such a rage game. However, it also qualifies as a platformer and offers a huge sense of accomplishment when you reach a new level or unlock a new skin. 

Egging On has been developed by Ego Bounds and is set for release on August 7. If you want to subject yourself to this hilariously annoying journey, make sure to wishlist it now. 

Pardon My French Toast

Pardon My French Toast is a 3D platformer in which you play as toast, navigating the world around you by plastering on different toppings and gaining abilities from them. Cover yourself in chocolate, and you’ll find that you can break through objects. If you slather on the honey, you become sticky and can climb the walls. Nothing weird about that at all. 

Honestly, Pardon My French Toast is a hilarious ode to platforming games that made my childhood what it was, so I can’t help but love it. There are a lot of collectibles, other toast characters to befriend throughout the journey, and overall, a lot of fun to be had as you play. 

Developed by ReRolled Studio, Pardon My French Toast is still in development and set to be released at some point in 2025. If you want to get a feel for the different types of toppings you can slap on your toast, there’s a demo to download and play right now. 

Bokeh Adventure

Bokeh Adventure is a little different from the rest of the games on this list, but no less deserving of a spot about 3D platformers. In Bokeh Adventure, you need to use your camera to duplicate items around you, allowing you to reach different sections of the platformed level. You can’t jump very high at all, probably due to the adorably stumpy little legs of your character, so using items around you to your advantage is key. 

In each level, there are film rolls to collect (something that many of the younger generation wouldn’t even recognize), as well as an adorable rabbit that you unlock by taking a photo of it. There are outfits to be found in hard-to-reach places, and new areas to unlock by completing levels in the previous ones. 

Bokeh Adventure was developed by solo dev Daniel Almenara and was released on May 27, 2025, so I highly recommend you go and grab the full game. If you’re unsure, or just want to get a taster, you can download the demo as well. 

Big Hops

As you might expect, Big Hops centers around a small frog on a huge adventure. As a frog, one of the main mechanics of the game is the use of your long and very sticky tongue to interact with the world around you. Big Hops is made of many worlds that each contain a separate story to explore and unravel as you play. 

There are a lot of different types of movement in Big Hops, and all of them can be combined into particularly impressive displays of amphibian dexterity. You’ll need all of them, too, as certain areas can only be accessed using a specific set of movements. You’ll also need to use vegetables to assist you around each level.

Big Hops doesn’t have a set release date just yet, and is still in development by Luckshot Games. There is a demo, however, that’s available to download and play through Steam. 

Ruffy and the Riverside

Ruffy and the Riverside is a copy-and-paste adventure to save the world. Ruffy has the power to copy textures around him, then paste them onto other surfaces. Using this power, you can do anything from making things float by turning them into wood to turning whole rivers into lava pools. 

If you enjoy the collectible aspect of platformers, then Ruffy and the Riverside is going to keep you entertained for a very long time. There are 11 sets of collectibles to find hidden throughout the many areas that you’ll get to visit, totaling over a hundred individual items to find or uncover. 

Ruffy and the Riverside released on PC and consoles (PlayStation 5, Xbox X|S, and Switch) on June 26, so you can go and get the full game on your preferred platform right now. If you play on PC, there’s a demo available through Steam.