The biggest games might all be 3D nowadays, but games in which the screen scrolls from side to side – like it did exclusively once upon a time – have never gone away. And if you like your gaming two-dimensional, 2025 has been an exceptional year.
From traditional action-heavy platformers to mind-bogglingly ambitious Metroidvanias, some of my very favourite gaming experiences this year have been with 2D games. So, it’s about time I gushed about some of them.
