Best Games Like Spyro

Toys For Bob and Activision delighted fans of the Spyro the Dragon series in 2018 when they announced that the original Spyro trilogy was being remastered. The iconic games were given a fresh coat of paint and looked fantastic on modern consoles. Spyro Reignited Trilogy followed in Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy’s footsteps, which also remastered three classic PS1 titles.

Both games sold very well, and Crash Bandicoot has since had a brand-new game, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time. Since Crash 4 was developed & published by the same teams that made the Reignited Trilogy, fans have hope that the purple dragon will receive a new game of his own in due time. This hype might have players itching to try out a few games similar to Spyro in the meantime.

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Updated on February 27, 2025, by Nathan Hilditch: Spyro was reportedly set to make another crossover with famous peer Crash Bandicoot, in a Toys For Bob sequel to Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time. But both series were thrown into the air when that game didn’t meet Activision’s sales expectations. Following the developer’s split from Activision and new partnership with Xbox, the rumor mill has once again been whirling. With nothing concrete yet for fans, here’s a solid selection to satiate those appetites.

30

Pumpkin Jack

Spooky Action Adventure

Pumpkin Jack is clearly inspired by another PlayStation 1 classic, the decidedly less marketable MediEvil. This action adventure title actually has a lot more in common with Spyro’s core gameplay than many platforming games to which the series is usually compared.

There are plenty of 3D platforming sections, but the game is primarily focused on combat with a selection of melee and ranged options. It’s a loving homage to 3D action platformers of the PS1 era, and it delivers on that nostalgic fun in spades. The levels offer the same illusion of freedom as the Spyro series, appearing open-ended, although they do essentially force the player down a linear path.

29

Nikoderiko: The Magical World

Dimension Blending Nostalgia

Another love letter to the era that birthed Spyro, this game offers a specific focus drawn from the Donkey Kong and Crash Bandicoot series. Nikoderiko: The Magical World delighted fans of classic 2D and 3D platforming with an excellent adventure that combines elements of both.

The real magic is how individual levels seamlessly shift perspective between the two, creating fluid and responsive platforming in a constantly evolving challenge. The art style is also charming and nostalgic. The primary antagonist, Baron Grimbald, would not at all look out of place being charged down by Spyro.

28

Blue Fire

Gravity-Defying Action

Systems

Released

February 4, 2021

Developer(s)

Robi Studios

OpenCritic Rating

Fair

Blue Fire has a lot more thumb-numbing platforming challenge than the reasonably shallow difficulty curve of the Spyro series, but for those up for the challenge, it does offer some great 3D action platforming. The deliberately floaty physics engine takes a bit to get to grips with, but once players begin to unlock new traversal abilities, the complexities of the system bear fruit.

Blue Fire allows for a huge amount of control in the air. When wall grabs and runs are factored in, it’s possible to surge through significant sections of the 3D world without ever touching the floor, an excellent aid for backtracking in particular. The real challenge lies in the optional void levels. The protagonist also unlocks a ranged fireball attack, so a handy bit of dragon crossover there.

27

Another Crab’s Treasure

Soulslike 3D Platforming

Another Crab’s Treasure is an impressive attempt to transplant the popular soulslike formula to a colorful 3D platformer. With that in mind, it’s worth mentioning that combat is a significant focus with a complex system of skills and buffs and significant difficulty spikes that won’t be familiar to those looking for an ardent Spyro experience.

Challenges are borderline unfair at times, although fans of the old-school Crash Bandicoot series should be familiar with that concept in level design. The platforming is far from an afterthought though; sections are well-designed and intrinsic to progress. The protagonist is equipped with a grapple and hover mechanic, not unlike Spyro’s glide, to navigate the tricky sections.

26

PAC-MAN WORLD: Re-PAC

A Surprising Leap

Systems

Released

August 26, 2022

Developer(s)

NOW Production

OpenCritic Rating

Fair

PAC-MAN WORLD: Re-PAC is surprising in many ways. It’s considerably harder than its presentation suggests and an unexpectedly excellent leap into 2.5D platforming for Namco’s iconic mascot, who has often failed to reinvent himself in so many other genres in a bid to stay relevant.

PAC-MAN’s control scheme is tricky, with a springboard bounce in lieu of any kind of conventional double jump and a charged dash mechanic required to clear large gaps. Both have combat applications along with the ability to throw collected pellets and players will quickly be met by common enemy types immune to some or all of these attacks. Boss fights are also varied, from the traditional slugfest, to Kart racing, to a side-scrolling shooter. There are a lot of elements that recall the golden age of action platforming and the game is well worth its brief runtime.

25

Astro Bot

Culmination Of The Journey

Systems

Franchise

Astro Bot

Released

September 6, 2024

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

Astro Bot is not so much a love letter to a particular era of platforming history as it is to the entire back catalog of PlayStation. Spyro the Dragon is not an official PlayStation mascot like Crash Bandicoot, but the series still falls very much under the same mood so excellently recreated by this modern throwback.

The full sequel to the PlayStation 5 tech demo was met with unanimous critical acclaim upon release, not just for its nostalgic fantasy but for how Astro Bot successfully modernizes and revitalizes tropes of the 3D platforming genre. It really doesn’t matter which specific 3D action platformer is a given favorite, Astro Bot offers something for all fans from across the genre.

24

Kirby And The Forgotten Land

Take It All In

HAL Laboratory’s Kirby is an eternal delight. That said, regardless of their undeniable quality, the 2D entries do not have enough in common with Spyro to justify specific recommendations, except for a general “Planet Robobot is a great platformer so play it” shout-out. Fortunately, Kirby and the Forgotten Land just about makes the cut, all the while being among the franchise’s greatest releases. For the Pink Fluffball’s first full-blown 3D adventure, HAL aimed to find a middle-ground between the tried-and-true and innovation, resulting in an experience that feels like the start of a new era but not also a rejection of the former.

Sent to a strange, post-apocalyptic reality, Kirby has to work his way through a varied selection of linear levels in search of Waddle Dees, bosses to fight, and enemies to consume. As always, the adorable protagonist gets plenty of opportunities to copy abilities, and this time even inanimate objects are viable. While not quite as open as most Spyro stages, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is packed with little secrets that encourage players to thoroughly explore each level to ensure they find everything.

23

Kao The Kangaroo

Learning From The Best

3D platformers have been rare since the PS3 era. Except for a few Nintendo staples, these projects are just not substantial enough moneymakers to warrant regular investment, and the indie scene can only produce so much content to keep a genre afloat. Due to this scarcity, 2022’s Kao the Kangaroo reboot was more than welcome, even if the IP was not a platformer heavyweight during its 2000s heyday. And, after spending a few minutes with the modern reimagining, it should quickly become apparent why Kao is both obscure but also reliable enough for a revival: Kao the Kangaroo is a 3D platformer.

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To be exact, Kao the Kangaroo is a bog-standard 3D action-platformer. It takes obvious inspiration from bigger franchises like Mario, Crash Bandicoot, Ratchet and Clank, and, yes, Spyro. While not coming close to matching any of those titles’ masterpieces, it also understands what makes them work and does a decent job of replicating their strengths. The result is a forgettable but enjoyable kids’ game that might also entertain older players who want a throwback to a bygone era.

22

Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko

A PS1 3D Platformer Cult Classic

If there was ever a product of the 1990s, it was Gex the Gecko. He was one of the decade’s several anthropomorphic animal mascots, and while his games never quite hit the level of Spyro’s PS1 adventures, Gecko’s games are by no means bad. His second and third outings are perfectly solid 3D platformers.

Gex 3: Enter The Gecko, in particular, has a ton of vehicles and alternate gameplay styles that will remind players of the Spyro sequels. The controls are not quite up to the level of Insomniacs’ games, but Gex 3 should still be able to spark people’s nostalgia for the classic days of 3D platformers.

21

Demon Turf

A Modern Throwback To Old-School 3D Platformers With A Wicked Premise

An impressive throwback to 3D platformers of yesteryear, Demon Turf has style, tight controls, and a fun protagonist. Driven by a desire to rule the Demon World, Beebz sets out to conquer four zones, each of which contains a myriad of levels leading to an eventual boss fight.

Within these stages, which overflow with visual flair, Beebz engages in challenging platforming sections along with the occasional combat scenario. The latter is nothing special, but the former compares favorably to most modern platformers.

20

Rayman 2: The Great Escape

A Classic 3D Platformer

Before Ubisoft became known for blockbuster franchises like Assassin’s Creed, the undisputed mascot of the company was the utterly quirky Rayman. While his original 2D game may have got the ball rolling on the series, the franchise really started to gain momentum with Rayman 2: The Great Escape.

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Like many 3D platformers, including Spyro, players will gain new abilities as they progress through the game and collect “Lums” to make their way to the final boss. While The Great Escape shows its age in some areas, it’s still a decent time for fans of this era of gaming.

19

Ape Escape

A Twist On The Collectathon Formula

Ape Escape is without a doubt one of the more unique platformers on the PS1, mostly based on its control. Unlike a lot of games from its era that, at most, used the left thumbstick on the PS1’s Dualshock controller, Ape Escape used the right thumbstick to control the gadgets in the game

Throughout the game, the player controls a boy named Spike as he captures a bunch of monkeys given increased intelligence by the villain of the game, Specter, that are running loose over history. While Ape Escape‘s tone and pacing can be a bit jarring to those used to Spyro, the variety of gadgets and catchy music will remind many of the purple dragon’s classic gameplay.

18

Sonic Adventure

Epic Adventure With Multiple Playable Characters

The project that kicked off Sonic’s career in the third dimension, Sonic Adventure, for the most part, successfully brought the hedgehog into modern gaming. Simultaneously, the game managed to retain the speed that gamers fell in love with in the Genesis era.

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While Sonic’s running is much faster than Spyro’s charge, it will still give gamers a taste of the speed found in the dragon’s titles. What makes Sonic Adventure more like Spyro: Year of the Dragon is how players control multiple characters, including Tails and Knuckles whose stages play out very differently than Sonic’s.

17

New Super Lucky’s Tale

Charming Modern Platformer

Playful Studios’ New Super Lucky’s Tale is an enhanced version of 2017’s Super Lucky’s Tale. The game makes numerous changes to the vanilla version, including a much-needed camera fix and improvements to the level design.

New Super Lucky’s Tale is a great choice for casual players as the game doesn’t try to challenge them with an influx of enemies or challenging platforming sections. However, the game isn’t insultingly easy, as not only will some of the puzzles have players scratching their heads, but completing New Super Lucky’s Tale 100% is no easy feat.

16

Muppet Monster Adventure

Forgotten Muppet Game With Cool Horror Vibe

The PS1 is absolutely overflowing with 3D platformers that have slipped through the cracks of time and nowadays barely qualify as footnotes in gaming’s history. The console welcomed quite a few licensed projects as well, and a number of these releases decided to adopt the genre popularized by the likes of Super Mario 64 and, yes, Spyro the Dragon. Muppet Monster Adventure is, naturally, a Muppets game that very much plays like a product of its time, and while it might not be a masterpiece, it is arguably a forgotten gem.

The game follows Robin, Kermit’s nephew who has to go on an adventure to rescue the Muppets who have been transformed into monsters. The protagonist also has a few transformations of his own, which serve as the in-universe justification for standard 3D platformer abilities. Similar to everyone’s favorite purple dragon, Robin has to amass a specific collectible to unlock levels, which requires exploring reasonably big levels (for the time). Muppet Monster Adventure is also pretty long for this sort of game.

15

Croc: Legend Of The Gobbos

Stiff But Fun PS1 Platformer With Personality

Even if they might not be viewed as representatives of the genre’s ’90s peak, Croc and its sequel are perfect examples of enjoyable B-tier 3D platformers. Players take charge of Croc, an adorable mascot who goes on an adventure to rescue even more adorable creatures and eventually defeat a magician. In terms of campaign structure, Legend of the Gobbos is fairly typical for the era, with a hub area leading to linear levels with sparse exploration. Each stage has a couple of Gobbos who need to be saved, and finding them all is required to get the real ending.

Croc‘s gameplay has not aged quite as well as the absolute best mid-90s platformers, and the controls can be stiff and frustrating at times. Still, the game is playable enough to not be a dealbreaker, even if some nostalgia might be required to help paper over a few of the cracks. The sequel tends to be a bit more polarizing than its predecessor, although fans of the latter should check it out.

14

The Lego Games

Fun For All Ages

In 2005, Traveller’s Tales crafted an enjoyable collectathon formula with LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game that has been reused many times to great success since. The LEGO games are considered today to be a cornerstone of casual gaming. Not only are they great fun to pick up and play with a friend, but every game comes equipped with a fantastic reward system that encourages players to 100% each release, much like the Spyro series.

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13

A Hat in Time

Throwback Done To Perfection

Gears for Breakfast’s A Hat in Time is reminiscent of the Banjo-Kazooie with its large and open levels filled with tons to do and collect. Oozing in style through its creative stages and funny characters, this throwback not only captures the magic of traditional collectathons but also features fantastic controls.

A Hat In Time was well-received as a throwback to classic 3D platformers. Aesthetically, the game is overflowing with charm and personality; meanwhile, the gameplay is a confident modern interpretation of the genre’s old-school entries.

12

Sackboy: A Big Adventure

Gorgeous On The PS5

LittleBigPlanet spin-off, Sackboy: A Big Adventure, was released as a launch title for the PlayStation 5. The game received a warm reception from critics and is still among the console’s better platformers.

The game separates itself from the LittleBigPlanet titles by switching the 2.5D perspective for fully 3D views and movement; however, it keeps the level variety that makes those games so special. Sackboy: A Big Adventure‘s vast range of playstyles and objectives help the platformer stand out and ensure its gameplay does not grow stale.

11

Psychonauts

Weird And Awesome

The cult classic platformer, Psychonauts, was released in 2005 and differentiated itself from other titles in its genre with unique gameplay mechanics centered around the playable character’s psychic abilities. Raz can use invisibility, telekinesis, levitation, and other powers obtained throughout the game to help him on his journey.

Psychonauts has a dark sense of humor and story for a 3D platformer, and it is more character and story-driven than most of its contemporaries. More importantly, the game’s writing is generally fantastic, and the same extends to its world-building. In 2021, a belated sequel finally made the rounds, and it is comfortably among the best 3D platformers of the 2020s.