Warner Bros.’ Coyote vs Acme is finally hitting theaters this week after years of shelved-then-saved drama, and it has hand-drawn animation back in the conversation. If the trailers pulled you toward the Golden Age of animation aesthetic, the seven best classic cartoon platformer games on PC below all lean into the same 1930s-to-1950s look: rubber-hose limbs, chalk-outline backgrounds, and jazz-adjacent soundtracks.
We picked platformers where the art style is not just paint on the walls but part of the moment-to-moment feel. Some are unforgiving. Some are cozy. All look like they were drawn by hand at least once before they were digitized.
What to look for in a cartoon platformer
- Animation frame count. Old-school cartoon frames are 12 fps and up. Games that skimp on frames look cheap even when everything else is beautiful.
- Control response. Cartoons let you break physics; the best platformers pair that with tight, trustworthy controls.
- Difficulty options. A hand-drawn game that only rewards Elden Ring reflexes will lose half its audience. Simple mode or assist toggles keep the audience wide.
- Length. Cartoon aesthetics burn out fast if the runtime bloats. Six to twelve hours is the sweet spot.
- Soundtrack. The right jazz, big-band, or orchestral score doubles the impact of the art.
- Local co-op. Cartoon platformers were couch games first. A drop-in-drop-out player 2 slot is worth checking for.
Quick comparison
| Game | Best for | Platforms | Free plan | Starting price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cuphead | 1930s aesthetic and boss battles | Windows | No demo | $19.99 | Overwhelmingly positive |
| Bendy and the Dark Revival | Ink-and-paint horror platformer | Windows | No demo | $29.99 | Very positive |
| Rayman Legends | Best 2D platformer for couch co-op | Windows | No demo | $19.99 | Overwhelmingly positive |
| Hollow Knight | Metroidvania with hand-drawn art | Windows, macOS, Linux | No demo | $14.99 | Overwhelmingly positive |
| Ori and the Will of the Wisps | Painterly art and story | Windows | No demo | $29.99 | Overwhelmingly positive |
| Guacamelee! 2 | Vibrant Lucha Libre platformer | Windows, macOS, Linux | No demo | $19.99 | Very positive |
| Wonderful 101 Remastered | Cel-shaded action platformer | Windows | No demo | $39.99 | Very positive |
The apps
1. Cuphead — Best for the 1930s aesthetic done right
Cuphead from Studio MDHR sits at the top of this list because no other game commits harder to the era. Every animation is hand-drawn on cel, backgrounds are painted in watercolor, and the soundtrack is original jazz recorded live. The Delicious Last Course DLC adds an entire new island of bosses.
Where it falls short: Boss difficulty is notoriously steep. Some patterns require twenty-plus attempts. The run-and-gun stages get less love than boss fights.
Pricing:
- Free: No demo
- Paid: $19.99 base, $7.99 for The Delicious Last Course
Platforms: Windows
Bottom line: Cuphead is the pick if you want the definitive cartoon-style boss rush.
2. Bendy and the Dark Revival — Best for ink-and-paint horror
Bendy and the Dark Revival from Joey Drew Studios is a first-person horror set in a 1930s ink studio gone wrong. The rubber-hose art style is inverted: the cheerful cartoon world becomes creeping, unsettling, and gorgeous in the same frame. Puzzles alternate with combat and stealth.
Where it falls short: Combat feels stiff by hour three. Some puzzles rely on reading environmental text carefully. Story gets convoluted in the last chapter.
Pricing:
- Free: No demo
- Paid: $29.99
Platforms: Windows
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Bendy and the Dark Revival is the pick if you want your cartoon aesthetic dipped in something darker.
3. Rayman Legends — Best 2D platformer for couch co-op
Rayman Legends from Ubisoft Montpellier is still the standard-bearer for 2D platformer polish. Music levels sync jump, slap, and kick beats to instantly recognizable songs. The four-player local mode is one of the best couch experiences on PC.
Where it falls short: Not on macOS or Linux natively. Some late-game challenges lean on precise timing. No new content since the initial DLC.
Pricing:
- Free: No demo
- Paid: $19.99, frequently below $5 on sale
Platforms: Windows
Download: Steam or Ubisoft Connect
Bottom line: Rayman Legends is the pick for the smoothest four-player couch platformer on PC.
4. Hollow Knight — Best hand-drawn metroidvania
Hollow Knight from Team Cherry pairs delicate hand-drawn art with unforgiving metroidvania traversal. Charms, spells, and dash upgrades unlock the world in nonlinear order, and the atmosphere holds up thirty-plus hours in. Silksong is close enough now to make this the ideal time to catch up.
Where it falls short: Fast travel unlocks late. Boss difficulty spikes catch many players. Backtracking is unavoidable.
Pricing:
- Free: No demo
- Paid: $14.99 base
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Bottom line: Hollow Knight is the pick for the best hand-drawn platformer of the last decade.
5. Ori and the Will of the Wisps — Best for painterly art and story
Ori and the Will of the Wisps from Moon Studios is a metroidvania that looks like a Miyazaki storyboard in motion. Movement upgrades chain into flowing traversal, boss fights use full-screen setpieces, and the soundtrack from Gareth Coker earns every emotional beat.
Where it falls short: Story leans on emotional shorthand more than plot. Some escape sequences frustrate on higher difficulties. Backtracking can feel long.
Pricing:
- Free: No demo
- Paid: $29.99, often on sale below $10
Platforms: Windows
Bottom line: Ori and the Will of the Wisps is the pick if you want a platformer that looks and sounds like an animated film.
6. Guacamelee! 2 — Best for vibrant Lucha Libre platforming
Guacamelee! 2 from DrinkBox Studios is a colorful brawler-platformer that swaps between the living and dead worlds mid-jump. Combat combos matter as much as jumping, and local co-op keeps its shape all the way through. The art is cartoonish in the modern sense: bold flat colors and expressive character design.
Where it falls short: Some late-game platforming demands frame-perfect chain moves. Boss variety thins in the last third. Story humor is hit or miss.
Pricing:
- Free: No demo
- Paid: $19.99, DLC $2.99 to $4.99
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Bottom line: Guacamelee! 2 is the pick if you want cartoon-style co-op with brawler depth.
7. Wonderful 101 Remastered — Best for over-the-top cel-shaded action
Wonderful 101 Remastered from PlatinumGames uses a cel-shaded look and a superhero team mechanic to make every screen look like a Saturday-morning cartoon at full volume. The Unite Morph mechanic is a whole game unto itself and takes a couple of hours to click.
Where it falls short: Learning curve is steep. Camera can fight you in tight rooms. Some players never warm to the Unite Morph drawing system.
Pricing:
- Free: No demo
- Paid: $39.99, sometimes below $20
Platforms: Windows
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Wonderful 101 is the pick when you want your platformer to look and sound like a cartoon in every frame.
How to pick the right one
If you want the definitive 1930s cartoon look, get Cuphead. If you want something spooky in that same aesthetic, get Bendy and the Dark Revival. If you want the best couch platformer for a group, get Rayman Legends. If you want a metroidvania that will consume forty hours, get Hollow Knight. If you want a platformer that reads like animated film, get Ori and the Will of the Wisps. If you want vibrant color and co-op combat, get Guacamelee! 2. If you tried the ordinary picks and want something wilder, get Wonderful 101 Remastered.
FAQ
What is the best cartoon-style platformer on PC? Cuphead is the go-to answer for a reason: no other game commits harder to the 1930s look. Hollow Knight is the best hand-drawn metroidvania. Ori is the best painterly one.
Are any of these games free? None are fully free-to-play, but Cuphead, Rayman Legends, and Hollow Knight all drop below $10 on regular Steam sales.
Which cartoon platformer works for kids? Rayman Legends is the easiest entry point. Ori looks kid-friendly but ramps up in difficulty. Cuphead’s Simple mode helps but boss battles still ask for reflex work.
Which of these run on Steam Deck? Hollow Knight, Cuphead, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Guacamelee! 2, and Rayman Legends all have Verified ratings. Wonderful 101 works but wants tuning.
Are there any new cartoon platformers coming? Silksong (the Hollow Knight follow-up) is next up. Studio MDHR has hinted at a Cuphead follow-up but nothing is officially in production.
