An action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction time. The genre includes a large variety of sub-genres, such as fighting games, beat 'em ups, shooter games, and platform games. Multiplayer online battle arena and some real-time strategy games are also considered action games.
Sonic Jump is a 2005 vertical platform game developed by AirPlay and Sonic Team, and published by Sega for the digital distribution service Sonic Cafe, initially only available in Japan for mobile phones before being ported to iOS and Android and released in other regions in 2007. Unlike other games in the series, Sonic Jump doesn't involve running from left to right, but instead, Sonic automatically jumps up the screen, with the player needing to tilt the phone to move him from left to right. The original game's graphical style is based on the Sonic Advance series, which had ended shortly before Jump's release.
Spelunky is a 2008 source-available 2D platform game created by independent developer Derek Yu and released as freeware for Microsoft Windows. It was remade for the Xbox 360 in 2012, with ports of the new version following for various platforms, including back to Microsoft Windows. The player controls a spelunker who explores a series of caves while collecting treasure, saving damsels, fighting enemies, and dodging traps. The caves are procedurally generated, making each run-through of the game unique.
Bit.Trip, stylized BIT.TRIP, is a series of eight video games developed by Choice Provisions and published by Aksys Games for the Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Microsoft Windows, macOS, PS Vita, and PS4. It was published by Arc System Works for WiiWare and Nintendo eShop in Japan, and by Namco Networks America Inc for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. Each game revolves around the adventures of a character named "Commander Video", and features "a crazy mix of 80s aesthetics and modern game design". The styles of the games range from pong-like, to platforming, and shooting. Each game in the series features a chiptune-inspired soundtrack, but a different style of rhythm-based gameplay in each. Most games in the series have few levels; Beat, Core, Void and Flux have only three levels each while Fate has six and Runner has 36. Most of the games feature levels lasting between 10 and 25 minutes to make up for having such few levels. The games also consists of 8 modes; Nether, Hyper, Mega, Super, Ultra, Extra, Giga, and Meta; which changes based on how well the player does. Each successive game adds a new mode, the highest being Mega in Beat, and Meta in Flux.
Doodle Jump is a platforming video game developed and published by Croatian studio Lima Sky, for Windows Phone, iPhone OS, BlackBerry, Android, Java Mobile (J2ME), Nokia Symbian, and Xbox 360 for the Kinect platform. It was released worldwide for iPhone OS on April 6, 2009, and was later released for Android and Blackberry on March 2, 2010, Symbian on May 1, 2010, Windows Phone 7 on June 1, 2011, and August 21, 2013, on Windows Phone 8. It was released for the iPad on September 1, 2011. Since its release, the game has been generally well received. The game is currently available on nine platforms.
VVVVVV is a 2010 puzzle-platform game created by Terry Cavanagh. In the game, the player controls Captain Viridian, who must rescue their spacecrew after a teleporter malfunction caused them to be separated in Dimension VVVVVV. The gameplay is characterized by the inability of the player to jump, instead opting on controlling the direction of gravity, causing the player to fall upwards or downwards. The game consists of more than 400 individual rooms, and also supports the creation of user-created levels.
Voice Fantasy was a 2010 action game developed and published by Square Enix and released for the Apple iOS platforms. The game centered on battles between the player's army and enemy monsters or computer-controlled players. The characters in the army were generated using the sounds of the player's own voice, and then engaged in side-scrolling combat with the enemy. The game was created in concert with Koto Laboratories, and was announced on Facebook one week prior to release. It was critically panned by reviewers, who praised for its novel concept but dismissed the title as a short-lived gimmick with very little gameplay or replayability. The game was delisted from the iOS App Store in May 2016.
The Adventures of Shuggy is a puzzle-platform game developed by British studio Smudged Cat Games and published by Valcon Games. It was released June 15, 2011 for the Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade, for Microsoft Windows on June 13, 2012, and for Linux and OS X on October 30, 2015. It follows the vampire Shuggy as he seeks to rid his newly inherited mansion of its undesirable inhabitants.
Bit.Trip Presents... Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien, generally shortened as Runner2, is a 2013 side-scrolling platformer developed by Gaijin Games. The game is the direct sequel to Bit.Trip Runner and has been released as a downloadable title available on the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360 and Wii U consoles, Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux and on iOS, as well as PlayStation 4 in 2016. The PC, Mac, Linux, and Wii U versions were self-published by Gaijin Games, and the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions were published by Aksys Games.
Sonic Dash is a 2013 endless runner mobile game developed by Hardlight and published by Japanese game studio Sega. It is Hardlight's second Sonic the Hedgehog game, the first being 2012's Sonic Jump. The game was released in March 2013 for iOS, November 2013 for Android, and December 2014 for Windows Phone and Windows, along with an arcade release in November 2015 as Sonic Dash Extreme. It was initially released as a paid application, but was made free-to-play a month after its iOS release.
Tiny Thief was a 2013 point-and-click adventure video game developed by 5Ants and published by Rovio Entertainment through its Rovio Stars program. The player controls a thief who goes on a quest to steal items from enemies. Players can interact with objects to progress through each level and achieve the targeted item. Enemies are present throughout, and players must avoid getting caught by utilizing the game's stealth mechanics. The game implements a three-star performance system, with each of the star corresponding to goals completed.
Badland is a mobile video game developed by Finland-based Frogmind Games and first released on the iOS and Android platforms in 2013. It was released on Windows Phone 8 in June 2014. There is also a Game of the Year Edition that was released in May 2015 for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, Wii U and Steam for Linux, Microsoft Windows and OS X, and in August 2021 for Nintendo Switch. In December 2015, its sequel Badland 2 was released on iOS and Android. For the same platforms, a real-time strategy spin-off, Badland Brawl, was released in September 2018, where gameplay is a mash-up between Angry Birds and Clash Royale.
Sonic Runners was a 2015 endless runner game in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise for Android and iOS. It was developed by Sonic Team as its first Sonic game exclusive to smartphones and published by Sega. In Sonic Runners, the player-character constantly ran forward, and players controlled their jumping from a side-scrolling perspective using the touchscreen. The game was free-to-play, featured a wide variety of playable characters from the Sonic series, and received periodic updates.
Alto's Adventure is a 2015 endless runner snowboarding video game developed by Team Alto and published by Snowman (iOS) and Noodlecake Studios (Android). The player-character automatically moves to the right of the screen through procedurally generated landscapes. The player taps the screen to jump and perform tricks (backflips), and works towards goals, competitive high scores, and upgrades. Snowman, a Toronto-based, three-person indie development team, previously worked on productivity apps before Alto's Adventure. The game was made to emulate the ethereal atmosphere of snowboarding, and was inspired by Ski Safari (2012), Tiny Wings (2012), Jetpack Joyride (2011), Journey (2012), Monument Valley (2014), Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 (2000), and Windosill (2009).
Hitman: Sniper is a 2015 mobile shooting gallery video game in the Hitman series by Square Enix Montréal. As the series' mainstay protagonist Agent 47, the player looks through a first-person sniper scope vision on their touchscreen device to assassinate several powerful figures who have assembled at a lakeside compound without alerting their associates. The player uses the environment to find creative ways to kill these targets, sometimes prompted by secondary objectives. Through mission progression, the player unlocks more powerful weapons and new weapon abilities.
Give It Up! is a rhythm platform game for iOS and Android. It was developed by Hungarian indie studio Invictus and released on December 18, 2014. In the game, the player is tasked with controlling a black blob, with simple touch controls. The player must avoid the various obstacles in the game by jumping over them to the beat of a song. A sequel for the game was also created, it was released on October 29, 2015.
Platform Panic is a platform game for iOS and Android. It was developed and published by British studio Nitrome and was released on December 17, 2014. The goal is to navigate throughout the levels, avoiding the various enemies and spikes. The game is inspired by platform games from the fourth generation of video game consoles. The game received generally positive reviews and reactions from critics.
Sonic Runners Adventure is an endless runner platform game published by Gameloft for iOS, Android and Java-based mobile phones. As part of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, the game serves as a sequel to 2015's Sonic Runners. The game was first released in select regions in June 2017 and worldwide in August 2017.
Shovel Knight Dig is a roguelite platform game developed by Nitrome and Yacht Club Games. It is the third game of the Shovel Knight series and a prequel to the original. It was released September 23, 2022 for the Nintendo Switch, Windows, macOS, and iOS via Apple Arcade. The game follows protagonist Shovel Knight as he fights enemies and collects treasure, while journeying through several different levels in an effort to recover his stolen treasure bag from a thief named Drill Knight. When the player dies, they lose all obtained upgrades, returning to the surface with a fraction of the treasure they collected while playing. At the surface, they can spend treasure on a variety of items that make gameplay easier.
Mr. Run and Jump is a 2023 platform video game developed by Graphite Lab and Heavy Horse Games and published by Atari.
