9 Games to Play if You Like Deltarune's Platforming

Deltarune has become one of the most unique JRPGs on the market ever, let alone today. There aren't many RPGs out there where you explore an overworld like in EarthBound one second and then cut down enemies in real time the next. (Honestly, I'm surprised no one's whined about losing some turn-based aspects of Deltarune to the new mode, but it probably helps that battles have largely stayed the same.)

I've seen a few players talk about how Deltarune's platforming is a bit hard and changes the entire game. The majority opinion that I've seen, though, is the opposite. That it's challenging and fun. Some people have taken the few mini-games and challenges this mode has and made it their goal to get personal best times as best they can. If Deltarune's new platforming mode has you in this kind of chokehold, there are all sorts of games out there I feel like you'll love. Let's take a look at a few of them.

9 Journey of Realm: Dawn Dew

A Calmer Mystery

Truthfully, there are a lot of elements to Deltarune's platforming that belong in the Metroidvania genre. A lot of fast-paced games in that genre focus closely on quick platforming and combat, which fit the bill. Journey of Realm: Dawn Dew is a Metroidvania, but it's not nearly as fast as you might expect after playing as Kris. Journey of Realm is far slower with floaty platforming, but there's more to it that makes me feel like it would be right at home with most Deltarune players.

Like many other Metroidvanias, you need to uncover the truth about yourself and the world you play as through scrap paper scattered across the map. As you make your way through this 2D side-scrolling world, you'll run into enemies. Instead of fighting them like you would as Samus Aran, you engage them in a turn-based battle instead. The way that it introduces RPG elements into the Metroidvania formula feels almost like the reverse of how Deltarune keeps adding new mechanics to its chapters. Following Deltarune with Dawn Dew is a good combination of engaging with something that's familiar and different all at once.

8 Toodee and Topdee

Change Your Perspective

Just like Journey of Realm, Toodee and Topdee is a game that breaks the boundaries of what you might expect. This time, it's pretty literal with what it breaks. You play the titular characters, Toodee and Topdee. Toodee is the 2D platformer, and Topdee is in a top-down perspective. You have to swap between the two, much like how Deltarune swaps between standard exploration and platforming, to use the different sides to reach the stage's end together.

The way Topdee and Toodee's worlds are used in the game's level design is phenomenal. You have to use them to misdirect enemies to a different character to trap them, drain water on one side to fill it on another, and turn immovable objects into useful platforms with some careful ingenuity. The story of the game has some tongue-in-cheek meta humor with programming logic as well that I feel like Deltarune fans will enjoy. I certainly do. I love this game!

7 Tales of Symphonia

The Journey of the Chosen

Tales of Symphonia is one of the most iconic JRPGs out there. The only thing keeping it from being more fondly known among Deltarune fans is that Symphonia isn't one of Toby Fox's bigger inspirations. It should be, though. It's a JRPG that deals with the typical story of a chosen one going on a Hero's Journey, but it dares to ask a few important questions along the way. It tests core ideas that define a chosen one's path. Is it as righteous as they think?

A narrative like this is perfect alongside Deltarune. Alongside that, older Tales of games like Symphonia handled their battles on a 2D axis a lot of the time. You could adjust your angle by moving the camera, and then move your character to the left and right to get closer to your enemies. It'll feel right at home after exploring through Chapter 5, so I recommend it for any Deltarune players looking for something new. Of course, Tales of Symphonia is very easy to recommend in general. It's just a great JRPG on every front.

6 Jump King

There's Something More Important than Reaching the End: Rage

Let's keep moving away from JRPGs and more into platformers. Jump King is certainly a platformer, but it's specifically a precision platformer. If you've managed to hear about Getting Over It With Bennett Foddy, Jump King is more like that than Deltarune. You have to understand the way the jumps work to make progress, aiming to get as high as you can go. Rumor has it, there's a "hot babe" at the top. It's a bit shallow, but I assure you, Jump King and the skill it asks of you is anything but.

Jump King is the perfect game for those who enjoyed the room where Ralsei and Susie help you progress and get to the top. Or the long hallway with all the blue roses that stop your fall. Or even the bread dough mini-game where some people have stubbornly managed to get a three-second PB with the right precision. Oh, yeah. I saw you guys and your shenanigans. I dare you to get a time in Jump King that's below an hour and come back and show me. I'm sure you'll have fun. Or plenty of rage. But probably a lot of fun.

5 Super Paper Mario

The Other Prophetic RPG That Switches Perspectives

What do you like most about Deltarune? Is it the story of the prophecy and its three heroes? Maybe it's the puzzles? The humorous writing? It can't be just the platforming. That just got added in Chapter 5, and you've had to have been here longer than that. Aw, it doesn't matter. If you like all of these, I've got the perfect game for you. Super Paper Mario hits these same selling points, and it does so with flying colors. It's self-aware, somewhat meta, and an RPG epic in its own right.

Super Paper Mario is much more of a platformer than an RPG, in my opinion. (And this annoyed me when it first released as a veteran Paper Mario fan.) In terms of story, though, it's easily the best Paper Mario there is, and the humor and detail in its writing holds a candle to Deltarune with ease. If you somehow haven't played Super Paper Mario, they're filled with great writing and fun mechanics that will easily hold you over until the next Deltarune chapters release. Just avoid Sticker Star. It's the black sheep in every bad way. Just don't.

4 Sonic Advance

Breakneck Pixel Art Platforming

Jump King might be a good challenge for those who enjoyed the tougher parts of Deltarune's White Feather exploration, but it's certainly not the fastest game out there. Sonic Advance meanwhile, is a great platformer with timeless pixel art complete with really fun level design. If you loved mastering the platforming in Deltarune, then mastering Sonic Advance, or even the entire Advance trilogy, will keep you busy until Toby Fox's episodic JRPG is finally finished.

You can play as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy in the first game, and Cream the Rabbit is introduced in the other two installments. Each character has their own quirks and skills which make them all play differently. There are even Special Stages that will put you to the test to gather all seven Chaos Emeralds to unlock the game's true final boss and ending. There's also a Tiny Chao Garden to play with, too.

3 Blasphemous

For Those That Enjoy Defeating Bullets

If I had to name one game as the wild card pick on this list, Blasphemous would be it. It's perfect for those who are looking to extend their power fantasies a bit further after taking over Kris throughout Deltarune. You have a cool sword to dash and slash with against enemies, and if you know what you're doing, the game can be fast, engaging, and rewarding in a way that almost feels illegal.

Despite its genre, Blasphemous focuses heavily on combat the most over any puzzles or platforming sections. Mastering the combat to be quick and skilled against bosses and enemies might be the thing that keeps you engaged with this Metroidvania. Being able to dash with a cool sword feels pretty great in both games, and that's why it's on here.

2 Hyper Light Drifter

Blue Swordsmanship for Everyone

When I collected the White Feather while making my way through Deltarune Chapter 5, there were two games that immediately jumped to mind, thanks to how similar they felt. Hyper Light Drifter was one of them. Hyper Light Drifter might be more of a top-down experience than Deltarune, but in terms of having an intriguing story up to interpretation starring a blue sword-wielding hero, Hyper Light Drifter and Deltarune are very similar.

You spend a lot of time in Hyper Light Drifter stopping and coughing from a vague illness that's slowly killing our protagonist, the Drifter. It's like how Kris suffers with the soul. When the illness is at its worst, a strange titan-like being comes and haunts the Drifter. Kris could relate with everything regarding the Knight and the double-agent nature of their role in Deltarune, huh? All the while, you make your way through both games dashing and swinging your sword. It's an intriguing game that will keep you away from driving yourself insane with theories between chapters.

1 Dead Cells

The Perfect Fit

The other game that jumped to mind when I got the White Feather was naturally Dead Cells. It came to mind when I started exploring Chapter 5's new platforming mode, and I only kept saying "so, like Dead Cells" the more I discovered and learned the intricacies along the way. Dead Cells has everything a Deltarune fan might be looking for after Chapter 5, no matter if they're a veteran with platformers like me or a budding platformer enthusiast.

Dead Cells just feels a lot like Deltarune's platforming to where I'm confident it'll be the best game to entertain the more platforming-centric players until Chapter 6 and 7 release. Its roguelike elements make Dead Cells insanely replayable as well, with plenty of possible challenge runs. I have a hard time picturing anyone getting bored with it, and I highly recommend it as a result.