2D Notables

We love 2D video games! Since the creation of 8 Bit Horse, we have devoted ourselves to uncovering notable 2D action games from first-time developers, established indie creators, and even a few major studios. Below is a comprehensive list of every game we have covered, sorted by the year of its initial release, along with several Heritage 2D games that established many of the design principles that are still in use today.


NOTABLE UPCOMING 2D GAMES
2D RADAR: A list of every game we're watching
Log Jammers
SteamDolls - Order of Chaos


NOTABLE 2D GAMES FROM 2023
Cannon Dancer - Osman
Curse of the Sea Rats
Elderand
Ginsha
Hammerwatch Anniversary Edition
Haunted Lands: Burial Grounds
Hazard Saviour
Teslagrad Remastered
UnderDungeon
Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider


NOTABLE 2D GAMES FROM 2022
B.I.O.T.A.
Chenso Club
Dungeon in a Bottle
Jitsu Squad
The Knight Witch
Moo Lander
Pocky & Rocky Reshrined
Source of Madness
To a Starling
Turrican Anthology Vol. I & II
Unichrome: A 1-Bit Unicorn Adventure
Wunderling DX


NOTABLE 2D GAMES FROM 2021
Adventure Bit
Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX
Below the Ocean
Burning Ravager
Death's Gambit: Afterlife
Explosionade DX
Fallingstar
Garlic
GB Rober
Heidelberg 1693
Mighty Goose
Mission in Snowdriftland
Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth
Roar of Revenge
Save me Mr Tako: Definitive Edition
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game: Complete Edition
Speed Limit
Tailspin
Turrican Flashback
Weapon of Choice DX


NOTABLE 2D GAMES FROM 2020
Alwa's Legacy
Battle Princess Madelyn Royal Edition
BIOMASS
Carrion
Crypt Stalker
Finding Teddy 2: Definitive Edition
Fury Unleashed
Hades
Huntdown
Inexistence Rebirth
Kemono Heroes
Kunai
Morbid: The Seven Acolytes
Noita
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Out of Fix
Outbuddies DX
Panzer Paladin
Pilots of Darsalon
Plokoth
Prodigal
Resolutiion
Rocketron
ScourgeBringer
Shadow Gangs
Shantae and the Seven Sirens
Shantae: Risky's Revenge - Director's Cut
Shoot 1UP DX
Snake Core
Spinch
Spirits Abyss
Tanuki Justice
Terra Lander Redux
Terra Lander II - Rockslide Rescue
Ultracore
Witcheye
Wunderling


NOTABLE 2D GAMES FROM 2019
1 Screen Platformer
198X
Akumanor Escape DX
Arcade Moonlander Plus
Armortale
Backspace Bouken
Biolab Wars
Blasphemous
Blaster Master Zero 2
Blazing Chrome
Boxboy + Boxgirl
Cathedral
Children of Morta
Double Cross
Eagle Island
Electronic Super Joy 2
Gato Roboto
Grelox
Gunlord X
Gunpowder on the Teeth: Arcade
Katana ZERO
Killer Chambers
Metaloid: Origin
Necrosphere Deluxe
The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors
Outbuddies
Ravva and the Cyclops Curse
Remote Life
Shakedown Hawaii
Space Cortex
Sparklite
Steel Sword Story
Summer Catchers
Sun Wukong vs Robot
The Swords of Ditto: Mormo's Curse
Tiny Dangerous Dungeons
Touhou Luna Nights
Ultracore
Unruly Heroes
Whipseey and The Lost Atlas
Xeno Crisis


NOTABLE 2D GAMES FROM 2018
99Vidas: Definitive Edition
Aggelos
Akane
Arcane Golf
Battle Princess Madelyn
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon
Bomb Chicken
Celeste
CometStriker
CrossCode
Crossing Souls
Dead Cells
Death's Gambit
Defenders of Ekron: Definitive Edition
Desert Child
Dragon's Crown Pro
Dusty Raging Fist
Flat Heroes
Fox n Forests
Furwind
Gal*Gunvolt Burst
Gonner: Blüeberry Edition
GRIS
Guacamelee 2
Hakoniwa Explorer Plus
Heads Run
Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition
Hyper Light Drifter: Special Edition
Iconoclasts
Jolt: Fully Charged
The King's Bird
La-Mulana 2
Light Fall
Light Fantastik
Lords of Strife
Mercenary Kings: Reloaded Edition
The Messenger
Minit (Pick of the Decade)
Moonlighter
Not a Hero: Super Snazzy Edition
Pig Eat Ball
Remnants of Naezith
Reventure
Rifter
Salt and Sanctuary: Drowned Tome Edition
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero - Ultimate Edition
Skelly Selest
Slime-San: Superslime Edition
Snow Fall
Spectrum Break
Speed Brawl
Squirm
Streets of Red: Devil's Dare Deluxe
Sundered: Eldritch Edition
Super Life of Pixel
The Swords of Ditto
To Leave
Treasure Adventure World
The Vagrant
The Way Remastered
Yoku's Island Express


NOTABLE 2D GAMES FROM 2017
20XX
99Vidas
Alwa's Awakening
Aqua Kitty UDX
Arcade Moonlander
Armed with Wings: Rearmed
Blaster Master Zero
Bleed 2
A Bloody Night
Bye-Bye Boxboy
Chester One
Cryptark
Death's Hangover
Defenders of Ekron
Dragon Bros
Ersatz
Fight'N Rage
Flinthook
Graceful Explosion Machine
Greedy Guns
Gunmetal Arcadia
A Hole New World
Hollow Knight (Pick of the Decade)
KonoSuba God's Blessing on this Wonderful World! Revival of Beldia
La-Mulana EX
Lament
Mighty Gunvolt Burst
Mini Ghost
The Mummy Demastered
Necrosphere
Nefarious
Nidhogg II
Phantom Trigger
Plasma Puncher
Project Mercury
Pyre
Rain World
Rayman Legends
Rise & Shine
River City Ransom: Underground
A Robot Named Fight
The Royal Cosmonautical Society
Running VoltGun
Save me Mr Tako: Tasukete Tako-San
Serious Sam's Bogus Detour
Shin Megami Tensei: Synchronicity Prologue
Silver Grapple
Slime-san
Songbringer
Splasher
Splinter Zone
Star of Providence (a.k.a. Monolith)
SteamWorld Dig 2 (Pick of the Decade)
Strange Flesh (NSFW)
Strikey Sisters
SturmFront - The Mutant War: Übel Edition
Sundered
Super Comboman: Smash Edition
Super Skelemania
Tower 57
Wave Run
WitchWay
Wulverblade


NOTABLE 2D GAMES FROM 2016
1917 - The Alien Invasion DX
Adventure Lamp
The Aquatic Adventure of the Last Human
Assault Suit Leynos
ATOMIK: RunGunJumpGun
Aurion: Legacy of the Kori-Odan
Blitz Breaker
Bot Vice
Boxboxboy
Butcher
Cursed Castilla EX
Deios II: Deidia
Double Dragon IV
Enter the Gungeon
Even the Ocean
Featherpunk Prime
Four Sided Fantasy
Ghost 1.0
Gonner
Gunmetal Arcadia Zero
Heroine Anthem Zero
Hyper Light Drifter
In Extremis
Jotun: Valhalla Edition
Jump Porter
A King's Tale: Final Fantasy XV
Klaus
Maldita Castilla EX: Cursed Castilla
Metagal
Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight
Moon Hunters
Mother Russia Bleeds
Ninja Senki DX
Oniken: Unstoppable Edition
Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition
Owlboy (Game of the Year) (Pick of the Decade)
Pankapu
Pharaoh Rebirth+
Pixel Session Vol. 1
Porter
RIVE
River City: Tokyo Rumble
RunGunJumpGun
Salmon Ninja
Salt and Sanctuary
Saving Princess
Seasons After Fall
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero
Skorpulac
Slain / Slain: Back from Hell
Song of the Deep
Straimium Immortaly
Super Mutant Alien Assault
Super Rad Raygun
Super Ubie Island Remix
Systematic Immunity
Terra Lander Remastered
Thoth
Until I Have You
The Way
Way of the Red


NOTABLE 2D GAMES FROM 2015
Aaru's Awakening
Adventure in the Tower of Flight
Adventures of Pip
Apotheon
Axiom Verge
Bard to the Future
Boxboy
Broforce
Camera Obscura
Castle in the Darkness
Cataegis - The White Wind: Ziggurat Chapter
Chronicles of Teddy: Harmony of Exidus
The Curse of Issyos
Curse of the Crescent Isle DX
Curses 'n Chaos
Dex
Downwell (Pick of the Decade)
Dragon's Wake
Environmental Station Alpha
Feist
Finding Teddy 2
Finger Derpy
High Strangeness
Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number
INK
iZBOT
Jotun
Keebles
Master Spy
Mighty Switch Force! Hyper Drive Edition
A Mini Falafel Adventure
Mute Crimson+
Mystik Belle
The Next Penelope
No Time to Explain Remastered
Not a Hero
Nubs' Adventure
Nuclear Throne
Oblitus
Odallus: The Dark Call
Olympia Rising
Ori and the Blind Forest (Game of the Year)
Pink Heaven
A Pixel Story
Ronin
RymdResa
Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove
Skelemania
Steel Strider
SturmFront - The Mutant War
The Swindle
Terra Lander
There Was a Caveman
Titan Souls
Westerado: Double Barreled


NOTABLE 2D GAMES FROM 2014
1001 Spikes
Azure Striker Gunvolt
Chronology
Chucky Mendoza and the Curse of the Pharaoh
Devil's Dare
Dusty Revenge: Co-Op Edition
Electronic Super Joy: Groove City
Elliot Quest
Escape Goat 2
Fenix Rage / Fenix Furia
The Floor is Jelly
Fork Parker's Holiday Profit Hike
Freedom Planet
Gigantic Army
Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition
Gunhound EX
Hyphen
Inferno 2
Insanity's Blade
Jet Gunner
The Joylancer: Legendary Motor Knight
Kero Blaster
Luftrausers
Magicmaker
Mercenary Kings
Mighty Gunvolt
Momodora III
Ninja Smasher
Pink Hour
Pix the Cat
Platformines
Retro Game Crunch
Rex Rocket
Retro City Rampage DX
Schein
Scram Kitty and his Buddy on Rails
Secrets of Rætikon
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse
Shovel Knight
So Many Me
Starship Rubicon
The Sun and Moon
Super Comboman
Super Cyborg
Super Time Force
Super Win the Game
Transistor (Game of the Year) (Pick of the Decade)
Velocity 2X
A Wizard's Lizard
Xeodrifter


NOTABLE 2D GAMES FROM 2013
140
Aces Wild: Manic Brawling Action
Anodyne (Pick of the Decade)
Bad Bots
Bad Caterpillar
BattleBlock Theater
Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians
Charlie Murder
Chromophore
Cloudberry Kingdom
Cubetractor
Dragon's Crown
Dusty Revenge
Electronic Super Joy
Element4l
Fist Puncher
Foul Play
Fugitive
Full Bore
Guacamelee!
Gunpoint
Hammerwatch
Ibb and Obb
Ittle Dew
Life of Pixel
Magicians & Looters
MURI
Mutant Mudds Deluxe
Null Divide+
Rayman Legends
Risk of Rain
Rktcr
Serious Sam: Double D XXL
Spud's Quest
SteamWorld Dig
Super House of Dead Ninjas
The Swapper
Teslagrad
Tiny Barbarian DX
Two Brothers
Valdis Story: Abyssal City
Velocity Ultra
Völgarr the Viking (Game of the Year)
Ultionus: A Tale of Petty Revenge
Wyv and Keep


NOTABLE 2D GAMES FROM 2012
Apple Jack 2
Aqua Kitty
Big Sky: Infinity
Black Knight Sword
Bleed
Bunny Must Die! Chelsea and the 7 Devils
City Tuesday
Closure
Compromised
Dust: An Elysian Tail (Pick of the Decade)
Dustforce
Go Gimbal Go
Gunlord
Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit
Hotline Miami
Incredipede
Knytt Underground
Krunch
La-Mulana
Maldita Castilla
Mark of the Ninja (Pick of the Decade)
Mighty Switch Force! Academy
Mutant Mudds
Ninja Exorcist
Offspring Fling
Oniken (Game of the Year)
Out There Somewhere
Pendulous
Probability 0
Pushcat
Retro City Rampage
SEAL Team 12
Slick
Snapshot
Spelunky
Super Ninja Warrior Extreme
They Bleed Pixels
A Valley Without Wind
Velocity
You Have to Win the Game


NOTABLE 2D GAMES FROM 2011
Aban Hawkins and the 1000 Spikes
Acceleration of SUGURI X-Edition
Alpha Squad
The Asskickers
Bastion
Blocks That Matter
Capsized
Celestial Mechanica
Chester
Climb to the Top of the Castle
Crescent Pale Mist
CTG
Dead Pixels
Escape Goat
Fancy Pants Adventures
Grand Theft Froot
Growing Pains
I Accidentally …In Space!
Inferno+
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet
Midnight Mansion HD
Momodora II
Monster Tale
Mute Crimson
Nin2-Jump
Ninjah
No Time to Explain
Oozi: Earth Adventure
Outland
PixelJunk Shooter 2
Platformance: Temple Death
Project Black Sun
Serious Sam: Double D
Spacecraft
SpeedRunner HD
TIC
Wizorb


NOTABLE 2D GAMES FROM 2010
Apple Jack
Astroman
Cave Story+
Dark Void Zero
Crossfire
Crossfire 2
Curse of the Crescent Isle
Divergent Shift
Explosionade
Gravitron360
Hypership Out of Control
Inferno
Jump’n Bounce
Limbo
Lumi
Max and the Magic Marker
Momodora
Ninja Senki
Panic Attack
Platformance: Castle Pain
Retrofit: Overload
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Gamea>
Shank
Shantae: Risky's Revenge
Shoot 1UP
Super Meat Boy
Tempura of the Dead
Tobe's Vertical Adventure
Treasure Treasure: Fortress Forage: Extra Edition
Vampire Rage
VVVVVV (Pick of the Decade)


NOTABLE 2D GAMES FROM 2009
Arkedo Series 01-03
A Boy and His Blob
Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure
Monsters (Probably) Stole My Princess
Nasty


NOTABLE 2D GAMES FROM 2008
Bangai-O Spirits
Braid
Gravitron 2
Noitu Love 2: Devolution
Soul Bubbles
Weapon of Choice


NOTABLE HERITAGE 2D GAMES
Blaster Master
Cannon Dancer
Centipede
Cybernator
Demon's Crest
Drill Dozer
Galaga
Gravitar
Jackal
Karnov
Kid Icarus
Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters
The Legend of Zelda
Mercs
Mega Man ZX Advent
Mega Turrican
Metal Storm
Metroid II: Return of Samus
Montezuma’s Revenge
Mystic Defender
Ninja Five-O
Osman
Rocket Knight Adventures
Shatterhand
Skyblazer
Super Mario Bros.
Super Turrican
Super Turrican 2
Turrican
Turrican II: The Final Fight
UmiharaKawase
UPIXO in Action: Mission in Snowdriftland
Wario Land 3