5 Best Video Games Like Sackboy: A Big Adventure

After launching the “LittleBigPlanet” series, the PlayStation franchise took a more conventional 3D platforming direction with “Sackboy: A Big Adventure.” Released for PS4 and PS5 in 2020, eventually receiving a PC port in 2022, the game leans more into platforming than the level editor features of its predecessors. The game’s story has Sackboy step up to save his home of Craftworld from the new antagonist, Vex. In addition to its single-player campaign, “Sackboy: A Big Adventure” allows for up to four-person cooperative multiplayer, with unique challenges using this functionality.

“Sackboy: A Big Adventure” is far from the only modern platformer around, let alone one to place an emphasis on cooperative multiplayer. With that in mind, we’re highlighting games with similar sensibilities and gameplay as the 2020 title, largely within the realm of 3D platforming. The games we’re including here all also feature a cartoonish art design, helping make them more palatable for younger players. These are the five best video games like “Sackboy: A Big Adventure” that fans should check out next.

LittleBigPlanet

Sony Interactive Entertainment

Before it fully embraced the possibilities of the third dimension, the “LittleBigPlanet” franchise focused on 2.5D platforming. The 2008 inaugural title for the PlayStation 3 had players move through obstacle-filled side-scrolling levels, occasionally able to move slightly into the background and foreground. From the beginning of the series, the game allowed for up to four players to work together and help navigate levels. But the big innovation that the original “LittleBigPlanet” brought to the table was letting players create their own levels and then share them online for others to try out.

“LittleBigPlanet” and its 2011 sequel are among the best PS3 games of all time, both as platformers and landmark titles in early online gaming content creation. We’re highlighting the 2008 original game so players can go back to where it all began, but both PS3 titles are well worth revisiting. The platforming is challenging and the levels are each extraordinarily designed, elevated by a stellar soundtrack. Sackboy has led his fair share of platforming adventures, and that all starts with “LittleBigPlanet,” which holds up as a fantastic game nearly 20 years later.

Rayman Legends

For years, it felt like Ubisoft wouldn’t release another Rayman game, but the franchise has seen its fair share of solid revivals released sporadically. This includes the 2013 title “Rayman Legends,” a sequel to the 2011 series reboot “Rayman Origins.” The game has players control Rayman and his friends as they set out to stop the villainous Magician’s rampaging nightmares through side-scrolling platforming action. Like its predecessor, the game allows for up to four-person cooperative multiplayer, with over 100 levels to complete, including remixed levels from “Rayman Origins.”

After a wave of 3D platforming titles, “Rayman Legends” embraces the possibilities of a side-scrolling perspective instead, often to great effect. This shift allowed for more attention to level design and overall presentation, which Ubisoft took full advantage of, creating a vibrant adventure to share with friends. Over a decade later, the game is set to receive a modern remake this year with “Rayman Legends Retold,” retaining the broader story and side-scrolling gameplay. Until then, “Rayman Legends” remains a highlight in the Ubisoft series, well worth playing as a standalone experience if you never enjoyed a title in the franchise before.

Super Mario 3D World

When it comes to platforming video games, Nintendo’s “Super Mario” franchise remains king, even successfully transitioning from side-scrolling to full 3D platforming. After returning to the franchise’s side-scrolling roots with its “New Super Mario Bros.” series, Nintendo took it back to 3D with 2013’s “Super Mario 3D World.” Originally released for the Wii U, the game lets players choose between Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, and Rosalina as they traverse levels with up to four people. The enhanced Switch port of “Super Mario 3D World” added new features, including the new set of levels, “Bowser’s Fury.”

“Super Mario 3D World” is one of the best games to have been released for the Wii U and its 2021 Switch port is even better. With its cooperative platforming 3D, Nintendo turns the multiplayer component into even more of a fun-filled experience. Every level is a joy to get through and the game’s new power-up, the Cat Suit, elevates the gameplay, allowing players to scale walls in seconds. A gem from the Wii U that thankfully was ported and upgraded for the Switch, “Super Mario 3D World” is the closest the Nintendo franchise gets to “Sackboy: A Big Adventure.”

It Takes Two

Hazelight Studios has built up an entire legacy of acclaimed cooperative multiplayer games, with titles like “Split Fiction” and “A Way Out.” The pinnacle of Hazelight Studio’s output so far is the 2021 game “It Takes Two,” retaining the studio’s penchant for captivating two-person cooperative multiplayer. The game centers on Cody and May, a couple poised to divorce only for their daughter to accidentally magically transform them both into a pair of small handmade dolls. Working together, the pair must find a way to traverse their home as they search for a method to restore themselves to their human forms.

Given its premise, “It Takes Two” is a game that requires two people to play together, with no single-player option available. That really emphasizes that this cooperative title is meant to be shared with a friend, with that coordination fueling the platforming fun. At the same time, Hazelight Studios has packed “It Takes Two” with small details that really elevate the entire presentation. One of the best co-op games to play with your friends, “It Takes Two” is a cozy platforming joy to experience.

Astro Bot

Sony Interactive Entertainment

Among the best PS5 games so far, “Astro Bot” is really a celebration of the entire history of the PlayStation console. Released in 2024, the game has Astro traverse the cosmos to rescue his friends after their massive spaceship is crashed by a hostile alien. Exploring obstacle-course filled levels, Astro advances through 3D platforming gameplay, often taking advantage of the PS5 DualSense controller’s features. The bots that Astro rescues, along with some of the levels themselves, are visibly inspired by games from PlayStation’s extensive history.

“Astro Bot” feels like a complete reinvigoration of 3D platforming titles, accessible to newcomers to the genre with challenges available for the hardcore, and a clear labor of love for all involved. Each level is incredibly detailed and the controls are intuitively staged, really taking advantage of the PS5’s hardware capabilities. There is also a healthy amount of challenge in the platforming, something that’s heightened in the DLC levels. One of the best 3D platformers ever made, “Astro Bot” is a must-play for fans of the genre and especially any PlayStation aficionado.