A platformer, or platforming game, is a genre of video game that requires the player to navigate levels by overcoming obstacles and sometimes defeating enemies. The main portion of most platformers is running and jumping, but as later iterations of consoles and development methods have come other skills such as dashing (Castlevania: Symphony of the Night), gliding (Super Mario World ), swimming (Tomb Raider series), wall-running (n+), rope swings (Rayman), teleportation (Battleblock Theatre) and cloning (The Misadventures of P. B. Winterbottom) have been seen in the genre.

Some of the earliest console platformers were seen on the NES, with titles like Castlevania and Super Mario Bros., and Sega Saturn, featuring a number of Sonic titles alongside Golden Axe etc., but featured limited gameplay mechanics due to the early systems' limited processing power. As time progressed, the 2D platformer became the 3D platformer with hits like Kula World and flops like Sonic 2006. However, in the past few years, there has been a regression into 2D platforming by both AAA and indie developers, with titles like Braid, Rayman: Origins and Offspring Fling.