Absolum is a brand-new roguelike side-scroller game that was released on the 9th of October 2025. When it comes to roguelike games, almost all of them have top-down views, but with Absolum, you get the side-scroller style, a style that has a lot of fans out there. If you have been living under a rock and had no idea about this new game, let me give you a brief idea of what you can expect from Absolum.
Absolum is a side-scrolling beat ’em up where your task is to take the magic back from the grasp of Sun King Azra. Your goal is to rebel and fight against King Azra, who is taking advantage of the chaos by enslaving the wizards via his Crimson Order. The goal of Absolum is to go on a mission to take down the King and to preserve the future generations.
If side-scrolling beat ’em up-style games are something that you would enjoy, here are some of the best side-scrolling games that you can check out and play on your PC.
Best Games Like Absolum
All the side-scrolling games that we have listed here can be purchased and installed from Steam on your Windows PC. Let’s get started.
Spelunky 2
Here is a roguelike side-scroller game where you have a ton of adventures to find treasure and reunite with missing family members. Spelunky 2 has a more diverse world when compared to the original Spelunky game. There are more areas for you to explore, new characters to come across, and various new traps and items that can help you on your adventure.
Spelunky 2, like Absolum, has a replayability core, which is one of the highlight features of many side-scrolling games. The game has various hidden passages for you to explore and multiple routes throughout the game, which gives you a different experience every time you play Spelunky 2.
- Release Date: 29th September 2020
- Developer: Mossmouth
- Download: Steam
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance
Art styles have always been a key element for side-scroller games. With Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, you are in a uniquely designed hand-drawn world. In this game, you are on a quest to look for and hunt your enemies who have burnt down your village. As a ninja, you get to perform various combat styles such as Ninjutsu Arts and Ninpo, as well as weapons such as the Katana Oborozuki and Kunai to take your enemies out.
The game lets you use multiple combos and combat moves to inflict damage on your enemies. Collecting Amulets will help with learning special abilities and also discovering new Ninja tools. The in-game world varies from deserts to military bases that have interesting puzzles for you to solve and uncover hidden secrets.
- Release Date: 29th August 2025
- Developer: SEGA, Lizardcube
- Download: Steam
ASTLIBRA Revision
Here’s a great hack-and-slash side-scrolling game that you will enjoy. With enemies at every section of the game, your goal is to battle them out using weapons and equipment that you can rely on, as well as using skills that can help you deal with the dynamic situations. The game lets you upgrade your character’s abilities and skills, which will help you win various god level battles.
The game has 5 difficulty levels for you to play through, and the best of all, you can play the game at your own pace. The game will give you an additional story, a new adventure, and a fresh new playable system, which opens the replayability doors for this game.
- Release Date: 13th October 2022
- Developer: KEIZO
- Download: Steam
Skul: The Hero Slayer
The humans are back to destroy the Demon Castle and take them as prisoners. However, the humans left behind one Demon. Named Skul, this little demon is out on a mission to defeat the humans who have captured the other demons from Demon Castle. You play the role of Skul, who has to make use of his fighting abilities by choosing the right combos.
While you meet many enemies on your adventure, make sure to upgrade your skills and abilities, as they will be needed to fight against the big bosses that you will meet face-to-face at the end of each chapter.
- Release Date: 21st January 2021
- Developer: Southpaw Games
- Download: Steam
Blasphemous 2
Blasphemous 2 puts you into a strange new land that has stunning landscapes designed in a gothic style, but is filled with a variety of hidden traps. You will be armed with various skills and weapons that have to be used to fight against your enemies. The game will offer you new types of movies as well as rough executions with heavy destruction and combos that you can use to defeat and destroy The Penitent One.
The game has several NPCs that can either be of help or will attack you. The useful NPCs can help you by offering you aid, or they might ask you for aid. Some other NPCs will also try to send you on long and rough missions to collect items that have been lost for a long time. The in-game world gets deeper and deeper as you go along on adventures, exploring and fighting the enemies.
- Release Date: 24th August 2023
- Developer: The Game Kitchen
- Download: Steam
Patapon 1+2 Replay
Here’s a side-scroller game mixed with the elements of rhythm and beat ’em up. In Patapon, you are tasked with controlling and using four mystical drums to control various creatures known as the Patapons. Each Patapon has its unique role in the game. Some of them act as shields, some act as attackers, and some will be leading their allies. With different Patapons, you can create a strong army with various characteristics.
The gameplay for Patapons is simple. All you need to do is beat the four drums using nothing but the four directional arrow keys on your keyboard. While you beat the drums, you must use the right commands during battles based on the citations you are in. While this is the master of the original Patapon games released back in 2007 and 2008, the remastered version now has the option to choose between three levels of difficulty, adjust button timings, and have the icon of the drum on screen at all times.
- Release Date: 11th July 2025
- Developer: SAS Co., Ltd.
- Download: Steam
Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition
You are in a dying forest located in Nibel that has been destroyed by a storm. You play the role of Ori, who goes on an adventure to save whatever is remaining of the forest from the enemies. The game has a distinctive artwork that has been hand-painted with accurate character animations. As it is with the definitive edition of any game, you can expect new features and content.
The definitive edition contains new play areas, character abilities, additional story sequences, as well as new difficulty levels to make the game more enjoyable and challenging. The developers have also added two new environments, two new abilities, and the option to teleport between a particular area.
- Release Date:27th April 2016
- Developer: Moon Studios GmbH
- Download: Steam
Mark of the Ninja: Remastered
You play the role of a ninja. Your qualities are being silent, agile, and smart enough to fool your opponents. Your body has several cursed tattoos that give you an extra level of senses, helping you to be the perfect ninja without being discovered by the enemies. Some tools can be used to match your play style to complete various objectives that have been laid down for you.
The remastered version of Mark of the Ninja has a lot of rework done to it. From high-resolution in-game art to game characters, everything has been re-exported and reworked to provide fans of the game the best visual experience.
- Release Date: 8th October 2018
- Developer: Klei Entertainment
- Download: Steam
Your Only Move is Hustle
Here is one of the more fun and action packed and quick-paced side-scroller games that you will enjoy. Your Only Move is Hustle is a fun side scroller where you combat and use combos against the enemies from around the world. The game features a turn-based combat style set in an anime-inspired battle simulation.
You can use freestyle moves on your opponents to keep them guessing and slacking. Different characters can be uniquely upgraded to have a set of attacks and defense moves. If you want to have even more fun, there’s the online lobby that you can use to play along with your friends.
- Release Date: 3rd February 2023
- Developer: Ivy Sly
- Download: Steam
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
The side-scrolling list of games cannot be complete without listing the Prince of Persia games. For this list, we have selected the Lost Crown. One of the best examples of a side action platformer, The Lost Crown, lets the player make use of various combos and moves to take down enemies and various mythological creatures.
Set in the Persian world, you get to explore several landmarks across various highly designed biomes. There are numerous puzzles for you to solve and quests to be completed as you progress, along with learning more about the corrupted place. The enemy bosses can be challenging, but they can be defeated with time, practice, and by analyzing their moves.
- Release Date: 8th August 2024
- Developer: Ubisoft Montpellier
- Download: Steam
Closing Thoughts
This concludes the best side-scroller game, like Absolum, that you can enjoy and play on your PC, either solo or with your friends. So, what are your thoughts about the games listed here? Have you played them? Do you plan on getting Absolum and checking it out to see what a side-scroller game in 2025 has to offer? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
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