Four platformers with the best approaches to difficulty

polygon.com:

Dear Polygon,

My name is Emily, I’m 22 years old, and I am terrible at platforming.

I don’t know if it’s a case of being raised in a society that didn’t encourage young girls to pick up video games, or just my generally meh motor skills, but the point is I want to be less terrible at platforming. There are so many amazing platformers out there that I am itching to play, but the trouble is that I often find myself stuck at one obstacle and it’s hard to motivate yourself when you’ve done the same two minutes of gameplay 30 times.

How do I get good at platforming? I’m tired of being such a platforming n00b that I had to give away my Mario game. I want to join the cool kids!

Dear Emily,

Reading your letter sparked instant recognition. I know that pit-of-your-stomach dread of getting stuck in a game. Competitive shooters are my own personal white whale — no matter how much I try, I can only really focus on aiming or moving, but never both at the same time. I watch other people play, who seem to have motor skills that I don’t, and wonder: How can I join the party? How can I get better at this thing?

I’ll start by saying I think “skill” is overrated. I don’t think people should have to “git gud” to enjoy a game. I love exploration and puzzle solving as much as fighting and kiting, and much of the time, I seek out customizability, a welcoming difficulty curve, or fun workarounds. I absolutely grind runes in Elden Ring before over-leveling to deliver an absolute smackdown. That said, I do recognize the thrill that comes with really nailing a sequence, and on the flipside, the frustration of feeling repeatedly barred from progress. You can’t really “over level” in platforming games, making it feel like you have to “git gud” in