Category
Cat Jumping & Platform Games - Climb, Hop and Land
Games where the jump is the whole game - its height, its length, and where you choose to land.
Jumping is the oldest verb in arcade gaming and still the most expressive. A jump has a launch, an arc and a landing, and a game can make any one of those three the challenge. The games on this page each pick a different one.
Cats make this genre easy to design for. Nobody needs to be told that a cat can leap between rooftops or land on a narrow ledge, so a jumping game with a cat in it can start without a tutorial and be understood on the first attempt.
Games in this category
5 games. Every one is playable now.
Runner
Midnight Cat
Leap rooftop to rooftop across a sleeping city, with gaps you must judge yourself.
Adventure
Magic Cat Adventure
A wizard cat collects gems, casts a short-range dash and crosses enchanted platforms.
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Topics in this category
Where each part of this category is covered on the site.
Three kinds of jump, three kinds of game
Every jumping game on this site uses one of three jump models, and knowing which one you are playing tells you what to practise.
| Jump model | What you control | Game | What to practise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed | Only the moment of the press | Kitty Jump | Horizontal positioning while airborne |
| Variable height | Press moment and hold length | Midnight Cat | Matching hold length to landing height |
| Charged distance | Hold length only; timing is free | Cat Hop | Calibrating the charge meter to a distance |
The mechanics behind all three - gravity, jump velocity, and why holding a button can change a jump that has already started - are covered in how jump mechanics work.
Why good platformers feel forgiving
A well-built jumping game quietly helps you. Coyote time lets a jump register for a fraction of a second after you have run off a ledge. Input buffering lets a jump pressed just before landing fire the instant you touch down. Neither is visible, and both are the difference between a game that feels fair and one that feels stiff.
Midnight Cat and Jungle Kitty both use these techniques. If you have ever made a jump you were sure you had missed, that is what happened. It is not generosity for its own sake - it corrects for the gap between when a player decides to jump and when their finger actually moves.
Practising landings, not launches
Most players who struggle with platformers are practising the wrong half of the jump. The launch is easy - you press a button. The landing is where the skill is, because it requires you to have chosen a target before you left the ground.
- Name your target out loudBefore each jump, pick the exact spot you intend to land on. The habit sounds silly and works immediately, because it forces the decision to happen before the press rather than during the flight.
- Stop before tight jumpsA running jump travels further and is harder to place. On a narrow platform, come to a stop at the edge and jump from standing.
- Learn one gap properlyFind a single jump you can repeat safely and do it ten times with different hold lengths. That calibration transfers to every other jump in the game.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a cat jumping game?
A game where the main action is jumping - between platforms, over gaps, or upward to gain height. The cat is the player character and the jump is the primary input.
What is the difference between a jumping game and a platformer?
A platformer is a jumping game where you also control horizontal movement and the level is designed around what you can reach. Pure jumping games often take horizontal control away, as Kitty Jump does.
Which jumping game is easiest to start with?
Cat Hop. One button, no horizontal control, and a visible meter showing exactly how far you are about to jump.
Why do some games let me jump higher by holding?
Variable-height jumping gives you a range of jumps from one button, which lets a level designer include both short hops and long leaps without adding controls. Cat Hop, Midnight Cat and Jungle Kitty all use it.
Do these games have a double jump?
Cat Dash does, as a recovery move. The dedicated platformers deliberately do not - removing it makes the level geometry meaningful, because a gap that looks too wide really is.
Do platform games work on touch screens?
Yes. The platformers here use three large on-screen buttons placed for thumbs, and the one-tap games need only a hold anywhere on the canvas.
Read more
Game Mechanics
Cat Jumping Games: Mechanics and Strategies
The three jump models, the invisible helpers that make good platformers feel fair, and how to practise landings rather than launches.
Game Mechanics
How Jump Mechanics Work
Three jump models, two invisible helpers, and the reason a good jump feels responsive while a bad one feels stiff.
Game Mechanics
Cat Runner Games vs Platform Games: What Is the Difference?
One takes away your control over where you go. That single difference changes everything about how the two genres play.