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Couch co-op instead of Netflix: the ultimate co-op games for winter
by Rainer Etzweiler
The 13 most beautiful pixel games of the modern age
13.12.2025
Translation: machine translated
Good graphics don't always need photorealism. Sometimes a beautiful design and a few well-placed squares are enough. A selection of the most beautiful pixel art games.
«I'll be back», the Terminator promised in 1984 and became a pop culture icon. Apparently, the robot played by Arnold Schwarzenegger is not the only one who has taken this slogan to heart. Pixel graphics have also subscribed to this credo. The most recent example of this is «Terminator 2D: No Fate». A pixelated reinterpretation of the sci-fi saga that proves that the edgy art form is alive and kicking.
At the turn of the millennium, things looked very different. 3D was the big promise and polygons were seen as the future. A quarter of a century later, we know better. While the early 3D experiments today often look like digital accidents, many 2D games from earlier days have aged more gracefully.
What was once seen as a technical limitation is now a conscious style choice. And it's more than just nostalgia bait for millennials with a midlife crisis (at least that's what I like to tell myself), but an art form in its own right whose charm cannot simply be reproduced. However, the titles in this listicle all do this brilliantly.
«Eastward»
The SNES RPG «Earthbound» is still one of the most mystical games ever. This is partly due to the exorbitant price paid for the game (complete, including box and manual, there is hardly anything under 2,500 francs) and partly due to the unusual vibe that very few games have been able to capture as competently to this day.
One of these is «Eastward». The debut of Shanghai-based developer Pixpil presents a post-apocalyptic adventure in a dying world. You play the taciturn miner John and the mysterious Sam, who are banished from their hometown. For the gameplay, Pixpil makes generous use of «The Legend of Zelda», with the difference that the skills are distributed across two playable characters.
The game has lengthy sections, including one that lasts several hours and adds absolutely nothing to the story, but if you're patient, you'll be rewarded with one of the most emotional gaming experiences in recent years.
Platforms: Switch, Xbox One, PC
«Neon Inferno»
I like titles that set clear expectations for the content. With «3 Headed Shark Attack», for example, I know exactly what to expect and it's the same with «Neon Inferno».
In this side-scroller, I shoot my way from left to right while the pixels explode in all the neon colours of the rainbow. There's also a snappy cyberpunk soundtrack, local co-op and retro tube TV filters.
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
«Kathy Rain»
Do you miss puzzle games like «Baphomet's Curse» and «Indiana Jones»? Then you should a) remember to take your Omega 3 pills and b) check out «Kathy Rain»
In this point'n'click, you take on the role of chain-smoking journalist Kathy Rain, who returns to her home town to investigate the mysterious death of her grandfather. What begins as a simple case of grief develops into a supernatural mindfuck à la «Twin Peaks» or «X-Files». The sequel was released at the beginning of this year and follows on seamlessly from the story and quality.
Platforms: Switch, PC, Android, iOS
«Owlboy»
Ten years of development would be a pretty lousy track record even for bloated AAA games. For a 2D indie release, however, it's a miracle that anyone was still around to publish the game in the end.
The wait was worth it, though. The Metroidvania artwork lets you glide through the skies as the mute owl boy Otus, against a pixel backdrop that really belongs in a museum. Otus may be cute, but he's also pretty useless in battle, which is why he has to rely on the skills of various buddies. Among them is a robot pirate who loves poetry and theatre.
Platforms: PS4, Switch, Xbox One, PC
«Katana Zero»
Style over substance? With «Katana Zero» you get both. This neo-noir platformer is stylish down to the last pixel blood splatter and hard as hell to boot. One wrong move and you're dead. But it doesn't matter, because the instant respawn lets you jump straight back into the carnage. The story about a samurai contract killer with time manipulation powers and PTSD is pleasantly wacky and surprisingly creatively linked to the gameplay.
Platforms: Switch, Xbox One, PC, Android, iOS
«Spirittea»
Actually, «Stardew Valley» belongs in every article about fancy pixel games, but I suspect that in 2025 even indigenous Amazon tribes will have heard of the game. Instead, I want to give «Spirittea» a platform. In this management sim, you take over the management of a bathhouse that is populated exclusively by bitchy ghosts whose problems you have to solve. Sounds like Ghibli? Yep. «Spirittea» is basically a video game adaptation of the cult anime «Spirited Away».
The gameplay is a little grindy at times, but the atmosphere is always right and there's a sarcastic sidekick. 5/5.
Platforms: Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
«Crossing Souls»
«Crossing Souls» is a playable Saturday morning cartoon and a declaration of love to the 80s. In the action-adventure game, a group of children find a mysterious stone that blurs the line between life and death.
What follows is a wild mix of «E.T.», «Goonies» and «Stand by Me» in pixel form. The game cleverly switches between different gameplay styles and features some tough boss battles. The mystery story is also appealing, even if it sometimes pushes the nostalgia buttons a little too much.
Platforms: PS4, Switch, PC
«Bloomtown: A Different Story»
Speaking of Saturday morning cartoons: «Bloomtown: A Different Story» is also committed to this setting. The RPG from developer Lazy Bear Games («Graveyard Keeper») also steals from «Persona», «Pokémon», «Shenmue» and various life sim games. It works better than it should and the different elements work together harmoniously. And there's a magical corgi sidekick. 5/5.
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
«The Messenger»
Joypad ninjas have received some very competent supplies from Sega this year. «Shinobi: The Art of Vengeance» also plays pleasantly retro, but disqualifies itself for this list due to its hand-drawn graphics. «The Messenger» fulfils the requirement twice over. The platformer from developer Sabotage Studio serves up two pixel eras: One 8-bit and one 16-bit. Both are deadly chic and the gameplay is on a par.
Platforms: PS4, Switch, Xbox One, PC
«Sea of Stars»
«Sea of Stars» is set in the same universe as «The Messenger», but swaps the platformer approach for classic, turn-based J-RPG gameplay. Developer Sabotage Studio has obviously taken apart all the SNES classics for the project and analysed them piece by piece. «Chrono Trigger», «Final Fantasy VI», «Super Mario RPG» - everything that defined the benchmark for the genre back then was studied, understood and packaged together to create a wonderfully retro experience.
The result feels like coming home. Only without the annoying questions from your parents about when you're finally going to do something sensible with your life.
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
«Dave the Diver»
What happens when you throw diving simulation, restaurant management and boss battles against giant squid into a blender? «Dave the Diver» happens. During the day you dive for exotic fish, in the evening you serve them in your sushi restaurant. Sounds strange, and it is, but it works surprisingly well.
Platforms: PS4, PS55, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
«Dex»
«Deus Ex» in 2D? Not quite, but if dark sci-fi settings pick you up, you still can't go far wrong with «Dex». The action RPG lets you slip into the role of the titular protagonist, who gets to the bottom of an AI plot in a dystopian metropolis. You hack your way through firewalls, fight in back alleys and philosophise about artificial intelligence. Not every mechanic is perfect, but when the neon lights flicker through the rain of pixels, you quickly forget the minor flaws.
Platforms: PS Vita, PS4, Switch, Xbox One, PC
«Marvel Cosmic Invasion»
While this article was being written, «Marvel Cosmic Invasion» was released. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to test it, but the superhero sidescroller comes from the same company as the formidable «Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge», which is why I am provisionally recommending it for purchase at this point.
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Switch, Switch 2, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Bonus: HD-2D games as a grey area
«Octopath Traveler», the «Dragon Quest» remakes, «Triangle Strategy» - these games somehow belong on this list, but somehow they don't. The HD 2D graphics are technically not pure pixel art, but a hybrid of 2D sprites and 3D environments. Nevertheless, these games look fantastic and scratch the same nostalgic itch.
Square Enix has created its own niche with this style, proving that even a company that regularly makes questionable business decisions can occasionally get something right. The hunger for retro aesthetics is real. Just like my hunger for a «Chrono Trigger» remake in this style.
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Switch, Switch 2, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Do you like it pixelated?
Do you like pixel games or do you prefer a modern look?
Header image: "Owlboy"
Rainer Etzweiler
Freelance Editor
rainer@rockstar.chIn the early 90s, my older brother gave me his NES with The Legend of Zelda on it. It was the start of an obsession that continues to this day.
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