10 games similar to Super Mario 3D World, a Platform game, drawn from IGDB's similarity data. Each pick below notes the genres it shares with Super Mario 3D World.
01Shares PlatformBoth games feature up to four playable characters with distinct abilities, letting you choose your preferred style before tackling linear levels. Each delivers challenging platforming at 60 fps on Wii U, with cooperative multiplayer where players can drop in and out. Tropical Freeze trades Mario's vertical 3D design for side-scrolling mine cart sequences and underwater stages, but maintains that same character-driven, time-pressured level progression.
02Shares PlatformBoth games are 3D platformers built around linear levels with countdown timers and boss fights that punctuate the action. Each features climbing mechanics and collectibles scattered throughout, rewarding exploration within tightly designed stages. Galaxy 2 shares the damsel-in-distress plot and runs at 60 fps on console, matching the kinetic pace and structure that made 3D World's single-player campaign so satisfying.
Games like Super Mario Galaxy 2 →
03Shares PlatformSuper Mario 3D Land shares the linear level design and time-limit structure that define 3D World, guiding you through focused courses toward a goal. Both games blend 2D platformer sensibilities with 3D movement, and both feature multiple playable characters with distinct abilities. 3D Land introduced the cat power-up and motion controls that 3D World expanded, making it the direct predecessor that established this game's core formula.
Games like Super Mario 3D Land →
04Shares PlatformBoth games center on rescuing Princess Peach from Bowser across linear levels filled with collectibles and timed challenges. Super Mario Bros. establishes the foundational platforming formula that 3D World expands: navigating obstacle courses, defeating bosses, and gathering power-ups to overcome enemies. Where 3D World adds multiplayer depth and dimensional complexity, the original distills the core platforming action that defines the series.
Games like Super Mario Bros. →
05Shares PlatformBoth games build 3D platforming around linear levels with collectibles and boss fights, progressing through a level-select map toward rescuing a captured character. Rayman 2 shares the climbing and gliding mechanics that define Mario 3D World's movement, while its fairy-led narrative mirrors the Sprixie Kingdom rescue plot. The third-person perspective and action-focused design create similar moment-to-moment play.
06Shares PlatformBoth games structure progression around a level select map leading to linear stages with boss fights and collectibles. Super Mario Bros. 3 shares the signature power-ups and character variety that define the series, letting players choose between Mario and Luigi before tackling challenges. While Bros. 3 uses a side-view perspective instead of 3D, its level design philosophy and enemy types like Boomerang Bros. directly influenced 3D World's approach.
Games like Super Mario Bros. 3 →
07Both games follow Mario on a quest to rescue a princess from a villain, progressing through levels filled with collectibles and boss fights that test your combat skills. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door shares the character growth system from Super Mario 3D World, letting you strengthen your abilities as you advance. The damsel-in-distress storyline and boomerang-throwing enemies appear in both, grounding the adventure in familiar Mario territory.
Games like Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door →
08Shares PlatformBoth games let up to four players cooperate through linear platforming levels with a shared goal, collecting items and competing for high scores along the way. New Super Mario Bros. U trades the cat power-up and 3D perspective for side-scrolling 2.5D action, but maintains the same multiplayer structure, level-select progression, and recurring enemies like Boomerang Bros. that defined 3D World's campaign.
09Both games run at 60 fps on consoles and support up to four local players competing together. Mario Kart 8 shares the gliding mechanic from Super Mario 3D World, letting players gain air time during races. While Mario Kart 8 trades platforming for racing, it maintains the same multiplayer-focused action and Mario universe charm, making it a natural fit for fans of cooperative play.
Games like Mario Kart 8 →
10Both games emphasize climbing as a core traversal mechanic across their third-person environments. Watch Dogs 2 shares the countdown timer structure found in Mario 3D World, creating urgency during missions. While Watch Dogs 2 trades Mario's linear levels for an open world, both feature action-focused gameplay where players navigate spaces vertically and horizontally to complete objectives, with climbing central to exploration and progression.
Games like Watch Dogs 2 →
Frequently asked
10 games similar to Super Mario 3D World: Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Super Mario 3D Land, Super Mario Bros., Rayman 2: The Great Escape, Super Mario Bros. 3, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, New Super Mario Bros. U.
Most of these games share Action and Platform with Super Mario 3D World, based on IGDB's similarity data. Each pick has a short note explaining what it has in common with Super Mario 3D World.