You know that feeling when you first landed on the Cascade Kingdom? That specific, tactile "clunk" of Cappy hitting a dinosaur? It’s addictive. Nintendo basically perfected the "3D sandbox" with Super Mario Odyssey, creating a game where moving around just felt good. But once you’ve gathered 999 Power Moons and mastered the art of the triple-jump-cap-bounce, you’re left with a massive, hat-shaped hole in your life. Finding games like Mario Odyssey isn't just about finding another platformer; it's about finding that specific brand of "collectathon" joy that doesn't feel like a chore.
The truth is, most modern platformers get it wrong. They focus on the challenge—the "Get from Point A to Point B without dying" part. Odyssey focused on curiosity. It asked, "What happens if I throw my hat at that random cactus?" and then actually rewarded you for it. To find something similar, we have to look at games that prioritize "expressive movement" and dense, secret-filled playgrounds over linear paths.
Why A Hat in Time is the Closest You'll Get
If you haven't played A Hat in Time, stop reading this and go buy it. Seriously. This game is the spiritual successor to the GameCube era, but it shares the DNA of Odyssey more than almost any other indie title. You play as Hat Kid, a space traveler who loses her "Time Pieces" (basically Moons) across a handful of wildly different worlds.
What makes it feel like Mario? The movement.
Hat Kid has a dive, a double jump, and a wall run that feel snappy and precise. But the real magic is the "Hats." Just like Cappy lets Mario take over enemies, Hat Kid’s different headwear grants her powers—like a sprinting cap or a brewing hat for potions. It’s a dense game. One minute you’re solving a murder mystery on a train (The Murder on the Owl Express), and the next you’re dodging spooky entities in a haunted forest. Gears for Breakfast, the developers, clearly understood that the "fun" in a collectathon comes from the variety of the tasks, not just the number of items to grab. It’s quirky, it’s a bit jankier than Nintendo’s polish, but the heart is 100% there.
The Movement Mastery of Bowser’s Fury
It’s technically part of the Super Mario 3D World package, but Bowser’s Fury is actually the most important "sequel" to Odyssey we have. It’s an experiment. Instead of separate kingdoms accessed by a menu, it’s one giant, seamless open world.
Think about that.
You can see a lighthouse in the distance, hop on Plessie’s back, and just... go there. No loading screens. It uses the power-up system from 3D World (the Cat Suit, the Boomerang), but the philosophy is pure Odyssey. You’re exploring a sandbox, collecting "Cat Shines," and dealing with a kaiju-sized Bowser who wakes up every few minutes to ruin your day. It’s short—you can beat it in about six hours—but it represents the future of what games like Mario Odyssey could become. It’s less about a series of levels and more about a persistent, living world.
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Banjo-Kazooie and the Roots of the Genre
We can't talk about this without mentioning the bird and the bear. If you have Nintendo Switch Online or an Xbox, Banjo-Kazooie is mandatory reading. Some people find the older camera controls frustrating, but the level design is masterclass.
The "Notes" and "Jiggies" are the ancestors of Power Moons.
Unlike Mario, who is a bit of a lone wolf (mostly), Banjo and Kazooie are a duo. You’re managing two sets of abilities at once. You use Kazooie to fly or shoot eggs, and Banjo to punch or carry things. It’s a slower pace than Odyssey. It’s more about exploration and "Aha!" moments than twitch reflexes. If you want something that feels modern but plays like Banjo, Yooka-Laylee is the direct descendant, though it’s polarizing. Some find it a bit too empty, but for the hardcore 90s fans, it hits the spot.
Tinykin: The Underrated Gem You Missed
Honestly, Tinykin is the biggest surprise on this list. It looks like a Pixar movie and plays like a mix of Pikmin and Mario Odyssey. You play as Milo, a guy who shrunk down and is stuck in a giant 90s-era house.
The movement is buttery smooth.
You have a "soapboard" (a bar of soap you use like a surfboard) that lets you grind on lines and zip across rooms. Instead of Cappy, you collect "Tinykin"—little creatures with different powers. Some explode, some build ladders, some conduct electricity. The game is purely about exploration. There is no combat. Let me repeat: No combat. You spend your time exploring giant living rooms and bathrooms, helping insect civilizations, and collecting pollen. It’s the ultimate "vibe" game for people who just want to explore a big, colorful space without the stress of boss fights.
Why Psychonauts 2 is for the Story Lovers
Double Fine’s Psychonauts 2 is a trippy, emotional masterpiece. If Odyssey is about the joy of physical space, Psychonauts 2 is about the joy of mental space. You’re literally jumping into people’s brains.
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Each level represents someone’s psyche. One level might be a psychedelic music festival; another might be a library made of paper. The platforming is solid, but the draw here is the "Figments"—thousands of 2D outlines scattered around the levels that act as your primary collectible. It’s a dense, narrative-heavy experience. It’s weird. It’s funny. It tackles heavy themes like dementia and grief but keeps the gameplay light and bouncy. It’s the "thinking man’s" Odyssey.
Sonic Frontiers: A Different Kind of Sandbox
This one is a bit of a curveball. Sonic Frontiers is "Open Zone." It’s not a tight, curated sandbox like New Donk City. It’s sprawling, often empty, and occasionally melancholic.
So why is it here?
Because of the "flow." When you find a line of springs and rails in Sonic Frontiers, you enter a trance state similar to a perfect speedrun in Odyssey. You’re chaining moves together, boosting through loops, and collecting "Vault Keys." It doesn't have the charm of Mario, and the "Cyberspace" levels are hit-or-miss, but it’s the most ambitious Sonic has been in decades. It captures that feeling of being a small character in a massive, mysterious world.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land
Kirby finally went 3D, and it was a revelation. While it’s more linear than Odyssey—think more "Point A to Point B"—the "Mouthful Mode" is a direct cousin to Mario’s captures. Kirby can inhale a car, a vending machine, or a traffic cone.
It’s hilarious. It’s creative.
The game is packed with hidden Waddle Dees and secret objectives. HAL Laboratory managed to translate Kirby's copy abilities into a 3D space perfectly. It’s a bit easier than Mario, making it a great "palate cleanser" if you’ve been banging your head against a difficult platformer lately. The boss fights are surprisingly epic, too.
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The Indie Scene: Demon Turf and Blue Fire
If you want something a bit more "hardcore," look toward the indies.
- Demon Turf: Uses a unique 2D-in-3D art style. The hook? You set your own checkpoints. You get a limited number of "flags" you can drop anywhere. It’s all about momentum and combat-platforming.
- Blue Fire: This is what happens if you mix Zelda, Hollow Knight, and Mario Odyssey. It’s much darker. The platforming is incredibly difficult and requires precise dashes and wall jumps. It’s for the people who found the Dark Side of the Moon in Odyssey too easy.
Astrobot: The New King?
We have to talk about Astro’s Playroom and the full Astro Bot game on PS5. Sony basically looked at Nintendo and said, "We can do that too."
Astro is pure, unadulterated joy. Every surface feels different thanks to the DualSense controller. Walking on sand feels "crunchy"; walking on metal feels "sharp." The level design is as tight as anything Nintendo has produced. It’s a celebration of PlayStation history, sure, but at its core, it’s a masterclass in 3D platforming. It has that same "toybox" feel where every corner has a little secret or a funny animation.
Finding games like Mario Odyssey requires looking past the mascot and looking at the mechanics. You're looking for games that respect your curiosity. Whether it’s the weird humor of A Hat in Time, the seamless world of Bowser’s Fury, or the zen-like exploration of Tinykin, the spirit of the 3D platformer is alive and well.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Playthrough:
- Check the "Feel" First: Before committing to a 100% run, spend 10 minutes just moving the character around. If the jump doesn't feel right, the collectibles will eventually feel like a chore.
- Look for Momentum: Games like A Hat in Time and Tinykin reward you for chaining moves together. Practice the "slide-jump" or the "dive-roll" early on.
- Don't Fear the Indie: Big studios rarely make collectathons anymore because they are expensive to design. The indie scene is where the most creative "capture" mechanics are happening right now.
- Revisit the Classics: If you're on a budget, Banjo-Kazooie on NSO is still one of the best-designed games ever made. Don't let the 1998 graphics scare you off.
Start with A Hat in Time if you want the humor, or Tinykin if you want to relax. Both are the closest you will get to that first time you stepped into the Sand Kingdom and realized just how big the world was.