Astro Bot (2024)

Astro's brief laser hover makes the end of a jump legible, giving the game's parade of new powers a reliable foundation. A booster or a stretching glove changes what a stage asks without making ordinary movement feel disposable. I rank it this high for the way compact levels introduce, vary and then retire an idea while it is still delightful. The regular journey offers frequent checkpoints; optional challenge stages ask for much tighter execution. The character cameos are a bonus to the platforming.