My name is Roman Kugge, and cinematic platformers are one of the few genres that have genuinely fascinated me since childhood.

Back in 1990 or 1991, I first played Prince of Persia on an old DOS IBM PC — and my reaction was simply: wow. At seven years old it was also completely beyond me, and the neighbour’s kid had to come over regularly to help me get past the sections I was hopelessly stuck on.

Four or five years later I finally got a Super Nintendo. I discovered Flashback and was genuinely impressed — and then Another World, which was even better. What struck me about both games was something I did not have the words for at the time but have been thinking about ever since: you do not spectate these games. You are part of the story. Every death feels physical. Every step forward feels earned. No other genre has ever given me that feeling quite so completely.

I should be upfront about the kind of gamer I am: a casual one. I do not play every day, and there have been long stretches of my life where gaming meant FIFA and Mario Kart with friends — which is completely fine, but a long way from cinematic platformers.

Then I stumbled across a video of Limbo. I could not look away. Then, a few years later, a video for Inside — and that same jolt, all over again. But somehow life got in the way — not enough time, not the right console — and I never actually played them.

It took a global pandemic to finally sit me down in front of both games. And what a rediscovery it was. That feeling I had as a seven-year-old watching Prince of Persia for the first time — that specific sense of being inside something rather than playing it — came flooding back completely. I have been making up for lost time ever since, and this site is the result.

Why this site exists

I built cinematicplatformers.com because the resource I wanted did not exist. There were scattered lists, half-finished wikis, some forum entries and the occasional review buried in a general gaming publication — but nothing that treated the cinematic platformer as a genre worth taking seriously on its own terms. So I built it myself!

Every game in the database has been researched personally. Every review reflects a genuine opinion — not a press release rewritten, not a score generated by committee. If I think a game is flawed, I say so. If I think it is underrated, I make the case. The goal is to be the most honest and most complete resource for this genre on the internet.

How reviews work

Every review on this site is written from personal experience with the game. I purchase games myself unless otherwise noted. I have not reveiced any review copies yet — but when or if this happens it is always disclosed at the top of the review, and it never influences the verdict. A free copy of a bad game gets an honest review of a bad game.

There are no review scores on this site. I think numerical scores flatten the complexity of what makes a game worth playing, and I think the genre deserves better than a number out of ten. Every review ends with a personal opinion — what I actually think, stated clearly.

How this site makes money

Cinematicplatformers.com uses affiliate links — primarily through Steam, GOG, and Fanatical. This means that if you click a link to a game and make a purchase, the site receives a small commission at no additional cost to you. These commissions help cover hosting and development costs and allow me to keep the site running as a passion project.

The site also displays advertising. Advertisers have no influence over editorial content — what gets reviewed, how it is reviewed, or what opinion is expressed.

Affiliate relationships and advertising never determine which games get covered or how they are evaluated. The database includes games I recommend and games I do not — affiliate links exist for both.

What this site is

Cinematicplatformers.com is a one-person passion project. It is not a professional publication, not a media company, and not backed by any publisher or developer. It is one person who loves this genre and thinks it deserves a proper home on the internet.

That means the voice is personal, the opinions are genuine, and the coverage reflects what I actually find interesting rather than what generates the most traffic. It also means updates happen at a human pace — thoroughly rather than quickly.

A note on AI assistance

Yes, I use AI on this site — and I want to be upfront about how. Most reviews are written by me and then corrected and polished with AI assistance — English is not my first language, and I would rather be honest about that than pretend otherwise.

For a handful of more obscure games that are genuinely difficult to find and play, some reviews were written with more significant AI involvement and then edited and approved by me. In all cases, the opinions, the personal memories, the editorial decisions, and the voice are mine. AI does not play games, fall in love with Another World at seven years old, or decide what belongs on this site. I do. At least until AI takes over…

Contact & help

Questions, corrections, game suggestions, or just want to talk cinematic platformers — I am always happy to hear from readers. Think a game is missing? Please tell me! Comments are very welcome, as they are available for everyone to read. But if you wish to contact me personally, see the Imprint page for contact information.

Developer and publisher enquiries are welcome. Review copy requests are considered on a case by case basis and always disclosed.