Skateboarding games continue to be popular.
As a sport that carries a fairly high risk of injury, skateboarding is best practiced, for many, in the virtual world, where your limbs and head are safe from the various falls that all skaters inevitably experience. While most skateboarding video games aren’t a simulation of the sport, they’re still a great way to experience the thrill of skateboarding and make you feel like a badass. Especially those that focus more on the aerial tricks and impressive spins that real-world skaters spend years mastering. There aren’t many skateboarding games that come out every year, but there are a few retro classics and a few modern gems that keep the beloved genre alive. So, if you’re looking to get into virtual skateboarding, here are the best skateboarding games.
Best Skateboarding Games
The first skateboarding game was an Atari arcade game called 720° which came out in 1986. Compared to today’s skateboarding games, it’s incredibly basic as you simply walk around a neighborhood performing tricks in the hopes of scoring enough to eventually make it to a skate park, but the idea spawned an epic genre.
These days, skateboarding games are a beloved, but somewhat underutilized, genre. In the early 2000s, skateboarding games were everywhere, riding on the success of the Tony Hawk franchise, and some of them are considered some of the best games ever made. But over the last decade, true AAA skateboarding games have become few and far between, with a handful of indie developers and occasional larger releases serving a genre with a hungry fanbase. This list compiles the best of these games from the past few years based on critic and fan ratings, but the bottom line is that they’re all easily accessible on modern hardware.
ten. Hellish skating
Hellish skating is a skateboarding game that’s also an action roguelike, which is quite a combination. You’ll be riding around performing tricks that will power up your next attack against the monsters that inhabit the world. Each run gives you different power-ups to use in combat, but you’ll always be on your board, skating to save the world.
It launched in Early Access earlier this year and is still under development by Phantom Coast, but even in its incomplete form it’s still a lot of fun. It’s a genre-bending mash-up that feels a bit silly but works well, and the roguelike elements keep it fresh, something that other skateboarding games can lack. It’s only available on PC right now, but it looks like it would be a good fit for other platforms too, so if you’re looking for a slightly different skateboarding game, this is the one for you.
9. Ray bird
Take a bird, give it a skateboard and set it loose in your house. That’s the concept Ray bird, and it’s so simple that it works oddly well. It’s not a complex game by any means, but if you just want to pull off some cool tricks, it’s a perfect entry into the genre.
Developed by Glass Bottom Games and released in 2021, it became a hit after launching on Xbox Game Pass for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, with versions also available on PC, Switch, PS4, and PS5. There’s not much to it, but it’s the perfect way to while away a few hours, and it’s simple enough that anyone can pick it up and play almost immediately.
8. Subway Surfers
Listen to me: Subway Surfers is a skateboarding game. Yes, it has surfing in its name and yes, there are no physical wheels on your board touching the ground, but if a hoverboard isn’t a natural progression from a skateboard, then what is it? I stand by my argument.
I don’t really need to explain Subway Surfers You’ve probably watched at least an hour of it if you’ve ever been on the internet, because it’s the game that people overlay on mostly audio-focused videos to give you something to watch. It’s an endless runner where you’re on a hoverboard that races along train tracks, dodging trains and other obstacles. It’s not a traditional skateboarding game, but it’s surprisingly addictive and quite fun to watch, which is a testament to co-developers Kiloo and SYBO Games. It originally released in 2012, but has found success in recent years after its TikTok fame. You can play it on most mobile devices like iOS and Android, and in your browser.
7. Session
Session and the next game on this list are two very similar games. They take inspiration from old skateboarding games in terms of style, giving you maps to move around on and try to perform tricks with a complex control system that takes a long time to master, which is exactly what fans are looking for.
Session The game will be released in 2022 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Switch, and is made by Crea-ture Studios. If you imagine a modern take on classic skateboarding games from the early to mid-2000s, this is what you would think of, and for the most part, it works well. However, there isn’t much depth beyond doing tricks, and the base gameplay without mods can feel underwhelming. But if you’re a content creator, this is the game for you, as a deep photo/video mode and multiple camera lenses give you plenty of customization options.
6. Skater XL
Skater XL is actually a rival of Sessionand which one you prefer will probably depend on your personal preferences and platform. Simply because of the mods available, Skater XL it’s ranked higher, but if you stick to the base game for both there’s not much to gain.
Launched in Early Access in 2018 on PC, before coming to PS4, Xbox One and Switch later, it’s not as easily accessible as Sessionbut its larger mod library on PC means you can make it a better game with limited technical know-how. As expected, you’ll be walking around trying to pull off tricks with many players saying it’s more of a simulation style than its rival. Developers Easy Day Studios have done a good job creating Skater XL realistic, but again, there’s not a lot of depth, so it’s for those looking to recreate real-life boarding in the virtual world.
5. The ramp
The ramp is the simplest form of skateboarding games, as it simply involves performing tricks on a small ramp or bowl. Described as a “virtual toy” by solo developer Paul Schnepf rather than a full game, there are no scores, missions, or unlockables. It’s simply a matter of riding down ramps and performing tricks.
But it’s that simplicity that makes it fantastic, there’s nothing to distract or frustrate you and the smooth controls make it incredibly satisfying to play. You might not rack up multi-hour play sessions, but as a distraction for a few minutes on a regular basis it’s fantastic, and with versions on PC, Switch and Android there are plenty of places you can play it. It came out in 2021 and is still as good today as it was when it first came out, and it’s got a small price tag so there’s no reason to miss out.
4. OlliOlli2: Welcome to Olliwood
OlliOlli 2 takes up the almost perfect formula of the original OlliOli and makes everything bigger, which is rarely a bad thing. It’s a 2D skateboarding game where you play through reasonably short, hand-crafted levels that give you objectives to complete. It sounds basic, but in reality, it’s anything but.
Developed by Roll7 and released in 2015 with PS4, PS Vita, PC, Android, Xbox One and Switch versions available, OlliOlli 2 masters the 2D skateboarding style with an addictive level of challenge and satisfying control schemes. As you progress through the level, you are given tasks to complete and must perform tricks to increase your score. But with the addition of manuals, you can keep your combo going for the entire level most of the time, making it slightly more difficult than its predecessor. This is a game for people who enjoy chasing high scores and appreciate the art style, but be warned that it is incredibly difficult to stop once you start.
3. Skating 3
Skating 3 is 14 years old, having come out in 2010, and it only marginally passes the “playable on modern hardware” test because it’s available on the Xbox Cloud Gaming platform as well as the original PS3 and Xbox 360 platforms. But it’s so good that it deserves to be on this list.
Developed by EA Black Box, Skating 3 is considered by many to be the best skateboarding game ever made, with a vast open world to skate and perform tricks in incredible locations. There is a story and tasks to complete, but the real joy of Skating 3 it’s just having a giant world to move around in and perform crazy tricks to look like a badass. It’s perfect for anyone looking for an open-world skateboarding game with great control schemes and can stomach the now dated visuals.
2. OlliOlli World
The second OlliOli game in this list is both similar and extremely different from the previous one, as OlliOlli World takes the series into 3D space for the first time. It still has the skate-fest feel we know from previous games, but a 3D engine and new art style make it a different experience.
It is also developed by Roll7 and is available on Switch, PS5, PS4, PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, having launched in 2022, and the new visual style makes OlliOli World The game is very different from previous games. Its cartoon style is beautiful in a way that is very different from other games in the franchise, and the 3D engine allows for things like branching paths for levels, bigger jumps, and improved physics. It follows the same style of score attack gameplay across multiple levels, but the new style is quite different. If you liked the other games, you’ll love this one, and even if you didn’t like the old games, the new style might make it more appealing.
1. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2
If this list were the best skateboarding games ever made, even the ones you’d have a hard time playing today, then it could easily be made up entirely of Tony Hawk games. From classic originals to iconic games Underground games and even some more original titles, the series is the standard-bearer of the genre.
But as the originals age, the best way to experience them is with the remake of the first two games, released in 2020 on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox SeriesX/S, PC, and Switch, and made by Vicarious Visions. While the content has remained the same, many improvements from later games in the series have been added in terms of controls, making it arguably the perfect, easy-to-pick-up skateboarding game for everyone. You’ll race through the now-iconic levels trying to get high scores through tricks, in order to unlock more levels and customization options. It’s simple, but a lot of fun.
Conclusion
Despite being a genre based around a single sport, the world of skateboarding games is surprisingly diverse. From open-world epics to small indies to a few all-time classics, there are plenty of options out there, even if not many come out every year.