Best Family Games Like Astro Bot

The best family games like Astro Bot are Super Mario Odyssey, Super Mario Galaxy and Astro's Playroom. Below are 9, each with the reason it is here — and, at the end, what filtering to family costs you.

Why Family Is a Good Answer for Astro Bot

Filtering to family means the game has to work for a child and an adult at the same table without either of them being bored. That is a much harder design problem than a difficulty slider.

What you get: Something you can put in front of anyone. The best family games make the skill gap not matter rather than pretending it is not there.

What made Astro Bot worth playing in the first place is covered on the full list. This page is the family part of that answer, and only the family part.

9 Family Games Like Astro Bot

  1. 1. Super Mario Odyssey

    The only other platformer of the last decade with this many ideas per hour.

  2. 2. Super Mario Galaxy

    The blueprint for Astro Bot's level-per-idea structure.

  3. 3. Astro's Playroom

    The free prequel that came on every PS5 and is genuinely good.

  4. 4. Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart

    The other PS5 showcase, and it feels just as good in the hand.

  5. 5. A Hat in Time

    The best indie 3D platformer, with the same warm tone.

  6. 6. Kirby and the Forgotten Land

    3D platforming built to be kind, and full of small inventions.

  7. 7. Sackboy: A Big Adventure

    PlayStation's other cheerful platformer, and best in co-op.

  8. 8. Psychonauts 2

    Every level is a new idea, which is the Astro Bot promise.

  9. 9. Yooka-Replaylee

    For the collectathon side, rebuilt with modern controls.

What This Filter Leaves Out

Edge. Family games rarely go anywhere uncomfortable, and a few of them are too generous to hold an experienced player for long alone.

The full list is on games like Astro Bot — 9 picks, no genre filter.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best family game like Astro Bot?

Super Mario Odyssey. The only other platformer of the last decade with this many ideas per hour.

Are all of these on the PlayStation 5?

No. Astro Bot released on the PlayStation 5, but a recommendation is only useful if you can play it, so the picks above span platforms and eras. What they share is the genre and the reason.

How do I check a game is suitable?

Age ratings cover content but not difficulty or frustration, which is what actually ruins a family session. Five minutes of unedited play footage tells you more than any rating.

Competitive or co-operative?

With mixed ages, co-operative usually wins. The competitive ones that work are the ones where being in last place is still entertaining.

How are these chosen?

By hand. Each pick was written for the full Astro Bot list first, on what the game actually does, and this page is the part of that list that is family — never a genre tag lookup, which is how "best racing games like Super Mario 64" used to be a page on this site.

Other Angles on Astro Bot

More Family Games Recommendations

Or read the family guide for where to start in the genre generally.