Finding the Magic of Creative Platforming
When LittleBigPlanet launched on PlayStation 3, it revolutionized user-generated content on consoles. Built around the core pillars of "Play, Create, Share," Media Molecule's masterpiece gave players an iconic mascot in Sackboy, tactile physics-based platforming, and an enormously flexible level editor. Whether you fell in love with wiring complex logic chips or simply loved jumping through craft-style worlds with friends, finding a true successor can be challenging.
While the original trilogy's online servers have officially gone offline, the spirit of user creation, physics platforming, and whimsical co-op adventure lives on across multiple modern platforms. Here are the best games like LittleBigPlanet to play today.
1. Dreams
Dreams is Media Molecule's direct spiritual successor to LittleBigPlanet. Rather than restricting players to a 2.5D platforming plane, Dreams provides a full 3D game engine, music creation suite, animation system, and digital sculpting studio inside a single PlayStation title.
If your favorite part of LittleBigPlanet 2 or LittleBigPlanet 3 was diving deep into logic gates, microchips, and custom sound design, Dreams represents the ultimate evolution of those mechanics. Beyond creating, you can jump in and play thousands of community-made games ranging from arcade platformers to photorealistic showcases.
2. Sackboy: A Big Adventure
If you miss the character design, art direction, and pure platforming joy of Sackboy, Sackboy: A Big Adventure is the most direct recommendation possible. Developed by Sumo Digital, this spin-off removes the level editor in favor of a polished, standalone 3D platforming adventure.
The game retains the handcrafted tactile visual aesthetic—complete with felt textures, yarn details, cardboard, and zipper accents—alongside a energetic licensed soundtrack and seamless local or online four-player co-op gameplay. It captures the exact charm and platforming feel of LittleBigPlanet.
3. Super Mario Maker 2
For players who spent endless hours crafting custom levels in LittleBigPlanet, Super Mario Maker 2 on Nintendo Switch is the premier level-creation alternative. It offers an intuitive, accessible drag-and-drop toolkit for constructing 2D Mario stages using visual styles from multiple eras.
While it focuses strictly on Mario platforming rules rather than physics logic creation, its Course World browsing features, endless player community, and level creation tools make it essential for anyone who misses LBP's creation mode.
4. Tearaway Unfolded
Also created by Media Molecule, Tearaway Unfolded shares the exact artistic DNA and whimsical heart of LittleBigPlanet. Set in a living world constructed entirely out of paper, you guide a messenger named IOTA or ATOI through an inventive platforming journey.
The game focuses heavily on tactile player interaction, letting you cut out custom paper shapes, decorate characters, and alter environmental elements in ways that strongly evoke the craft-room feel of Sackboy's universe.
5. Unravel Two
Unravel Two stars yarn-spun characters named Yarnys, delivering a tactile, physics-based platforming experience that strongly resembles LittleBigPlanet's dynamic environmental puzzles. Players use trailing yarn threads to swing across gaps, build trampolines, and drag object physics to progress.
Designed around two-player cooperative play, Unravel Two presents gorgeous natural backgrounds, clever puzzle mechanics, and a heartwarming tone that fans of LBP will immediately appreciate.
6. It Takes Two
It Takes Two is a cooperative platforming masterpiece. While it does not feature a creation suite, its imaginative world—where two human parents are transformed into small handcrafted dolls—captures the scale, charm, and tactile magic of LittleBigPlanet.
Every chapter introduces brand-new gameplay mechanics, requiring constant cooperation, environmental interaction, and creative puzzle solving, making it an absolute must-play for duo platforming fans.
7. Human: Fall Flat
If your favorite memories of LittleBigPlanet involve silly physics interactions, pulling friends off ledges, and solving open-ended environmental puzzles, Human: Fall Flat offers endless entertainment. Players control customizable, wobbly characters navigating open physics stages.
With character customization, multi-player party mechanics, and custom level support on PC via Steam Workshop, it strikes a great balance between physics puzzle platforming and creative player expressiveness.
Comparing the Best Alternatives
| Game Title | Level Builder? | Co-Op Multiplayer? | Available Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dreams | Yes (Advanced 3D) | Yes | PS4, PS5 |
| Sackboy: A Big Adventure | No | Yes (1-4 Players) | PS4, PS5, PC |
| Super Mario Maker 2 | Yes (Accessible 2D) | Yes | Nintendo Switch |
| Tearaway Unfolded | Minor Customization | No (Single-Player) | PS4 |
| Unravel Two | No | Yes (2 Players) | PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch |
| It Takes Two | No | Yes (2 Players) | PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox, Switch |
| Human: Fall Flat | Yes (Steam Workshop) | Yes (Up to 8 Players) | All Major Platforms |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you still play online in LittleBigPlanet?
Sony permanently shut down online services for LittleBigPlanet, LittleBigPlanet 2, and LittleBigPlanet 3 on legacy platforms, as well as the PS4 version of LittleBigPlanet 3. Offline single-player and local couch co-op story modes remain accessible.
What is the closest game to LittleBigPlanet for making levels?
For deep, unlimited game creation and logic design, Dreams is the direct successor created by Media Molecule. For accessible 2D level design, Super Mario Maker 2 offers the largest player base and easiest toolset.
Is Sackboy: A Big Adventure part of LittleBigPlanet?
Yes, Sackboy: A Big Adventure is an official spin-off set in the same universe. It features Sackboy and the franchise's signature craft aesthetic, but shifts focus entirely to 3D platforming rather than level editing.
Final Thoughts
Although LittleBigPlanet holds a legendary position in console gaming, its core pillars live on. Whether you want to design entire games in Dreams, solve physics puzzles in Unravel Two, or jump through handmade worlds in Sackboy: A Big Adventure, these titles will satisfy your craving for creative platforming.
