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As a sport that has a relatively high chance of injury, skateboarding is best experienced, for many, in the virtual world, where your limbs and feet are safe from the various falls that all skaters inevitably take. While most skate video games aren’t simulations of the sport, they’re still a great way to experience the thrill of skateboarding and allow you to feel like a badass. Especially ones that focus more on the impressive aerial tricks and spins that real-world skaters take years to master. There aren’t a huge amount of skateboarding games that come out every year, but there are some retro classics and the occasional modern gem that keep the beloved genre going. So if you want to ride a virtual skate, these are the best skateboarding games.

Top skate games

The first skateboard game was an arcade game from Atari called 720° which was released in 1986. Compared to today’s skate games, it’s incredibly basic as you just ride around the neighborhood doing tricks in the hopes of earning enough points to eventually get to a skate park, but the idea spawned an epic genre .

These days, skateboarding games are a beloved genre that is somewhat underserved. In the early 2000s, skateboarding games were everywhere, building on the success of the Tony Hawk franchise, and some of them are considered some of the best games ever made. But over the past 10 years, true AAA-level skateboarding games have become rare, with a handful of indie developers and the occasional larger release catering to a genre that has plenty of hungry fans. This list compiles the best of these games from recent years based on critical and fan ratings, but the key is that they’re all easily accessible on modern hardware.

10. Hellskate

Hellskate is a skateboarding game that is also an action roguelike, which is a good combination. You’ll be riding around performing tricks that boost your next attack against the monsters that populate the world. Each run gives you different power-ups to use in battle, but you’ll always be on board, racing to save the world.

It launched in Early Access earlier this year and is still being developed by Phantom Coast, but even in its unfinished form it’s still great fun. It’s a mix of genres that sounds a little silly, but it works well and the roguelike elements keep it fresh, something that other skate games can lack. It’s PC-only for now, but it looks like it’ll play well on other platforms too, so if you’re looking for a skate game that’s a little different, this is for you.

9. Skate bird

Take a bird, give it a skateboard and let it loose in your house. This is the concept of skate bird, and it’s so simple that it works strangely well. It’s not a complicated game by any means, but if you’re just looking to pull off some badass tricks, it’s the perfect entry into the genre.

Developed by Glass Bottom Games and released in 2021, it became a hit after the launch of Xbox Game Pass for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, with versions also available for PC, Switch, PS4 and PS5. It’s not that much, 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 to hit the ground, but if the hoverboard isn’t a natural evolution of the skateboard, then what on earth is? I proved my point.

I don’t really need to explain Subway surfers since you’ve probably watched at least an hour of it if you’ve ever been on the internet, since it’s the game that people overlay on videos that are mostly audio focused to give you something to watch. It’s an endless runner where you’re on a hoverboard, moving along train tracks, avoiding trains and other obstacles. It’s not a traditional skate game, but it’s surprisingly addictive and quite fun to watch, which is a testament to co-developers Kiloo and SYBO Games. It was originally launched in 2012, but has seen success in recent years following its rise to fame on TikTok. You can play it on most mobile devices like iOS and Android as well as in your browser.

7. Session

Session and the next game on this list are two very similar games. They channel the old skate games in terms of style, giving you maps to wander around and try to do tricks with a complex control system that takes a long time to master, which is exactly what fans are looking for.

Session released in 2022 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Switch and is made by Crea-ture Studios. If you were to imagine a modern take on classic skateboarding games from the early to mid 2000s, this is what you’d think of, and for the most part, it works well. However, there isn’t much depth beyond punch tricks, and the core gameplay without mods can feel overwhelming. But if you’re a content creator, this is the game for you, as the deep photo/video mode and multiple camera lenses give you plenty of customization options.

6. Skater XL

Skater XL is practically a rival of Session, and which you prefer will probably depend on personal preference and your platform. Simply thanks to the mods available, Skater XL ranks higher, but if you stick to the core game for both, there isn’t much to it.

Having launched in early access in 2018 on PC before coming to PS4, Xbox One and Switch later, it’s not as readily available as Session, but the wider mod library on PC means you can make it a better game with some limited technical know-how. As expected, you’ll be running around trying to pull off tricks, with many players saying it’s more of a simulation style than a rival. The developers Easy Day Studios have done a good job of creating Skater XL realistic, but again not much depth, so this is for those who want to recreate real life on board in the virtual world.

5. The ramp

The ramp is the simplest form of skateboarding games as it is literally about doing tricks on a small ramp or bowl. Described as a “virtual toy” by solo developer Paul Schnepf rather than a full game, there is no score, missions or unlockables. You just go down ramps and do tricks.

But it’s this simplicity that makes it fantastic, there’s nothing to get distracted or frustrated by, and the smooth controls make it incredibly satisfying to play. You might not be racking up multi-hour play sessions, but as a distraction for a few minutes on a regular basis it’s fantastic, and with the PC, Switch and Android versions, there’s plenty of places to play. It was released in 2021 and is still as good today as it was when it was released, and it comes at a small price, so there’s not much reason to pass this one up.

4. OlliOlli2: Welcome to Olliwood

OliOli 2 adopts the near-perfect formula of the original Olly Olly and it makes everything bigger, which is rarely a bad thing. It’s a 2-D skateboarding game where you play relatively short, hand-crafted levels that give you goals to complete. It looks simple, but in reality it is anything but.

Developed by Roll7 and released in 2015 with versions available for PS4, PS Vita, PC, Android, Xbox One and Switch, OliOli 2 masters the 2-D style of skateboarding with an addictive level of challenge and satisfying control systems. As you progress through the level, you have tasks to complete and must perform tricks to increase your score. But with the addition of guides, you can keep your combo going throughout the level most of the time, making it a bit harder than its predecessor. This is for people who like to chase high scores and appreciate the art style, but keep in mind that it’s incredibly hard to put down once you start.

3. Skate 3

Skate 3 is 14 years old, released in 2010, and only narrowly passes the “playable on modern hardware” test, as 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 deserves to be on this list.

Developed by EA Black Box, Skate 3 is considered by many to be the best skateboarding game ever made, with a huge open world to skate and perform tricks in some amazing locations. There is a story and tasks to complete, but also the real joy Skate 3 it’s just about having a giant world to roam around in and doing some badass tricks to look like a badass. It’s perfect for anyone looking for an open-world skate game that has a great control scheme and can swallow the now-outdated visuals.

2. OlliOlli World

The second Olly Olly The game on this list is both similar and significantly different from the previous one, as OlliOlli World brings the series into 3-D space for the first time. It’s still the skate-fest country you know from previous games, but a 3-D engine and new art style make this a different experience.

It’s also developed by Roll7 and is available on Switch, PS5, PS4, PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, launching in 2022, and the new visual style makes Olly Olly Holy feel very different from previous games. Its animation style is beautiful in a very different way than others in the franchise, and the 3-D engine allows for things like branching level paths, bigger jumps, and improved physics. It follows the same multi-level point attack style of play, but it feels quite different to play with the new style. If you loved the others, you’ll love this, and even if the old games didn’t do it for you, the new style might make this more appealing.

1. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2

If this list were the best skate games ever made, even ones you’d have a hard time playing today, then it could easily be made entirely of To Tony Hawk games. From the classic originals to the iconic Underground games and even some other titles, the series is a flagship for the genre.

But since the originals are getting old, the best way to experience them is the remake of the first two games, which came out in 2020 on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox SeriesX/S, PC and Switch and was made by Vicarious Visions. Although the content was kept the same, many improvements were added from the later games in the series in terms of controls, making this undeniably the perfect skateboarding game and easy for anyone to pick up and play. You’ll work your way through the now iconic levels trying to get high scores using tricks to unlock additional levels and customization options. It’s simple but great fun.

Bottom row

Even though it’s a genre based around one sport, there’s a surprising amount of variety in the world of skateboarding games. From open-world epics to small indie games and more than a few all-time classics, there are plenty of options, even if not as many are released each year.