I know there was already a topic on this, but it was shut down, so…

Also, I know it's not as bad as they were before, but they're still a huge problem.

People just plop a cyclops cube on the screen, make it run and jump, continue that for 20 levels, put unrelated music in, name it "- A Platformer", post it, and get kajillions of views, only to be made in like an hour. Meanwhile, there'd very underrated Scratchers out there who make great projects, and are only known by like 50 people.

Its usually because these types of games get on trending due to so many people clicking and playing it. Not absolutely sure why

I think there are two relevant essays from the Scratch Wiki that can help you answer this question: @BigNate469's On Generic Platformers (2024) and Can Education Be Generic (2023).

On Generic Platformers claims that generic platformers get popular on the Explore page simply because a lot of people enjoy them:

BigNate469 wrote:

[…] every project on Trending is there because enough people like it. Considering the quantity of so-called “generic platformers” over the past four years or so, people in the community really like generic platformers. Regardless of if you feel differently, so many people like them that they're almost constantly on Trending, and have been for years at this point.

It makes sense, since projects don't just blow up on their own.
The only way a project can be popular on Scratch is if people like it enough to share it with others, and it seems like there are lots of people sharing generic platformers.

I can't say for sure why people like generic platformers, but I think it's because they appeal to everyone.
There's nothing offensive or controversial about the content of a generic platformer; it's just a fun little game that can be picked up by even the youngest of Scratchers.
Therefore, lots of people enjoy generic platformers, since they're completely accessible for the average player.

In contrast, other games may be complex, difficult, or niche, which can appeal to some players, but can drive away others.

Would you rather give New Super Mario Bros. or Celeste to a small child?
Your answer may vary, but I think a lot of people would choose NSMB due to how simple, recognizable, and easy it is.
Now think of the many small children on Scratch who often have to make this kind of decision for themselves.
It's no surprise that they would pick generic platformers - the simplest, easiest, and most recognizable games on Scratch.

If you want to help underrated projects get popular, a good start would be to share these underrated projects with people you think would be interested.
You could also add underrated projects to relevant studios, and give shout-outs to underrated Scratchers.

As long as people enjoy generic platformers, there will be no solution to the “problem” of popular generic platformers.
But you can work around this “problem” by supporting fellow Scratchers who you think deserve it.

—

Sorry for the essay I just dropped on your forum topic, by the way.

TL;DR: Generic platformers are popular because lots of people enjoy them.
“Underrated” projects may be too niche for the average Scratcher, which is why they aren't as popular.
If you want to help underrated Scratchers, share their projects and support them directly.

Voxalice wrote:

I think there are two relevant essays from the Scratch Wiki that can help you answer this question: @BigNate469's On Generic Platformers (2024) and Can Education Be Generic (2023).

On Generic Platformers claims that generic platformers get popular on the Explore page simply because a lot of people enjoy them:

BigNate469 wrote:

[…] every project on Trending is there because enough people like it. Considering the quantity of so-called “generic platformers” over the past four years or so, people in the community really like generic platformers. Regardless of if you feel differently, so many people like them that they're almost constantly on Trending, and have been for years at this point.

It makes sense, since projects don't just blow up on their own.
The only way a project can be popular on Scratch is if people like it enough to share it with others, and it seems like there are lots of people sharing generic platformers.

I can't say for sure why people like generic platformers, but I think it's because they appeal to everyone.
There's nothing offensive or controversial about the content of a generic platformer; it's just a fun little game that can be picked up by even the youngest of Scratchers.
Therefore, lots of people enjoy generic platformers, since they're completely accessible for the average player.

In contrast, other games may be complex, difficult, or niche, which can appeal to some players, but can drive away others.

Would you rather give New Super Mario Bros. or Celeste to a small child?
Your answer may vary, but I think a lot of people would choose NSMB due to how simple, recognizable, and easy it is.
Now think of the many small children on Scratch who often have to make this kind of decision for themselves.
It's no surprise that they would pick generic platformers - the simplest, easiest, and most recognizable games on Scratch.

If you want to help underrated projects get popular, a good start would be to share these underrated projects with people you think would be interested.
You could also add underrated projects to relevant studios, and give shout-outs to underrated Scratchers.

As long as people enjoy generic platformers, there will be no solution to the “problem” of popular generic platformers.
But you can work around this “problem” by supporting fellow Scratchers who you think deserve it.

—

Sorry for the essay I just dropped on your forum topic, by the way.

TL;DR: Generic platformers are popular because lots of people enjoy them.
“Underrated” projects may be too niche for the average Scratcher, which is why they aren't as popular.
If you want to help underrated Scratchers, share their projects and support them directly.

Ok, that makes sense.

Little kids(Sorry if I sound insensitive, but that's literally Scratch's primary audience) don't really care if a project is “generic”, and if they just so happen to like a certain style of projects, those types of projects will get popular.

And of course, Scratchers take advantage of that. If they see a popular style of project, or popular characters, they're gonna make projects featuring that style/those characters. It's kind of a common way to build and retain an audience on other platforms, and it's no surprise it also works on Scratch.

I don't think it's really fair to call other Scratchers' projects generic. While I know what type of projects you mean, I only saw 1 or 2 of the stereotypical “generic platformers” on the trending page, so I also wouldn't agree that they're very popular at this moment in time. Obviously the reason projects are designed similarly to other projects is due to trends, and also because people will make platformer templates and engines that make it easy for others to make platformers.

People just like generic platformers.

That's it. Nothing else. Scratchers like generic platformers, so generic platformers get popular. It isn't anything ST condones.