What genre is the Rayman video game series primarily listed as?

The Rayman video game series is primarily classified as a platformer.

Platforming is the franchise’s defining design: players guide Rayman through environments, jump across gaps and platforms, avoid hazards, collect items, and defeat enemies. The original Rayman, released in 1995, established this core formula with side-scrolling stages, themed worlds, bosses, and abilities that Rayman gains during his journey.

Later mainline games expanded the presentation without abandoning the genre. Rayman 2: The Great Escape and Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc use 3D environments, while Rayman Origins and Rayman Legends return to highly polished 2D platforming. Their levels emphasize timing, movement, exploration, and cooperative play.

The classification does not mean every Rayman-branded game is a pure platformer. Rayman M and Rayman Arena focus on racing and competitive modes, and some Rabbids-related releases are party games. Those spin-offs can create confusion, but the franchise as a whole is listed primarily as a platformer because its central and best-known series identity is built on platform-game mechanics.