20 Best Nintendo Switch Games of All Time

WWE 2K18 and Ark need not apply.

Nobody expected the Nintendo Switch to be as huge a success as it has been, owing to the fact that Nintendo looked like they were in a bit of a pickle following the dismal performance of the Wii U. They needed to innovate rather than simply iterate, and the Switch has been exactly that: a console and handheld hybrid boasting an amazing array of exclusives and the best place to play plenty of indies on the market. The best Nintendo Switch games run the gamut from Nintendo’s almost untouchable classic properties to third-party hits that feel custom-made for the platform.

The handheld console of dreams has been around for well over half a decade at this point, and in that time, it’s managed to amass a vast library of games. In the past, Nintendo have infamously failed to garner the full support of third-parties, but the Switch’s astounding variety of games — whether that’s indie or AAA — from a lot of genres and publishers has led to the console’s staggering amount of success. And then there’s Nintendo being more willing to dive deep into their library of licenses, with games from the 3DS, GameCube, and more getting another chance to shine.

With thousands of titles already available, it’s no easy task to whittle it down to just the absolute best Switch games. We’ve tried to opt for variety and include some that are supremely underrated in the mix with the already classics, though we have ranked them just to be spicy. Ahead of what’s believed to be an inevitable follow-up sometime in the next year, here are the best Nintendo Switch games of all time.

 

The Best Nintendo Switch Games

20. Neon White

Neon White
Neon White

Developer: Angel Matrix
Publisher: Annapurna Interactive
Exclusive? No

For Switch owners who hate running headfirst into a brick wall over and over until they get it just right, Neon White is one of the most addictive games of all time, let alone on the Switch. A speedrunner’s delight, few games manage to scratch the perfectionist itch quite as well as this one.

Part-FPS puzzler, part-visual novel, Neon White focuses on the titular Neon White as he tries to figure out how he winded up in Heaven — and what all of his associates are doing there too. Even those who don’t often find themselves battling on time trial leaderboards will find something to latch onto in this often hilarious, always compelling marvel that somehow balances all of its genres marvelously well.

Neon Yellow for life, bro.

 

19. SnipperClips

Snipperclips
Snipperclips

Developer: SFB Games
Publisher: Nintendo
Exclusive? Yes

It’s a crying shame that SnipperClips came out when it did, early in the Switch’s life. While many people were busy with Breath of the Wild, a charming little co-op game didn’t quite receive the recognition it deserved for promoting creativity and just generally being a lovely time, and a game that actually uses most of the Switch’s forgotten gimmicks to brilliant effect.

SnipperClips is a platformer that sees you teaming up to cut shapes to help your avatar (which you can also cut up) make their way through levels with there being more than one route to complete a puzzle. It’ll have you laughing and maybe even pulling out your hair if your teamwork isn’t on-point, but you’ll definitely have fun no matter what. You can even use the Joy-Con IR sensor with it, which you totally forgot existed.

 

18. Downwell

Downwell

Developer: Moppin/Red Phantom Games
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Exclusive? No

An utter gem on whichever platform it’s on, Downwell simply does not lose its appeal despite originally launching in 2015. Its Switch port is one of the only games which makes effective use of “tate mode”, which orientates the handheld into portrait mode. Adding to that, Downwell is also a game pretty much anyone can pick up and play thanks to it needing barely any inputs, though mastering it is another task entirely.

Rock hard and punishing, Downwell casts you down a well with only gun-boots for company. Procedurally generated levels ensure no two runs are ever the same, so you can never be too comfortable with it. It’s not so much a game that you will beat in quick time, rather one that will make every inch of progress feel like a mile. It’s never unfair, it’s just asking you to grow and learn the more you play.

From our Downwell review:

“Pound-for-pound (or dollar-for-dollar), Downwell is one of the Switch’s best games in its price bracket and just generally one of the system’s best games, which applies to every system that Downwell has appeared on to date. Despite being four years old this year, Downwell is still as maddeningly enticing as ever and, thanks to the multitude of ways of playing, might be at its most compelling on Switch.”

 

17. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle

Mario Rabbids

Developer: Ubisoft
Publisher: Ubisoft
Exclusive? Yes

Nintendo are famously clingy when it comes to their most famous properties, so it would be a bit of a surprise to see them lease Mario to Ubisoft, even more so when it was announced as a crossover between he and Rabbids: basically gaming’s Minions. That’s still a sentence that doesn’t make any sense, and it also doesn’t make sense just how good Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle somehow turned out to be.

Effectively XCOM for a younger audience, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle gives Mario a gun and some very insistent sidekicks as they take part in turn-based combats where the odds may never be in your favour. Sure, it’s not revolutionary, but it proves just how malleable Mario is and also somehow completed the impossible mission of making Rabbids seem less awful in general. Now that’s impressive.

Nintendo and Ubisoft did create a sequel, Sparks of Hope, which is also excellent (and still a bit weird to think about), but for our money, their first outing was the best.

 

16. Animal Crossing: New Horizons

New Horizons
New Horizons

Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Exclusive? Yes

While it will always be associated with a worldwide event that we don’t like to talk about, Animal Crossing: New Horizons still likely would’ve been an absolute phenomenon upon release. The most accessible game in the series (though still with loads of the Animal Crossing oddities that are its DNA), New Horizons invited tens of millions of players to an island paradise back in 2020 — and few wanted to leave.

Though the post-launch support felt a bit disappointing, especially for how far apart updates were, New Horizons’ brand of cozy living is going to be a fond memory for many for years from now. Even picking it up in the years since will provide you with a game that can provide a hundred hours of entertainment at a minimum, with many more on top of that if you want to build a monument to Godzilla at your own pace. If you’re sick of games that demand the world of you, take a trip on Dodo Airlines.

 

15. Splatoon 3

Splatoon 3
Splatoon 3

Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Exclusive? Yes

Nintendo typically are considered to be the rulers of local multiplayer, but over the past few years, they’ve earned plenty of critical acclaim for their online offerings, with Splatoon in particular becoming one of the fastest selling franchises for Nintendo. If you’re looking to jump in to this ink and paint soaked world, the most recent release, Splatoon 3, is your best shout.

In a bizarre post-apocalypse, players must fight each other with paint and decorate the surroundings to come out on top. Don’t expect Quake from Splatoon 3, it’s meant as a party shooter with social capabilities that is something only Nintendo could make. With a lengthy campaign mode and compelling multiplayer options that are accessible for players of most ages, Splatoon 3 is an important addition to anyone’s Switch library.

 

14. Octopath Traveler 2

Octopath Traveler 2
Octopath Traveler 2

Developer: Square Enix/Acquire
Publisher: Nintendo
Exclusive? No

Judging by how many developers and publishers are trying to pivot away from the “traditional” RPG that had its biggest boom in the 90s, you may think that the demand for them is also on the wane. Octopath Traveler 2, which feels like it comes from the SNES era in all the best ways, proves that you don’t need to make your RPG an open world with a billion dollar budget to look and play great.

You control many different characters in a bulging party with their stories unfolding the deeper into you go; you’ll no doubt be tossing and turning trying to pick your favourites. While it may not look like modern Final Fantasy, Octopath Traveler is a deep and rewarding adventure that will endear itself to those who prefer classic Final Fantasy games that were seen on earlier Nintendo systems. If you do fall in love with Octopath (and you will, if you give it the time), be sure to go back and play its predecessor, though this sequel does fix a lot of that game’s issues and hang-ups.

 

13. Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Fire Emblem Three Houses
Fire Emblem Three Houses

Developer: Intelligent Systems, Kou Shibusawa
Publisher: Nintendo
Exclusive? Yes

The Switch has allowed Nintendo to give some of their less appreciated franchises a bit of a glow-up, and perhaps none have benefitted from that more than Fire Emblem. The tactical RPG series has always had its fans, but for the most part, people just associated the franchise with the sword-wielding characters in Smash Bros. Now, it’s a juggernaut unto itself, with Fire Emblem: Three Houses being the biggest success yet and arguably the best the series has ever been.

Set in a school for aspiring military officers, you control a mercenary with a mysterious past who just so happens to become a professor for this school. The students are split across three houses, and the actions and choices you make during the game will affect which house you ally with, fundamentally changing the second half of the game. If you love strategy games with plenty of replayability and also eating loads of random meals, Fire Emblem: Three Houses is for you.

 

12. Pikmin 4

Pikmin 4
Pikmin 4

Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Exclusive? Yes

You know what they say, fourth time’s the charm. While Pikmin may never be the absolute system shifter that Nintendo keeps hoping it will be, as it’s basically an RTS game when you think about it, Pikmin 4 represents the franchise at its most ambitious and effortlessly charming.

With Olimar in need of saving from mysterious shrubbery, you’re tasked with getting together the rest of the Rescue Corps and making friends with the curious Pikmin on PNF-404 — and then throwing your new friends at all kinds of dangers. Pikmin 4 pulls back on the intense time management crunch of its predecessors while also adding more Pikmin to the party to create probably the most complete experience in the series to date.

Plus, it’s hard not to be immediately besotted by a game that tasks you with fetching a Game Boy Advance SP.

 

11. Undertale

Undertale
Image source: YouTube

Developer: Toby Fox
Publisher: Toby Fox
Exclusive? No

While it may look simple, Undertale is anything but. The combat system offers innovations everywhere, including the ability to avoid combat altogether with compassion, and an irreverent tone with a lot of heart that’s easy to be charmed by. There’s a reason why Undertale has perhaps the most effusively devoted fanbase of any game: the community is feverish and hangs on the game’s every word.

You travel across the Underground as the only human and come across an eclectic crop of characters (people love Sans but Mettaton is clearly the best) with a unique battle system that is more of a rhythm experience than a conventional RPG, which plays a lot better than it sounds on paper. It’s challenging while also brief, but with the storyline opening up the more you replay and make different choices, the richer your time with this modern classic becomes.

 

10. Dead Cells

Dead Cells

Developer: Motion Twin
Publisher: Motion Twin
Exclusive? No

A self-styled “Roguevania” with more going for it than meets the eye, Dead Cells started life as an Early Access game on Steam before making its way to most platforms and receiving widespread acclaim.

It’s brutal, but not so brutal that you can’t eventually break through hurdles and shriek like a wild banshee the first time you beat The Concierge, only to discover that you will have to beat him many, many more times to the point where he’s like any other enemy. Dead Cells is fantastic at making you feel like you’re truly improving.

You assume control of, um, a bunch of worms (maybe?) as they take control of a suit of armour and look for their sweet revenge across the grounds of a dangerous castle. Don’t sweat that too much: it’s the combat that you’re here for. There’s a fantastic array of ways to approach any sticky situation, but the random nature of each run means that you can never be too comfortable. Perhaps the best game of its ilk.

From our Dead Cells review:

I’ve had to continuously go back in my review and add in mechanics I’ve missed, the little details that make Dead Cells such an essential experience — and I’m sure I’ve still not covered everything. There’s still a little ways to go in 2018, but Dead Cells is a dead cert to find its way onto many GOTY lists, mine included.”

 

9. Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Developer: Monolith Soft
Publisher: Nintendo
Exclusive? Yes

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a massive JRPG that plays like a dream on hardware that shouldn’t be able to handle its scope as well as it does. A massive journey that will soak up dozens if not hundreds of hours of your life, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 boasts a gigantic open world to explore and a party of characters that you can’t help but grow enamoured by.

We don’t wish to overwhelm you when we say that you will need almost 200 hours of gameplay to reach 100% completion, which isn’t even considering the game’s DLC. There’s a lot to learn from here, but as with any good JRPG, you will be so absorbed in it all that you will be able to distinguish your Blades from your Drivers pretty quickly.

Of course, all three Xenoblade Chronicles games are absolutely worth your attention, so if you happen to like one of them, just know there’s few a hundred more hours of content waiting for you.

 

8. Stardew Valley

Developer: Eric Barone
Publisher: Eric Barone/Chucklefish
Exclusive? No

Stardew Valley is the antithesis of our chaotic times. A supremely chill experience that is what you make of it, the game provides the perfect release from the stresses of modern life by just allowing you to farm carrots all day. You technically don’t even need to speak to another soul and can roleplay the mysterious farmer who nobody knows if you want to.

But that would rob Stardew of some of its magic, the ability to make friends in a largely unfriendly small village — they just need to warm to you first. You can opt for a quaint life of cultivation with your spouse, or even become an adventurer and take on ghoulies for treasure. It all feels totally natural on the Switch, so whatever kind of person you want to be, Stardew provides escapism like few other games before it.

 

7. Metroid Dread

Metroid Dread
Metroid Dread

Developer: MercurySteam, Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Exclusive? Yes

While it was a long, long wait for Dreadheads (yes, that’s what they are called), Metroid Dread proved that 2D Metroid could still be every bit as engrossing as its Prime counterparts. Who knew that basically neutering Samus could be exactly what the side-scrolling games needed to flourish once again?

Facing off against the almost impenetrable EMMI sentries, a lot of Dread is spent stealthily skulking around, which gives Dread a slight survival horror bent that will have you on the edge of your seat. Though perhaps too frustrating for some, eventually getting rid of the robot Nemesis who’s been making your life hell for hours is a seriously satisfying reward.

Here’s hoping we aren’t waiting so long for more pain next time, though.

 

6. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Mario Kart 8

Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Exclusive? Yes (though technically it’s just a different package to the Wii U version)

One of the most effective Switch games at ruining everything, this. Many relationships and families have been ripped apart thanks to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: a chaotic evil video game if ever there was one. If you’re in a bad mood or are perhaps too competitive for your own good, playing Mario Kart is not recommended as it will prey on you and turn you into a fire-breathing vengeful dragon whenever you see a blue shell making its way to your pole position.

Easy to pick up and play, even the most incompetent of non-gamers will be able to get to grips with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe with no fuss, but being able to win comes down to a combination of sheer luck and staying away from first place as long as possible — it just puts a target on your back. If you need something to break the ice with a house guest, fire up Mario Kart and see what their personality is really like.

 

5. Hades

Hades game
Hades game

Developer: Supergiant Games
Publisher: Supergiant Games
Exclusive? No

Arguably the best non-exclusive game available on the Nintendo Switch, Hades set a new standard for roguelikes and action games in general when it originally launched for consoles on the Nintendo Switch. While its been ported to other platforms since, the bitesized nature of its roguelike formula means the Nintendo Switch is the ideal platform to experience this Greek epic.

Playing as the titular Hades’ son Zagreus, you embark on a quest to escape the underworld in order to reunite with your mother. Unfortunately for you, escaping from the grasp of Hades himself is easier said than done, and the Lord of the Underworld is intent on throwing everything at you to stop it from happening. Oh well, guess you will just have to fall in love with about eight different characters back at the House of Hades.

 

4. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Super Smash Bros Ultimate

Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Exclusive? Yes

What better way to say goodbye to the series than with one of the most complete Switch games you’re ever likely to play? Super Smash Bros. Ultimate may be the ultimate Smash experience with an absolutely ridiculous well of content to keep players content for dozens of hours, though you get the feeling that it will be 2050 and there will still be people sticking by Melee.

Whether you’re playing solo or against others, Ultimate is a game that just gets better the more you play. Not only do you progressively earn more characters to play as, but you can also feel yourself growing better as you best what appears to be a simple fighter that actually has a surprising amount to learn. Casual and competitive players alike are bound to find something in Ultimate to latch on to.

From our Super Smash Bros. Ultimate review:

“I know Smash has become sort of the modern day Monopoly as the game you play to lose friends to and it has a serious culture around it as perhaps the greatest fighting game of a generation, but above all, it is supposed to be a living gaming museum and Nintendo toy box that can do anything your imagination desires as long as it wants to have fun. Ultimate does all of that and more, providing one of the best gaming experiences I’ve ever had and almost certainly setting the bar for Game of the Year 2019.”

 

3. Luigi’s Mansion 3

Luigi's Mansion 3

Developer: Next Level Games
Publisher: Nintendo
Exclusive? Yes

Luigi has spent the vast majority of his life living in the shadow of his more famous brother Mario, but when the green-suited plumber gets his moments in the spotlight, he shines. Just look at the Luigi’s Mansion franchise, which has become a popular part of Nintendo’s portfolio in recent years, with Luigi’s Mansion 3 in particular being a series highlight.

Taking the action from a mansion to a spooky haunted hotel, Luigi and friends arrive at The Last Resort for a vacation, only to find that the hotel is filled with ghosts. Typical. Fortunately for Luigi, he’s able to team up with Professor E. Gadd once again to start vacuuming up some ghosts, but he doesn’t have to do it alone. The new Gooigi ability lets another player pick up a Joy-Con to join in the fun, making Luigi’s Mansion 3 a brilliant co-op experience.

 

2. Super Mario Odyssey

Super Mario Odyssey
Super Mario Odyssey

Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Exclusive? Yes

With so many games over so many decades, it’s a wonder that Nintendo are still able to innovate with each new Mario game. Super Mario Odyssey is one of the franchise’s most original and downright fun games, tasking the player with using a sentient cap to take over people and objects. It’s not as morbid as it sounds, don’t worry.

Cappy can allow Mario to reach places he never could and to overcome difficult obstacles with each new possession making Odyssey feel like a different game. There’s also a staggering amount of moons to track down and collect, so once you’ve beaten Mario’s old nemesis (shock horror), the game is only really just beginning to open up. There’s more than a hatful (hueue) of things to love about this one.

From our Super Mario Odyssey review:

“For the second time this year, Nintendo have blasted one of their flagship franchises to dizzying new heights. Totally sublime from start to finish, Super Mario Odyssey is an essential Nintendo Switch title. It’s genuinely one of the greatest games ever made and you owe it to yourself to experience it.”

 

1. The Legend of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom

Tears of the Kingdom
Tears of the Kingdom

Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Exclusive? Yes

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild releasing with the Switch could be seen as a serious statement of intent from Nintendo as they were delivering the most ambitious Zelda game to date for day one, so much so that people didn’t know how Nintendo could ever follow it up. Somehow though, they managed to accomplish it with Tears of the Kingdom, which fundamentally improves and adds to the core experience.

Tears of the Kingdom builds on the experimentation and exploration that formed the core identity of BOTW, while also still being a quintessential Zelda game. See something huge in the distance? Make your way there and then try to climb it — you probably can. Meanwhile, new abilities like Fuse and Ultrahand allow you as the player to create massive contraptions, vehicles and tools to help you in your quest to save Hyrule.

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