Nintendo Switch 2 is a natural home for adventure games: a bigger, sharper screen in handheld mode, smoother frame rates and enough power for worlds that the original Switch could only approximate. The list below mixes Nintendo's own exploration epics with enhanced indie favorites and big third-party adventures that now run properly on the hardware.
1. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition#
Nintendo EPD's 2023 sequel drops Link into Hyrule's skies and depths and gives him Ultrahand, Fuse and Ascend to solve problems however he likes. The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, released in June 2025, adds higher resolution and steadier frame rates, which suits a game that constantly pushes the old hardware. Few adventures offer this much freedom to experiment. The weakness is sheer scale: the overlapping surface, sky and underground maps can overwhelm players who prefer a guided path.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition#
Breath of the Wild, first released in March 2017, rewrote the open-world adventure by letting you climb almost anything and head straight for the final boss if you dare. The Switch 2 Edition from June 2025 cleans up the image and performance of an already beautiful game. Its physics-driven systems and quiet, lonely atmosphere still feel fresh. Weapons break quickly, which frustrates some, and the dungeons are smaller than in older Zelda games. Play it first if you have not started the pair.
3. Donkey Kong Bananza#
Nintendo EPD made this 3D adventure for Switch 2 and released it in July 2025. Donkey Kong and a young Pauline tunnel through a layered underworld, and nearly all terrain can be punched, smashed, carried and thrown. That destruction makes exploring constantly rewarding, and it is one of the best showcases for what the console can do. The downside is precision: the smashing-focused design is looser than Mario's tight platforming, so players who want pinpoint jumps may find it too freeform.
4. Super Mario Odyssey#
Super Mario Odyssey, from Nintendo EPD in October 2017, sends Mario across themed kingdoms with Cappy, a sentient hat that lets him capture enemies and objects and use their abilities. Every kingdom is packed with hidden Power Moons, and the joy of discovery rarely lets up. A free update adds Switch 2 visual improvements and it remains a joyous, generous adventure. Its main weakness is difficulty: the story is easy and the real challenge is hidden in optional post-game content.
5. Hollow Knight: Silksong#
Team Cherry's long-awaited sequel arrived in September 2025 with Hornet as the protagonist, climbing through the kingdom of Pharloom in a hand-drawn world full of secrets and memorable bosses. It is faster and more acrobatic than the original, and the Switch 2 version adds sharper visuals and smoother performance. A fine pick for patient explorers. The weakness is difficulty, which can be punishing early on, with long runs back after a death, so newcomers should be ready to struggle.
6. Hollow Knight#
Team Cherry's 2017 metroidvania sends a nameless knight down into the ruined insect kingdom of Hallownest, where atmosphere, music and bosses create something far larger than its small-studio roots suggest. The free Switch 2 Edition from February 2026, available to owners of the Switch version, adds higher resolution and improved frame rates. It is a long, rewarding exploration game. Be warned that the map system is deliberately awkward and the difficulty is high, especially for players new to the genre.
7. Split Fiction#
From the makers of It Takes Two, Hazelight's 2025 co-op adventure follows two writers, Mio and Zoe, trapped inside their own sci-fi and fantasy stories. It swaps mechanics and settings almost every chapter, from cyberpunk chases to dragon rides, and every level feels like a fresh idea. It is built entirely around two players, which is its strength and its limit: if you have nobody to play with, there is little reason to pick it up.
8. Lorelei and the Laser Eyes#
Simogo's puzzle adventure, released in May 2024, lets you roam an eerie hotel full of riddles, cryptic notes and old films. It is stylish, black-and-white with striking red highlights, and it trusts you to take your own notes and work things out. The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition from April 2026 adds higher resolution and frame rates. Its puzzles are demanding and sometimes obscure, so players who dislike notebooks and dead ends should look elsewhere.
9. Stray#
BlueTwelve Studio's 2022 adventure puts you in the paws of a stray cat exploring a neon-lit robot city, with a small drone companion, a few tense chase sequences and plenty of cat behavior. The Switch 2 version, released in 2026, improves visuals and performance over the original Switch port. It is short and atmospheric, more about mood than challenge. The puzzles are light and the combat-free chases can feel repetitive, so players wanting depth may find it a bit thin.
10. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle#
MachineGames' 2024 first-person adventure places Indy in the 1930s and mixes stealth, brawling, puzzles and globe-trotting exploration with a script and performance that capture the films' spirit. The Switch 2 version arrived in May 2026. It is one of the most convincing big-budget adventures on the system. Expect stiff fistfights and sometimes awkward stealth, and know that it is a demanding game that asks the most of the hardware.
11. Dispatch#
AdHoc Studio's episodic superhero comedy, released in October 2025 on other platforms, has you managing a team of misfit heroes as a rookie dispatcher, mostly through dialogue choices and light management puzzles. It arrived on Switch and Switch 2 in January 2026, with the newer console running it at a higher frame rate and resolution. The writing and voice cast are the draw. It is light on traditional gameplay and its humor is crude, so skip it if you want action.
12. Resident Evil Requiem#
Capcom's 2026 survival-horror entry follows FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft and offers a choice between first and third-person views. It launched on Switch 2 alongside other platforms in February 2026 as a fully playable local version, not a cloud one. It blends puzzle-solving, resource management and high-tension encounters, and is the most intense adventure on this list. The obvious caveat is tone: it is graphic and frightening, so anyone who dislikes horror should leave it alone.