The Nintendo Switch is an unusually good home for adventure games, from Nintendo's own sprawling Zelda and Mario worlds to a deep bench of indie stories, puzzles and exploration games that suit short handheld sessions just as well as long evenings on the TV. The genre here stretches from open-world exploration to quiet narrative games, so the picks below cover both ends. Each entry notes one honest drawback.
1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild#
Nintendo EPD released Breath of the Wild in March 2017 as a launch title for the Switch, and it reset what an open-world adventure could be. Hyrule is open from the first hour, climbing works almost anywhere, and physics and fire systems reward experimenting rather than following a checklist. Shrines give bite-sized puzzles, and the Divine Beasts give larger set pieces. The catch is weapon durability, which still frustrates players who like to hoard gear, and the story is thinner than the world around it. As a definition of the console's adventure appeal, it has few equals.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom#
Tears of the Kingdom arrived in May 2023 and builds on the same Hyrule with new tools: Ultrahand to assemble vehicles and contraptions, Fuse to combine items, Ascend to rise through ceilings and Recall to rewind objects. Sky islands and the huge Depths below the map add two more layers to explore. Its creative freedom is remarkable, and players can solve problems in ways the designers clearly did not script. The weakness is familiarity, since the surface map is largely the one from the last game, and building can become fiddly. Start with Breath of the Wild if you have not played either.
3. Hollow Knight#
Team Cherry's Hollow Knight, which reached Switch in June 2018, sends a silent bug knight through Hallownest, a ruined underground kingdom full of tight combat, hidden paths and melancholy. The map opens gradually as new abilities unlock, bosses are memorable, and the hand-drawn art and score set a mood few games match. It is a huge amount of game for handheld play. It can also be punishing, and having to find mapmakers before you get a map leaves newcomers lost. Anyone who dislikes backtracking or steep difficulty should look elsewhere.
4. Super Mario Odyssey#
Super Mario Odyssey launched in October 2017 and sends Mario across themed kingdoms with his hat companion Cappy, who can capture enemies and objects and let you control them. Each kingdom is a dense sandbox packed with secrets, and the joy comes from how freely you can move. It is playful and inventive in a way few adventure games are, and it suits quick handheld sessions. The downside is difficulty: the main story is easy, and the truly hard challenges are hidden in post-game content. It is one of the best entry points to the platform for players of any age.
5. Return of the Obra Dinn#
Lucas Pope's Return of the Obra Dinn reached Switch in October 2019. You play an insurance investigator aboard a ghostly merchant ship, using a magic pocket watch to see the moment each of the 60 crew members died, then working out who each person was and how they met their end. The 1-bit art is striking, and the deduction is deeply satisfying when it clicks. It gives no hand-holding, which is the point, but some identifications feel obscure and the small text can be hard to read in handheld mode.
6. Metroid Prime Remastered#
Retro Studios' Metroid Prime Remastered appeared on Switch in February 2023, a rebuilt version of the 2002 GameCube classic. Samus explores the alien world of Tallon IV, scanning the environment, collecting upgrades and unlocking new routes in a first-person adventure that prizes atmosphere and patience. The updated visuals hold up beautifully, and the level design is still a model for the genre. It is also old in its structure, with a lot of backtracking and a map that can be confusing. It is best for players who enjoy slow, exploratory pacing over constant action.
7. Tunic#
Tunic, from developer Andrew Shouldice, launched on Switch in September 2022. You play a small fox in a beautiful isometric world with combat and exploration that nod toward classic Zelda, yet the game's real hook is its in-game instruction manual, written in an invented language that you slowly piece together. It rewards curiosity and note-taking, and its secrets run deep. Combat can become demanding, and some players will find the obscure puzzle design frustrating. Anyone who loved finding secrets in old adventures will enjoy this.
8. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective#
Capcom's Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective brought Shu Takumi's 2010 Nintendo DS cult classic to Switch in June 2023. You play a recently deceased man who can possess objects and rewind to four minutes before a person's death to change fate, solving the mystery of his own murder. The puzzles are clever, the animation is expressive and the story is full of twists and warm, funny characters. The pacing is linear and there is little freedom, and some puzzles can feel trial-and-error. It is a compact and lovingly crafted mystery.
9. Luigi's Mansion 3#
Next Level Games' Luigi's Mansion 3 came out in October 2019 and sends a nervous Luigi through a haunted hotel where every floor has its own theme. With a vacuum, a flashlight and the gooey companion Gooigi, you catch ghosts and solve environmental puzzles. The animation is among the best Nintendo has produced, and the floors are full of small jokes and secrets. Ghost-catching can feel repetitive across the long run, and the camera is sometimes awkward. It is a charming, family-friendly adventure with real craft.
10. What Remains of Edith Finch#
Giant Sparrow's What Remains of Edith Finch reached Switch in July 2019. You return to the Finch family home and learn how each relative died, each in a short, inventive vignette that changes how the game plays and looks. It is a short, moving experience that shows what interactive storytelling can do. That brevity is also the weakness, since it takes only a couple of hours and has little replay value. Best enjoyed in one sitting with headphones in a quiet room.
11. Inside#
Playdead's Inside came to Switch in June 2018. A boy flees through a dark, eerie world in a 2D adventure that mixes platforming, physics puzzles and a dystopian atmosphere without a single word of text. The puzzles are tightly designed, the world feels frighteningly real and the ending is still widely discussed. It is short, and deaths can be abrupt, even if checkpoints are generous. If you enjoy unsettling environmental storytelling that you must interpret yourself, this is essential.
12. Spiritfarer#
Thunder Lotus released Spiritfarer on Switch in August 2020. You are Stella, a ferrymaster who builds a boat, cares for the spirits of the dead, fulfils their last wishes and finally says goodbye. It mixes management, crafting and light platforming with hand-drawn animation and a gentle, emotional tone. The relationships with each spirit are the heart of the game. Chores can become repetitive late on, and the pace is deliberately slow. It is a beautiful choice for players who want comfort and feeling rather than challenge.
13. Gris#
Nomada Studio's Gris launched on Switch in December 2018. A young girl moves through a watercolor world that fills with color as she progresses through stages of grief. The platforming is gentle, abilities are introduced slowly, and the art and music carry the story without dialogue. It is a very pretty game and a good one for short sessions. There is almost no challenge and little risk of failure, so players who want depth in their mechanics will find it light. As an emotional experience, it is unusually graceful.
14. A Short Hike#
A Short Hike, by Adam Robinson-Yu, arrived on Switch in August 2020. You play Claire, a little bird who wants to reach the summit of Hawk Peak for a phone signal, and the game lets you climb, glide and wander around a small, charming island park. It is relaxed, funny and full of friendly characters and small side quests. The whole thing can be finished in a couple of hours, which some will find too slight. It is the ideal cozy palate cleanser between bigger games.
15. Night in the Woods#
Infinite Fall's Night in the Woods reached Switch in February 2018. Mae, a college dropout cat, returns to her decaying hometown of Possum Springs and finds it changed, with a mystery running under the everyday conversations. It is warm, sharp and funny, and its writing about small-town life and mental health stays with you. Gameplay is light, with platforming and mini-games between long dialogue scenes, and some will want more interaction. It is best for players who like character-driven stories and do not mind a slow pace.
16. Firewatch#
Campo Santo's Firewatch came to Switch in December 2018. You are Henry, a fire lookout in Wyoming in the 1980s, and your only companion is Delilah, heard over a handheld radio. The writing and voice acting make the relationship feel real, and the scenery is gorgeous. It is a narrative-first walking adventure with light puzzles and choices that shape your conversations. The ending divides players, and the pace is deliberately slow and short. It remains a memorable, human story set in a beautiful place.