The Nintendo Switch has become one of the best homes for fantasy games, from Nintendo's own sweeping adventures to ports of huge Western role-playing games and a wave of hand-drawn indie quests. Whether you want a vast open world, a tactical campaign or a compact action game, the library covers almost every corner of the genre. The picks below are the ones that best capture swords, magic and mythical worlds on the platform.
1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild#
Nintendo EPD launched Breath of the Wild alongside the Switch in March 2017, and it reinvented Hyrule as an open world you can climb, glide across and poke at almost from the first minute. Link wakes after a century's sleep to fight Calamity Ganon, but you decide the order of everything. Physics and chemistry systems reward experimentation, and the Shrines are bite-sized puzzles. The big weakness is that weapons break constantly, which frustrates players who want to keep favorites. Dungeons are also less elaborate than in older Zelda games.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom#
Released in May 2023, Tears of the Kingdom returns to Hyrule and adds the sky islands and the Depths beneath. Ultrahand, Fuse and Ascend let you build vehicles and weapons from almost anything, turning the map into a playground of inventive solutions. Its story is darker and more personal than its predecessor, and the world feels richer for being layered vertically. The weakness is familiarity: the surface map is largely the same, and building systems can overwhelm players who prefer simpler adventures.
3. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt#
CD Projekt Red's dark fantasy epic reached Switch in October 2019 in a Complete Edition port by Saber Interactive, with both expansions included. You play the monster hunter Geralt, searching for his adopted daughter Ciri across war-torn kingdoms, and the side quests carry real moral weight. It remains one of the best-written role-playing games ever. The port is a technical feat, but it runs at a low resolution with softer visuals and occasional frame drops, so it suits players who value portability over visual fidelity.
4. Hollow Knight#
Team Cherry's hand-drawn metroidvania arrived on Switch in June 2018 and turns the insect kingdom of Hallownest into a melancholy fantasy world. You play a small, silent knight exploring caverns, fighting bosses and gathering charms that shape your abilities. The map is huge, the music is superb and the combat is precise and demanding. It gives little guidance, so it is easy to get lost, and some boss runs are punishing. Players who like to be told where to go may struggle.
5. Fire Emblem: Three Houses#
Intelligent Systems and Koei Tecmo released Three Houses in July 2019. You become a professor at a monastery in Fódlan and lead one of three student houses, balancing classroom life with grid-based tactical battles and a war story with real branches. Each route changes the plot, so replaying is worthwhile. Battles are deep and the cast is memorable. Monastery chores can feel repetitive, the first half is slow, and some visuals in the exploration sections look dated.
6. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door#
Intelligent Systems remade this GameCube classic in May 2024, keeping its storybook fantasy world, where Mario searches for treasure under Rogueport and collects Crystal Stars. Turn-based battles are staged like a theater performance, with timed button presses and audience reactions. The writing is funny and full of charm, and the new art is lovely. It is a light, playful take on fantasy. It is not especially difficult, and players who expect a sprawling role-playing game may find the combat systems simple.
7. Ori and the Will of the Wisps#
Moon Studios' sequel reached Switch in 2020 and is a luminous metroidvania about a guardian spirit in the forest of Niwen. The platforming and flow are some of the smoothest on the system, the painted backdrops are striking and the score is emotional. Its combat with a customizable loadout of shards adds depth. The Switch version runs at a lower resolution and sometimes stutters, and the story leans heavily on sadness, which may not suit everyone.
8. Divinity: Original Sin II - Definitive Edition#
Larian Studios' tactical role-playing game came to Switch in 2019 and offers a fantasy world where every skill, element and conversation can be used in surprising ways. You can play solo or in co-op, create your own hero or pick an Origin character, and exploit the environment in turn-based fights. Its freedom is remarkable. The interface is dense on a small screen, and the game is very long, so the Switch version is best for patient players.
9. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim#
Bethesda's Skyrim launched on Switch in November 2017 with motion-controlled swordplay and Zelda-themed gear. You are the Dragonborn, free to explore Nordic mountains, join guilds and slay dragons at your own pace. Its sheer scale and freedom still impress. Combat is stiff by modern standards, the animations are dated, and bugs are a known hazard. It is still a great portable fantasy sandbox for players who like to get lost.
10. Dark Souls: Remastered#
From Software's brutal dark fantasy came to Switch in October 2018. You guide an undead through the ruined kingdom of Lordran, connected by clever shortcuts and watched over by terrifying bosses. Its combat demands patience and timing, and discovering the lore through item descriptions is a pleasure. Switch performance is weaker than on other consoles. It is also deliberately punishing, so players who want a gentle fantasy should skip it.
11. Tunic#
Andrew Shouldice's isometric adventure features a little fox in a green tunic exploring a mysterious world full of secrets, and it arrived on Switch in 2022. It borrows from classic Zelda but hides its rules in an in-game manual written in an unknown language, so discovery is the point. Combat is Souls-like and the puzzles are brilliant. Some progression is opaque, and the difficulty can spike on bosses, so players who dislike being lost should look elsewhere.
12. Xenoblade Chronicles 2#
Monolith Soft released Xenoblade Chronicles 2 in December 2017. Rex and the Blade Pyra travel across the Titans of Alrest, in an anime-flavored fantasy with auto-attacking real-time combat and a huge roster of collectible Blades. The music is excellent and the world is gorgeous. The Gacha blade system and the confusing combat tutorials are an acquired taste, and handheld resolution is low. It is best for players who enjoy long Japanese role-playing games.
13. Hades#
Supergiant Games' Hades reached Switch in September 2020 and casts you as Zagreus, prince of the underworld, fighting his way out of Hell. Each escape attempt is a fast roguelike run with god-granted boons, while a constant stream of dialogue develops the Greek mythological cast. The action is fluid and the writing is excellent. Its structure is repetitive by design, so people who want a single large world to explore may prefer another entry on this list.
14. Death's Door#
Acid Nerve's isometric action-adventure reached Switch in late 2021 and stars a crow reaper collecting souls in a colorful afterlife. Combat is tight, with sword, bow and magic, and the dungeons feel like compact Zelda-style puzzles with serious boss fights. The tone mixes dark humor with melancholy. It is short, roughly ten hours, and the camera angle can hide things, so those after a giant adventure will find it small.