The Switch library is strongest where Nintendo's own studios work at full stretch, in open-world adventure, 3D platforming and party-friendly multiplayer, but it has also become one of the best homes for third-party and independent games. Roguelikes, metroidvanias, deckbuilders and long role-playing games all suit a console that works as well on a bus as on a television, and several of the best ports in the medium live here. The write-ups below explain what each game does better than almost anything else on the system, and where it falls short, to help decide what to play next. Games with a Nintendo Switch 2 edition are noted, since the whole library carries forward to the newer console.
1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild#
Nintendo EPD released Breath of the Wild in March 2017 as the Switch launch centerpiece, and it rebuilt the open world around curiosity rather than checklists. Any mountain on the horizon can be climbed, and a physics-and-chemistry engine lets fire spread through grass, metal conduct lightning and wind carry a paraglider, so the same problem usually has several valid solutions. Critics answered with a Metacritic score of 97 on Switch, it won Game of the Year at The Game Awards, and many outlets treated it as the new template for open-world design. The Great Plateau opening teaches the rules without a forced tutorial. A huge world also fits handheld play naturally, since sessions can be as short as a single shrine. The caveat is that weapons break quickly, which frustrates players who want to keep a favorite sword, and the four Divine Beasts are shorter and less inventive than the dungeons of earlier entries.
2. Super Mario Odyssey#
Nintendo EPD released Super Mario Odyssey in October 2017, and it turned the plumber's 3D formula into a sandbox of small, dense kingdoms. The central idea is Cappy, a hat that can be thrown and used to capture enemies and objects, so Mario becomes a Bullet Bill, a T-Rex or a taxi and the controls change with each transformation. The Metacritic score of 97, with every listed critic review positive, places it among the best-reviewed platformers ever made. Every kingdom hides far more Power Moons than the main story requires, and the game rewards experimentation with hidden paths that only appear once a move is combined in an unexpected way. The Joy-Con motion controls are optional, and the game runs well docked and in handheld. The weakness is that the main path is relatively easy, and the real difficulty only arrives in the post-game moon hunt.
3. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom#
Tears of the Kingdom arrived in May 2023 from Nintendo EPD, reusing the map of Breath of the Wild and then adding a sky archipelago and an underground layer beneath it. Its defining feature is a set of building tools: Ultrahand attaches objects to one another, Fuse joins any item to a weapon, and Ascend lets Link rise through ceilings. Players built vehicles, machines and contraptions that the developers had not scripted, and that emergent creativity is the main reason critics scored it 96 on Metacritic. The story is more structured than its predecessor, with dungeons that return to a classic temple format. It is a demanding game for the original hardware, and the frame rate can dip in busy areas. The honest complaint is that the surface world feels familiar to anyone who played the earlier game, and that managing fused weapons can turn tedious.
4. Metroid Prime Remastered#
Retro Studios rebuilt its 2002 classic in February 2023, and Nintendo released it as a surprise digital drop the same day it was announced. The remaster keeps the original level design, in which an interconnected alien world opens up piece by piece as new suit upgrades are found, but replaces the visuals with modern textures, lighting and a smooth frame rate. First-person exploration here is about scanning the environment for clues rather than shooting through corridors, and the atmosphere of Tallon IV remains one of the strongest in the medium. Critics rated it 94 on Metacritic, and it counts among the best remakes of its era. Controls can be switched to a dual-stick scheme, or to motion aiming that recalls the Wii versions. The trade-off is that the underlying design is more than twenty years old, so backtracking and a few obscure progression steps can slow the pace.
5. Persona 5 Royal#
Atlus released Persona 5 Royal in 2019, and the Switch version followed in October 2022 with all the additions of the expanded edition. The game alternates between a school year in Tokyo, managed through a calendar of friendships and part-time jobs, and palaces in a shadow world where the Phantom Thieves steal the corruption of villains. The turn-based combat rewards exploiting weaknesses, and the stylish menus, the jazz-inflected soundtrack and the cast make even the pause screen feel designed. The Switch version holds a Metacritic score of 94, in line with the PlayStation and PC releases, and the Royal edition added a new semester, new story content and extra polish. A hundred-hour story suits handheld sessions well. The weakness is its length and slow opening hours, along with a few attitudes towards its characters that have aged awkwardly.
6. Hollow Knight: Silksong#
Team Cherry's long-awaited sequel launched in September 2025, and it moves the story to the kingdom of Pharloom with Hornet as the playable protagonist. She is faster and more acrobatic than the Knight, with a needle, a silk-powered set of tools and a diagonal pogo strike that reshapes both combat and traversal. Metacritic lists the original Switch version at 94 and the PC version at 90. Reviewers praised the bosses, the world design and the art direction. It is also available on Switch 2. The weakness is the difficulty: enemies hit harder than in the first game, boss runbacks are long, and the pogo takes practice, which critics flagged repeatedly.
7. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate#
Developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Sora Ltd. and released by Nintendo in December 2018, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate gathered every fighter from the series' history into one game. The formula stays simple, in that damage raises knockback rather than depleting a health bar, and the depth appears in movement, edge-guarding and matchups across a huge roster. Critics scored it 93 on Metacritic, and its scale has kept it a fixture of local multiplayer nights ever since. The Switch suits it well, since Joy-Con can be split among friends and the console travels to a friend's house without extra hardware. The adventure mode, World of Light, is a long but repetitive spirit-battling campaign. Online play depends heavily on connection quality and has been criticized for lag on Wi-Fi, so a wired setup matters for anyone who wants to play seriously.
8. Hades#
Supergiant Games released Hades in September 2020 on Switch, in the same month as the full PC version. It is a roguelike in which Zagreus, son of Hades, tries to escape the Underworld, and each failed run advances the story rather than resetting it. Combat is fast, with a dash, a cast and a choice of infernal weapons, and the boons offered by the Olympian gods combine into builds that change every attempt. Critics rated the Switch version 93 on Metacritic, identical to the PC score, and it won Best Indie Game at The Game Awards 2020 while also being nominated for Game of the Year. The handheld fit is excellent, since a single run takes roughly half an hour, and the hand-painted art holds up on the small screen. The weakness is that the story's best moments arrive after many runs, and players who dislike repetition may bounce off before the narrative fully opens.
9. Ori and the Will of the Wisps#
Moon Studios released Ori and the Will of the Wisps in March 2020 on Xbox and PC, and the Switch version followed in September of that year. It is a fluid platformer with a hand-painted look and a soundtrack that carries the emotion of the story, in which the small spirit Ori searches for a lost owl. Movement is the highlight, with a bash, a dash and a grapple that chain into long, fast sequences, and the combat is more developed than in the first game, with a set of equipable abilities. Metacritic lists the Switch version at 93, the highest of any platform, and it was praised for both art and level design. The handheld screen shows off the hand-painted art. It is a hard game in places, and the escape sequences may prove frustrating. The story is also more sentimental than intricate.
10. Undertale#
Toby Fox released Undertale on PC in 2015, and the Switch version arrived in September 2018. A child falls into the underground realm of monsters, and combat becomes a conversation in which every enemy can be spared, teased or fought. The choice to kill or not shapes the story, dialogue and even the ending. The Switch release has a Metacritic score of 93, though it is based on only a handful of reviews. The soundtrack, composed by Fox himself, is one of the most recognizable in indie games. The graphics are deliberately simple. The weakness is that the bullet-hell battles and simple visuals will not appeal to everyone, and the game is short, with the strongest route requiring a specific approach.
11. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe#
Nintendo EPD ported Mario Kart 8 to Switch in April 2017 with every downloadable extra included, then kept adding courses through the Booster Course Pass. The mechanics are approachable, with anti-gravity sections, gliders and underwater driving added to the drift-and-boost core, and the item balance lets anyone win a race until the final lap. Critics rated it 92 on Metacritic. It runs at 60 frames per second on the television and offers smart steering and auto-accelerate options that make it friendly for younger or less experienced players. Battle Mode was rebuilt with proper arenas compared to the Wii U original, and local four-player split screen works on a single Switch. The weakness is that the blue shell and other catch-up items can feel unfair to competitive players, and the base roster contains a few weaker tracks.
12. Super Mario Bros. Wonder#
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a 2D platformer from Nintendo EPD, released in October 2023, and its central twist is the Wonder Flower, which triggers a sudden change to a level's rules. A pipe might come alive and dance, a corridor might stretch into an obstacle course, or the screen might turn into a stampede, and each of these moments appears once and is gone. Badges add a light layer of customization, and elephant, drill and bubble transformations broaden the toolkit. Critics scored it 92 on Metacritic, and many called it the best 2D Mario in years. Up to four players can play together locally or online. The world design is looser than in earlier titles, so the map lacks the grand geography of Super Mario World, and the final challenges are gentle compared with the hardest platformers in the library.
13. Celeste#
Maddy Makes Games released Celeste in January 2018, and its tight platformer controls, built around a single jump, a dash and a wall climb, are matched by a story about anxiety and self-doubt. Each of the mountain's chapters introduces a new mechanic and then tests it in a series of screens that reset instantly on failure, so learning by repetition never feels punishing. The Switch version holds a Metacritic score of 92, and the game won both Best Independent Game and Games for Impact at The Game Awards 2018. Precise button response and handheld play suit its short screens. An assist mode allows players to slow the game, add extra dashes or skip parts entirely, which opens up an otherwise demanding game. The caveat is that the optional B-sides and the late Farewell chapter are very hard, and players who want the full experience will need patience.
14. Bayonetta 2#
PlatinumGames released Bayonetta 2 in 2014 for Wii U, and the Switch version from February 2018 brought the game to a much wider audience. The witch Bayonetta fights angels and demons in extended, dance-like combos, and the Witch Time mechanic slows the world when an attack is dodged at the last moment. Every fight has a chain of spectacle set pieces, from a battle atop a jet to the fall through Hell, and the pace never lets up. Critics rated the Switch release 92 on Metacritic, a point above the Wii U original, and it is often discussed as one of the finest action games ever made. The story is deliberately chaotic and absurd, which not everyone enjoys. The camera can lose track of the action and the difficulty spikes at the highest settings.
15. Inside#
Playdead, the team behind Limbo, released Inside in 2016, and the Switch version arrived in 2018. A nameless boy moves through a grim, near-silent world of guarded farms, flooded rooms and underground laboratories, solving physics puzzles while fleeing pursuers, all told without a word of dialogue. The tension, the controlled pacing and an ending that many critics considered unforgettable put it among the best indie games ever made. The Switch version holds a Metacritic score of 91. It is short, and it plays smoothly in handheld mode. The weakness is that it is over in a few hours with little reason to replay beyond hidden secrets, and the puzzles rarely require much thought.
16. Animal Crossing: New Horizons#
Nintendo EPD released Animal Crossing: New Horizons in March 2020, and it became a cultural phenomenon during the early months of the pandemic. The player moves to a deserted island and gradually builds a settlement, decorates homes, catches fish and bugs, and invites villagers. New in this entry is the ability to terraform the whole island, placing rivers, cliffs and paths, which turned islands into personal creative projects. The game runs in real time by the console's clock, so seasons, holidays and events follow the calendar. Critics gave it 90 on Metacritic. It suits handheld play perfectly, since a few minutes at a time is enough. The weaknesses are a slow early game with strict limits on crafting and inventory space, and a content pace that some long-time fans found thinner than earlier entries. Player scores on Metacritic are far lower than critic scores, largely over long-term repetition.
17. Hollow Knight#
Team Cherry released Hollow Knight on Switch in June 2018, after its PC debut the year before, and it offered a very large hand-drawn insect kingdom for a small price. The player descends into the ruined kingdom of Hallownest, fighting with a nail, collecting charms that alter abilities and finding secrets through a map that must be bought and filled in bit by bit. Combat has a satisfying weight, and the bosses, from the Mantis Lords to the Radiance, are tests of pattern recognition. Critics gave the Switch version 90 on Metacritic, with every listed review positive, and it has a huge following among players. It is a good handheld game. The honest weakness is that the world can be disorienting, with unmarked paths, sparse fast travel and punishing corpse runs after death.
18. Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition#
Square Enix released the Definitive Edition for Switch in September 2019, and it improved on an already celebrated game. The Luminary and his companions travel across a colorful, classical world in a story about destiny and loss, with turn-based battles, a warm cast and a Toriyama-designed look. The Switch version adds an optional 2D mode with pixel-art visuals, an orchestral soundtrack option, a Japanese voice track and extra story episodes for individual characters. Reports put its Metacritic score at around 90, but this could not be confirmed on the review site itself. It is a long, comfortable role-playing game that suits handheld play. The weakness is a very traditional structure that critics called safe, and the visuals on Switch are softer than on other platforms.
19. Balatro#
LocalThunk released Balatro in February 2024, and the Switch version arrived later that year. It is a roguelike deckbuilder built on poker hands, in which jokers modify the rules and scores climb into absurd numbers. The core idea is simple to grasp, and the joker combinations create a genuine sense of discovery as a broken build comes together. The Switch version has a Metacritic score of 90, matching the PC version, and Balatro won Best Debut Indie, Best Independent Game and Best Mobile Game at The Game Awards 2024. It suits handheld play and quick sessions perfectly. The weakness is that runs can be decided by early luck, and after many hours the strategies start to repeat.
20. Sea of Stars#
Sabotage Studio released Sea of Stars in August 2023, and it is a turn-based role-playing game built as a love letter to 1990s classics such as Chrono Trigger. Two children of the solstice, Valere and Zale, travel a beautifully lit pixel world, and combat adds timed button presses to attacks and defense. The soundtrack, with Yasunori Mitsuda among the composers, is a highlight. The Switch version holds the highest Metacritic score of any platform, at 90, based on a smaller number of reviews. Exploration and puzzles are gentle, and the game is friendly to players who do not want to grind. The weakness is that the story leans on familiar tropes, and the combat can feel routine in the second half of the adventure.
21. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury#
Nintendo released this double bill in February 2021. Super Mario 3D World, originally a Wii U game from 2013, is a compact, inventive platformer built from short levels and four-player co-op, while the new Bowser's Fury is an open-ended mini-adventure in which a rampaging Bowser periodically turns the sky black and forces Mario to team up with Bowser Jr. and a Giga Bell. Critics received the package very warmly, and many called 3D World one of the best platformers ever made. The weakness is that critics were divided on Bowser's Fury, some calling it a promising experiment that lacks the polish of the main game, and the fixed camera in 3D World can hide depth in a few stages.
22. Fire Emblem: Three Houses#
Intelligent Systems and Koei Tecmo released Fire Emblem: Three Houses in July 2019. The player becomes a professor at a military academy, choosing one of three houses and teaching its students between turn-based tactical battles. The academy calendar of lessons, tea parties and side missions gives every unit a personality, which makes the permanent loss of characters in classic mode hurt. Critics gave it 89 on Metacritic. The branching story lets a second playthrough with another house reveal different sides of the same conflict, and the tactical battles reward positioning. Its handheld mode works well for the grid-based combat. The weakness is a slow first half, repetitive academy chores between battles, and a story route that keeps players from seeing the full picture on a single run.
23. Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition#
Monolith Soft's 2010 Wii role-playing game returned in May 2020 in a full remaster, and it remains one of the best entry points into the series. Shulk wields the Monado, a sword that lets him glimpse the future, and the story unfolds across the bodies of two colossal frozen gods, with landscapes that feel enormous even now. Real-time combat built around positioning and cooldowns is easier to grasp than it first looks. The Definitive Edition adds redrawn character models, a rebuilt interface, a difficulty setting and the epilogue Future Connected. Critics rated it 89 on Metacritic, with 96 percent of reviews positive. The Switch suits its huge world and long sessions. The weakness is a battle system with weak allied AI at times, a lot of fetch-quest filler in side content, and a visual base that still shows its Wii age in places.
24. Xenoblade Chronicles 3#
Monolith Soft released Xenoblade Chronicles 3 in July 2022, and it is a large role-playing game about two nations locked in a war in which soldiers live only ten years. The combat mixes real-time auto-attacks with cooldown-based arts, and the class system lets the player master roles and combine them across the six main characters. The story ties together the earlier two games in a way that rewards series veterans, with an emotional weight that was widely praised. Critics gave it 89 on Metacritic, with reviewers calling it the narrative high point of the series. Music by Yasunori Mitsuda and others supports the tone throughout. It suits the handheld, though the sprawling menus are dense on a small screen. The weakness is a slow tutorial period, a very high volume of systems introduced across many hours, and a story best appreciated with some knowledge of the earlier games.
25. Stardew Valley#
ConcernedApe, a one-person development effort by Eric Barone, released Stardew Valley on Switch in October 2017, and it turned the farming-life formula of Harvest Moon into something bigger and more generous. The player inherits a farm, plants and harvests through the seasons, mines for ores, fishes, befriends townspeople and chooses whether to restore the community center. Every day has a clock, and the loop of one more day is what makes the game so hard to put down. Critics rated it 89 on Metacritic for PC and 87 for Switch, and its long tail of free updates, including multiplayer and new areas, continues to add reasons to return. The handheld mode is a natural fit for it. The weakness is that the early days are slow and can feel aimless, and the interface, which was designed for a mouse, takes some adjustment on a controller.
26. Dead Cells#
Motion Twin released Dead Cells in August 2018 on Switch, and it blends roguelike structure with the fluid movement of a metroidvania. Each run through a shifting castle uses a huge range of weapons, traps and mutations, and permanent upgrades allow players to open new routes over time. Combat is fast, weighty and readable, and the pixel art looks excellent in handheld mode. Critics rated the Switch version 89 on Metacritic, level with the PC release, and reviewers noted that it works for people who do not usually like roguelikes. Continuous free updates and paid expansions have kept it fresh. The weakness is that the randomness of weapon drops can make a run feel decided early, and the constant restarting is not for players who want a steady story.
27. Into the Breach#
Subset Games, the team behind FTL, released Into the Breach on PC in February 2018 and on Switch later that year. It is a turn-based tactics game played on tiny eight-by-eight grids, in which giant mechs defend cities from insectoid monsters. Enemy attacks are shown in advance, so the puzzle is to use knockback, positioning and pilot abilities to neutralize them all in a turn. Critics rated it 90 on Metacritic overall and 89 on the Switch release. Each run takes a short while, which makes it ideal for handheld sessions, and the touchscreen makes choosing tiles quick. The weakness is that the visuals and story are deliberately minimal, and because it plays closer to a puzzle than to a full tactics campaign, players wanting a large narrative will not find one.
28. Metroid Dread#
MercurySteam developed Metroid Dread with Nintendo EPD, and it was released in October 2021 as the first new 2D Metroid in nineteen years. Samus is hunted across the planet ZDR by the E.M.M.I., robots that cannot be fought conventionally and must be evaded or ambushed with a brief window of counterattack, which turns exploration into tense stealth. Boss fights are hard and precise, and the movement is fluid, with a slide, a grapple and a melee counter that feel very responsive. Critics rated it 88 on Metacritic, with 94 percent of reviews positive, and it was widely treated as a series high point. The game runs at 60 frames per second and looks sharp in handheld mode. The complaint is that E.M.M.I. sections can feel repetitive after the third or fourth encounter, and the map can be confusing without careful attention.
29. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door#
Intelligent Systems remade its 2004 GameCube role-playing game in May 2024, and the Switch version keeps the structure while rebuilding the presentation. Mario and his partners battle on a theater stage in front of an audience, and well-timed button presses raise damage and defense while the crowd reacts. The chapter-based story, told with wit across Rogueport and beyond, is packed with character. The remake has redrawn art, a rearranged soundtrack and small quality-of-life fixes. Critics rated it 88 on Metacritic, with 96 percent of reviews positive, and many called it the definitive way to play. The weakness is that it changes little for anyone who played the original, battles can feel slower than in the GameCube version, and the difficulty is gentle until late in the game.
30. Super Mario Maker 2#
Nintendo EPD released Super Mario Maker 2 in June 2019, and it hands the level editor to the player. Courses can be built with the touchscreen in handheld mode or with a controller on the television, using tools from four game styles, and the results can be shared and played worldwide. The addition of slopes, a Super Mario 3D World style and a Story Mode with more than a hundred handmade courses gave the sequel a full single-player game as well. Critics scored it 88 on Metacritic, with 98 percent of reviews positive. The concept never runs dry, because every idea a player has can be tested within minutes. The weakness is that much of the fun depends on the quality of levels other players upload.
31. Dave the Diver#
Mintrocket released Dave the Diver in 2023, and the Switch version followed in October of that year. By day, Dave explores a procedurally shaped, tide-affected blue hole, harpooning fish and rescuing sea creatures. By night, he runs a sushi restaurant using the catch, and the two halves feed each other so smoothly that the game keeps adding new mechanics without collapsing. Critics rated it 88 on Metacritic on Switch, close to the PC score of 90. The tone mixes silly humor, nostalgic pixel art and surprising depth, and it works well in short handheld sessions. The weakness is that the constant stream of new systems and mini-games can become overwhelming, and some sections lean on lengthy tutorials and quick-time interruptions.
32. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening#
Grezzo released this remake of the 1993 Game Boy classic in September 2019, and it recasts the dreamlike island of Koholint in a toy-diorama style. Link explores a small but tightly connected overworld, solves classic dungeon puzzles and finds items that open new paths. The Chamber Dungeon feature lets players assemble their own dungeons from rooms they have completed. Critics gave it 87 on Metacritic. The story remains strange and touching, and it is a good size for handheld sessions. The weakness is that the frame rate dips in some outdoor areas, and the top-down design feels small next to the open-world Zelda games that followed.
33. Astral Chain#
PlatinumGames released Astral Chain in August 2019, and it combines stylish action with the ability to command a Legion, a chained creature that fights alongside the player. Police officers investigate incidents in a neon city and cross over into a parallel world. Controlling both the officer and the Legion at once gives the combat a layered rhythm. Critics rated it 87 on Metacritic, with 97 percent of reviews positive, and player scores on the site were among the highest for a Switch action game. The story has tone and a memorable soundtrack. The weakness is that the investigative sections between fights are repetitive, and the camera can struggle in the hectic combat.
34. Pikmin 4#
Nintendo EPD released Pikmin 4 in July 2023, and it is the most accessible entry in the series. The player leads different types of Pikmin to carry treasures, defeat creatures and solve puzzles, with a new dog companion named Oatchi who can carry and fight alongside the crew. Night expeditions add a tower-defense-style mode, and the Dandori challenges reward efficient use of time. Critics rated it 87 on Metacritic, with 95 percent of reviews positive. The colorful, miniature world looks bright in handheld mode. The weakness is that some reviewers found the tutorials and prompts too frequent, and the strong presence of Oatchi reduces the sense of scarcity that made earlier entries tense.
35. Cuphead#
Studio MDHR released Cuphead on Xbox and PC in September 2017, and the Switch version followed in April 2019. It is a run-and-gun and boss-rush game drawn in the style of 1930s rubber-hose cartoons, with every frame hand-animated and a jazz soundtrack recorded by a live band. The bosses are the highlight, shifting through multiple forms and testing precision and pattern learning. Critics rated the Switch version 87 on Metacritic. Local co-op makes it a fun pair-up game, though it works better solo. The weakness is the punishing difficulty, which is central to the design and can be off-putting, and the run-and-gun levels are less inventive than the boss battles.
36. Luigi's Mansion 3#
Next Level Games released Luigi's Mansion 3 in October 2019, and it sends the reluctant hero through a haunted hotel with a new ghost-capturing vacuum. Every floor has its own theme, from a medieval castle to a movie set, with clever puzzles that use Gooigi, a green jelly double who can be controlled separately, to bypass obstacles. The physics and animation are among Nintendo's most charming. Critics rated it 86 on Metacritic. The game supports co-op with a friend on the same console and a multiplayer tower mode. The weakness is a repetitive mechanical structure and limited enemy variety, which some reviewers flagged, and boss fights can be uneven.
37. Bayonetta 3#
PlatinumGames released Bayonetta 3 in October 2022, and it lets the witch summon giant demons in a multiverse story that introduces a new fighter, Viola. The combat is faster and more inventive than before, with Demon Slave attacks and a wider range of weapon combinations. Critics gave it 86 on Metacritic, with 88 percent of reviews positive, and several noted that it is one of the studio's best games. The action is stylish and full of spectacle. The weakness is that performance is uneven in busier scenes, and the story and pacing are more scattered than in the earlier entries, with some sections that break the combat rhythm.
38. Return of the Obra Dinn#
Lucas Pope, working alone, released Return of the Obra Dinn in 2018, and the Switch version followed in 2019. The player is an insurance investigator who boards a ship that has drifted into harbor with its whole crew missing and dead. A magic pocket watch lets the player relive the moment of each death, then identify who died, how and who was responsible, by piecing evidence from frozen scenes. The one-bit visual style is distinctive and works well on the Switch's small screen. Critics rated the Switch version 86 on Metacritic, and it drew wide acclaim for its design and art. The game trusts the player to use logic without hints, and the moment several identities fall into place at once is the payoff. The weakness is that it can be frustrating when a deduction stalls, and it is short with little replay value.
39. Disco Elysium: The Final Cut#
ZA/UM's Disco Elysium: The Final Cut brought the acclaimed detective role-playing game to Switch in 2021, with full voice acting added to the text. The player controls an amnesiac detective investigating a murder in a decaying district, and every skill, from Logic to Empathy, is a voice in his head that argues, misleads and comments. There is no combat, and skill checks and dialogue trees carry the entire game. The PC version holds a Metacritic score of 97, and the Switch version sits at 86, which reflects a port that critics found less polished on the smaller platform. It collected a long list of awards for writing and design. The weakness is the density of text, which is tiring in handheld mode for some players, and its politics-heavy humor will not suit everyone.
40. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition#
CD Projekt Red's 2015 role-playing game reached Switch in October 2019, ported by Saber Interactive, and it was long considered an impossible feat. Geralt hunts monsters, follows a sprawling story and makes choices with real consequences across a huge open world, plus two large expansions in this edition. The Switch version has a Metacritic score of 85, compared with the low 90s the game earned elsewhere. Visuals are reduced, with lower resolution and shorter draw distance, but the game remains intact. It is a reasonable way to take a huge game anywhere. The weakness is the visual downgrade, with a blurry image and pop-in, and the combat and inventory feel dated next to newer releases.
41. Slay the Spire#
Mega Crit released Slay the Spire on PC in January 2019, and the Switch version followed in June of that year. It is a roguelike deckbuilder, in which the player climbs a tower by choosing cards and relics that build a deck around a strategy, then fights enemies that telegraph their intentions. It created a genre, and its clear rules keep runs interesting long after the first victory. Critics rated the Switch version 85 on Metacritic, against 89 on PC. It suits handheld play, and a run fits into short sessions. The weakness is that the Switch controls are slightly slower than mouse play, and the visuals are plain, and progress depends on careful reading of cards.
42. Kirby and the Forgotten Land#
HAL Laboratory released Kirby and the Forgotten Land in March 2022, and it was the first fully three-dimensional Kirby adventure. The pink hero explores a ruined human world, using Mouthful Mode to swallow objects such as cars and traffic cones and take on their shape. Levels are compact and inventive, and Waddle Dee Town adds a rebuilding layer. Critics rated it 85 on Metacritic, with 94 percent of reviews positive. The game is accessible for younger players, has two-player co-op, and uses a soundtrack that has earned particular praise. The weakness is a difficulty level that is low for experienced players, and one critic's remark that it is sweet but light on substance sums up the more critical view.
43. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom#
Grezzo and Nintendo released Echoes of Wisdom in September 2024, and for the first time in the main series, Princess Zelda is the playable hero. Instead of a sword, she carries the Tri Rod, which lets her copy objects and monsters as echoes and use them to solve puzzles and fight. The art style borrows from the Link's Awakening remake, and the top-down perspective returns. Critics gave it 85 on Metacritic, and reviewers praised the sense of freedom. A Switch 2 edition also runs it more smoothly. The weakness is that the echo system is used less inventively than its promise suggests, the frame rate can dip on the original hardware, and some reviewers found the pace fades in the second half.
44. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle#
Ubisoft released Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle in August 2017, and it combined the Mushroom Kingdom with Ubisoft's Rabbids in a grid-based tactics game. Players move freely across the grid, use team jumps and dashes and take cover, and the absence of hit-chance rolls keeps things fair and readable. Critics rated it 85 on Metacritic, with reviewers describing it as a consistent delight. The presentation is bright, and the music by Grant Kirkhope is charming. The game suits handheld play. The weakness is that the difficulty curve grows steeper in later chapters and the mission structure grows repetitive, and it takes a moment to adapt to the strategy layer.
45. Octopath Traveler#
Square Enix and Acquire released Octopath Traveler in July 2018, and its HD-2D style, combining pixel sprites with three-dimensional lighting and depth of field, defined a look that later games have borrowed. Eight travelers, each with a separate story and field ability, can be pursued in any order. Turn-based combat centers on breaking enemy shields, and every character's job system adds depth. Critics rated it 83 on Metacritic, with 89 percent of reviews positive. The soundtrack is a highlight. The weakness is that the eight stories stay separate, so the party feels thinly connected, and grinding is sometimes needed to keep up with the difficulty.
46. Xenoblade Chronicles 2#
Monolith Soft released Xenoblade Chronicles 2 in December 2017, and it took the series to a larger scale with the Blades system, in which the hero Rex partners with living weapons that each have their own abilities and personality. The game has a huge world on the backs of giant Titans, a heavy soundtrack and a story that grows in emotional weight. The Torna prequel expansion is well regarded. Critics rated it 83 on Metacritic, with 85 percent of reviews positive. The weakness is a Blade acquisition system based on random draws, dense tutorials and a slog in the middle hours, all of which are addressed better in the third game.
47. Splatoon 3#
Nintendo EPD released Splatoon 3 in September 2022, and it is the most complete entry in the ink-shooter series. Turf War matches remain quick and colorful, and the game adds Salmon Run co-op, the hub city of Splatsville and the Tableturf Battle card game, with the Side Order expansion for solo players. Critics scored it 83 on Metacritic, with 93 percent of reviews positive, though some found it too safe. Its visual style and music have become recognizable. The weakness is that the competitive online play depends on peer-to-peer connections that can be unreliable, and the changes from Splatoon 2 are more incremental than transformative.
48. Pokémon Legends: Arceus#
Game Freak released Pokémon Legends: Arceus in January 2022, and it moved the series toward open exploration. Set in the ancient Sinnoh region, the player catches creatures by sneaking and throwing them from the field, rather than starting battles first, and studies them for a research Pokédex. Critics rated it 83 on Metacritic, and many described it as a brave departure. The catching flow is satisfying and the Pokédex tasks keep the loop moving. The weakness is a technical one: reviewers noted low-quality visuals, empty stretches in the world and a slow opening, and the battles are easier than in the mainline games.
49. Outer Wilds#
Mobius Digital's Outer Wilds, first released on PC in 2019, is a mystery set in a miniature solar system that resets every twenty-two minutes when the sun goes supernova. There are no upgrades: the only progress is knowledge, gathered by flying a fragile ship between planets and piecing together the fate of an ancient civilization. Critics rated the Switch version 82 on Metacritic, and the PC version 85. The design is one of the cleverest of its decade. The weakness is that the score is lower on Switch than on PC, and the sense of wandering without direction can frustrate players who prefer clear goals.
50. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond#
Retro Studios released Metroid Prime 4: Beyond in December 2025 as a Nintendo Switch 2 lead title, with a Nintendo Switch version alongside it. Samus is stranded on an alien planet and explores it in the scanning-and-upgrades structure of the earlier Prime games, and the first-person atmosphere is the reason the series has such a loyal following. Metacritic lists it at around 80, the lowest score in the Prime series, with some critics saying it comes closer to the original Metroid Prime in tone and quality than any sequel, and others finding that it never adds anything new worth mentioning. It is the newest game in this list and the lowest scored, and its place at the end reflects critic consensus rather than the weight of the series. The weakness is exactly that conservatism, and reviews split on whether it justified the very long wait. It is best for series fans who want a familiar take.