35 Nintendo Switch Games for Every Kind of Player
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A Rich Open WorldThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the KingdomRead more
To Heal Your Inner ChildDisney Dreamlight ValleyRead more
An Odyssey for EveryoneSuper Mario OdysseyRead more
For Taking it EasyCozy GroveRead more
The Switch is one of Nintendo's most successful and influential systems ever. There’s something unique about carrying a home console-quality gaming device everywhere you go. Figuring out what to play, though—that's getting harder every year, as the roster of first-party and indie games grows deeper and deeper.
Thankfully, WIRED has plenty of opinionated Nintendo fans on staff, and we've put our heads together to compile a list of the best Switch games. We've listed the digital version for most of them here, so make sure you get a spacious microSD card to store all your game files. (We recommend this one.) Be sure to also read up on our Switch Tips and Secrets, Favorite Switch Accessories, and Switch Bundle Deals. And if you were lucky enough to upgrade to an OLED Switch, here's how to transfer all of your data.
Updated May 2023: We've added Tears of the Kingdom, It Takes Two, Cozy Grove, and Disney Dreamlight Valley.
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- Photograph: Nintendo
A Rich Open World
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the KingdomTo say this game was highly anticipated would be an understatement. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom follows the Nintendo Switch launch title Breath of the Wild—one of the best games of all time. This sequel sees our hero Link endowed with new powers and the sprawling world of Hyrule expanded and revamped.
According to WIRED reviewer Will Bedingfield, Tears of the Kingdom is all about evolving the things that made Breath of the Wild such a wonderful experience. Gameplay systems feel tighter and more refined, even the brand-new Ultrahand abilities that let you combine items from your environment to build machines, weapons, and just about anything else you can imagine.
1 player can save Hyrule, again
- Photograph: Nintendo
To Heal Your Inner Child
Disney Dreamlight ValleyDisney Dreamlight Valley filled the Animal Crossing-shaped void in my life. It’s still in early access, though it will eventually be released as a free-to-play game. Our review goes into full detail, but suffice it to say that this game is immersive, glorious, and as cozy as it gets. While characters like Remy and Elsa may seem familiar, the dialog is surprisingly poignant. It’s a game made by Disney, but I never felt too old to play. If you’re missing life simulations but just can’t bring yourself to restart Stardew Valley, give this one a shot.
1 player can rebuild the valley
- Courtesy of Nintendo
An Odyssey for Everyone
Super Mario OdysseyIf it weren't for Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey might have taken home even more game-of-the-year awards when it came out. The game plays like a 3D Mario game, à la Mario 64, but instead of collecting stars, you're hunting for nearly 1,000 moons that propel your airship. The worlds are quirky and densely packed with new gameplay, like Mario's new living hat that lets him inhabit classic Super Mario creatures like Goombas and Chomp Chains. We called it “a surrealist triumph” in our review.
1 - 2 players can play together
- Photograph: Nintendo
For Taking it Easy
Cozy GroveThere’s irony in the fact that a really good life simulation game can result in burnout. Hyperfocusing for hours on little side quests, tasks, and to-do lists is a surefire way to get sick of something. Cozy Grove is designed with exactly this pitfall in mind. There are no consequences for failing to get a ton done in a day—in fact, that’s kind of the premise. It’s a super fun and cute game that doesn’t encourage players to binge it for 40 hours at a time. Bathe your island in light and color, help ghost bears with their purgatory-like existence, and collect oodles of badges for your efforts. For what it's worth, I found the gaming experience better on PC than on Nintendo Switch.
1 player can get cozy
- COURTESY OF SAMOBEE GAMES
A Queer-Centered Visual Novel
Princess FarmerI'm a sucker for a visual novel. If you're unfamiliar, they're like point-and-click adventures that you explore through dialog options; think Dream Daddy and Hatoful Boyfriend. Princess Farmer packs familiar visual novel storytelling and relationship-building into a satisfying and puzzling match-3 game. The world and characters are memorable, adorable, and queer as hell. I mean that in the best way.
Playing a game that centers queer relationships and stories without wallowing in pain and despair is so refreshing. Princess Farmer is a celebration of queerness and queer joy that is so rarely seen in games and is even more rarely the center of the story. That's not to mention how addictive the match-3 gameplay is. It's a brilliant debut from Samobee Games.
1 - 2 local players can date bunnies together
- Courtesy of Nintendo
For Dancing Farmers
OobletsOoblets has been a long time favorite on PC and Xbox, where the early access version has been available for a couple years now. This new release for Nintendo Switch is the full version. Polished, completed, and right on the console I wanted, Ooblets is an absolute delight to play. The art and character designs draw you right into the world, while the witty writing and clever game design keep you there. In Ooblets, you farm like you might in games like Stardew Valley, but your crops are tiny little critters called Ooblets that you train in the ancient art of the dance battle. It's a whole thing, and it's easily one of our favorites to come out in 2022.
1 player can farm creatures
- COURTESY OF DEVOLVER DIGITAL GAMES
Adorably Twisted Supernatural Action
Death's DoorIf you've ever wanted to be a sword-wielding crow who is also a Grim Reaper, Death's Door is the game for you. Even if you've never had this incredibly specific dream, Death's Door is a brilliant action RPG in a beautifully realized world filled with memorable characters. You take on the role of a Crow (capital C) tasked with collecting souls, but when the one you're after gets stolen right from under you, things get a little weird.
The illustrative art style draws you into a world that is every bit as dark as it is comedic. I spent hours upon hours in this one, exploring every nook and cranny, trying to unravel the mysteries at the heart of this adorably somber world. If you're a fan of third-person action, Zelda-esque roguelikes, you should definitely check this one out.
1 Crow can explore the endless afterlife
- Courtesy of Nintendo
Ancient Pokémon History
Pokémon ArceusThis isn't your usual Pokémon game. Pokémon Arceus takes you way back in time to an era when humans were first starting to encounter Pokémon, and the changes don't end there. This is the first open-world game in the entire series—a huge departure, but a welcome one. Arceus doesn't get everything right on the first try. The world isn't quite as seamless or engaging as the one you'll find in Breath of the Wild, but running around in the open air catching Pokémon in real time is a fun twist on classic gameplay. Definitely give it a look if you're a fan of the Pokémon series.
1 player with online co-op
- Courtesy of Hazelight
For Couples
It Takes TwoMay and Cody are in a bit of a rough patch—they're about to file for divorce and go their separate ways, which is understandably devastating for their young daughter, Rose. That's when Rose unknowingly uses the power of a magic book to wish they'll stay together, causing the parents to shrink into tiny toys that must find their way back to their daughter. There's a lot of relationship repairing along the way.
2 tiny players can take the journey at home or online
- Courtesy of ZA/UM
For Your Inner Detective
Disco ElysiumAssuming your inner detective is a washed-up drunk, that is. Disco Elysium: The Final Cut is an award-winning, critically acclaimed roleplaying game that puts you in the shoes of a detective who is, well … he's certainly an experience. It's not your average roleplaying game, either. The emphasis is on solving a mystery while navigating complex conversations and interactions using just your wits and charm, not on pumping up your strength to better defeat your enemies. The game's tagline is “Become a hero or an absolute disaster of a human being,” and it's honestly the best way to describe Disco Elysium. I mean that as a compliment. It's funny, wild, delightfully unhinged, and filled with memorable characters and situations that will inevitably end in your demise.
1 player can have a real weird time
- Courtesy of Nintendo
An Island Vacation
Nintendo Animal Crossing: New HorizonsThe Latest Animal Crossing installment plops you on a deserted island. Through the help of DIY recipes, crafting materials, your neighbors, and your favorite capitalist raccoon, you can transform the island into a bustling paradise. Robust social features let you live your island dreams alongside your real-life friends (though local co-op is a little lacking). AC:NH will be familiar to Animal Crossing fans, but there are enough new aspects to keep you intrigued if you've played other games in the series. This title is especially great if you could use a mental break.
The Happy Home Paradise DLC adds a new resort area, interior design challenges for villagers, and a ton of new design options throughout the game.
1 - 8 players can interact together
- Courtesy of Nintendo
A Modern Classic
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildBreath of the Wild is a stunning reimagining of The Legend of Zelda series. The linear story of previous Zelda games is gone entirely, replaced by a wide-open world with dungeons and hidden secrets you can tackle as you wish. Breath of the Wild is sometimes more difficult and holds your hand less, but it's amazingly fun to explore Hyrule, and you'll enjoy making mistakes. Did we mention Link can climb any mountain you see in this picture? Read our full review.
The Expansion Pass DLC also adds challenge modes to test your combat skills; Hero's Path Mode, which can track the path you've traveled over up to 200 hours of gameplay; and a ton of new items from the Zelda franchise history that you can discover and wear. It's worth playing this before hopping into Tears of the Kingdom.
1 player can explore Hyrule
- Courtesy of Thunderlotus Games
Sailing Through the Afterlife
SpiritfarerIt’s funny how many games put a gun in your hand. What was the last game you played without combat? Spiritfarer is a game about death, but even so, you spend your time building, crafting, and caring for the spirits of the recently dead. The only thing you’ll fight is the urge to cry. You guide the spirits as they come to terms with their deaths, their lives, and their traumas. When you’ve done your job, you take them to the other side—the afterlife.
This game feels like stepping into a Miyazaki film—from the breathtaking art, score, and engaging gameplay to the thoughtfully written characters who make you well up. Each and every character will leave its mark on you—even characters you loathe. Yes, we're talking about Giovanni. Don’t worry, you’ll see. Go fare some spirits.
1 player can guide spirits to the afterlife
- Courtesy of Epic Games
Shooting and Looting
FortniteFortnite on the Switch is a marriage of a great platform with a stellar game. The stirring, driven competition of 100 players set against one another scales down to the portable framework of the Switch shockingly well, making for snappy, thrilling play sessions. And Fortnite is a much better game than its critics make it out to be, with a winning aesthetic, sharp gunplay, and dense but satisfying building mechanics. Best yet, it's always changing, cycling through more ideas in a play season than some games do in their lifetime. Read our full review.
1 - 4 players can team up online in 100-person battles
- Photograph: Nintendo
For Your Inner Inventor
Nintendo Labo Cardboard KitsThere's no game like Labo on any platform. It comes in a kit with more than 20 sheets of cardboard. You'll spend hours folding and building the five Labo widgets in the Variety Kit, following fun onscreen instructions. There's an RC car, fishing pole, piano, house, and motorcycle handlebars. Once you're done, you snap the Switch screen and Joy-Con controllers into their spots in each Labo Toy-Con and play games with them. The Vehicle Kit is our favorite. Read our full review.
1 - 2 players can Labo together
- Courtesy of Motion Twin
For Dungeon Crawlers
Dead CellsIn Dead Cells, you are a little ball of goo who inhabits a new dead body every time you die. And you’ll die a lot. (That’s part of the fun. No, really!) Dead Cells is a roguelike game along the lines of a Castlevania, but it is more than the sum of its predecessors. With rich progression and a clever blend of randomized and static world elements, Dead Cells offers a uniquely approachable (and addictive) spin on a classic genre.
1 player can try to survive
- COURTESY OF SUPERGIANT GAMES
For Mythology Lovers
HadesWhile we prefer playing Hades on PC, it's a great game for the Switch, too—especially in docked mode, with a Pro Controller and either headphones or the volume cranked up. Honestly, we'd play it on any device, because the game is nearly flawless. It's fast-paced, beautiful, and hard as hell (in a good way). You'll play as Zagreus, the son of Hades. Your sole purpose? To escape the underworld. The task is a whole lot easier said than done, but luckily, you'll get a little bit stronger each time you fail. Read our full review.
1 player can try to escape the underworld
- Courtesy of Nintendo
For Ghost Busters
Luigi's Mansion 3Luigi's Mansion began life as a launch game for the GameCube 20 years ago, but everyone's favorite less-famous plumber has to rescue Mario and the gang from ghosts yet again using a tricked-out vacuum. This version has the same basic walk-and-suck gameplay, though you can now slam ghosts around and create a Goo-based duplicate of yourself (controllable by another player!).
The hotel you explore has a lot of fun floors filled with things you'll never find in an actual hotel, like a desert, a movie studio, a pirate ship, and a castle. It's a tough game at times, but it's so packed full of secrets and cash (yes, ghosts apparently like to hide a lot of cash), that it never gets too repetitive.
1 - 2 players can adventure together. Up to 8 players can play a special mode online
- Courtesy of Microsoft
A Punishing Platformer
CupheadDrawing inspiration from classic Disney animations, Cuphead is a gorgeous and hellishly difficult platformer from Studio MDHR. Why does it look so good, you ask? Well, it’s hand-drawn. Every frame of this quirky and offbeat platformer was drawn by hand and animated with traditional cel animation, and all of that painstaking work shows. This is a tough game, but the rich details make it like nothing else you’ve ever played.
1 - 2 players can work together
- Courtesy of Team Cherry
For Wanderers in the Dark
Hollow KnightHollow Knight puts you in the shoes of an adorably sullen nail-wielding bug-person and sets you loose in the bleak and lantern-lit world of Hallownest. As you explore the ruins of this fallen civilization, you’ll encounter fellow bug-folk, monstrous enemies, and hauntingly beautiful environments. It’s hard not to lose yourself in this sprawling subterranean empire populated by memorable, if bizarre and forlorn, characters.
1 player can explore this world
- Courtesy of Humble Games
For Tearing Up at Work
UnpackingYou might not think you could make a game about unpacking boxes—something you've probably put off doing in real life—and that it could be fun. Yet developer Witch Beam pulled it off with Unpacking. Its pixelated, point-and-click style and chill beats make for a cozy experience, while the game uses environmental storytelling to draw you into a world that's about so much more than the stuff you're pulling out of boxes.
1 player can get to work on these boxes
- Courtesy of Nintendo
A Brawlin' Beat 'Em Up
Super Smash Bros. UltimateEver want to watch Solid Snake fight Pikachu? A timeless addition to any game library, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate brings classic Smash to the modern day. Even with all the new content and characters, this is still the wild and technical fighting game you know and love. With a deep roster of characters (literally all of the characters from previous games are here), new arenas with new hazards, and a single-player campaign, Smash Bros. Ultimate has a lot to offer series veterans and newcomers alike. Read our full review.
1 - 8 players can brawl locally or online
- Courtesy of Digital LTD
For Fighting With Friends
Overcooked 2Some co-op games provide an environment to inspire moments of beautiful collaboration between you and your closest friends. Then there’s Overcooked 2. This cooperative cooking sim inspires a different kind of emotion, usually something between rage and oh-my-god-will-someone-please-wash-the-dishes! At its core though, it’s a game about facing unexpected challenges as a team and working together to defeat undead bread zombies—the unbread.
1 - 4 players can run a kitchen together
- Courtesy of Nintendo
For Mess-Makers
Splatoon 3The latest entry in the ink-squirting series from Nintendo, Splatoon 3 answers a question everyone was asking: What if humanoid squid kids could play paintball? In this multiplayer shooter, you’ll use a number of unique paint weapons (like paint sniper rifles and giant rollers) to color the map and take out enemies. The winning team is the one that paints the largest portion of the map. Even if you’re not usually into shooters, this is like nothing you’ve ever played before.
1 - 8 players can blast maps with ink
- Courtesy of Nintendo
A Puzzling Adventure
Captain Toad: Treasure TrackerToad has been Princess Peach's loyal sidekick for decades in the Super Mario universe, but Nintendo has finally given him (and his friend Toadette) a starring role. Captain Toad was one of the best Wii U games, and we're elated it's now available on the Switch. Instead of hopping around like Mario, Captain Toad places you into dozens of compact puzzle worlds where you must avoid danger and explore to find treasure. The Switch version has some added Mario Odyssey–inspired levels, too.
1 player can solve these puzzles at a time
- Photograph: Jackbox
Party Games for Party People
Party PackJackbox games are riotously fun. Each “Party Pack” comes with a few mini-games you can play solo or with a crowd. These made our list of The Best Games to Play When You're Stuck Inside. Depending on the pack you get, players may find themselves designing awful T-shirt slogans, drawing Pictionary-style, competing in trivia contests, or sleuthing out fibbers from the group. Instead of using Joy-Cons or other controllers, players use their phones or tablets and a web browser. With some effort, you can even play with friends long-distance.
1 - 8 players can compete at a time
- Courtesy of Nintendo
A Drive Down a Dark Highway
Kentucky Route Zero: TV EditionKentucky Route Zero is an adventure game that weaves several individual tales into a rich tapestry as beautiful as it is haunting. Originally released in 2013 as a series of episodes and interludes that were sold individually, the Switch version compiles the entire catalog of Kentucky Route Zero stories into a single volume. It's a game Switch owners have been clamoring for, and it doesn't disappoint. Even though it's a couple of years old, the stories, art, and music feel as fresh and vital as ever. If you're a fan of a slow-burn kind of story, this is one you shouldn't miss.
1 player can adventure at a time
- Courtesy of Nintendo
Snipping, Clipping, and Shape-Making
Snipperclips PlusSnipperclips is one of the most innovative cooperative games out there. You can play it alone, but it's way more fun with friends. Each person controls a paper character (Snip and Clip), and you must work together to cut each other into the right shapes to solve a wide variety of physics-based puzzles. It's the kind of game that will test your patience—and your relationships. The Plus version adds extra levels and four-player modes.
1 - 4 players can snip and clip together
- Courtesy of Ubisoft
A Turn-Based Strategy Adventure
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom BattleMixing Super Mario and Ubisoft's Rabbids sounds bizarre, but it's so off-the-wall weird that it somehow works. You play as a mix-and-match team of Mario and Rabbids characters solving some simple puzzles in an overworld, but mostly battling against teams of enemy Rabbids. The gameplay is turn-based and tactical. You move Mario and other characters around a grid filled with obstacles and chain their attacks together to strategically take out opponents. It's good, clean, goofy fun. Read our full review. It was so popular, Ubisoft has already followed it up with a sequel called Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope.
1 - 2 players can adventure together
- Courtesy of Nintendo
For Racing Maniacs
Mario Kart 8 DeluxeMario Kart 8 Deluxe is another one of Nintendo's enhanced Wii U ports, and it still holds up. Its spectacular tracks, colorful karts, and myriad dirty tricks make it a marquee multiplayer experience on Nintendo’s hybrid console. A new smart steering option opens the game up to younger kids, too, giving them a way to play along without getting completely trounced. Whether drifting, hovering, or gliding around the scenic courses, you’re almost guaranteed to grin while playing it.
1 - 8 players can race together
- Courtesy of Nintendo
For Troublemakers
Untitled Goose GameUntitled Goose Game lets you explore a single day in the consequence-free life of a criminal goose, and it's fantastic. You're given a series of increasingly difficult tasks, almost all of which involve acts of petty (and not so petty) larceny and vandalism, which you need to complete without being thwarted by the townsfolk of an idyllic English country village. It's a self-described slapstick-stealth-sandbox game, with a surprising degree of replay value. Seriously, once you finish your initial to-do list (yes this goose has a to-do list), the game restarts with an even more difficult version of that list, challenging you to be the very best goose you can be.
1 player can harass the townsfolk
- Courtesy of Nintendo
For Pokémon Trainers
Pokémon Sword & ShieldPokémon Sword & Shield is the first original Pokémon game on the Nintendo Switch, and it's both a departure and a return to form for Game Freak. It's the first mainline Pokémon game on a home console, which is exciting new territory, but it's also a return to the classic Pokémon formula longtime fans will be familiar with. It's approachable for beginners and deep enough for seasoned trainers to enjoy spending hours in the forests and meadows of the Galar region trying to catch them all. The newest Pokémon game—Scarlet and Violet—hit store shelves last year to some mixed reviews, and but it's worth looking at if you want the latest.
1 - 4 players can team together locally or online
- Courtesy of Nintendo
For Catsuit Lovers
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's FuryIf you're someone who tends to like 2D Mario games more than the big 3D adventures like Mario Odyssey, you may like this one. You'll also like it if you like cats. Mario has a catsuit, and the game is littered with cat-themed things. It really blends some of the exploration of 3D Mario games with the simplicity and speed of the sidescrollers. It lets you move in 3D, but the levels are more directional and your goal is to race to the flag pole at the end, like a classic Mario game. Since the camera is fixed in place, you don't have to constantly tweak it, simplifying the whole experience.
Since this is an upgraded port of a Wii U game, Nintendo also included an extra game called Bowser's Fury, which plays more like a traditional 3D Mario title where you have to work with Bowser Jr. (Player 2 can control him!) to find cat shines on a series of islands to save them from a massive, Godzilla-sized Bowser. It's different, but also a ton of fun in its own way.
1 - 4 players can run and jump together
- Courtesy of Nintendo
Putting the Metroid in Metroidvania
Metroid DreadIs a Metroid a Metroidvania game? Feels weird to say that a game belongs to a genre named after itself, but Metroid Dread is one of the better entries in the series. You'll spend a lot of time fighting your way through the side-scrolling map, doubling back to retrace your steps and explore new areas, and fighting some slightly boring-looking robots along the way.
1 player can backtrack halfway across the map
- Courtesy of Nintendo
For Wildlife Photographers
New Pokémon SnapThe original Pokémon Snap was an utterly unique game when it first came out, and the New Pokémon Snap brings that spirit back. Instead of capturing Pokémon and making them battle, this game puts you on a leisurely automated stroll, taking photos of Pokémon as you encounter them in their natural habitat. It's a chill game, although Professor Mirror really has a lot to learn about good composition.
1 player can get that perfect shot
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