The 23 best Nintendo Switch games

Before the Nintendo Switch came out, we all wondered whether there would be enough to play on it in the early months. Then we played Zelda and stopped caring what else was coming. Now, thanks to a mix of ports and sterling new games, the Switch has a rather fantastic lineup – less than a year after its release. So whether you’ve just grabbed the Switch and need a few pointers, or are you just looking for something new to play after conquering Zelda, you’ll find plenty of inspiration in our list of the 20 best games the Switch has to offer.

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: BREATH OF THE WILD

What, the two mentions in the intro weren’t enough of a giveaway? It’s true: not only is Breath of the Wild our current pick for the best game in the world right now, but it’s also the most essential game on the Switch – one that’s singlehandedly worth buying a console for. The latest and perhaps greatest-ever Zelda is a sprawling affair set in an open Hyrule not bound by the familiar progression structure of past games: you can freely explore the land, take on challenges in any order you choose, and craft, survive, and experiment in the wilds.

SUPER MARIO ODYSSEY

Odyssey is a phenomenal new 3D entry that builds upon the likes of Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Galaxy with huge, open environments and loads upon loads of collectible moons to uncover by completing challenges and exploring. And this time around, Mario isn’t alone: his hat is actually an odd creature that can inhabit other living things, letting Mario control and use the myriad abilities of his many iconic enemies. Strange, right? Yes, but it’s a total delight.

MARIO KART 8 DELUXE

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe packs in a staggering 48 courses and 42 playable drivers, along with an array of vehicles and equipment, and the gravity-defying tracks are some of the series’ most dazzling creations to date. Better yet, it now has a proper Battle mode like the games of old, and the entire experience is playable anywhere. It’s tremendously fun.

MINECRAFT: NINTENDO SWITCH EDITION

Look, Minecraft is Minecraft – and if you’ve already played it elsewhere, then you’re not going to find anything tremendously new here. Still, this is easily the best portable edition to date, not only packing in huge worlds on the Switch’s capable screen, but also giving you the full range of controls, featuring eight-player online antics, and bundling in a superb set of Super Mario-themed blocks and skins.

POKKÉN TOURNAMENT DX

As a port of a Wii U port of a Japanese arcade game it’s no wonder Pokkén Tournament’s release on Switch has slipped under the radar. Make no mistake, this is one of the console’s finest fighting games to date. A more traditional alternative to the motion-controlled Arms, it sees you squaring off against other Pokémon in button-mashing fashion.

CELESTE

A tough as nails 2D platformer about living with anxiety, Celeste might not scream ‘fun’ – but this charming tale about climbing a mountain absolutely ranks as a Switch essential. The key is in its simplicity, with each level being divided into bite-sized chunks that you’ll fail at over and over until finding your way across a seemingly insurmountable crevasse. The further towards the summit, the more challenging things get and the more powers you’ll amass to help you achieve the seemingly impossible.

ROCKET LEAGUE

Rocket-powered cars playing football? Yeah, we’re into that. Rocket League has provided us oodles of fun on other systems, and now that it’s on Switch, we can hop online for some 3-on-3 action whether we’re on the couch, in bed, or in the loo (sorry).

SONIC MANIA

A brand new Sonic the Hedgehog game in 2017? We’ve been conditioned by years of terrible 3D games and spin-offs to avoid this clear trap, but believe it or not, Sonic Mania finally bucks the trend. No, seriously! How? Well, by following the classic 16-bit Sonic template as close as is reasonably possible. Sure, we get widescreen support and higher-res pixels, but otherwise, Sonic Mania looks and plays precisely like a lost Mega Drive game.

SHOVEL KNIGHT: TREASURE TROVE

We’ve recommended both previous Nintendo versions of Shovel Knight, but we can’t help but do it again with the amazing Switch rendition. In case you’ve missed it, Shovel Knight is a pitch-perfect homage to 8-bit, 2D action games, only now you’re a metal-clad warrior with a rather effective gardening tool.

DOOM

Can it run Doom? Yes, the Switch can – and we’re not talking about the original PC classic. Somehow, id Software have gotten 2016’s gloriously violent and glossy reboot running rather well on Nintendo’s system, whether you’re playing on the TV or on the go. The frame rate has dipped to 30 frames per second and the resolution has fallen with it – but, in the heat of battle, this Doom plays every bit as good as its larger console and PC brothers.

SPLATOON 2

You might be surprised to hear that Nintendo’s best online Switch game is a frantic, squad-based shooter… well, until you actually see what Splatoon 2 is all about. Rather than notch head shots and fill enemies full of holes, you’ll wield paint guns, brushes, and rollers to try and cover the majority of the stage with your team’s colour.

THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM

Granted, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is six years old, but it’s still the gold standard for open-world fantasy. It doesn’t look quite as sharp as last year’s Special Edition re-releases on other platforms, but this is still Skyrim through and through. All the expansions are present, the game looks great (aside from some sharp edges), and the frame rate is absolutely solid. Better yet, you can tap your Amiibo toys and get some killer Legend of Zelda gear for your hero. Sold!

MARIO + RABBIDS KINGDOM BATTLE

What’s this, a cash-in for the early adopters? Mario really must be slumming it, right? Nope and nope. You might be shocked to hear this, but Ubisoft’s inventive mash-up is second only to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild when it comes to true Switch originals. It’s so strange, too: Mario + Rabbids plays out much like a candy-coated XCOM or Fire Emblem, challenging you to fight it out on a grid-based battlefield.

FURI

A boss rush game where your goal is to conquer a succession of deadly and highly stylised foes, Furi will have you excersising your trigger fingers to full effect. From a prisoner with a laser cannon strapped to her head to a masterful sniper, each enemy is unique and forces you to change your play-style for every new fight. The one thing that binds them all together? An ability to decimate your health bar in seconds.

FAST RMX

It’s been more than a decade since the last F-Zero game, but while the series may be dead to Nintendo (at least for now), it’s still alive in our hearts – and those of the makers of Fast RMX. You might have missed the earlier Wii U entry, Fast Racing Neo, but no matter: this is the definitive edition of a pretty great anti-grav racer, and more than just a poor man’s F-Zero.

TUMBLESEED

TumbleSeed is a tricky game to describe. You play as a seed, you spend most of your time rolling around, and it’s incredibly colourful and attractive. On the other hand, it’s intensely difficult, isn’t the easiest game to learn, and will surely result in many, many seed deaths.

PUYO PUYO TETRIS

Every Nintendo handheld needs a great Tetris game, right? That’s true, but Puyo Puyo Tetris isn’t quite like any Tetris you’ve played before. It’s actually a mash-up, blending the familiar line-clearing action with the colour-matching gameplay of Sega’s own puzzle series. You can play them separately, but what’s most interesting is how they play together: you can play Tetris while battling an opponent with a Puyo Puyo board, or command one board of each in the same game as you alternate between them – and even mix and match on the same board.

ARMS

In a very Splatoon-esque fashion, Arms is Nintendo’s bright and colourful spin on the fighting game genre. Here, you’ll control one of several outlandish characters, all of whom pack a rather mighty punch – and can land it from all the way across the stage. That’s because Arms, as you’ll find its name suggests, stars combatants with spring-loaded, slinky-esque arms that fire like rockets to your opponents.

GOLF STORY

Golf… Story? Why does golf need a story? Fair question, but this immensely lovable indie goes ahead and answers it anyway with a compelling blend of old-school swinging action and role-playing adventure. It’s like the old Mario Golf entry on Game Boy Colour, if you remember that.

THUMPER

Remember Donkey Konga? Thumper is the exact opposite of that bongo-bashing extravaganza, but every bit as brilliant. A rhythm game that’s stacked to the max with horrifying visuals and tribal undulations, it’ll have you hooked from the off and scare off any little ones who fancy a go.

STARDEW VALLEY

A farming simulator might sound awfully dull – and truly, the actual Farming Simulator series is – but anyone who fell in love with Harvest Moon ages ago knows otherwise. And those folks and plenty more will probably adore Stardew Valley, as well, as the indie phenomenon builds from the same kind of core formula. Stardew Valley is about managing crops and animals and living off of the land, sure, but it’s also about living a virtual life in a compelling, retro-fied world.

L.A. NOIRE

One of Rockstar’s defining games, L.A. Noire first hit other platforms in 2011 but has made a welcome comeback with this reworked Switch edition. As before, you take the role of a detective in Los Angeles in the 1940s, cruising the open city as you attempt to solve crimes and get to the bottom of a conspiracy.

The 23 best Nintendo Switch games