The Best Video Games On Nintendo Switch to Play as of 2021
Well, in this article, The best Nintendo Switch games are a true celebration of the best franchises available to play on Nintendo’s platform.
There are a few original games that should be on your Wishlist, including Mario Kart 8 Deluxe,
Skyward Sword HD, Funky Kong, and much more multiplayer games, and solo titles if not already loaded on your Nintendo storage.
This best Nintendo Switch games list is interesting in that there is something for everyone be it fighting games, mini – games, open 3d world games, and further of a wide range of gaming titles that are available on the Nintendo Switch and are well-positioned to offer something a little different.
Furthermore, a look at the upcoming Switch games shows that there is still a lot to come.
So, here are the best games to play and enjoy on your Nintendo Switch right now.
28. Burnout Paradise
You might be shocked to hear that the Nintendo Switch has very few great racing games. And if you want something a bit more grounded in reality than Mario Kart, your choices are much more limited. Fortunately, there is Burnout Paradise.
Despite the arcade mechanics, Burnout Paradise isn’t exactly practical, but you’re not dodging shells or bananas, so that’s something.
Paradise is one of the best driving games ever released, and the Switch port is fantastic, with all of the original’s improvements, including the obligatory 60 fps and online multiplayer. Because of the open world and bite-sized races, it’s ideal for pick-up and put-down games.
- Read Also: 19 Best Games To Play Online With Friends
27. Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time
Samurai Jack is not only a faithful recreation of the classic Cartoon Network Show; it is also one of the finest pure action-combat games available on the Nintendo Switch.
War Over Time, part hack-and-slash, part platformer, has a strikingly complicated combat system that allows you to unleash a variety of strong moves and combine them in dazzling ways.
The game’s elegant art style resembles classic cartoons come to life, and it also features original voice actors (including Phil LaMarr as Jack himself).
You can’t go wrong with Fight Over Time, whether you’re a fan of the show or just want a major slice-em-up on Switch.
26. Cadence of Hyrule
Giving the Zelda franchise to an independent developer may seem to be a risky gamble, but when that indie has the tested chops of a game like Crypt of the NecroDancer, it’s a much better choice.
Cadence uses the main gameplay mechanic from NecroDancer: movement and action can only occur to the rhythm of the soundtrack.
Enemies are also required to follow these options, resulting in a foot-tapping ballet in which Zelda’s heroes effortlessly bounce across the screen, chopping Molins in sync with some wicked remixed songs.
The gorgeous 2D artwork and beautifully remixed score make the kit sound like it was produced by a Nintendo in-house team.
25. Hollow Knight
You know the drill: you’re dropped in the middle of a vast globe that gradually exposes its size as you discover new abilities to traverse more challenging traps and take on increasingly monstrous enemies.
Secrets lurk behind every turn, and the feeling of accomplishment you get when you use the right expertise to retrace your steps to a previously impossible position is unparalleled in gaming.
Hollow Knight’s distinct art style sets it apart from other Metroidvania titles and nods to the Dark Souls franchise, with difficult boss royal battles and oddly aloof citizens. Without a doubt, one of the best Switch games.
24. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
If the story of a demonic castle and a single hero in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night sounds familiar, it should: this best Nintendo Switch Online game was created by Koji Igarashi, the man behind many beloved Castlevania games.
In every way but one, Bloodstained is an outstanding Kingdom battle game, reaching the same notes as Symphony of the Night, Aria of Sorrow, and Order of Ecclesia. If you’re looking for a modern, exciting Castlevania-like game that predates Lords of Shadow’s remake and Mirror of Fate’s utter failure to catch any of the series’ luster, this is the game for you.
23. Pokémon Sword and Shield
Pokémon Sword and Shield was the first key Pokémon games to be released on the Nintendo Switch. Sword and Shield is full of charm and fun, bringing some much-needed gameplay optimizations to the series as well as some fantastic new features like the Wild Area.
Sword and Shield is an excellent game set in the UK-inspired Galar zone, which introduces a whole new world to explore and new Pokémon to catch.
And, though we can’t help but believe they don’t measure up to any of the best counterparts, they’re certainly worth picking up on Switch. With the introduction of Sword and Shield, two excellent expansions have been released: Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra. These are available individually, but they add a lot to your outfit.
22. Cuphead
One of the best platformers of the decade is now available on the Nintendo Switch, and it’s just as exciting, beautiful, and brutal as it’s always been. Cuphead combines close, challenging ball-light 2D side-scrolling gameplay with a lovely jazz soundtrack and hand-drawn 1930s-inspired artwork that looks straight out of a classic Disney cartoon.
The end result is a crushingly frustrating game that you’ll feel compelled to move through because of its fun shoot-em-up action and encroaching aesthetics. Studio MDHR’s indie masterpiece sounds fantastic on Go, whether you’re beating the Devil and his minions with a local co-op buddy or knocking out a few bosses on the go.
21. Dead Cells
Dead Cells is an overstimulated fever dream, to be sure, but Motion Twin’s debut title checks every box associated with rogue sites and Metroidvanias. It’s a grounded and invested action platformer that throws you headfirst into a 2D pixelated homage to Dark Souls that draws on your endless deaths with lessons for change.
Its complexity rivals that of Spelunky and Hollow Knight, but it balances those hair-pulling, pixel-perfect deaths with a ridiculously cool update scheme that makes the word “loop” sound like a dirty word. It’s an Early Access game done properly, with each run serving a genuine reason.
20. The Gardens Between
The Gardens Between is a hypnotic and beautiful immersive puzzler that deftly employs minimalism to punch a hole straight into your middle. You fill in the story of best friends Arina and Frendt as they wander a never-ending series of dreamlike islands, but this time you use a rewind feature to dissect the many strands of their relationship.
Given its three-hour length, there isn’t much to it, but as opposed to other wordless puzzle adventures like Jonathan Blow’s 2016 marvel The Witness, it carves its own niche by tying together logic and a new twist on the idea of time to create an inescapable puzzle adventure that’s distinctly it’s own.
- Check Also: Top 15 Best Video Games about Pirates to Play
19. The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+
The Binding Of Isaac is a tremendously challenging indie roguelike created by Edward McMillan, the same developer of Super Meat Boy. It is based on the biblical story in which Isaac’s mother is told she must kill her son to prove her faith.
The game begins with Isaac escaping. Afterbirth+, the enhanced version of the original Binding of Isaac filled with extra Easter eggs and mods, is a dungeon crawling at its best, with 13 playable characters, over 180 enemy forms, 90-plus bosses, over 600 items to capture in 11,000 randomly generated spaces, and 13 possible achievable endings, each based on big boss battles. It’s an emotionally charged RPG that you’ll be obsessed with for months.
18. Yoshi’s Crafted World
There’s egg tossing, Smiley Flowers, and a really Nintendo subplot about Kamek and Baby Bowser trying to become best friends, but it super-glues your heart to the wall by becoming a formidable Mario platformer that looks like a photorealistic shoebox diorama.
Every level is designed to be explored from different perspectives (both physically and metaphorically), and it ups the fuzzies with cute multiplayer tactics (like piggyback rides!) and a slew of unlockable costumes ranging from Bullet Bills to trash bins.
It’s what makes Crafted World a collect-a-thon suitable for both kids and adults, and it employs a healthy dose of fantasy to demonstrate that Yoshi wasn’t deliberately intended to be kicked out.
17. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Skyrim is a nine-year-old game, but the portability of the Nintendo Switch makes it seem new. What was once a purely home console and PC title can now be played on the go, and there’s no denying that having the wild world of Skyrim in the palm of your hand is exhilarating.
The game also supports the Joy-Con motion control joystick, allowing you to wave your sword and draw your bow in real life. It’s a whole new way of playing. This is the completely open-world Skyrim experience for the Nintendo Switch, with all DLCs, so we’re confident that we’ll get one of the best Switch games right now.
16. Donut County
Donut County by Ben Esposito is one of those indie outliers that have no business being as amazing as it is. What started as a multi-layered Twitter joke in 2012 quickly evolved into one of the most interesting and approachable puzzle games of 2018.
You play as a pit in the earth – or, more accurately, as a gang of selfish raccoons who use the hole as a low-lift surrogate – moving about and sucking objects on the surface into the cavern world underneath.
As easy as it is, coaxing strangely shaped items down the hatch is more difficult than you would expect. The two-hour epic is a subtle and darker allegory about power systems and technologies that’s as engrossing on your Switch as it is on your television.
- Don’t Miss: The 20 Best Video Games to Play on Wii
15. Ori and the Will of the Wisps
The dazzling Ori and the Will of the Wisps is one of the best-looking games ever released, rivaling even some of the best-animated movies in terms of creativity and wonder, and it’s a small blessing that it runs as smoothly as it does on Switch, retaining a silky smooth 60fps throughout.
In this genius Metroidvania, you take on the role of Ori, an acrobatic spirit creature who journeys into a strange forest in search of a missing owlet. Will of the Wisps, like its predecessor Ori and the Blind Forest, is deceptively tough but never seems unjust, and its focus on gradually uncovering its many mysteries makes it an ideal portable title.
14. Luigi’s Mansion 3
It’s been six years at least since Nintendo last released a game in the Luigi Mansion series, and fans have begun to lose faith for another one, which also declares that it was extremely pleasant news for Nintendo Switch.
At Luigi’s Mansion 3, Luigi is one of the most memorable characters and with the playable characters take a much-needed vacation in a high-rise hotel.
However, as luck would have it, the hotel looks to be haunted, and the ghostly residents have abducted Luigi’s buddies. You know what it means to you. It’s time to bring out the Poltergust once more and suction those ghosts into a greater, more action-packed adventure than ever before. Luigi’s Mansion 3 is a must-have Switch game for the entire family.
13. Bayonetta 2
Bayonetta 2 is a fantastic game that has been re-released on Switch, which means you no longer have an excuse not to play it.
However, when the heroine is a witch with magical hair and (literally) lethal stilettos, you won’t have much of a reason not to.
This Nintendo Switch release allows you to play some of the greatest action-packed, horrific moments in gaming history whenever and wherever you want. Although the resolution is limited to 720p, even on your TV, it doesn’t detract from the fact that it’s a better game than it was on Wii U, even if you only look at the big frame rate increases.
Regardless, the game looks amazing, and if you’re even somewhat interested in action games, you owe it to yourself to check it out.
12. Monster Hunter Rise
Monster Hunter Rise is literally the perfect game for you right now, as the pandemic is coming to a close. this is a game that you can play even without the Switch’s ability to play on your TV, as it is available on the Nintendo Switch Lite that excels as a high-powered handheld mode.
These are the games you’ll want to play on the go. The quest format is somewhat tedious at times, but I now appreciate how well-segmented it is.
Most missions have a time restriction of 50 minutes, but they take significantly less time to accomplish; unlike almost every other role-playing game ever produced, I can pick up Rise, start a quest, and know that I’ll reach a natural stopping point in under an hour (and often in under 20 minutes). Despite being a lengthy game, Rise does not seem as much like a commitment as other open-ended titles.
Rise’s ease of entry and exit makes it ideal for my hectic schedule, where I must manage my gaming time.
11. Splatoon 2 – Octo Expansion
Splatoon 2 is a multiplayer online battle arena video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch and Wii U. It is the sequel to Splatoon.
The game revolves around players competing to cover territory in ink in various multiplayer Turf Wars (also known as Ink Battles) with goals that vary per model.
10. Super Mario Odyssey
All I know is that Super Mario Odyssey is one of the two or three great games ever to bear the name of that lovely little boy.
It’s every bit as strong as Super Mario Sunshine, Super Mario Galaxy, or Super Mario Bros. 3, Nintendo’s prior high-water marks for the character and the platformer genre in general.
Odyssey is a beautiful game of pure delight, full of the freedom inherent in an open world game but with a steady chain of clear aims and attainable goals dragging you ever deeper into its roster of candy-colored kingdoms.
It’s a great companion piece to Nintendo’s other major Switch game of 2017, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: both reimagine a classic.
9. Divinity: Original Sin II
So far, the standard for the RPG title. However, Divinity: Original Sin 2 shines in terms of how free and freeing its systems are. With turn-based combat that draws inspiration from XCOM as well as tabletop RPG spellcasting, you’ll still have several paths to pursue, enabling you to blend items and ambient factors to take on opponents in more innovative ways.
Divinity: Original Sin 2 offers more concepts in the first ten minutes than any gamer has ever seen in their life: do you want to be an undead adventurer who can communicate with skulls? Simply go for it. Dr. Doolittle’s animal whisperer? That is 100% going for it.
8. Rayman Legends
Rayman Legends’ enormous number of different materials is characterized by a sense of playfulness. Critics frequently try to avoid the word “fun” because it is so subjective, but Rayman Origins is the only other game in recent memory that has so thoroughly embodied the most basic, universal, and objective meaning of the word—much of which returns as unlockable bonuses within the already superior Legends.
Rayman Legends is a video game without pretension, and that may be the most important decision its makers made without even realizing it. It revisits old gaming principles with a timeless sense of comedy that everyone can appreciate.
7. GRIS
Gris is an experimental game with vibrant colors and an interactive environment. GRIS, from Nomada Studio, differs from the majority of the games on this Nintendo switch playlist because it focuses on its stunning visuals, simple controls, and relatable storyline.
In terms of gameplay, it’s a fantastic puzzle/platformer that you’ll have to struggle to bring back to the world of color, but aesthetically, it’s one of the most stunning games.
The color spectrum expands as you play, and as you select colors and progress through the stage.
I can’t help but spam a screenshot press to different locations and pages that are as natural as breathing. This is a little game that makes the most of Switch.
6. Hades
If you’ve played Transistor, another title from the same studio, Supergiant Games, you’ll recognize this excellent action RPG available to play on Nintendo switch.
Whereas Transistor was a more linear game, Hades is rogue-like, which means the levels are all procedurally generated, and no single location is the same any time you visit it, making the map new and thrilling.
With a killer soundtrack, hack-and-slash action, an intriguing plot, and stellar RPG systems, Hades is a blast to play and will keep you entertained for hours.
To summarize, if you’re interested in Greek myths, you’ll be happily pleased about how much study Supergiant has placed into this one, which offers.
- Don’t Miss: 14 of The Best Video Games as of 2021 to Play
5. Dark Souls: Remastered
It’s the grandfather of tough-as-nails action sports, with a thousand imitators and a zillion swear words as explorers hunt the dangerous land of Loran.
Its methodical and meticulous approach to warfare is as punishing as it is satisfying, rendering every hard-won triumph over its monstrous enemies a true accomplishment.
Often equal, it’s also a master of environmental storytelling, slowly unveiling its mysteries as you master its mechanisms and defeat its enemies.
Dark Souls: Remastered isn’t as one of the best visually appealing games on the Nintendo Switch as it is on the PS4 or Xbox One, but it does have the advantage of playing it on the go. When you toggle the multiplayer mode, you’ll be able to interact with a whole new set of gamers.
4. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Though previous Zelda games followed the formula provided by Ocarina of Time (the series’ first 3D game), Breath of the Wild defies much of the established wisdom.
Rather than making a pre-determined order in which you must tackle each main objective, Breath of the Wild automatically opens up the entire map to you, encouraging you to approach the game in whatever manner you see fit. You can waste hours scaling trees and brewing elixirs, or you can skip ahead to the game’s final boss if you’re feeling brave.
Aside from the game’s unusual structure, it’s the puzzles themselves that make Breath of the Wild sound among the most enjoyable games to play on Nintendo switch.
3. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
About the fact that the developers of another huge open-world RPG, Skyrim, had accomplished the feat, The Witcher 3 was far more creatively visionary than Bethesda’s title.
Will it be playable at all? Apparently, yes!
The Witcher 3 on Switch isn’t just as impressive as it is on PC, PlayStation 4, or Xbox One.
But it’s still a lot of fun, and making one of the best RPGs ever made in a portable format is a big plus.
Geralt’s main quest is potentially 60 hours long, but with the additional DLC, you’re looking at anything that could take 100 hours, if not more.
It’s always good to be able to relax on the couch while searching for herbs in a game that high.
2. Fortnite
Fortnite is a shooter in the third person that has been developed by Epic Games. It has two game modes, Save the world (PvE) and Battle Royale (PvP).
The most popular is the mode Battle Royale by having a million players, also said mode is free-to-play. When it comes to playing it can be done alone, or Multiplayer options. All players go out on an island and have to search for better weapons and equipment.
Players have multiple customization options, as they can create buildings to defend themselves or have a better offensive position. To build before you have to obtain resources such as wood. Win the game with the last player or team standing.
1. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the first new title in the mainline Animal Crossing games franchise in almost 8 years, as well as the first to be available to play on the Nintendo Switch – and the wait was well worth it.
Via an exclusive Nook Inc kit, New Horizons transports you to a lonely island. Your mission is to make the island a top destination, welcoming new islanders by sprucing it up and turning it into a tropical paradise.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a charming game that is ideal for those who like to relax and take it at their own pace. It’s both familiar and fresh, deftly mixing the series’ old fun bits with some much-needed improvements.