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For Tactile Nostalgia
Nintendo Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
For Princess Peach Fans
Princess Peach: Showtime
A Rich Open World
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
For JRPG Aficionados
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
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 and Favorite Switch Accessories. And if you upgraded to an OLED Switch, here’s how to transfer all of your data.
Updated June 2024: We’ve added Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, Princess Peach: Showtime, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, and removed some older games.
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Courtesy of Nintendo
For Tactile Nostalgia
Nintendo Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
The original Paper Mario, as a franchise, leveraged the limited power of consoles like the Nintendo 64 and the GameCube to create a unique aesthetic, where 3D environments with low-polygon counts were reframed as a diorama and a single infinitely flat plane became a paper puppet. It’s the kind of aesthetic that you would think wouldn’t lend itself much to a modern high-def remake, and yet Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door pulls it off. The remake is rebuilt from the ground up with more detail and clever artistic touches that not only capture the spirit of the original, but—as I said in my review—also made the immersion into the paper world even more vivid than I ever felt while playing the original.
1 player can adventure through Rogueport.
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Courtesy of Nintendo
For Princess Peach Fans
Princess Peach: Showtime
Princess Peach hadn’t had her own game since 2005 until Princess Peach: Showtime dropped earlier this year. This game employs a delightful mechanic where Peach dons a new outfit giving her a unique set of abilities to play through a variety of stages. “Stages” here being quite literal, as the entire game is set in a theater, with Peach playing through each scene in her various roles. There’s not a ton of challenge for adults here, but if you’re looking for a game for kids, or like simple, fun puzzles for yourself, there’s a lot of charm in this little game.
1 player can be the star of the show.
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Photograph: Nintendo
A Rich Open World
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
To 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.
WIRED reviewer Will Bedingfield says that 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, and the brand-new Ultrahand ability lets you combine items from your environment to build machines, weapons, and just about anything else you can imagine.
1 player can save Hyrule, again.
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Courtesy of Nintendo
For JRPG Aficionados
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is immediately one of the most memorable games in the Xeno series. You don’t necessarily need to have played the previous Xenoblade Chronicles games to enjoy this one, but returning players will find plenty of little rewards for their investment in the story. The combat system is updated from previous entries as well, to be more engaging and less monotonous than the series has been in the past.
1 player can take on Z.
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Courtesy of Nintendo
For Platforming Joy
Nintendo Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the kind of game that hooks you in the first few minutes. In this game, Mario becomes an elephant, the Piranha Plants sing, and that’s just the start of this 2D side-scroller’s absurdist charm. The game’s signature feature, Wonder Flowers, transforms the world around Mario in some frankly baffling yet always delightful ways. You can play alone or with up to three friends, similar to many other recent Super Mario platformers.
1 to 4 players can experience the wonder.
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Courtesy of Nintendo
Angels versus Devils (But Sexy)
Nintendo Bayonetta 3
Bayonetta 3 came out eight years after the previous game, and it was (mostly) well worth the wait. While the ending left a sour taste in some fans’ mouths—enough that the creator has said the next entry will help address it in an “unexpected” way—the rest of the game is still the magnificent, furious hack-and-slash that the series has come to be known for.
1 player can slay angels in high heels.
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Courtesy of Nintendo
A Modern Classic
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Breath of the Wild set a new standard for the Legend of Zelda series when it first came out in 2017. 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. Its successor, Tears of the Kingdom, built on this formula beautifully, but going back to the original feels like a whole new experience. After flying over Hyrule on a fan-powered hover-cycle, there’s something viscerally challenging yet satisfying about going back to traveling the countryside by foot. Read our full review for more.
The Expansion Pass DLC also adds challenge modes to test your combat skills, a 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. If you haven’t played Breath of the Wild since it came out, there’s plenty new here to discover.
1 player can explore Hyrule.
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Courtesy of Nintendo
An Odyssey for Everyone
Super Mario Odyssey
If 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 to 2 players can play together.
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Courtesy of Nintendo
For Narcoleptic Adventurers
Nintendo Link’s Awakening
The Switch version of this classic game takes a unique approach to modern remasters. While the original Link’s Awakening was a flat, sprite-based, monochrome Game Boy game, the remake rebuilds the entire game in an almost toylike diorama, with a perpetual tilt-shift effect that makes the game feel a bit like revisiting your childhood bedroom, despite the vibrant, modern graphics. It’s one of the best, most unique approaches to remaking a game that was already ahead of its time when it came out.
1 player can wake the Wind Fish.
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Courtesy of Nintendo
For Mario Party Nostalgia
Nintendo Mario Party Superstars
No matter how good Super Mario Party might be, it’s still hard to capture the experience of those early games in the series. If you’re interested in turning back the clock, then Mario Party Superstars might be more up your alley. Yes, the naming scheme is a bit confusing, but Mario Party Superstars has five revamped boards from the N64 Mario Party game, plus a collection of more than 100 mini-games from the N64 and GameCube iterations of the series. If you prefer your Mario-themed party games with a healthy dose of nostalgia, this is the direction to go.
1 to 4 players can go on a nostalgia trip.
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Courtesy of Nintendo
For Board Game Mario Madness
Nintendo Super Mario Party
The Mario Party series, which features an assortment of multiplayer mini-games, has included some all-time classics and some … pretty middling games. For our money, Super Mario Party is toward the top. The addition of motion-controlled mini-games, plus some of the funner features from the various handheld versions of the series, makes Super Mario Party the breath of fresh air that the series needed for years.
1 to 4 players can ruin each others’ lives.
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Courtesy of Nintendo
A Brawlin’ Beat ‘Em Up
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Ever want to watch Solid Snake punch 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 to 8 players can brawl locally or online.
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Courtesy of Nintendo
Putting the Metroid in Metroidvania
Metroid Dread
Is 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.
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Courtesy of Nintendo
For Catsuit Lovers
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
If you’re someone who prefers 2D Mario games—or if you really like cats—this might be the Mario game for you. Mario has a catsuit, and he’s living in a cat-themed world. This game 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 to 4 players can run and jump together.
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Courtesy of Nintendo
For Wildlife Photographers
New Pokémon Snap
The original Pokémon Snap was an utterly unique game when it first came out, and the New Pokémon Snap brings that spirit back. Unlike typical Pokémon RPGs like Pokémon Sword & Shield, in this game you simply go on leisurely automated strolls, 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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Courtesy of Nintendo
For Taking It Easy
Cozy Grove
There’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. There’s a reason it’s one of our favorite cozy games.
1 player can get cozy.
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Courtesy of Nintendo
Ancient Pokémon History
Pokémon Arceus
This isn’t your usual Pokémon game. Pokémon Legends: 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.
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Courtesy of ZA/UM
For Your Inner Detective
Disco Elysium
Assuming 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. It’s funny, wild, delightfully unhinged, and filled with memorable characters and situations that will inevitably end in your demise.
1 player can become a hero or an absolute disaster of a human being.
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Courtesy of Nintendo
An Island Vacation
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
The 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 to 8 players can interact together.
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Courtesy of Motion Twin
For Dungeon Crawlers
Dead Cells
In 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.
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COURTESY OF SUPERGIANT GAMES
For Mythology Lovers
Hades
In Hades, you’ll eventually meet Sisyphus, the knave-king cursed to push a boulder up a hill for all eternity, and he’s surprisingly chill with his lot. After a few dozen attempts to escape the underworld, you start to understand how he can feel that way. Hades is fast-paced, beautiful, and hard as hell (in a good way). You play as Zagreus, son of Hades, on a never-ending quest to, quite literally, defeat death. The task is a whole lot easier said than done, but luckily, you’ll get a little bit stronger each time you fail. This game is nearly flawless, and the boon system of power ups, randomized encounters, and heat difficulty system all help keep every run feeling fresh and new. Read our full review.
It’s especially worth a visit now, since Hades II—Supergiant’s first ever sequel game—is out in early access. The follow up manages to be just as engaging as the first one. I’ve personally already sunk over 200 hours into Hades II. But for now, it’s not available on the Switch, so if you’re looking to scratch that itch, check out the original game for now.
1 player can try to escape the underworld.
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Courtesy of Nintendo
For Ghost Busters
Luigi’s Mansion 3
Luigi’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 to 2 players can adventure together. Up to 8 players can play a special mode online.
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Courtesy of Team Cherry
For Wanderers in the Dark
Hollow Knight
Hollow 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.
It’s been seven years since Hollow Knight came out, and five years since the developers announced the sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong. We’re cautiously optimistic that we might get some news about the follow-up this year, but for now, the original is worth a replay.
1 player can explore this world.
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Courtesy of Digital LTD
For Fighting With Friends
Overcooked 2
Some 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 to 4 players can run a kitchen together.
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Courtesy of Nintendo
A Puzzling Adventure
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
Toad 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, but it feels much more at home 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.
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Courtesy of Ubisoft
A Turn-Based Strategy Adventure
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
Mixing 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 to 2 players can adventure together.
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Courtesy of Nintendo
For Racing Maniacs
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Mario 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 to 8 players can race together.
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Courtesy of Nintendo
For Troublemakers
Untitled Goose Game
Untitled 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. An update after the game’s launch added multiplayer support, so now two geese can terrorize the town at once.
1 to 2 players can harass the townsfolk.
