Picking the best games to play on Nintendo Switch is less about the rarest hidden gem and more about matching the right title to how you actually play: handheld on a train, docked with friends, or solo at 1am. This guide front-loads the answer with a quick-list table and category winners, then goes deep by genre and group size. No hype, just what is worth your money right now.
Last updated: June 20, 2026. Prices checked: June 2026. Sources: Steam, Epic, publisher pages and partner stores. We refresh prices and sale notes regularly.
Best picks at a glance
- Best free: Fortnite (battle royale, building, cross-play with everyone)
- Best cheap (under $15): Stardew Valley, or Lost in Play on sale
- Best premium: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Best for 2 players: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (split-screen and online)
- Best for big groups: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (up to 8 fighters)
- Best couch co-op: Overcooked 2
- Best cross-platform: Hades (Switch, PC, PlayStation, Xbox)
- Best handheld solo: Hollow Knight
- Best for kids: Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- Best hidden gem: Lost in Play
Quick list
| Game | Best for | Players | Platforms | Entry cost | Why pick it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tears of the Kingdom | Premium adventure | 1 | Switch | ~$60 | Best open-world on the system |
| Super Mario Odyssey | 3D platforming | 1-2 | Switch | ~$50 | Joyful, endlessly inventive |
| Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | Racing, parties | 1-8+ | Switch | ~$55 | The default group game |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Big groups | 1-8 | Switch | ~$55 | Huge roster, endless replay |
| Animal Crossing: New Horizons | Relaxing sim | 1-8 | Switch | ~$50 | Wind-down comfort game |
| Stardew Valley | Cheap, deep | 1-4 | PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch | ~$15 | Farming sim, co-op online |
| Hollow Knight | Solo metroidvania | 1 | PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch | ~$15 | Best value on the eShop |
| Hades | Roguelike | 1 | PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch | ~$25 | Tight, replayable, gorgeous |
| Metroid Dread | Action exploration | 1 | Switch | ~$50 | Sharp 2D Metroid return |
| Splatoon 3 | Online shooter | 1-8 | Switch | ~$55 | Family-friendly competitive |
| Super Mario Bros. Wonder | Kids, couch | 1-4 | Switch | ~$55 | New 2D Mario, easy to share |
| Overcooked 2 | Couch co-op | 1-4 | PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch | ~$25 | Chaotic kitchen teamwork |
| Mario Party Superstars | Party nights | 1-4 | Switch | ~$55 | Classic boards, quick rounds |
| Lost in Play | Cosy puzzle | 1 | PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch | ~$20 | Point-and-click charm |
| PATAPON 1+2 REPLAY | Rhythm-strategy | 1 | PC, PlayStation, Switch | ~$15 | Cult rhythm classic, remastered |
| Yooka-Replaylee | 3D collectathon | 1 | PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch | ~$30 | Banjo-style nostalgia, polished |
| Koi-Koi Japan | Card pick-up-and-play | 1-2 | PC, Switch | ~$10 | Hanafuda done well |
| Dead Cells | Roguelite action | 1 | PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch | ~$25 | Fast, brutal, handheld-perfect |
| Celeste | Tough platformer | 1 | PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch | ~$20 | Precise, heartfelt, great solo |
| Into the Breach | Tactics on the go | 1 | PC, PlayStation, Switch | ~$15 | Bite-size strategy genius |
Best premium adventures (one big purchase)
If you only buy a couple of full-price games a year, spend the money here. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the obvious headliner, a sandbox where the building and physics systems make almost every problem solvable two or three ways. Super Mario Odyssey is the platforming pick, generous with secrets and one of the few full-price games that genuinely supports a second player (one controls Cappy). Metroid Dread rounds it out for anyone who likes lonely, tense exploration over open worlds.
If you want a curated shortlist of action standouts beyond Nintendo's own catalogue, our action hub tracks the current price leaders across stores.
Best cheap and indie picks (under $25)
This is where the Switch quietly shines. The handheld form factor suits short, sharp indie games, and most go on sale often.
- Stardew Valley is the benchmark: a farming, mining and relationship sim with online co-op for up to four, frequently under $15.
- Hollow Knight gives you a 40-hour metroidvania for the price of a sandwich.
- Hades is the roguelike that converts people who swear they hate roguelikes.
- Into the Breach is perfect commute strategy, every run is a tidy puzzle.
- Lost in Play is a wordless point-and-click that plays like a Saturday-morning cartoon, ideal for sharing with a younger player.
- PATAPON 1+2 REPLAY bundles two cult rhythm-strategy games into one neat package.
For more low-cost recommendations sorted by genre, our indie hub is the place to browse before you commit.
Best games for 2 players
The Switch ships with two usable controllers in the box (split a Joy-Con pair), so two-player gaming is the platform's home turf.
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the no-argument default. Split-screen works fine, and the bots scale for mixed skill levels.
- Super Mario Odyssey lets a second player take over Cappy for assisted co-op.
- Overcooked 2 is the relationship-tester, a frantic kitchen game that rewards real communication.
- Foul Play is a side-scrolling brawler built around a theatrical two-player gimmick, a good change of pace from the usual platformers.
- Koi-Koi Japan covers the quiet evenings, a clean version of the traditional hanafuda card game.
Best games for 3-4 players
- Mario Party Superstars is the classic board-game-night pick, with quick mini-games and short, contained sessions.
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder supports up to four on one screen and is forgiving enough for mixed ages.
- Stardew Valley co-op turns the farm into a shared project, calmer than the party games but just as social.
- Overcooked 2 scales up to four and gets gloriously messy.
Best games for 5+ and big groups
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the headline act, up to eight fighters on a single console with the right controllers.
- Splatoon 3 runs four-versus-four online and is one of the friendlier competitive shooters around.
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe handles up to eight players over local wireless if everyone brings a Switch.
Numbers above are a rough one-console cost split in US dollars, not a quote. Always check the live price on our catalogue before buying.
Best couch co-op (same screen, no internet)
When the Wi-Fi is down or you just want people in the room, these deliver:
- Overcooked 2 (1-4)
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (1-8)
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder (1-4)
- Mario Party Superstars (1-4)
All four work fully offline, which makes them the strongest choices for travel and holidays.
Best cross-platform games
If you split time between a Switch and a PC or another console, buy games that travel with you. Hades, Hollow Knight, Dead Cells, Celeste and Stardew Valley are all available on PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Switch, so you can pick whichever store has the best price. Yooka-Replaylee is the modern collectathon option across the same lineup. If you also own a Steam Deck, our Steam Deck compatibility list shows which of these run best on the go.
Honourable / adjacent picks
These are worth knowing about, but they do not fit the core Switch list cleanly, so they sit here with a one-line reason.
- The Cat Games: a light casual collection, charming but thin, better as a cheap impulse buy than a headline purchase.
- Mad Games Tycoon 2: a deep studio-management sim, but it is built for keyboard and mouse, so treat the PC version as the real home.
- People Playground: a physics sandbox that is a PC staple, listed here only because fans often ask, it is not a Switch title.
- DisplayFusion: a multi-monitor utility, not a game at all, included because it shows up in searches next to gaming gear.
If horror is your thing, none of the above scratch that itch, so browse our horror hub instead.
FAQ
What are the best free games to play on Nintendo Switch? Fortnite and Rocket League lead the free-to-play tier, both with cross-play and regular events. They are genuinely free to start, with optional cosmetic spending. For free full-game promotions, keep an eye on our giveaways tracker, which lists current no-cost offers across stores.
Which Switch games are best for long handheld sessions? Roguelikes and metroidvanias suit handheld play because they break into short runs. Hades, Dead Cells, Hollow Knight and Into the Breach all pause cleanly and look great on the smaller screen. PATAPON 1+2 REPLAY is another strong handheld pick if you want something rhythmic.
What is the best Switch game for two players on one console? Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the safest answer because it works in split-screen, scales difficulty, and almost everyone already knows how to play. Overcooked 2 is the better choice if you want co-operation rather than competition.
Are cheap eShop indies actually worth it? Yes, often more than full-price games per hour. Stardew Valley, Celeste and Lost in Play all cost a fraction of a first-party title and deliver complete, polished experiences. Just confirm the live price on our catalogue, since indie sales swing widely.
How do I get the best price on Switch games? First-party Nintendo titles discount slowly, so set a target price and wait for an official eShop sale rather than chasing fake urgency. Third-party and cross-platform games drop faster, and you can compare store prices on our deals page. For PC equivalents, the Steam sale tracker flags the next big event.
Which Switch games work fully offline? The couch picks above all do: Overcooked 2, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Mario Party Superstars need no internet for local play. That makes them ideal for flights and road trips.
What is a good cosy game to wind down with? Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Stardew Valley are the comfort-food classics. For something shorter, Lost in Play and Koi-Koi Japan are low-stress and easy to put down.
Do Switch games go on sale as often as PC games? No. The eShop discounts third-party titles regularly, but Nintendo's own games hold their price far longer than equivalent Steam releases. If a game exists on both, the PC version is usually the cheaper long-term buy.
The bottom line
The best games to play on Nintendo Switch depend on how you play: premium adventures like Tears of the Kingdom for solo deep-dives, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Smash Ultimate for groups, and a long bench of cheap indies for everything in between. Start with one premium pick and two budget indies, and you will rarely run out of things to play. When you are ready to buy, compare live prices across stores on our full catalogue and check the latest discounts on the deals page so you never overpay.
Alex, Scout Team
