I get it. I play all the big games, too, and there are only so many hours in the day.
But, I also like to play games of all kinds, but sometimes it’s hard to know which games to play. Especially on Nintendo Switch.
Hundreds of games release on the Nintendo eShop every month.
But don’t fret. I’m here to help you find the gems without doing any work.
I will present to you here and now 16 Nintendo Switch games you should be playing this very instant. Games include the wildly popular Fortnite, the dining dash game My Breakfast Bar, NES and SNES retro games, and many more that just may end up your favorite game of the year.
In this article, I’m going to tell you just a little bit about each one of these games I have spent hours playing on my Nintendo Switch:
- My Breakfast Bar
- Rogue Legacy
- Voez
- Fortnite
- Sparkle Unleashed
- Jumping Joe & Friends
- Mario & Rabbids
- Paladins
- Shadow of the Ninja
- Tetris 99
- Pop’n Twin Bee
- Pix the Cat
- Pinball FX 3
- Animus
- Akane
- One Strike
1) My Breakfast Bar
A colorful mobile inspired game that riffs on the “dining dash” gameplay about serving customers breakfast food.
Each stage gets harder and more hectic as serving customers becomes a fun, anxious experience.
The game is easy to control and focuses around point, click, repeat gameplay.
2) Rogue Legacy
A cool yet hard-as-heck 2D action, adventure game revolving around a knight who attempts to conquer a monster-ridden castle.
With each death, however, the knight passes along some of its genes and abilities to the next character you play as.
Constant defeat, trial, and error are mainstays of Rogue Legacy but so is the satisfying fulfillment of reaching new rooms, defeating new bosses, and overcoming the game’s difficulty.
3) Voez
A modern rhythm experience that relies less on specific button pressed and more on reflexes.
Specific notes are not mapped to a single button which allows even crazier series of notes to be thrown at you.
Fans of classic rhythm games such as Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero, and Rock Band will find much to do here as there are hundreds of songs to choose from and multiple difficulty levels per song.
4) Fortnite
By this point, everyone should have played this popular title or own this Nintendo Switch game.
Fortnite is a FREE online multiplayer experience about building, fighting, and getting strategic wins either by oneself or in teams.
The game’s Pixar-esque art style invites players of all skill levels while gameplay includes depth if one is searching for it.
Rotational and new game modes, new skins (player outfits), a strong online presence, and a continuing story has kept this game fresh for years and for years to come.
5) Sparkle Unleashed
This is a stellar snaking-puzzle game in which colorful orbs slither about the screen.
Your job is to shoot colorful orbs at matching colored orbs to eliminate them before they reach the end of the road.
The campaign stages steadily increase in difficulty, making this gem great for beginner and pro puzzle players.
The game is best played in short bursts due to its stage-by-stage structure, but it can also be binged for hours on end.
6) Jumping Joe & Friends
One of the best time-waster experiences I have ever played.
This is a high-score arcade genre game about jumping from one platform to another in order to climb the highest you have ever climbed before.
Achieving your best score is the name of the game with plays sessions lasting a few seconds to roughly 5 or 10 minutes.
The game includes multiple modes, characters to unlock, and is best suited to kill time while waiting around.
7) Mario & Rabbids
I think many folks skipped this game because they didn’t know what it was.
Hint: it’s a great time, for sure!
It’s a combination of Nintendo’s Mario franchise with the humor of Ubisoft’s Rabbids characters set in a beautiful and richly detailed Mario world.
Gameplay focuses on turn-based, strategic battles with gun-blasters and cover taking center stage.
Some exploration and item collection is done in between battles along with story elements and inventory management.
Plus, there is new content to purchase featuring Donkey Kong for even more fun.
8) Paladins
I have spent hundreds of hours having fun with this online only, team based, first-person shooter.
There are dozens of characters to choose from (each with its own unique skills and attacks) which make each match feel fresh and exciting.
Additional battle arenas and characters are added regularly to spice things up and to keep the game feeling new.
9) Shadow of the Ninja (NES Online App)
This is a stellar action adventure game released in 1990, originally for the Nintendo Entertainment System, that feels like the offspring of Ninja Gaiden and Mega Man games of that era.
Nintendo Switch Online Subscribers have access to this game for the whopping price of FREE.
It’s a late-era NES game which means it feels, sounds, and looks good and is fun to play.
10) Tetris 99
Tetris meets Fortnite is a great description of this game.
It is an online, multiplayer Tetris experience about fighting 98 other players in a match of falling blocks.
Build and clear lines while you target other players with garbage blocks in order to stay alive to the very end.
The game is FREE to play for Nintendo Switch Online Subscribers but can also be purchased separately.
When purchased separately, Tetris 99 can be played offline as well as online.
11) Pop’n Twin Bee (SNES Online App)
A bright and colorful, yet challenging, arcade shooter game about flying a machine through the skies and blasting enemies in front, below, and to the sides.
Originally released for the Super Nintendo in 1993, gameplay is nice and tight and based on skill rather than luck.
Boss fights are challenging but luckily this version comes with a rewind feature due to it being part of the feature-rich Super Nintendo Entertainment System App.
Speaking of which, this game is only available via the Nintendo Entertainment System App and is FREE to play for Nintendo Switch Online Subscribers.
12) Pix the Cat
This game is like playing a neon, modern day version of Pac-Man . . . on caffeine.
This challenging, high score game features a cat that funnels through tunnels to collect eggs in order to achieve a high score while battling a ticking timer.
It has that “just one more game” feel to it, includes various different modes, and is great for short to medium play sessions.
13) Pinball FX 3
Pinball FX 3 is arguably the best pinball experience on the Nintendo Switch. I can’t stop playing it!
It includes an ever-growing list of tables to purchase and play, great pinball physics, immersive sounds and visuals, and the ability to post on online leaderboards to challenge the rest of the world.
14) Animus
This is an action game set in small arenas.
You control a nameless knight who has to battle demons and monsters in a strategic manner that focuses on timing and the use of a depleting stamina bar.
New weapons and items are unlocked as are stages as one progresses.
It is obvious that this game originated on mobile phones. Yet, it is still a lot of fun to play for ten or twenty minutes at a time, trying to gain new gear or to reach a new stage or boss fight.
15) Akane
This is a unique twin-stick shooter game that utilizes both analog sticks with sword play mechanics.
The goal is to survive as long as one can in this hectic arcade game, while being surrounded by swarms of enemies.
While the object of Akane is to shoot, kill, and slice opponents down while learning new enemy behavior.
Surviving and upgrading abilities is where fun is found as play sessions last a few seconds to a minute or two.
Replaying is key to success as is having patience and quick reflexes.
16) One Strike
This simple fighting experience is one of my favorite games I played in 2019.
Set in a world of samurai and presented with a pixelated graphical style, this game’s goal is to fight opponents one-on-one.
Matches are decided in a single blow (unlike traditional fighting games that have life bars) which give the battles in this game meaning, a sense of urgency, and excitement.
►Conclusion: Diamonds in the Rough
And there you have it!
Now you know about 16 Nintendo Switch games you should be playing.
From the well known Fortnite to the relatively unknown hidden gem Akane, these games are great Nintendo Switch pickups that are worthy of your time and attention.
If you ever need to freshen up on this stellar list of must-plays and hidden gems, come back here anytime.
By Wally
(Screenshots taken by me. Images sourced from product pages on the Nintendo website. Logos, characters, and images are owned by their respective owners)
