Nintendo’s Switch has become home to an almost overwhelming number of fantastic games since its launch in 2017. Many of them have appeared on other platforms, whether they’re celebrated indie titles or big AAA releases that have gotten a second chance at the hybrid. Nintendo’s handheld, but the console is also home to a handful of brilliant exclusive titles.
We’ve rounded up the best Switch exclusive games, in no particular order, for your perusal below. If you’re not worried about exclusivity, check out our best Nintendo Switch games guide for the top 50 games on the platform, period.
All the games below are available. only on Nintendo Switch and cannot currently be found on PC or any other platform. This means we had to say goodbye to some entries like Octopath Traveler and Monster Hunter Rise (and Nintendo consoles also count, sorry, Breath of the Wild and Super Mario 3D World, though definitely check out Switch-exclusive Bowser’s Fury). ). ). As exclusive experiences that can’t be found anywhere else, these games form the foundation of the Switch’s software library. Naturally, you will find many titles of your own.
Regardless of who created them, the following represent our picks for the best exclusive games on Switch.
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Editor: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo
super mario odyssey It’s arguably Nintendo’s best moment on the Nintendo Switch yet, returning Mario to the sandbox-style environments of Super Mario 64. The sheer creativity and inventiveness on display is incredible, thanks in no small part to the introduction of Cappy, Mario’s signature hat that he can wear to pull off crazy platforming moves and possess enemies to solve puzzles. If this isn’t on your Switch yet, what are you waiting for?
Editor: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo
Splatoon 3 is more of the same, but refined to the brink of mechanical perfection. It’s the most fun we’ve had with an online shooter in years, and for series veterans it makes Splatoon 2 feel completely redundant for anything but its unique single-player content. It feels like the dev team has fixed all the issues that the Splatoon community was complaining about, and then fixed a few more that we didn’t even realize were issues until they were fixed. There’s nothing revolutionary about it compared to its predecessors, and it may be missing one big new idea™ that you could expect after five years, but Splatoon 3 is the pinnacle of the series and the pinnacle of shooters on Switch.
Editor: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo
Animal Crossing: New Horizons takes the series and not only drags it back to home consoles, but improves every facet imaginable. There is more to do, more to see, more to change, more to mold and more to love; fans and first-time players alike will find themselves wasting hours gathering materials, crafting new furniture, and making their island undeniably yours. Every moment is unabashedly blissful, with excellently written characters that really feel alive and an island paradise that gives you back infinitely more than you put in. Animal Crossing: New Leaf hit the shelves so many years ago and created a new generation of fans, many people wondered how Nintendo could top it, but here’s our answer. This is a masterpiece worth buying a Switch (or two) to play.
Editor: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo
Speaking of creativity and cutbacks, Nintendo reinvented itself twice in a single generation with the introduction of nintendo labo. This solves the problem of all those plastic peripherals you have lying around the house from previous Nintendo consoles by making the peripherals out of cardboard. However, it doesn’t lose any of the magic: you can play the piano, drive a motorbike and befriend a small pet inside a toy house. All with cardboard and your Nintendo Switch.
the Labo Toy Con 04: Virtual Reality Kit it even lets you explore the world of VR using just your Switch, a pair of plastic goggles with lenses, and a bunch of rubber bands and plastic O-rings. And, of course, cardboard. It’s great and also allows you to experience other titles, including super mario odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and even Super Smash Bros Ultimate in special virtual reality modes.
Editor: Nintendo / Developer: Arika
Exclusive to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers, Tetris 99 offers a truly unique way to play the proven classic, even if the overall package feels a bit light. Essentially a battle royale version of Tetris, playing live against 98 others is chaotic, and the action feels fast, precise, and wonderfully addictive. It is also very difficult: we would like to have our chances in Fortnite about this any day, and we’re impressed with the fact that it has forced us to play the game with a completely different approach than our usual slow and steady ways. Signing up for Nintendo Switch Online just to play this game might be a bit of a stretch, but if you’re already a member, what are you waiting for? It’s ‘free’ and could become your next favorite time sink.
Editor: Shin’en Multimedia / Developer: Shin’en Multimedia
As Nintendo fans get desperate to beg for a new F-zero (Seriously Ninty, it’s about time), the people at Shin’en Multimedia were in no mood to beg. Instead, the developer just went and did the Fast franchise on Nintendo platforms. You have a wide variety of vehicles, race tracks and an unmatched sense of speed. Unrivaled, that is, until Nintendo sticks the finger out. F-Zero is actually quite different, but until that comes, Fast RMX is admirably filling the void of speedy anti-gravity racing.
Editor: Ubisoft / Developer: Ubisoft
Mario Kingdom Battle + Rabbids we were all surprised when it was released. Who would have thought that a XCOMCould Ubisoft’s Mario and Rabbids-inspired tactical RPG be that good?! So good, in fact, that it remains one of the best Nintendo Switch exclusives to this day.
Editor: sidebar games / Developer: sidebar games
history of golf is like a spiritual successor of mariogolf on the Game Boy Color, as it combines role-playing with golf. It’s a strange combination that, perhaps more strangely, works very well. You’ll explore eight unique environments, solving the world’s problems (and your own!) by hitting them with a golf ball.
Editor: Nintendo / Developer: Soft Monolith
xenoblade chronicles 2 is the sequel to arguably the best JRPG on Nintendo Wii (now available on Switch) and it’s very, very Good game, but Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a genuine masterpiece and the highlight of Monolith Soft’s magnificent series thus far. Here is an emotionally charged and surprisingly cutting-edge epic, a sprawling and highly engaging narrative populated by an unforgettable cast of characters backed by some of the best combat we’ve ever had the pleasure of facing. this genre to date. After over 100 hours on this one, we are just as enthralled now as we were when we first started it and it has delivered more than every bit of the adventure, excitement and action its key art promised. Aionios wait, it’s time to seize the future.
Editor: Nintendo / Developer: koei-tecmo
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order It’s not an innovative, storytelling reinterpretation of the comic book characters you know and love, but neither were the first two games. In that sense, it’s a very faithful sequel that draws from the extensive roster of characters from the comics while also including plenty of nods to the current state of the more modern Marvel Cinematic Universe. While he doesn’t do anything particularly new or outstanding, he eagerly embraces the brainless fun of his wrestling match, and is absolutely at his best when played with a team of player-controlled supers. Excelsior!
Editor: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo
We love ARMS and we won’t hear a bad word said about it. Nintendo doesn’t just make a game in a genre, it makes that genre work for it, we saw that with splatoon, which reinvented the competitive online shooter, and now with ARMS. In many ways, this is as much a puzzler as it is an action-packed brawler. Since you’re often fighting enemies from a distance, and your punches take time to land, you really have to try and catch your opponent off guard.
