The Best Nintendo Switch Games for Every Kind of Player

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, Favorite Switch Accessories, and Bundle Deals. And if you were lucky enough to get an OLED Switch upgrade this year, make sure to transfer all of your data.

Updated October 2022: We’ve added Ooblets, Pokemon Arceus, and Disco Elysium. 

Many members of the WIRED team have contributed to this ongoing guide, including Jaina Grey, Louryn Strampe, Jeffrey Van Camp, Julie Muncy, Peter Rubin, Emma Ellis, and Eric Ravenscraft.

Special offer for Gear readers: Get a 1-year subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com and our print magazine (if you’d like). Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.