10 Best Nintendo Switch Games for 2022 (Updated!)

Are you new to the Nintendo Switch or simply looking to expand your games library?

Well, you’ve come to the right place. Here are the ten best Nintendo Switch games that you shouldn’t miss!

Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley is a fun open-ended simulator that allows you to build a life for yourself on your own farm.

Although farming is the main point of the game, that’s really far from the only thing you can do. You can mine for treasures, slay monsters, and find someone to settle down with. You can also go fishing, explore caves, and join your community in seasonal events like festivals. There’s even a multiplayer feature, something that most farming sims don’t have.

Regardless if you’re a serious gamer or a casual one, there’s something to love and enjoy in Stardew Valley.

Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate

Monster Hunter gained a solid following when it first launched on the 3DS, and this Switch debut is no different.

Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate packs the best of this action role-playing series in a convenient and familiar package. You’ll be fighting with over a hundred monsters using a diverse variety of weapons, which you can craft yourself.

Best of all, the gaming experience is so much better in many ways, thanks to the Switch’s pro-controller.

Splatoon 2

Splatoon was one of the most popular Wii U games, and it’s given a new lease on life thanks to this sequel.

You’ll be playing as a squid-girl or squid-boy, and the goal of the game is to win against other squid-people by shooting objects around the map using your paint gun. It’s a fun little game that captured the hearts of the casual gamer demographic while still having something to offer more serious players.

Although the core mechanics are still the same, Splatoon 2 for the Nintendo Switch does have its own strengths. It has new maps, new weapons, and new multiplayer modes, making it a worthy contender for a best-of list.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

New Horizons is the first iteration of the well-loved classic, Animal Crossing, released on the Nintendo Switch. But it’s more than just that. This game can also be credited with single-handedly increasing console sales in the casual gaming market in a short amount of time.

That’s because it was released in March 2020, around the same time that governments around the world were beginning to implement lockdowns. Bored gamers and non-gamers alike were looking for something fun to play – something that this game had to offer.

With Animal Crossing: New Horizons, players get a chance to begin a brand new life on a deserted tropical island. Like other Animal Crossing games, your goal is to build a flourishing community and improve your town, or in this case, island.

Hades

Fans of mythology, rejoice. Hades is a dungeon crawler and hack-and-slash adventure that lets you go on a godly quest to escape the Underworld.

This game is not for the faint of heart. Weapons and skills constantly change, which means you need to be creative if you want to make your way out in one piece. You can also get power-ups to enhance your skills and ‘blessings’ from the gods to help you out.

Its masterful storytelling and interesting characters will make you feel compelled to finish the game as soon as possible – and restart it over and over for a new journey every time.

Metroid Dread

Metroid Dread sees Samus Aran’s return to 2D, making the game feel nostalgic for old players and refreshing for new players.

True to its name, Metroid Dread is full of scenarios that will have your heart beating fast. Players will have to journey through an entire planet filled with dangerous monsters, picking up power-ups along the way. The difficulty level is amped up in this iteration, so you best prepare if you want to avoid having to restart often.

It’s the best Metroid game in quite a while. There’s no such thing as dialed down scares here – if it’s terror you want, it’s terror you’ll get.

Celeste

Celeste is an indie game that surprised the mainstream gaming community when it was released.

The story focuses on a young girl named Madeline who goes on a quest to climb the peak of the Celeste Mountain in order to deal with her mental health issues once and for all. Although the main game is easy enough, there are harder side quests that even serious players will enjoy.

Overall, Celeste is a platformer that will have you playing for hours on end, with a story that will stick with you long after you’ve finished the game.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus

Game Freak is no stranger to innovation. Although the mainstream games tend to stick to the same formula over and over again, there are plenty of Pokemon spin-offs to keep things fresh.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus, is one good example. Even if you’re not a fan of games like Minecraft, Borderlands, or Terraria, there’s a good chance that you’ll enjoy the franchise’s first attempt at creating an open-world adventure.

In Pokemon Legends: Arceus, we travel back to the olden ages prior to the Sinnoh region’s development. There are no cities in the Hisui region, let alone Pokemon Gyms or trainers. The goal of the game is simple: go on a quest to solve the mysteries of the world and befriend Pokemon to build the very first Pokedex. In many ways, the mechanics still feel like the core games, but the adventure definitely feels brand new.

Super Mario Odyssey

Super Mario Odyssey takes Mario’s 3D adventures to the Nintendo Switch.

The green pipes are still present in this platformer, just like in every other iteration in this franchise. In fact, it feels like your typical Mario game, but its new additions are certainly enough to still make it fresh. You’ll have brand new world to explore, new challenges, and even some new mechanics to put a spin on things.

Without a doubt, it’s one of the best Mario games to have ever come out – perhaps even the best.

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

If there’s one game you should have on the Switch, it’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, for sure. This game makes full use of the Switch’s amazing features, whether you’re playing it on the console or on your TV.

Breath of the Wild takes everything we love about the franchise and improves upon it tenfold. For instance, this game feels much bigger than any other Zelda game ever released – figuratively and literally. It gets inspiration from some of the biggest open-world RPGs around and uses that to reinvent Hyrule.

It’s a much grander adventure than we could’ve imagined, making it a no-brainer to put it on top of our list.

Did you find the best game for you on this list? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!