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Nintendo SwitchRPGshooter

What are the best indie games for the Nintendo Switch?

41

Options
Considered

414

User
Recs.

Dec 24, 2023

Last
Updated

41 Options Considered

Best indie games for the Nintendo Switch	Price	Genre	Platforms
87 Hollow Knight	$15	Metroidvania	Nintendo Switch, Windows, macOS, Linux
-- Stardew Valley	$14.99	Farming Simulation, Role-Playing	Windows, OS X, Linux, PS 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PS Vita, Android
-- Night in the Woods	$19.99	Adventure, Narrative	PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Windows, Xbox One, Linux, macOS
-- Unravel two	-	-	-
-- Celeste	$19.99	Platformer	Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, Linux, macOS

Hollow Knight

Top Pro

Tight and fluid movement

Every movement in the game makes you feel like you are in control. See More

Top Con

Backtracking is brutal

There are very few respawn points, and you die often. So you are very often having to go through long, difficult, boring segments over and over just to get back to the boss... And then you die again. See More

RobustCybele's Experience

Amazing gaming experience! 11/10 would recommend! With many bosses, great lore, and an amazing soundtrack, Hollow Knight is the best video game I have ever had the pleasure of playing! See More

Specs

Genre:Metroidvania

Platforms:Nintendo Switch, Windows, macOS, Linux

Steam Rating:Overwhelmingly Positive

Co-Op:Single Player

Top Pro

Amazing art and soundtrack

Has a very dedicated aesthetic that works beautifully. See More

Top Con

Too hard

Top Pro

Rewarding exploration

The game world is enormous, with a massive amount of secret areas that really reward you for sniffing them out. See More

Top Con

Slow first 2 hours

Game feels slow until you acquire an important upgrade. See More

Top Pro

Fun, challenging boss fights

With a couple exceptions, the boss fights are challenging in a way that does not feel cheap. If you die, it is because you screwed up and not because the game didn't feel like keeping you alive anymore. See More

Top Con

Map system

To get a map, you must find an NPC first for each area you visit. Map updates whenever you find a bench. You also get sent to your last-visited bench when you die. It does not update in real-time, but the map will update with wherever you have been when you find a bench. This is all assuming you have bought the base map from the NPC in that particular area. See More

Top Pro

Large amount of content

Over 30 hours of gameplay. See More

Top Pro

Mysterious story/lore

Makes you wanna explore more to find out whats going on and you may find secrets with NPCs that will tell you more or add to the mystery. This keeps things interesting. See More

Top Pro

Amazing story and lore

Top Pro

Forces you to learn attack patterns

You won't get far just going in swinging. Learning enemy behavior is much more important than in any other Metroidvania and that feels very rewarding. See More

Top Pro

Has free DLC

Three DLCs have been released, adding additional quests for free. See More

Top Pro

Has character

The visuals, music and sound effects are both quirky and charming. You may stay for the gameplay, but you come in for the lovable world. See More

Stardew Valley

Top Pro

Very fulfilling to play

Stardew Valley is a very simple game where you're free to do anything and everything at your own pace. This includes building your farm, planting and harvesting crops, and exploring the world among many other things. It will feel enjoyable no matter how fast or slow you do it. This coupled with the colorful/pleasing art style and the great soundtrack makes it an extremely pleasing experience. See More

Top Con

Can get really repetitive

Living on a farm is a lot of work, so you'll have to repeat the same tasks quite often. This includes tilling land, planting seeds, chopping trees, and many other farm related activities. While it's normally pretty fun and relaxing, it can get incredibly tedious during long play sessions, especially if you're just trying to progress. See More

Specs

Genre:Farming Simulation, Role-Playing

Platforms:Windows, OS X, Linux, PS 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PS Vita, Android

Co-Op:Online and Local, up to 4 players

Top Pro

Great freedom in designing your farm

When creating your own farm you aren't just limited to plowing fields for planting crops. You can also dig wells, put down fences, and even build various structures such as barns or stables. This allows you to build a farm that firmly matches your goals and sense of aesthetics. See More

Top Pro

Great soundtrack

When you work on your farm, go fishing, explore or just walk around the town you'll be accompanied by a really nice soundtrack. It's sometimes upbeat, sometimes soothing, and sometimes even melancholic, with every track matching each location and season perfectly. There's also a wide variety of instruments used, including a piano, accordion, banjo, synths, and many others. This allows you to listen to the soundtrack for hours without getting tired of it. Sometimes it's very hard to believe Stardew Valley and its soundtrack was produced by just one person. See More

Top Pro

A great mix of genres

While Stardew Valley is primarily a farming simulator, it also has social interaction elements and combat elements. The social interaction elements allow you to interact with people around the town. You can befriend them, get quests from them, hang out with them, and even find a significant other to go out with and eventually marry. It can be very addictive to max out your relationship with everyone. The combat elements are introduced when you unlock the dungeon, allowing you to battle creatures such as slimes, golems, and even mummies. While the combat is pretty simple, having you just swing your weapon, it's very satisfying to whack away at enemies. If farming ever starts feeling stale you can try either of these to mix it up, allowing you to keep the game fresh for a longer time. See More

Night in the Woods

Top Pro

Great coming-of-age story

The coming-of-age story in Night in the Woods is unconventional for a video game, making it more unique and intriguing. After dropping out of college, the main character, Mae, struggles with her own disillusionment in life and refusal to grow up, all the while her old friends find success and move on without her. You join in on that struggle as you live as Mae: aimlessly going around town talking to everyone and listening to their worries, browsing your laptop when you're supposed to be doing other important things, and even pressing a button to wake up in bed every morning as a reminder of how mundane life can be. You see all the ways she doesn't necessarily want to grow up, wishing she could stay a kid forever, but then she talks to an old acquaintance who thinks she's washed up now, making her feel anxious about her failings as a young adult. This type of story is familiar for anyone who has also had a hard time with similar problems, and eye-opening for anyone who hasn't. See More

Top Con

Some pacing issues with the story

The story slogs through the premise of Mae's anxieties and disillusionment for a long time until it suddenly switches somewhere in the middle. There are a few hints here and there about how and why the plot becomes a murder mystery, but these things seem inconsequential and not as important as Mae's personal issues. It ends up feeling strange to change things up partway through to something unrelated to the original premise. While the murder mystery isn't necessarily bad, it would have been nice to see a more focused insight and resolution to Mae's young adult troubles. See More

HonestEpiphron's Experience

Great characters and stories, favourite switch game See More

Specs

Genre:Adventure, Narrative

Platforms:PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Windows, Xbox One, Linux, macOS

Steam Rating:Overwhelmingly Positive

Top Pro

Extremely realistic characters

Mae is a relatively stereotypical 20-something-year-old college dropout; she's annoying at times, immature, unempathetic, and often more than a little brash. She's also very introspective, sweet, and active in her friends' lives. She gets in heartbreakingly realistic arguments with her parents, all-too-familiar rough patches with her old friends, and a solid handful of deeply awkward moments. Every other character, no matter how small their role in the overall narrative, is similarly fleshed out, making every interaction you have feel meaningful. See More

Top Con

The main character is insufferable at first

It's hard to like Mae from the start for a few reasons. She's extremely self-centered, she likes to steal for the thrills, and she has no interest whatsoever in fixing her shortcomings. Her life seems to be one awkward moment after another where you can't help but cringe in embarrassment, like in one early scene where she gets drunk at a party and blabs away about her personal problems after spending hours telling herself she wouldn't. As you get to know her, Mae might grow on you, but if you're the type to lose your patience with people who are immature, then you probably won't like her all that much. See More

Top Pro

Deals with a lot of subjects surrounding mental health & personal growth

Mae struggles with a lot of anxiety, a splash of depression, hopelessness, and even a little psychosis, and her friends have many similar problems of their own. The game deals with all of these issues realistically & poignantly, and will likely hit especially hard for most players impaired with similar mental illnesses. See More

Top Pro

Well-written side characters

Every character feels like they have a history and realistic personal motivations, even when they're left unexplained. Mae's friends are all different yet interesting in their own ways, like Gregg who's always happy to see her and helps Mae feel like someone truly cares, and Bea with her biting sarcasm and apathy that seem to cover up her more complex issues. The residents of the town also talk about things in ways that are true-to-life, like how they gossip about their neighbors as you listen in, or just flat-out tell you sometimes to leave them alone. Every character in the game feels like a real person, whether they're central to the story or just one of the NPCs you see sitting on their porch all the time. See More

Top Pro

The simplistic gameplay is surprisingly fun

Running around the side-scrolling town as Mae day in and day out is more enjoyable than it sounds at first. It's mundane, but there's a lot of meaning to find around the town if you're willing to look for it. You go wherever you want, finding out stories about the townspeople and the town itself, or hanging out with friends for scripted story moments. Poking around all over town to find out the history is pretty cool, like the underground diner that Mae used to steal from back in the day, or the old shopping mall that barely gets any customers anymore. When you're not talking to people or going somewhere, you can play around with the rhythm mini-game as you practice with Mae's bass either in her room or in her old band with her group of friends. You can fall into a nice habit of checking in with the NPCs and locations you care about most, almost like in real life where you prioritize the people and places you spend the most time around. See More

Top Pro

Tragic, realistic setting and NPCs

Night in the Woods is set in Possum Springs, once a booming mine town but now a forgotten speck on the map, rife with poverty and decay. Its history is based on several real Adirondack towns, and its portrayal of rural decline is painfully accurate. The townspeople you talk to lament about having to close down their businesses, or wonder out loud how they'll make ends meet. Everyone's economic hardships feel real and relevant to anyone who's gone through the same thing or knows someone else who has. See More

Unravel two

Celeste

Top Pro

The theme of overcoming anxiety and depression is tied into the gameplay

The game reinforces the attitude of never giving up, even in the face of a seemingly impossible challenge or self-doubt, and does this by tying this heartfelt theme into the gameplay itself. As Madeline sets out to scale to the top of the mountain, she will encounter a lot of depression, anxiety and self-doubt along the way, which literally manifests into an alternative version of herself simply called "Part of Me". A part of ourselves many of us are all too familiar with. During the more challenging parts of the game, this other self will appear to taunt, belittle, and even chase Madeline around telling her she's not good enough, and she'll never reach the top. She'll be a constant source of doubt throughout the duration of the game. But, after every player death, failure, and missed jump, the game will gently remind the player to "Keep going. You've got this!" and "You're learning!" along with other inspiring messages that encourage you to push past the doubt, and keep trying until you beat each challenging level. See More

Top Con

You'll die a lot

Although dying in this game helps to reinforce the game's overall theme of never giving up in the face of a challenge, this can be a turn off to some players. Missing the same jumps and landing on the same spike traps constantly can only happen so many times before it becomes frustrating more than fun. See More

Specs

Genre:Platformer

Platforms:Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, Linux, macOS

Top Pro

Optional assist mode for players who aren't good with platforming

For those who may not be so good at the platforming aspect of the game, Celeste offers an assist mode which allows players of all skill levels to experience the game in full. During gameplay, there are a few on-demand options available to do things such as become invincible (avoid spike traps and enemies), extend the air dash (jump further), and even slow the whole game down in 10% intervals. This is a great addition that makes the game accessible for all skill levels, and it's completely optional so that players who want the full challenge don't have to use it. See More

Top Con

Wind mechanic can be unfair

During one level, there is wind that pushes and blows you around, but it doesn't always work in your favor. It may send you hurtling off a steep drop right into a spike trap or ruin your carefully timed midair dash. It's very random which way it'll decide to move you, and can therefore feel unfair at times. See More

Top Pro

Frequent checkpoints keep the game moving along

Checkpoints are encountered quite often, so when you inevitably die, you won't have to replay a huge portion of the level. This helps to keep the frustration to a minimum when tackling a particularly tricky section of a level, and lets you practice the part that's giving you trouble rather than making you replay the entire level. See More

Top Pro

Great variation in level mechanics to keep players on their toes

Each level features its own environmental hazard, which means players will have to adjust their strategies from time to time. One level is filled with winds that shift, sometimes assisting you across wide gaps and at other times stopping your progression forward or causing you to miss jumps. Another is shrouded in darkness with the area only illuminated when you're in mid-jump. Regardless of the hazard at play, they all add an extra level of challenge to keep players on their toes, even if they're seasoned platforming veterans. See More

Top Pro

"B side" collectibles for those who crave a deeper challenge

In each level, there is a single hidden cassette tape, often in a hard to reach area. The platforms in these areas move to the beat of the level's soundtrack, and have to be correctly navigated to reach the tape. Similar to how old school cassettes tapes had two sides, collecting this tape will unlock the "B side" of each level. This presents the player with a much more challenging version of the level, adding new jumps, traps, and dangers. These remixed levels are extremely difficult and will provide a challenge for even the most seasoned platforming veteran. So if you've beaten the base game, and crave even more of a challenge, you will be pleased with this feature. See More

Top Pro

The platforming consistently adds new movement mechanics

The platforming definitely isn't stale and consistently adds new movement mechanics to keep things feeling fresh throughout your run. Glowing red orbs will send you flying in a certain direction, jump pads will blast you high into the air, and diamonds will give you an extra dash in mid air. Jumping, bouncing, and climbing around the various levels just feels fluid and fun with all these extra goodies that are seemingly endless and continually add flavor into the platforming aspect. There's a lot of "oh, that's cool!" moments when playing and discovering something new for the first time such as using a group of diamonds to chain a jump that's not only fun to watch, but fun to perform. See More

Top Pro

Beautiful pixel art

Top Pro

Great for Speedrunning

There are advanced movement techniques in the game that allow you to complete a level in multiple ways and to built up a lot of speed. On top of that there is a speedrun timer built into the game. See More

Undertale

Top Pro

Your choices lead you down different story paths

Depending on your choices, your playthrough can change in drastic ways. If you don't want to kill enemies in battle, you can choose to have a dialog with them instead. Doing this consistently is basically a pacifist playthrough where you don't kill anyone, and characters respond to you in certain ways based on that. Or you can go for a genocide playthrough, which is basically what it sounds like, where you kill everyone you come across whenever you get the chance. This can have serious consequences, since the game does its best to make you feel bad about this approach, by having certain characters hate you. It's an interesting way to get to see the world and story from different angles. See More

Top Con

Replaying can be a chore

The first time going through the game it's a nice experience, especially when you know nothing about the characters, story, mechanics, etc.. By your next playthrough, you already know all the jokes and plot points. Even when taking a new route, it can take a while for you to notice anything different from one playthrough to the next, making things feel like a drag. See More

Specs

Genre:Role-Playing

Platforms:Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Linux, macOS

Steam Rating:Overwhelmingly Positive

Co-Op:Single Player

Top Pro

Amazing characters

The characters in the game are written well, each with their own unique personalities. Some may be too shy, and will lower their hit points when you attack them in battle, just to avoid offending you. Others are deeply caring and do their best to help and protect their friends and family, including you as the player. Many of the characters are quite funny in their dialog and the unexpected choices they make throughout the story, including the ways they react to your choices. Almost every character is incredibly memorable and enjoyable to get to know better. See More

Top Con

The visuals could be better

Much of the game is plain-looking with simple graphics, but sometimes the visuals are just awful. The pixel art can be charming for some players, though it's hard to ignore when certain areas are barren or have ugly textures. It's notable that a single person created the whole game; it would have been nice if they'd had more time or resources to clean up some of the visual problems. See More

Top Pro

Incredible soundtrack

Just like the simple but pleasant graphics in the game, the music matches this with a retro-sounding score that fits right in with the art style. There are a lot of catchy tunes that only use a few sounds to make up memorable songs. The simplicity really adds to the charm, with some of the songs easily able to get stuck in your head for days at a time. It's nostalgic enough for older gamers who grew up in the early eras of gaming, while still having enough to pull in newer gamers who aren't as familiar with games from the 1980s and 90s. There's something here for everyone. See More

Top Pro

Many interesting secrets to find

There are many secrets to discover in the game, like hidden mechanics that might take you by surprise. It may take a couple of playthroughs to find them all, but once you do, it may completely change how you see the story, the characters, and a lot more. There's a lot more to Undertale beneath its simple-looking surface. See More

Disco Elysium

Top Pro

Immersive, well-written, dialogue-driven story

Dozens of individuals (some of them unforgettable) will help and hinder you as you try to solve the case. You'll even come up against your own shortcomings personified. See More

Top Con

Not as much freedom in how your proceed in the story as you might think

Although you get to choose traits to spec into at the beginning of the game, these traits don't really affect how the story proceeds or even your relationships with the characters for the most part. They mostly just affect small things like skill checks for tasks, meaning that, in this respect, you aren't really free to customize your character freely. See More

LikableZhurong's Experience

Baller af See More

Specs

Genre:Narrative, RPG

Platforms:Windows

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Single Player:Yes

Top Pro

Lots of different sidequests

You can engage in a variety of different sidequests that expand your knowledge of the characters and people in the world and affect how other characters perceive you. The sidequests are some of the best parts of this game and are just as memorable if not moreso than the main game. See More

Top Con

Lots of text

If you don't like reading text, this RPG is not for you. See More

Enter the Gungeon

Top Pro

Satisfying replayability

Thanks to the roguelite aspects of the game, there is randomly generated levels, which means fresh gameplay each time the game is played. There is also 4 different characters available in the game, each of which has a different boss fight at the end of the game as well as different characteristics while being used. This also makes for a good bit of replayability for those that would like to see all the different bosses in the game as well as experience the different type of gameplay for each character. See More

Top Con

High difficulty

The game can be difficult, especially when first starting out. This may mean a lot of deaths and a feeling of no progressions due to having to start over a lot. While the game is not unmanageable for players who enjoy the games genres, it may be a bit of a turn off for newcomers. See More

Specs

Genre:Roguelike

Steam Rating:Overwhelmingly Positive

Co-Op:Single Player

Top Pro

Gameplay is balanced well

Often in a roguelite game there can be the chance of getting delt a bum hand on any particular run, luckily Enter the Gungeon does not suffer from this issue as there is a good balance of the gunplay mechanics that sees any death by you as your own fault of not playing to your max ability. Never is it some cheap shot or some item that was not able to be picked up this run, it is just your skill and awareness of wht is being shot at you that matters the most. See More

Top Con

Co-op feels tacked on

Co-op in the game is only local (no online co-op at all), which limits who you can pay with. On top of this the way one has to go about starting a co-op game feels a bit unintuitive, which can be frustrating. Stages can also feel cramped when in co-op mode, meaning players bump into walls and objects too much. See More

Top Pro

Unique tone

The game is often silly with many humorous elements such as every character is based around being a bullet, that in turn own guns and fire other bullets. There is no mistaking that the game is about shooting, and the game is somewhat 4th wall breaking by taking advantage of this fact and hilariously throwing it into the players face. See More

Top Pro

SHMUP like gameplay

A lot of the shooting elements in this game revolve around SHMUP like mechanics. Players will need to doge a juke many bullets on screen at ones. Luckily there is a roll capability that allows the player to doge when in a precarious position. This roll feature though is not just some way to make the game easier but is a tool to be used as the game is specifically designed to need this roll in certain places. See More

Top Pro

Cool collection aspect

There are 190 guns available in the game that the player can collect through purchasing them in an in-game shop as they progress through the game. Most likely this will take multiple playthroughs with all four of the available characters, which means tons of playtime for those that like to collect everything in a game. See More

Top Pro

Easily stay in the action of the game

There are a few small features in the game that add up to making sure the player is never too distracted or pulled out of the action. Things like once a stage is cleared and all coins dropped by your fallen foes will be magnetically pulled to you, just to make sure time is not wasted running around picking up currency. Another is that each map has numerous teleporter nodes, which makes for fast and easy travel. And lastly there is a quick start in the main menu that allows the player to jump right back into the action the next time they start up the game. All these things add up to an ease of use that makes sure the player is never too distracted by the un-fun elements of play. See More

Oxenfree

Top Pro

Deeply intriguing narrative

Top Con

Short

If you're primarily concerned with the hour per dollar ratio, there are definitely games that will last much much longer. See More

ExcitedMamaragan's Experience

Funny commentary. Interesting story. Kept me playing! Plus, it changes every time you play it. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

stream :very positive

Top Pro

Engaging, realistic, and often genuinely hilarious dialogue

Top Pro

Gorgeous & unique graphics

Top Pro

Loads of player choice that actually impacts the story

Top Pro

Multiple endings based on aforementioned player choice

Top Pro

Great voice acting for literally every single character & dialogue choice

This game is fully voice acted, which is rare for a game with so many dialogue branches & player choices. The voice actors for each character are very invested, very talented, an rarely disappoint. See More

Lovers In A Dangerous Spacetime

Top Pro

Gameplay focuses on relying on the other player

Much like a good marriage the game focuses on having each player rely on the other in ties of need. This makes for an experience that when executed properly shows how much of a team two people can be. See More

Top Con

Co-op is local only

Unfortunately, online co-op is not an option. However, forcing the players to be side by side aids in coordination and makes for a more personal experience. See More

Specs

Genre:Shooter, Platformer

Platforms:PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, Nintendo Switch, Linux, macOS

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Co-Op:4 Player Local

Top Pro

Teamwork is demanded

As offense, movement and defense are entirely separate stations, you simply cannot beat the game alone in co-op mode, regardless of any single player's skill level. This holds true especially in harder difficulties where constant communication and coordination is critical. See More

Top Pro

Adorable aesthetic

Both the story and art style are beautiful and playful, encouraging a fun atmosphere even in difficult or complicated scenarios. The soundtrack carries you along with a light but fast-paced beat to maintain the balance between fun and focus. See More

Top Pro

Catchy techno soundtrack

Lovers has a very interesting and catchy soundtrack that goes great with its retro, neon-based aesthetic. See More

Detention

Top Pro

Horror elements incorporate Taiwan's real life history to disturbing effect

Detention takes place in 1960s, a time period in which Taiwan was under martial law. The story focuses heavily on the social struggles of the time. Much of the game's horror elements are heavily inspired by the atrocities committed during this time. The creepy and disturbing factor is amplified due to the fact many of the notes and items scattered throughout the game are based on real historical events. The hopelessness and despair is felt throughout, especially when experienced through the eyes of the young and innocent protagonist, Wei. See More

Top Con

Some minor pixel hunting

Some items are hard to find, resulting in a bit of pixel hunting from time to time. While this is the norm for seasoned adventure gamers, some may be frustrated by having to repeatedly backtrack and search areas for missed items. See More

Specs

Genre:Survival Horror, Adventure

Platforms:Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, Linux, macOS

Top Pro

An altogether tense horror experience

Detention does a great job of ensuring a tense horror experience from start to finish. The entire atmosphere is just downright creepy, often washed in dark with very few light sources. The ghosts look absolutely horrific. Having to sneak by them can create some of the most tense moments in the game. The story intertwines pieces of Taiwan's tragic real life history with the in-game narrative which gives it a historically accurate, but disturbing feel. On top of all this, the screaming and otherworldly sound effects which play in the background give you a constant sense of unease. See More

Top Con

Frustrating puzzle solutions

Several puzzles require you to either hunt for very specific items in strange places or revisit certain locations all the way across the map. Several puzzle solutions are also a little convoluted, with many crucial items seemingly having very intuitive uses... but actually having a much less direct use or function. It's very easy to get lost in this game, both physically as the protagonist navigating the in-game world and mentally as the player trying to puzzle out the solutions to needlessly intricate problems. See More

Top Pro

Creepy horror atmosphere

Jump scares are few and far between. Detention focuses more on atmospheric horror through it's rather oppressive and bleak environment. To emphasize the dread, most of the game's artwork consists only of dark shades and washed out textures. Almost everything is depressing and bleak - the story, artwork, and sound design - resulting in a real horrific atmosphere. Roaming through the dark halls of a deserted school and its flooded grounds while being hunted by disturbing looking ghosts results in some downright terrifying moments. See More

Top Con

No auto saving can result in frustration

Saving can only be done at specified save points. Forgetting to manually save is quite common when you're wrapped up in the creepy atmosphere and story. When you die, it's rather frustrating to have to replay large sections of content. See More

Top Pro

Tense gameplay

There is no combat or weapons in this game, making an encounter with the many ghosts a tense and frightening experience. Since you have no way of fighting directly or defending yourself, your only survival options are to use stealth and trickery. In order to sneak past a ghost, you will have to hold your breath and slowly creep by. You can't be detected when holding your breath, but managing your air supply while sneaking can be pretty suspenseful when a ghost is right next to you and starts to give chase. If you absolutely can't get past despite your best sneaking efforts, you can lure a ghost away from it's spot with a food offering placed on the ground. But, even in this case, you'll have to be very careful you're not seen when the ghost comes looking for the treat. See More

Top Con

Very short

The whole game can be played in about 3-5 hours. See More

Top Pro

Balanced and intuitive puzzles

The puzzles are pretty straightforward and intuitive. Most items will serve practical purpose, rather than relying on the absurd logic that some other adventure games suffer from. For example, wire cutters are used to cut gates, paint thinner is used to dissolve paint, etc. Most puzzle items are used in the general area of where you pick them up, so there's not a whole lot of running around. While most of the early puzzles are fairly easy, some of the later puzzles can be quite tricky. However, they are still perfectly solvable with a little brain power. All in all, from an adventure gaming standpoint, it's certainly balanced. See More

Top Pro

Dread-inducing sound design

The soundtrack isn't a typical soundtrack. Rather, it is purely environmental ambience and effects. There are no gentle melodies or soothing tracks at all. Rather, the audio itself involves a lot of screaming, scratching, moaning, humming, and strange otherwordly tones. Forgoing music for strange ambience was an interesting design choice, but it definitely pays off here as it makes you feel entirely uncomfortable, and the sense of dread is captured incredibly well. See More

Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition

Top Con

Steep and time-consuming learning curve

Learning what items are needed to craft takes quite a bit of knowledge and time. There are guides and videos online that can help with this, but not much in-game that helps the player know exactly how and what to craft. See More

Top Pro

Great creativity tool

If you prefer building, creative mode is the way to go. It immediately gives you unlimited blocks, the ability to fly, and immortality. This allows you to easily build anything you want without worrying about height or enemies. Things like giant castles, villages, roller coasters, and even unique builds such as the Enterprise from Star Trek. You can really let your creativity loose. See More

Specs

Genre:Indie / Survival / Sandbox

Platforms:Java: Windows 10, Linux, Mac. Bedrock: Windows 10, Android and ios.

Co-Op:8 Player Online / 4 Player Couch / 8 Player LAN/ Infinite Player Servers

Controller Support:Yes

Top Con

Lack of meaningful story mode

There is no story mode in Minecraft: there is only a create mode or a survival mode. Neither, however, supply any kind of story or background as regard what is going on in the game. See More

Top Pro

Local multiplayer option for when there is no internet

Minecraft can be played by 4 players locally via splitscreen. This makes it a great way spend time with your friends and family when you don't have access to the internet. See More

Top Con

Still involves killing other things

In order to progress through the game and craft items, players will need to kill other things such as skeletons, zombies and monsters which may not be seen as child-friendly or can result in frightening situations. See More

Top Pro

Amazing extended community

The community surrounding this game is huge due to its popularity. There are lots of servers and projects revolving around it that allow for so many different choices in how one wants to play and who they want to play with. From crafting guides/videos, themed servers and YouTube play sessions, there is enough out there to help one find what they are looking for. See More

Top Pro

Randomly generated worlds and distinct locations keep the gameplay fresh

Each new world is randomly generated, making for a different experience every time. There can be plains, rivers, beaches, ravines, giant mountains, hidden villages, and a lot more. There are also 38 biomes, which includes snow, desert, forest, swamp among others. Each one has its own set of unique blocks, plant life, and creatures. You won't get tired of exploring above ground or underground because every location will seem new and exciting. See More

Golf Story

Top Pro

The approach to RPG elements is a novel spin never seen before in a golf game

Instead of shiny gear and weapons like standard RPGs, Golf Story chooses to equip you with a wide variety of different golf clubs that provide stat bonuses or unique effects like hitting a ball further or putting better. Rather than stats such as strength, stamina, and intellect, your character has a more golf focused skillset including slices, accuracy, and distance. It's a novel approach that combines golf with beloved RPG elements in a way that's never been done before. See More

Top Con

No online multiplayer

Unfortunately, the game is limited to local multiplayer mode, and no online mode exists at this time. See More

LikableZhurong's Experience

My favorite indie on switch. I absolutely fell in love with the world and the characters and cannot recommend it enough. See More

Specs

Genre:Sports, Role-Playing, Adventure

Platforms:Nintendo Switch

Top Pro

Golfing itself feels satisfying and controls incredibly well

The golfing itself comes together in a satisfying way that feels intuitive to control, easy to grasp, and just plain great when you see your carefully set up shot hit its target. Hitting the ball uses timed button presses to control things like accuracy and swing strength, making it a minigame in and of itself. You can also set the direction, arc, and spin of the ball for total control of each shot. Once you've got everything adjusted, you take your swing, watching the ball soar into the air. See More

Top Con

Disc golfing minigame can be confusing

One of the minigames requires you to golf with a disc, and due to the controls, can tend be a bit on the confusing side. The disc can controlled in the air, but it responds to controls based on the way the disc is facing. For example, if the disc is facing south, pressing left will move the disc right. All in all, it just doesn't feel good to control since you will constantly be dealing with the way the disc faces in relation to the buttons you're pressing. See More

Top Pro

Lots of variety in the side quests will provide hours of fun

Running around the overworld, you'll run into a lot of NPCs who will ask you to perform sidequests that will put your skills to the test. They might ask you to hit a ball to a certain location, bounce it off something, complete timed events, or ask you to pick up golf balls in a maze. There are so many NPCs and so much variety in the activities that you will always have a fun way to take a break from the main story. Completing these objectives awards money, experience, and special items so it's always worth checking them out, and it's a great way to build up your skill for the main story courses. See More

Top Con

Story is not as great in the latter half of the game

While the story starts out pretty strong, having struggles, hardships, and general drama between characters, most of the problems get solved way too early, shifting focus to winning the golfing championship. As a result, the latter half of the game lacks the driving force of proving someone wrong or overcoming a trauma, so it might not feel as interesting. See More

Top Pro

Includes interesting RPG elements that add a nice layer of depth

Completing quests for NPCs awards you with the staple role-playing currencies of choice - money and experience. Money is used to buy new golf clubs which provide interesting and unique bonuses, such as being able to curve your shots better, hit a ball further, or putt with more accuracy. Experience is used to level up your character's stats such as how far you can drive the ball, purity to help correct slices, accuracy, and more. There's a lot of different stats to keep an eye on and clubs to play around with, so it adds a nice layer of depth that should keep your RPG cravings satisfied. See More

Top Con

Slopes and hills are hard to see on the golf course

The game is 2D, so sometimes things like small hills and slopes on the golf courses are hard to see. This makes it hard to predict how your shot will roll or bounce once it lands on the ground, making for some unpredictable golfing. See More

Top Pro

You can golf anywhere you want in the game world and in doing so possibly even unlock secrets

While you're out and about exploring and doing quests, you are free to drop a ball and take a swing anywhere in the game world for practice or just for fun. Golfing isn't just limited to courses and quests, meaning you can set goals for yourself like trying to hit a specific tree or shooting the golf ball over the heads of NPCs. This might unlock some bonus content, as various objects in the game world reward bonuses such as money, experience, and access to secret areas if you hit them with your golf ball. Between quests and courses, just start swinging your club and you may be surprised at what you can find. See More

Top Pro

Charming 16 bit style

The pixel art graphics look like they came straight from the SNES era, which will be a huge plus to gamers who prefer a retro style. The tilesets are colorful and varied. Sprites are detailed, and are a definite nod to the days of old school gaming as they have a slight bounce when they walk. Animations are smooth and great to view, such as how a trail of changing colors appears behind the golf ball while it's in midair. See More

Top Pro

Animated NPC dialogue boxes are a great touch

To convey the mood and emotion of each NPC, an animated dialogue box will appear over their head that grows, shrinks, tilts, and moves with their speech. For example, when they're angry the text is big and bold and the box may slightly wobble from side to side. It's executed extremely well, helping to draw you into the emotions of each NPC without the need for any voice acting. See More

Top Pro

Humorous writing

While the premise of the story is simple - you are a guy trying to achieve your dream of becoming a golf pro - the humor in the actual writing is very apparent and there are more than a few laugh out loud moments. First of all, every NPC has their own creative way to put you down and insult your golf games, which results in some pretty funny dialogue. Nobody thinks can you make it as a pro, and they don't hold back with the insults. Almost everything in the game is handled with a humorous spin. Whether it's the elitist trainer who gets overly upset every time you refer to the disc in disc golfing as a "frisbee", angry geese acting as a hazard on the course, hilarious rap battles revolving around golf with such lines as "shooting star / try shooting par / the tour don't play handicaps / brah", or trying to hit a kid in the ear with your golf ball to rescue him from alligators, the writing is unique and really stands out. See More

Top Pro

Local multiplayer mode lets you compete against a friend

The local multiplayer mode allows you to go head-to-head against a friend on 9 hole course. Before the match, you can select the golf clubs you want to use, adjust course settings such as wind speed and slope, and choose to play on any course you have unlocked. It's a great way to continue to fun with a friend after you've completed the story mode, and you can play on the same device since it's turn based. See More

Shovel Knight

Top Pro

Feels great to play

Shovel Knight has very colorful pixelated graphics, a decent chiptune soundtrack, excellent 8-bit sound effects, and the controls feel really fluid and responsive. So whether you’re just running through a castle, shoveling away at gems in a tunnel, or even jumping on a dragon’s head, Shovel Knight is a blast to play. See More

Top Con

Can be frustrating

While Shovel Knight captures a lot of SNES era’s good parts, it also brings back some of the bad parts. It's mostly the hidden enemies that attack you as soon as you approach their hiding spots, causing you to take needless damage or even die. This adds a really tedious trial and error aspect that forces you to memorize all enemy placements just so you can beat a stage. In addition to dealing with the enemies, the timing of jumps or using special skills at the right moment adds to the frustration. Press the button too early or too late and you'll end up back at the start of a platforming section or worse, dead. See More

Specs

Genre:Action, Platformer

Platforms:Nintendo Switch, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, Windows, Mac, Linux

Co-Op:2 Player Local

Top Pro

A unique experience

Shovel Knight has 2D pixel art, a simple gameplay, and a retro feel. It stands out in an era dominated by 3D titles with super detailed graphics and convoluted gameplay because of its influences from classics like Zelda, Castlevania, Duck Tales, and even Super Mario Bros. It’s not just trying to cash in on the nostalgia of older players because it’s a game that can be enjoyed by anyone thanks to its polish. See More

Top Pro

Pretty fun risk versus reward system

In each stage, there are multiple checkpoints you can revive at if you die. The twist is that you can destroy the checkpoints for extra treasure. Doing this also means you’ll have to start from the beginning of the stage if you die. It’s a pretty cool way to increase difficulty and add tension to a playthrough, especially because it’s never forced on you. See More

Owlboy

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Axiom Verge

Top Pro

Retro feel with a modern spin

Provides a good change of pace to what many modern titles offer. Axiom Verge is a well crafted combination of the original Metroid 2D platformer style, with unique game mechanics that make it refreshing. See More

Top Con

Poor weapon design

There are a ton of weapons, but most of them lack purpose. You end up sticking with just a few. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Top Pro

Great soundtrack

Top Con

Soundtrack can feel repetitive

While the soundtrack has some great electronic music, it can start feeling repetitive over long play sessions, especially when you find yourself just wandering around, looking for items or the next destination. See More

Top Pro

Tons of power ups to collect

In addition to having lots of things to find, the power ups give you diverse abilities that allow you to interact with the world in new unique ways. See More

The Escapists 2

Top Con

Getting caught by guards can be overly punishing

It's frustrating when you spend several hours grinding quests for other inmates, collecting items, crafting, and carefully planning your escape, only to get caught by guards and lose all your items or killed. This effectively means you have to start over, wasting hours of your own time and days of in-game time. See More

Top Pro

Encourages experimentation and creativity

There is no right or wrong way to do anything, and it's entirely a risk vs reward scenario for anything you want to try. You are only limited by your creativity in escaping, as each prison has almost endless possibilities and encourages the player to make the best use of their inventory and be creative in handling every situation. Bed sheets can be used to cover cell windows from the prying eyes of guards, desks can be moved to reach out of reach vents, crafted tools can be used for various purposes such as breaking through walls or doors, and shovels can be used to dig holes. You can try to sneak around guards, or opt to hide in vents until they're out of sight. If you're feeling especially brave, you can even attempt to fight the guards and take their keys allowing easier access around the prison. See More

Specs

Genre:Sandbox, Role-Playing, Strategy, Simulation

Platforms:Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, Linux, Mac

Co-Op:4 Player Online / 2 Player Local

Top Con

Can feel grindy at times

Running around doing fetch quests for other inmates, or searching for crafting materials for hours on end can get stale after a while. See More

Top Pro

Good balance of game systems make for a rewarding simulation

Taking action in the game uses up your stamina, so you'll still have to make time for things like eating and sleeping if you want to have energy for things like digging through walls, fighting other inmates, or cutting through vents and gates. Items such as shovels and cutters have limited durability, so they can't be used endlessly. Raw materials can be found around the prison to craft items, or you can buy items from fences using money earned by running fetch quests for other inmates. No matter how you acquire them, crafting materials and finished goods are limited so you'll have to use your items wisely. Time is an important factor that has to be managed too, with certain activities having to be done at certain times. This limits the amount of time you have to roam the prison, since you have to show up for meal times and roll calls. Free time can be used to craft, roam the prison to determine the guard patterns, or finally put your ultimate escape plan into action. Juggling each and every one of the various aspects of the game results in a very deep and rewarding simulation experience. See More

Top Con

Tutorial doesn't cover much

The tutorial will only walk you through the barest of basics, resulting in the player having to learn the game's various mechanics on their own. See More

Top Pro

Solid progression of difficulty

The difficulty increases as you progress, with each prison becoming just a little more intricate and more challenging to escape from than the previous. The prisons themselves get more complex with more obstacles to overcome such as tougher guards which results in more ways things can go wrong. The progress feels good and natural, as you're always building on what you learned in previous prisons to escape from the newest one. See More

Top Pro

Great pixel art style for retro fans

If you enjoy a more retro style, then this game is pure eye candy. Simple but charming, the pixel art is colorful, with the sprites having a nice variety in animations when they're shoveling, searching, running around, fighting, or partaking in any kind of activity that would require movement. The tile sets for the game world are nicely detailed, colored and shaded. You won't get tired of looking at the same tiles over and over due to the sheer amount and variety of the art assets created for the game. See More

Top Pro

Lots of replayability

No two games will play out alike. Each prison is an open sandbox, so it's definitely not a linear experience with a defined escape blueprint. Prisons can be replayed over and over to beat your previous time, measured in how many in-game days it took you to escape, which leaves plenty of room for trying new things on each successive playthrough. See More

Top Pro

Co-Op multiplayer mode adds a new depth to gameplay

Working together creates a whole new experience with loads of possibilities. In co-op mode, you play with up to 3 teammates either online or locally as you work towards escaping the prison together. This adds a whole new dynamic to gameplay as working together creates experiences that just aren't possible when playing solo. Someone could distract the guards, while another searches rooms for crafting materials. One player could run around collecting items, while another scopes out the guard's patrol patterns. Some can complete quests to collect money while others are working on digging tunnels. See More

Top Pro

A couple of alternative prisons add a change of scenery

Tired of bricks, cold floors, and cement cells? For those who want a change of scenery, there is a prison set in the wild west, and even a futuristic space prison. This adds a little bit of variety to the look of the game while keeping the same gameplay mechanics. It's a nice touch and gives your eyes a break from staring at the same tilesets over and over. See More

Dandara

Top Pro

Rewarding boss fights

The boss fights are exciting and fast paced battles that will put your mastery of the wall jumping movement system to the test. One particular fight has temporary platforms that spawn out of thin air, so you never know where they're going to appear. This requires some on the fly thinking as you'll not only be paying attention to the platforms, but also dodging the boss' projectiles and his minions. You'll have to be precise in your jumping and shooting. Every boss fight incorporates the fun wall jumping flawlessly and defeating each one feels like a true accomplishment. See More

Top Con

Major difficulty spikes

Dandara is a challenging game as it is, but there are some pretty sharp difficultly spikes in some areas that feel a little too punishing. This can be frustrating to some players who felt like they were making progress, only to hit these roadblocks. See More

Specs

Genre:Platformer, Metroidvania

Platforms:Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Android, Windows, iOS, Linux, macOS

Top Pro

Great balance between movement and combat

While you do have a gun, it takes several seconds to stop, charge up, and shoot. This means whenever you want to dispatch an enemy, you'll have to stop moving completely for several seconds. It's not as easy as it sounds, since oftentimes dodging projectiles, working around moving platforms, and finding a safe spot requires some planning ahead. Sometimes, it may be better to just keep moving rather than killing every enemy in sight. As a result, Dandara's combat provides a balance and unique challenge not often seen in "run and gun" style platformers. See More

Top Con

Save points are scarce

Killing enemies awards salt which can be used to increase your health pool and upgrade your stats. However, you can only use salt at camps (save points) which are few and far between. Additionally, having to replay large sections of content and losing experience every time you die makes the game lose some of it's fun. See More

Top Pro

Fun gameplay thanks to unique wall jumping mechanic

Rather than running and jumping, all movement in Dandara is done through a unique wall jumping mechanic. This unique jumping is the heart of the game and what sets it apart from other platformers. You can jump to any wall, ceiling, or floor within reach, often bouncing among them in rapid succession like a ninja. The mechanic itself is simple, just aim and jump. However, this movement style makes shooting at enemies, dodging projectiles, or navigating each room a fun, unique challenge that isn't seen in other platformers. See More

Top Con

Map is hard to use

The camera rotates when entering new rooms/areas, however the map doesn't rotate to reflect this. As a result, it's hard to tell which direction you need to go in. The static map feel a bit useless at times. See More

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