Gnosia (Switch eShop)

Gnosia is a game that can be succinctly described as "like Among Us, but way darker". It takes place on a ship with a number of occupants, some of whom have been replaced by body-snatching aliens called the Gnosia. It's up to you to find and eliminate them before they take over — but everyone is a suspect. Even you. Don't worry, though; you've got multiple time loops to figure it out once and for all!

Undertale (Switch eShop)

Seminal and self-referential RPG Undertale has a time loop, but not in the way that the other games in this list do. The meta-textual nature of Undertale means that some of the in-game characters are aware that they're in a game, and that you are save-scumming and even repeating the game from the beginning, trying to get different endings. It's not a time loop for the player, of course — but for the NPCs, it is. And they know it. Weird.

The House in Fata Morgana: Dreams of the Revenants Edition (Switch eShop)

Although House in Fata Morgana, a 40+ hour visual novel, is not strictly a time loop — and we can't tell you why, it's a spoiler — the first few hours will have you repeating self-contained stories over and over again, with small details changed and characters disappearing and reappearing later, and you'll be left wondering what on earth is going on. Is that character evil, or not? Who's the White-Haired Girl, and how is she in multiple time periods? For that matter, who are you? All of these are good questions. You'll have to play to find out.

Oxenfree (Switch eShop)

Oxenfree is an unnerving story about teens and ghosts that gets even more unnerving once you play it a second time. Facts change, characters are revealed to have different motives, and everything is absolutely not as it seems. You thought that the story was about getting off the island, didn't you? Oh, you sweet summer child. And while it's a little less time loop-y, Oxenfree II is absolutely worth checking out if you like the first one.

Overboard! (Switch eShop)

You're on a ship in the middle of the Atlantic, and someone just murdered your husband. However, that someone was you, and now you have to cover it up in Overboard!, a whodunnit where youdunnit. The game is presented as a time loop not in the sense of you repeating time, but more in the sense of imagining how a day might play out until you craft the perfect alibi and cover-up. Even if it means murdering everyone else.

Into The Breach (Switch eShop)

Into The Breach is a brutal, uncompromising game of making hard decisions and living with your mistakes, but the short length of battles and endless variety of playthroughs makes for an extremely addictive experience. Though the graphics are nothing special, the gameplay is some of the very best you’ll find in the strategy genre on the Switch, and we can easily recommend this to anybody who’s looking for an in-depth game that’ll make you think.

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Into the Breach
Into the Breach

In Stars and Time (Switch eShop)

A time-looping RPG where you fail to beat the final boss and have to save your party by using time loops. In Stars and Time can be unforgiving, but if you’re a sucker for story-driven RPGs with roguelite mechanics and tricky puzzles, you won’t find many better options out there. The characters are loveable and feel incredibly authentic, and the story is deeply engaging. And almost every item becomes important at some stage. There are heaps of rooms, hidden passages, and corridors, and you’ll need to remember where everything is if you want to progress. Keep a pen and paper handy.

Outer Wilds (Switch eShop)

Outer Wilds is the very reason we made this list — and it's finally on Switch. The short 20-minute loops will keep you guessing all the while, and with almost no gating and free rein to investigate a rich corner of the universe, it captures the quest for learning in the most direct way possible: the only reward for progress is knowledge. Having soared through such an epic, introspective, and existentially inquisitive adventure, we probably came to understand ourselves a little more, too. If you can overlook the technical challenges — and we could on Switch — Outer Wilds is essential.

Is anyone else feeling a bit of déjà-vu? Just kidding! We're still in lovely, safe linear time. But if we're ever in need of a little timey-wimey escapism, we know where to look. Let us know if we've missed any in the comments!

This article is one of our Switch Essentials guides which cover a wide variety of genres, including the Best Switch FPS Games, the Best Switch RPGs, the Best Switch Games For Kids, the Best Switch Couch Co-Op Games and the Best Switch Fitness and Exercise Games. We can also help out hunting down the Best Switch Horror Games, the Best Switch Racing Games, the Best Switch Action-RPGs, the Best Nintendo Switch Roguelikes, Roguelites and Run-Based Games, the Best Free Switch Games, the Best Remakes And Remasters, the Best Switch Music And Rhythm Games, Best Feel-Good Switch Games, Best Switch Open-World Games, Best Switch Soulslike Games, Best LGBTQ+ Switch Games, and even Games to Play After You've Finished Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Whatever your favourite genre, we've got you covered: Strategy Games, Metroidvanias, Puzzle Games, Party Games, Online Multiplayer Games, Local Wireless Multiplayer Games, Shmups, Twin-Stick Shooters, Visual Novels, Kart Racers, Fighting Games, Football Games, Funny Games, Golf Games, 'Walking Sims' And Narrative Games, Switch Games For Lovers And Lonely Hearts, Detective Games, Hidden Gems, 2D Platformers, 3D Platformers, Puzzle Platformers, Tabletop Mode Games, Run and Gun Games, LEGO Games, Sports Games, Survival Games, Beat 'Em Ups, Camera Games, Chill Games, Family Games, Retro-Inspired Games, Short Games, Card Games and Deck-Builders, and Life Sims And Farming Games.

Still hungry for more? Elsewhere we look at Wholesome Games, TATE Mode Games, Flight Sim and Space Combat, Point and Click Adventure Games, and the Best Switch Exclusives, as well as Every Arcade Archives Game, Every ACA Neo Geo Game, Every SEGA AGES Game On Switch, plus the Best Switch Ports, Best Wii U-To-Switch Ports, Best Switch Collections And Compilations, Best Cheap Switch Games, Best Switch Demos, Games That Are Better On Switch OLED, Switch Games Under $10, $20, $50, and Switch games with the Best Soundtracks and the Best Graphics. Phew!

If you're looking for the best Switch games regardless of genre, our reader-voted selection of the Best Nintendo Switch Games should help you out, and you can also find the Best Nintendo Switch Games of 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. And finally, if you're interested in other Nintendo consoles and retro games, check out the Best Game Boy Games, Best GBC Games, Best GBA Games, Best Nintendo DS Games, Best Nintendo 3DS Games, Best NES Games, Best SNES Games, Best N64 Games, Best GameCube Games, and Best Wii Games, and Best Wii U Games, as well as Every Available Nintendo Switch Online Retro Game, and ranked lists of Every Nintendo Switch Online NES, SNES, N64 and Sega Genesis / Mega Drive Game.