PixelJunk Scrappers Deluxe (Switch eShop)

PixelJunk Scrappers Deluxe is a good, fairly unique idea with several interesting challenges to juggle, and, if you enjoyed the original, the expanded worlds and new additions will fulfill your craving for more recycling action. Clever though it is in premise and arrangement, however, it isn’t a very thrilling single-player game until around halfway through. If you do decide to give it a spin, you want to be online-ready, because multiplayer is where its engineering comes to the fore.

Venba (Switch eShop)

In Venba’s short play time, the narrative-led cooking game conveys so much of this family’s experience. The stirring story is presented in snackable chapters, each with an emotional tale tied to a dish. The puzzles aren’t too challenging, making for a comforting, cosy playthrough as you prepare each meal. Be warned though: this game will make you hungry. And it may also make you cry.

Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube766k
Watch on YouTube

Backbeat (Switch eShop)

Backbeat stands out among puzzle games for its attractive graphics and constantly pulsing, funky soundscape, but most of all for its impressive depth of mechanics. Juggling phrase lengths, bar markers, alignment, stagger, solos, and special moves – all in interactive levels full of moving parts – is like having a wah-wah pedal hooked up to your brain. Apart from a sometimes-fiddly interface and limited replayability, Ichigoichie hits all the right notes.

Patrick's Parabox (Switch eShop)

Patrick's Parabox is the rare game that's both highly challenging and highly approachable in equal measure without once dropping a beat. This is a must-play for fans of the genre — especially more logic-driven puzzlers like Baba Is You. Even if you're not the most hardened puzzle veteran, Patrick's Parabox does a great job of teaching you to solve even its most difficult puzzles thanks to a clever level structure and approachable progression system.

Super Adventure Hand (Switch eShop)

We’ve got to hand it to Devm Games (Moving Out) for coming up with the concept. Super Adventure Hand is a joyous, eccentric platformer that’s not quite like anything you’ve played before. Though the controls can occasionally be frustrating, that’s also the point of this brief, uncannily gripping experience.

Raindrop Sprinters (Switch eShop)

Raindrop Sprinters is as pure an arcade experience as one could wish for, its base simplicity underpinned by a deep scoring game that can be approached in a variety of ways, ultimately presenting a bottomless reflex-based affair that will wash out the impatient and reward the dedicated in a shower of euphoria. It’s not a game for everyone and will hold little appeal or longevity for the vast majority, but it does what it does well, and its construction is a little bit clever. When you reach that moment of dodging zen, where you’re weaving those drops against impossible odds, you run a real risk of just-one-more-go addiction.

Onion Assault (Switch eShop)

Onion Assault is a worthy purchase if you're looking for a short, breezy platformer that pays homage to an off-the-wall Nintendo classic. While there are some annoyances sprinkled throughout — some imprecise platforming, finicky physics, and repeated visual assets — there's enough here to provide a couple of hours' worth of enjoyment, at least; maybe a bit more if you're looking to grab all of the collectible coins. Onion Assault may not prove as memorable as the developer's previous games, but it's worth playing nonetheless.

The Many Pieces of Mr. Coo (Switch eShop)

The Many Pieces of Mr. Coo is a standout title in its commitment to presenting spectacular, surrealist animation. Granted, the playtime is short, the interaction is limited, and the puzzles are obtuse, but fortunately, the animation and music are good enough to distract you from those facts and provide an hour or two of great entertainment.

Please note that some external links on this page are affiliate links, which means if you click them and make a purchase we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Please read our FTC Disclosure for more information.

The Many Pieces of Mr.Coo
The Many Pieces of Mr.Coo
The Many Pieces of Mr.Coo - Collectors Edition
The Many Pieces of Mr.Coo - Collectors Edition

Strayed Lights (Switch eShop)

Strayed Lights is something rare in the gaming industry; a game that genuinely surprises us. There's no doubt that the performance isn't quite up to scratch on the Switch, however, the combat is unique and accessible, the story is told in a subtle, heartfelt way, and the music and visuals are stunning.

Gal Guardians: Demon Purge (Switch)

For Metroidvania fans and lovers of Inti Creates' works, Gal Guardians certainly does enough to please. Getting to grips with combat negotiations and levelling up your weaponry brings with it a sense of reward and progression, and it’s enjoyable to backtrack for secrets. It’s not quite on the level of Curse of the Moon, its closest relative, but it’s not far off — and the sibling switching idea is at least novel and fun to work with. Gory, spritely, and occasionally creatively inspired, it hits all the right notes, just sometimes in a little too sparse a manner to be considered overwhelmingly compelling.

Gal Guardians - Demon Purge
Gal Guardians - Demon Purge

Blanc (Switch eShop)

Blanc is a pleasant, easygoing co-op experience that will provide a couple of hours' worth of enjoyment along with a few frustrations. The camera can be a bit messy at times due to the two-player setup, and the game could definitely do with a hint system in some areas, as we imagine children in particular would struggle with the overall lack of direction. That said, it's a lovely-looking game and an entirely inoffensive experience that anyone can pick up and enjoy with little fuss. If you're looking for a new, emotionally driven co-op game, then Blanc is an easy recommendation.

Let us know below which of the games above you've played and enjoyed, and if there's something else from 2023 that you feel deserves a shoutout, then don't keep it to yourself.

What was your hidden gem of choice for 2023? (398 votes)

  1. Drainus (Switch eShop)9%
  2. TRON: Identity (Switch eShop)3%
  3. Tiny Thor (Switch eShop)4%
  4. Kraino Origins (Switch eShop)1%
  5. Tin Hearts (Switch eShop)2%
  6. Gunbrella (Switch eShop)6%
  7. The Making of Karateka (Switch eShop)5%
  8. Afterdream (Switch eShop)  0.3%
  9. Akka Arrh (Switch eShop)4%
  10. Full Void (Switch eShop)2%
  11. BROK the InvestiGator (Switch eShop)7%
  12. PixelJunk Scrappers Deluxe (Switch eShop)  0.3%
  13. Venba (Switch eShop)6%
  14. Backbeat (Switch eShop)  0.5%
  15. Patrick's Parabox (Switch eShop)7%
  16. Super Adventure Hand (Switch eShop)  0.5%
  17. Raindrop Sprinters (Switch eShop)1%
  18. Onion Assault (Switch eShop)2%
  19. The Many Pieces of Mr. Coo (Switch eShop)  0.8%
  20. Strayed Lights (Switch eShop)  0.8%
  21. Gal Guardians: Demon Purge (Switch)13%
  22. Blanc (Switch eShop)10%
  23. Something Else (Comment Below)17%