Holiday Sale
Image: Nintendo Life

Update: As of 31st December 2025, a bunch of games previously included in this guide have now returned to their usual price. To compensate for this, newly-discounted games have been added and will remain on sale until 11th January. The full list has decreased from 100 to 65, but there's still plenty to check out here.

Nintendo has launched its latest eShop sale in the UK, discounting a bunch of titles for the Christmas season. (The US has a similar sale going, too, though that one finishes on 4th January.)

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There’s a lot to like here in this 'Holiday Sale'. To illustrate this, we thought we’d go through the games on offer and highlight the ones that we think you should check out. We’re looking at titles that happened to score 9/10 or above on Nintendo Life, so you know that these are among the best of the best.

Now, the sale itself will officially end on 11th January 2026, however, there are quite a few titles that will be pulled on 31st December 2025. We’ll highlight these as and when they occur in the below list. Be sure to check back in the new year, too, as more titles will be added.

Of course, if you need to load up on eShop credit before jumping in, you'll find everything you need on our store.

AI: The Somnium Files - nirvanA Initiative (Switch)

£8.74 (-75%) - NEW

AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative is one of the most interesting visual novels we’ve played through in a while. The murder mystery at its heart is brought to life by some great writing and quirky characters alongside the satisfyingly integrated, beautifully balanced Psync puzzle elements.

Even with some minor control issues, there is a lot to love in this game, even if you never picked up the original. Highly recommended if you're even a little bit curious.

Alien: Isolation (Switch eShop)

£9.99 (-23%)

Alien: Isolation is a survival horror masterpiece and straight-up one of the very best horror video games ever released.

It's a nerve-wracking affair — a slow, methodical game of cat and mouse against a brilliantly clever recreation of one of cinema's most infamous killers — but if you're up to the task you'll find one of the most satisfying gameplay experiences in the genre; a brilliant and beautiful homage to one of the greatest sci-fi movies of all time.

Feral Interactive has done a stellar job with this Switch port and the excellent motion controls and inclusion of all previously-released DLC only go to sweeten the deal. This is essential stuff for survival horror fans.

Animal Well (Switch eShop)

£14.69 (-30%)

Developer Shared Memory's stated goal was “to craft complete experiences that will be playable long after the world loses its internet connection,” and screen after screen, Animal Well excels in delighting your eyes and giving your brain something to stew on.

It’s a riposte against a culture of post-launch updates in favour of a meticulously crafted, singular vision with potentially years’ worth of discoveries baked in. By all indications, Animal Well delivers on that long-term promise and does so with a one-of-a-kind elegance.

Ape Out (Switch eShop)

£1.75 (-87%) - NEW

The Nintendo eShop would be a considerably more exciting and interesting place if it were packed full of games like Ape Out. It’s a refreshingly original experience that more than deserves a place in any Switch owner’s library.

Difficult, frenetic gameplay, strong art direction, and an even stronger jazz drum soundtrack make this the sort of memorable game that you’ll likely keep coming back to over and over for another few runs in arcade mode. Ape Out gets a strong recommendation to anyone looking for a distinct and unforgettable game for their Switch collection; it’s a bit of an acquired taste, but well worth your time.

Axiom Verge (Switch eShop)

£3.74 (-75%) - NEW

Axiom Verge on Switch is truly an outstanding port of an outstanding game, no more and no less.

We would strongly urge those of you who missed this game on other platforms to pick it up here; this is the full Axiom Verge experience, and it's available in a format that supports both handheld and home play. A fantastic example of how to do a Metroidvania right.

Beyond Galaxyland (Switch eShop)

£5.99 (-60%) - NEW

Beyond Galaxyland is a well-written, artistically diverse space adventure which mixes several different flavours of RPG with puzzling and semi-open exploration. The story is filled with well-rounded characters and emotional narrative payoffs and, as much as Enright's galactic adventure is a collection of stylistic and mechanical homages, it doesn't feel like a patchwork of fan service.

For all its influences and adherence to specific genre execution, Doug’s journey through multiple worlds is still very much its own thing.

Blaster Master Zero 2 (Switch eShop)

£4.49 (-50%)

Inti Creates knocked it out of the park with Blaster Master Zero 2, improving on the original 'reboot' in nearly every conceivable way while also setting a clear path forward for what could hopefully become a flagship series for the company.

Tight platforming action, memorable boss battles, plenty of extra side content, and some gorgeous pixel art make this one of the easiest recommendations on the eShop; we’d strongly encourage you to pick this one up.

Whether you’re a long-time fan of the series or are just getting into it for the first time, Blaster Master Zero 2 is a stellar experience from stem to stern, and further cements Inti Creates’ legacy as one of the best developers in the retro gaming business.

Botany Manor (Switch eShop)

£16.86 (-25%) - NEW

It looks like The Witness and it plays a bit like StreetPass Garden, but Botany Manor blooms into something that's not only entirely its own, but also something quite special. Don't let its cosy aesthetics fool you — Botany Manor is packed with nicely challenging, well-designed puzzles, and isn't afraid to tackle heavy subjects, too.

Chained Echoes (Switch eShop)

£11.49 (-50%)

Chained Echoes is a wonderful mash-up of '90s JRPG tropes, masterfully woven together to produce an experience that feels simultaneously nostalgic and fresh. A well-paced story, unconventional progression system, tactical combat system, and expansive world all come together to make for a game that is shockingly one of the very best RPGs that we played in 2022.

Really, there’s no place where it feels like Chained Echoes drops the ball, which is all the more impressive when you consider that the vast majority of it was put together by one person. It stands as a shining example of everything that makes RPGs great.

Chicory: A Colorful Tale (Switch eShop)

£8.54 (-50%)

As an adventure game, Chicory: A Colorful Tale is quite sincerely up there with the very best of the genre.

There’s plenty to see and do and a full completion run will probably take you 25-30 hours. The characters and their travails are rich and likeable, the game’s sense of humour is generally inspired, and it’s all very sweet without being sugary-twee and talking down to the player. It’s also an affecting little tearjerker that will definitely strike a chord if you make art, and almost certainly will even if you don’t – so long as you’re capable of pretty basic empathy.

Chicory is simple to play but impressively long and complex, with perfect controls, performance and visuals. Throw yourself into painting the world and you’ll be left with a game that’s very much your own and speaks to you directly – a beautiful marriage of mechanics, themes and visuals.

Contra Anniversary Collection (Switch eShop)

£6.39 (-60%) - NEW

While it’s a shame that there are fewer games here than in other Konami collections – we’d have loved to have seen NES title Contra Force or the now-extinct WiiWare title Contra ReBirth – the ones included in the Contra Anniversary Collection are universally brilliant. The 8-bit and 16-bit Contra games are among the finest examples of the run ‘n gun genre, and to have almost all of them included in a single release and emulated flawlessly is an absolute treat. Whether you’re a fan of the series or a curious onlooker who’s always wanted to see what the fuss was all about, this is essential.

Cuphead (Switch eShop)

£11.89 (-30%)

Cuphead was an absolute masterpiece when it originally launched on Xbox One and nothing was sacrificed in its move to the Switch.

A run-and-gun boss battler dressed up like a 1930s Fleischer or Disney animated short, it’s the same visually jaw-dropping, aurally delightful, knuckle-whiteningly difficult game it was on Microsoft’s console and the Switch’s library is all the better for its presence. Its focus on intense boss battles won’t be to everyone’s tastes, but as long as you know what you’re getting yourself into, we can’t recommend it enough. Just look at it!

Cuphead - The Delicious Last Course (Switch eShop)

£4.75 (-30%)

Cuphead - The Delicious Last Course is a great little expansion that adds new life to one of the Switch's most entertaining games. It may be a tad on the short side but what's here is absolutely fantastic and it's reasonably priced to take its length into account. If you have the original, this is essential. If you don't, they both are.

Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition (Switch 2)

£34.49 (-43%)

Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition was a remarkable launch-day port for Switch 2. CD Projekt Red's deep, diverse, and tangible world is fully realised with impressive performance for such a low-powered device.

If you've not taken your first steps into Night City already, or you're a long-time player with a portable-play itch that needs scratching, you're in for a serious treat, choom.

Dave The Diver (Switch eShop)

£10.19 (-40%) - NEW

In 2023, a year dominated by titanic, big-budget releases like Tears of the Kingdom and Mario Wonder, off-the-wall roguelike Dave The Diver stepped up to the plate and knocked the ball clear of the park with a heaving swing.

Its charming animations and writing supplement a mechanically dense experience that never stops dangling a new carrot to chase. You owe it to yourself to pick up this outstandingly funny, enthralling, and weird gem.

Downwell (Switch eShop)

£1.75 (-35%) - NEW

This is an excellent port of a game that feels like it’s found a natural home on Switch thanks to a plethora of control options and the console’s natural facility with vertical orientation. Short of popping your 4K TV on its side, Switch offers the very best way to play Downwell.

Its roguelike structure and twitch platforming might not be for everyone, but you should really give it a chance. For our money, Downwell is a modern classic that should be in everyone’s collection; for the pocket change asking price, it's a steal.

ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist (Switch eShop)

£13.64 (-35%) - NEW

ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist is an excellent Metroidvania that exemplifies the best of what the genre has to offer. Its combination of tense combat, interesting worldbuilding, and memorable art style makes for a compelling experience that we’d highly suggest to anybody drawn to games such as Hollow Knight or Blasphemous.

It's downbeat, but anyone who isn’t yet exhausted by Metroidvanias will find a lot to love here.

Everhood (Switch eShop)

£9.44 (-30%) - NEW

Everhood is one of the most memorable games we’ve played in recent years. A mad mix of RPG, rhythm action, kart racing and bullet-hell shmup, its utterly bonkers plot and weird cast of characters is reason enough to check it out, but the instantly accessible rhythmic combat will keep you hooked from the very first battle to the epic final boss encounter.

Some may be put off by the minimal visual design and deliberately vague sequence of events, but for those after something a bit different, Everhood delivers originality and unique gameplay in spades and absolutely deserves a place in your Switch library.

FAR: Lone Sails (Switch eShop)

£1.34 (-90%)

Without saying a word, FAR: Lone Sails conveys a poignant tale of hope and perseverance, masterfully balancing style with substance for an experience that feels every bit as sublime as it looks. Sure, you could grumble about its relative shortness, the occasionally obtuse puzzles and the very, very minor control issues, but these problems dissolve away once you're invested in the journey. We highly recommend that you give this a spin.

Fast Fusion (Switch 2)

£9.44 (-30%) - NEW

Fast Fusion may not have the most comprehensive collection of tracks, but it's easily the most accomplished entry in Shin'en Multimedia's series so far. The new jump ability adds a new layer of strategy to the gameplay, while experimenting with the fusion mechanic to find the perfect vehicle is a joy.

The occasional grinding to save up money can be a momentary drag, but if you're after something a bit more 'hardcore' than Mario Kart World, Fast Fusion is a no-brainer, and an absolute must-buy.

Fast RMX (Switch eShop)

£11.89 (-30%) - NEW

FAST RMX is as good as the Wii U original and then some.

Updated visuals, more tracks, more vehicles; it was an utterly outstanding launch title for the Switch and it holds up very well to this day, keeping the futuristic high-speed racing game alive in the absence of a modern, flagship F-Zero game. With the console's ability to allow multiplayer on the go rolled in, this is without doubt essential for racing fans with a Switch.

Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines (Switch eShop)

£7.49 (-50%) - NEW

Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines is everything fans could hope for in a sequel, as it improves upon every aspect that made the first Grapple Dog so great. Strong level design, a fantastic soundtrack, high gameplay variety, and lots of replayability make this one an easy recommendation to anyone looking for an excellent, pure platformer to add to their Switch library. It's the most fun platformer we’ve played in quite a while.

Heretic + Hexen (Switch eShop)

£9.03 (-33%) - NEW

Heretic + Hexen is yet another slam dunk for Nightdive Studios. This new release revamps both titles with modern controls, bonus content, and thoughtful changes to the core design that make each game a delight to play.

Granted, these are still FPS titles from the mid-'90s, so your mileage will definitely vary, but for returning fans and those with a particular fondness for old-school 'boomer shooters', you really can't go wrong. Now let's get a native Switch 2 port with 120fps please, Nightdive.

Hypnospace Outlaw (Switch eShop)

£4.64 (-70%)

Hypnospace Outlaw really is like nothing else out there; at once an excellent puzzle game, razor-sharp satire and meticulously crafted slice of early-internet nostalgia that you can spend hours absolutely lost in. It's frequently hilarious stuff that's impeccably well-written across the board, managing to successfully bring the crazy, lawless, early rush of creativity that formed the pre-Y2K era of the internet convincingly back to life.

It delivers a truly extraordinary recreation of the GeoCities era of the internet that absolutely nails its '90s aesthetic to present a living, breathing world that's a joy to spend time browsing around, soaking up the atmosphere and reliving the anarchic early days of the internet as you slowly untangle the puzzles at the heart of its narrative.

Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story (Switch eShop)

£10.40 (-60%) - NEW

Like Atari 50 and The Making of Karateka before it, Digital Eclipse's latest interactive documentary is a wonderful glimpse into the mind of one of gaming's most fascinating figures. Even if you've got no prior knowledge of Minter or his games, the selection of videos, image galleries, quotes, and playable games included here will provide you with a newfound respect for this niche yet immensely important segment of gaming history.

Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story is another triumph for Digital Eclipse, and we can't wait to see how the studio grows its Gold Master Series in the years ahead.