Sid Meier's Civilization VI (Switch)
$5.99 (-80%)
If you think Civilization peaked at IV, the sixth entry won’t change your mind, but we envy anyone who’s never played the series, as Civilization VI on Switch is a brilliant introduction. Watching — and influencing — how the world unfolds is as addictive as ever, and the boon of portability makes this a great way to play. Lack of online play is an obvious disappointment, but the core game works fantastically well on the handheld and we had an absolute blast; take our advice and get stuck in.
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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition (Switch)
$23.99 (-60%)
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt remains a masterpiece, and being able to take such a grand and engrossing adventure on the go is something well worth celebrating. The Switch's Complete Edition is a truly impressive achievement, and although performance isn't perfect, it's still an incredible and impactful role-playing experience. The Witcher 3 set the bar for modern RPGs back in 2015, and this port is a startling reminder that it has yet to be bettered.
Mark of the Ninja: Remastered (Switch eShop)
$4.99 (-75%)
Mark of the Ninja: Remastered is an utterly stellar stealth game and it’s lost none of the magic that made the original such a critical darling. Strong art direction, an engaging story, well-paced open gameplay, and a slew of extra content all combine to make for a near-flawless experience that you certainly won’t want to miss out on. We’d give this game a high recommendation to all Switch owners; it’s the best stealth game money can buy in the Switch library, and one of the best ones in any console library.
Blaster Master Zero 2 (Switch eShop)
$4.99 (-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.
Blaster Master Zero 3 is also on sale for $7.49 (-50%).
Lumines Remastered (Switch eShop)
$4.49 (-70%)
Lumines Remastered is a luminary of the puzzle genre and feels perfectly at home on the Switch. Intense and immersive puzzle action, psychedelic visuals, a killer soundtrack, and a bevy of content and modes make for a premier puzzle experience that should not be missed. Lumines is an addictive experience that is positively a delight to play, and we would highly recommend it to both veterans and newcomers to the puzzle genre. There’s something here for everyone, and considering the relatively low price tag, Lumines Remastered is very much required playing for any Switch owner.
Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda (Switch eShop)
$17.49 (-30%)
This wasn't a case of Brace Yourself Games simply swapping out the sprites of Crypt of the NecroDancer with Link and Zelda. This musical take on Hyrule and the top-down Zelda mechanics we all know so well freshened the formula while retaining all the hallmarks you'd expect in a Nintendo-developed Zelda title. You get the exploration, the discovery, the wonder, the items, the dungeons, and — most of all — the music, all shot through with a rhythm-based gameplay twist that takes a while to get used to, but is immensely satisfying once you do. It's also arguably the most replayable Zelda game ever, with each new game juggling the landscape and layout of the kingdom (cleverly playing with the notion of Hyrule's ever-changing geography throughout the series), meaning no playthrough will be quite the same.
It won't click with everyone, and if you're after 80-hour epics, you'll want to look elsewhere. But there are plenty of them already. Having a smaller Hylian experience that feels uniquely fresh and also completely 'Zelda' is a joy.
Slay the Spire (Switch eShop)
$8.74 (-65%)
Slay the Spire is an endlessly addictive roguelike card-battler that’s a perfect fit for the Switch; a beautifully balanced game that arrived on Nintendo's system with all the benefits of an extended period of Early Access on PC. Its combination of ferocious battles, entertaining chance encounters, and selection of three impressively different player characters make every run to the top a nerve-wracking and totally absorbing affair. Massively inventive sets of cards combine majestically into hugely destructive combos and attack and defence options fuse perfectly together, enabling players to use the information provided by the brilliantly transparent Intent system to strategise endlessly against the hordes of foul monstrosities that stand between themselves and victory. Sure, you’ll eventually see every enemy and chance encounter, and yes, there are a few frame rate niggles here and there, but overall this is one dungeon crawler that will live long in our system memories.
A Space for the Unbound (Switch eShop)
$13.99 (-30%)
Despite the runtime being padded out by some meandering requests, A Space for the Unbound is a perfect little adventure title to curl up with on a rainy day. The myriad puzzles, while never overtly challenging, switch things up often enough to keep from growing tedious. At the same time, we wholeheartedly recommend it for its bittersweet, sombre narrative alone. It never veers too far into melancholic territory yet handles some heavy topics with grace. We didn’t come away gloomy from the potentially depressing themes depicted via the wonderful inhabitants of this beautifully rendered snapshot of Indonesia. Rather, we came away genuinely touched and inspired.
Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition (Switch)
$34.99 (-30%)
Originally released for 3DS (and PS4) in Japan, the cumbersomely named Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition is one of the best games Square has ever put its name to, plain and simple — and this Switch release was a fine port, too. Featuring a heartwarming, well-paced narrative supported by a cast of fantastic characters, a dense and interesting overworld packed with dozens of hours of content, and one of the finest soundtracks we’ve heard in a JRPG, it all combines to make this an unforgettable modern classic. Whether you’re a newcomer to the series (or genre) or a returning vet, do yourself a favor and get yourself a copy of Dragon Quest XI as soon as you’re able. This is the epitome of a gift that keeps on giving, and it more than deserves a spot in your Switch library.
Return to Monkey Island (Switch eShop)
$14.99 (-40%)
Return to Monkey Island reaches into your heart, rips out your desire to know THE SECRET, and clenches it in front of your face. As hard as it would be to concede that The Secret of Monkey Island™ might always have been a MacGuffin, it’s agonising to contemplate that your 30-year longing for the Monkey Island 3 might be just the same. Delighting as you tremor, Return presents to your transfixed gaze a phenomenal point-and-click adventure, bubbling with passion and fun. All the way through, you will hope, achingly, that the big reveal is coming – and then…
Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Switch)
$41.99 (-30%)
Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a great big colourful joyride of an adventure for our little pink pal. This first fully three-dimensional mainline entry in the franchise is bursting at the seams with fun and inventiveness, managing to transpose everything we know and love about past Kirby games to this all-new arena whilst adding plenty of delightful new aspects as it goes. Mouthful Mode is just as daftly entertaining as it looked in the trailers, each and every level is packed full of secrets and dripping in wonderful detail, and there are enough side activities, collectibles, and co-op fun here to keep you entertained and coming back for more for a good long while.
Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair (Switch)
$5.99 (-80%)
Donkey Kong Country fans rejoice: this is the spiritual successor you’ve been waiting for. The worst thing you could say about it is that the overworld exploration may prove to be too involved for those who are in it purely for the runny-jumpy stuff, but those who are happy to mix platforming with top-down adventuring and don’t mind adapting to the constantly changing pace will find the best of both worlds here. Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is a fantastic sophomore effort that pays tribute to Rare's past and establishes Playtonic as one of the UK's most exciting studios.
Raiden IV x Mikado Remix (Switch)
$11.99 (-60%)
Raiden IV is not a typical shmup by contemporary standards, and won’t be for everyone. Equally, all of these modes have been available in some form elsewhere. But as a single package, Raiden IV x Mikado Remix offers the Switch one of its best shooting game releases yet – and that is saying something on a console that has emerged as an unexpected star vehicle for the genre.
BioShock: The Collection (Switch)
$9.99 (-80%)
BioShock: The Collection stands as yet another fantastic port in Switch’s library, combining three excellent games and all their DLC into one convincing package. Stable performance, engrossing narratives, fun gameplay, and lots of content make this one an easy recommendation, even if these releases show their age from time to time. If you’re looking for a series of strong single-player shooters to pick up for your Switch, look no further — it’s tough to go wrong here.
Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition (Switch)
$7.99 (-80%)
Despite its ‘Definitive Edition’ moniker, the vast majority of what you get in the Switch version of Rayman Legends has been seen in every other edition. The only truly new features here are a complete character roster for the first time and a tournament mode for its football mini-game. That’s not to say it's a bad game, though; that couldn’t be further from the truth. Rayman Legends is one of the best plumber-free platformers ever made, and its budget price means if you haven’t played it before, the Switch version is the perfect opportunity to jump in.
Signalis (Switch eShop)
$13.99 (-30%)
Signalis came out of nowhere to provide survival horror fans a near-perfect love letter to the long-running genre. It is at its best when you're darting between enemies, using stealth and patience rather than brute force. While some of the combat encounters felt a little forced, the puzzles are just the right mix of challenging and approachable. The surreal imagery and unique storytelling structure add to the overall polish of a game that is the perfect length for what it is. There have been an awful lot of homages to classic survival horror, but Signalis stands as one of the best.
Sayonara Wild Hearts (Switch eShop)
$7.79 (-40%)
Sayonara Wild Hearts is the video game equivalent of Prince: it’s extremely short and its journey maybe ends a little sooner than you’d hoped, but it packs so many varied and beautiful ideas into its brief life and masters so many different styles that even though there’s a real disappointment it’s over so quickly, what it did give you will remain with you for an extremely long time. A true creative masterpiece.
Lost in Play (Switch eShop)
$6.99 (-65%)
Lost in Play has many of the hallmarks of golden-age point-and-click adventures: a cartoon style, humorously animated protagonists, item-based puzzles, and curiosity-piquing 2D scenes serving as both play space and reward for clearing the previous area. However, it also shakes off many of the classic bugbears: pixel hunting is impossible because you’re moving a character, not a cursor; using no words in the game leaves the hint system to be helpful but not too transparent; there’s very little backtracking because environments are kept small and the time in them is brief; and wacky dream logic is completely excused because you’re playing in children’s imaginations. Over its five-or-so hours, Lost in Play barely puts a foot wrong, delivering cerebral gaming and effervescent entertainment. In doing so, it makes many of the genre’s design challenges look easy.
World of Goo (Switch eShop)
$7.49 (-50%)
World of Goo is a true classic, and it's revered for good reason. 2D Boy's game is instantly accessible but with plenty of depth; it's paced out perfectly, with a steady stream of new tricks and techniques to learn; and its puzzles can be solved with forward-thinking, quick reflexes or a mixture of both. Wrapped up in a unique, pleasantly apocalyptic presentation, with co-op support and a harder 'OCD' mode for added replay value, this is a complete puzzle package. If you've played it previously, the Switch incarnation might be worth a second go for its portable pointer controls and on-the-go co-op, but if it's your first time into the World of Goo it's absolutely a must-play.
Florence (Switch eShop)
$5.99 (-70%)
Florence is an evocation of the beauty, sadness, and hope that comes from any human connection we make in our lives, whether with art, nature, or another person. It's a succinct and incredibly successful exploration of moments you'll recognise from your own life, and the way it mirrors thoughts and feelings through small gameplay mechanics makes it one of the most affecting experiences we've enjoyed on Switch, or any other platform.
Comments 33
Just the 129 games then (lol) If someone was to suggest to me to buy 129 games, I would slap them in the chops hahahah!
I already own 35 of those, so I guess I only need to buy 94 games. 😝
Now how many games on sale scored 8/10? 🤔
Good list. Persona 4 Golden has the wrong price though. Says $5.99, which I immediately jumped to buy then saw it’s actually $12.99.
129 games I should pick up?! I've learned today that NintendoLife is very ambitious about their gaming!
Thanks for narrowing down that list!
13 Sentinels came at a time when it felt like every JRPG and action game had a trashy story. But after surviving Daemon X Machina and Astral Chain's maladies, 13 Sentinels was the right tonic. I can't recommend it enough if you love good sci-fi.
Off this list, In Other Waters looks like one to nab, and I probably should pick up Ghost Trick. Pillars of Eternity would be nice if I had 70 hours of gaming time, but I did just start playing Yakuza 7.
We'll see. The fiscally-responsible part of me is telling me to skip the sale altogether because I have all the games in the world to play, but he's a narc.
@awp69 Thanks for the spot, I've zapped that.
@GrailUK Ha, yeah you can definitely tell we're deep into the console cycle when a sale throws up this many amazing games. Most people will likely own a fair number of these already, but as @FishyS says, add in all the 8/10s and this would destroy us all.
And let's not forget that 7/10 is a respectable score, too! Just so much quality on this console.
I was caught off guard by just how many games were on this list... and then I was caught even more off guard by how many of these I already own. Hahaha!
I have about 280 games for my Switch and I have had only enough time to complete about 20 of those. I think the 260 games I have left will more than do for now. Though I'm still going to pick up DQ the dark Prince when it gets released on the 1/12/23 and batman trilogy. I'm still currently playing through, star ocean second story, XC3, Ocotopath traveller, Red dead, Mario bros wonder, FF12, Trails from Zero, TotK and super mario bros wonder. I'm also going to buy turok 3 next Thursday because I love nightdive games and there remasters.
Would rather have top 10 lists of games on sale, per genre.
Buy Windjammers 2 right now, people!
Only game I really want right now is Star Ocean Second Story R, but guess it’s too soon for a sale on it. Maybe at Christmas.
So many great games on here. Tetris Effect is one of the few games that never leaves my Switch. It's absolutely perfect, whether I want to play the surprisingly emotional "Journey" mode, chill out in one of the "Effect" modes, or give myself an ego check in one of several PVP modes.
As someone who has been playing Tetris since it released on the NES, this really does feel like the ultimate version. It even includes a carefully reproduced "classic" mode so I can see just how much better kid me was at that tough-as-nails NES version of Tetris. How did I get so much worse with age??
Huntdown, Huntdown, Huntdown, Huntdown, Huntdown, Huntdown, Huntdown, Huntdown, Huntdown, Huntdown, Huntdown, Huntdown..
If you're looking for a great platformer currently on sale you should try out Juiced!
@DonierGunad you raise an interesting point….i have so many games, it’s just not possible to complete all of them. I really need to taper down buying games and appreciate what i have more…,
@Zaruboggan In Other Waters was one of my two surprise obsessions this year, the other being Dredge. I recommend both very, very highly.
In Other Waters is pretty brilliant in making you discover every facet of the game, including the interface and controls.
Dredge is probably one of the most bizarre and fun combinations of fishing sim and brilliantly realized Lovecraftian horror experiences.
13 Sentinels absolutely blew me away. I cannot recommend it enough!! Truly one of a kind game, definitely pick it up if you are craving something new.
Do yourself a favor and grab The Messenger at around $5. That's a deal and a half.
Just a bunch of games nobody buys anymore. No Mario games on sale. Just once can we have some Mario games 50 percent off. Even 30 percent off would be crazy. Best I seen was 10 to 20 percent off once r twice a year. You suck Nintendo when it comes to sales in first party games
It’s too soon for a Dave the diver discount but that’s really what I’ve been waiting for. From the demo it’s worth a buy outright but I’m waiting to see if we get a physical release still. On here is a lot of good games anyone could consider but I’m a glutton that has most I’d care to have and most I have not had the time to complete.
I picked up Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Portal 1&2, Sonic Frontiers, and Video Kid
@IronMan30 that is exactly what I did! actually.. I grabbed:
quake 2, the messenger, duke nukem, portail 1&2 and roguelegacy 1..
since I'm struggling to buy games on colombian eshop, I gotta see what to do for the rest of my wishlist..
I'm sorry, but what??? Nintendo Life do not need these sensationalist phrases.
We just have Torto Arado and La Plus Secrète Mémoire des Hommes in the last years and it is just absurd to say that this game is in the same level as those books. This is simply wrong. Just like saying that the Sun is cold.
@RavenFellBlade I did end up snagging In Other Waters! I've played a little bit so far, and I'm really keen to find out what's going on!
Good to see Thumper get a mention here.
Cool sale, man
Couldn't just list the game titles, the non-sale price and the sale price? Maybe a link to a review.
The pictures and paragraphs describing the game makes this needlessly bloated.
Thanks to the Nintendo Switch Online Game Trial for Fae Farm, I downloaded the game to continue playing my save file with the 25% discount it currently has as part of this sale on the Canadian eShop. I also used up some Gold Coins to knock another $20 off. It was quite the steal and the game is a lot of fun....especially with such a huge discount!
It seems like maybe too many 9's are being given out!
Yeah, no thanks. I blew over $5000 this past weekend, most of it buying a custom-built laptop. I'm not strapped for cash, but I shouldn't be throwing money around all willy-nilly.
It couldn't be 130? 🙄 Seriously, who started this trend? IGN? 😒
@Tirza With 130-odd titles, it's unclear what you're referencing.
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