
Regular sales have become a welcome fixture on the Nintendo Switch eShop and there are huge numbers of cheap and discounted Switch games available at any given time. With so much choice it can be tough to know exactly is worth your hard-earned cash and precious time.
Never fear - Nintendo Life is here to help you sort the wheat from the chaff! Here we choose our Top 5 cheap Switch games in the Switch eShop sales so you can be sure you're getting a great deal on a great game.
What do we mean by 'best cheap Switch games' exactly? We're thinking anything discounted to around £10/10€ or under (GBP and EUR prices will obviously differ and sometimes won't reflect the same percentage discount). In addition to the best cheap Switch games, we'll also highlight a ridiculously cheap eShop game or two — we're talking Switch games under a quid — which may be worth investigating for a few pennies, if only for a half hour or so.
If you live in the US (or have a US Nintendo Account), you might want to check out our equivalent article on the best cheap games on the US eShop.
So, let's have a look at this week's best deals on the Switch eShop!
The Best Cheap Games On The Nintendo Switch eShop
Here's our pick of the best deals for cheap games on the Switch eShop right now:
Urban Flow (Switch eShop)


90% off - was £13.49 / 14,99€, now £1.34 / 1,49€ until 18th Feb 2021
Urban Flow's title isn't a misnomer; the gameplay is as smooth as the graphics and once the pieces are in place you shouldn't have any trouble getting your head around its Zen-like trafffic-directing gameplay. Accessibility has been rather masterfully welded to a relatively complex, punishing task, here. We dare say it might be difficult to think of your own ventures out into the city centre the same way ever again. After all, Urban Flow will quickly make you an expert at directing traffic — if only real people would pay attention!
Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 Plus (Switch eShop)


60% off - was £16.99 / 19,99€, now £6.79 / 7,99€ until 24th Jan 2021
Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 Plus is everything that fans of the classic arcade game could want out of a legacy sequel, focusing on delivering a pure, high-speed realisation of the concept that was introduced way back in 1980. Between the single player and multiplayer modes, there’s enough content here for hours of play, and it’s all endlessly replayable. We would give this game a strong recommendation to anyone that enjoys the easy-to-learn, difficult-to-master gameplay that you typically find in an arcade game; PCE2 has it in spades.
Slime-san (Switch eShop)


75% off - was £10.00 / 11,99€, now £2.50 / 2,99€ until 16th Feb 2021
Slime-san is a brilliantly snappy, charismatic and challenging title that manages to deliver a satisfying core game with tonnes of bonus extras to play around with besides. The controls are spot-on, the environments are varied and engaging, and while other platformers may have tread similar ground before, Slime-san weaves together so many different elements into a finely-crafted experience that it deserves a place among the best in the genre. That's not even mentioning a handful of arcade game modes, a suite of options for speedrunning, and a soundtrack that almost warrants the price of admission alone. It represents immense value for money, and if you're itching for something weird then the future is most certainly green.
OlliOlli: Switch Stance (Switch eShop)
80% off - was £13.49 / 14,99€, now £2.69 / 2,99€ until 31st Jan 2021
OlliOlli is one of those games you really have to live with; perseverance pays dividends, but so does taking a break and coming back in the morning to find muscle memory kicking in. Before you know it you’ll be grinding elegantly and racking up impressive points, but you need to stick with it. This is an easy recommendation to newcomers with the patience to master it. This version doesn’t bring anything new to the table if you’ve played it before, but it’s a fine skateboarding game in fine form on Switch.
Forgotton Anne (Switch eShop)


60% off - was £15.99 / 19,99€, now £6.39 / 7,99€ until 3rd Feb 2021
Forgotton Anne is an evocative, artistic triumph that nails that feeling of a ‘living anime’. Sure, the puzzles are hardly mind-blowing, and some later sections may test your patience, but the beauty of the art and the gentle humour of the writing should carry you through these irritations. Animation buffs should dive in without reservation, and we’d recommend anyone with even the slightest interest check this out.
Mutant Mudds Collection (Switch eShop)
80% off - was £10.99 / 12,99€, now £2.19 / 2,59€ until 1st Feb 2021
What's this? A cheeky sixth game in the 'top '5'? We couldn't resist!
Mutant Mudds Collection gives Nintendo Switch owners the chance to own two fantastic platforming games in one handy, portable package, as well as a nice extra in the new puzzle game, Mudd Blocks. The difficulty of these games may well put a reasonable amount of players off - Mutant Mudds Super Challenge in particular is one nasty fiend – but the overall quality of the two original titles places this collection amongst the best within its genre that the eShop can offer. If you love platformers, and you don’t mind a hefty challenge, do yourself a favour and buy this game.
And with the growing trend of games plummeting to mere pennies, here's our sub-£1 / 1€ pick(s) for a super cheap game that's worth the memory space it takes up on your Switch...
Octahedron: Transfixed Edition (Switch eShop)


90% off - was £9.99 / 12,99€, now £0.99 / 1,29€ until 3rd Feb 2021
With the purity of its twitch platforming mechanics and the clever way developer Demimonde exploits user-generated platforms, Octahedron: Transfixed Edition certainly lives up to its new subtitle. The soundtrack alone is worth the price of admission – especially if you’re partial to some big EDM beats – and if you’ve ever enjoyed the likes of Downwell, Crypt of the NecroDancer or Celeste, this TRON-loving indie is likely to entrance you.
Lydia (Switch eShop)


76% off - was £3.50 / 4,00€, now £0.85 / 1,00€ until 31st Jan 2021
With only four short chapters to play through, Lydia will only take you about one or two hours to complete, and we would encourage you to experience it at least once, if only for its eye-opening message. It successfully tells a haunting story about abuse and heartbreak without shoving it down your throat, and that’s really very hard to do. It’s one of the most emotionally impactful games to grace the Switch since its launch and one that's worth your time.
Keep an eye on this page as we cycle in new bargains. If money's no object, be sure to check out our list of the Best Nintendo Switch games, period. In the meantime, happy gaming!
Comments (87)
Downloaded Okami as I missed the chance to play this on the Wii. I played and loved Okamiden on the DS so I’m looking forward to playing it.
I downloaded Okami last night actually, got it for £8.22 using a few Gold Points... never played it, hoping it’s as good as everyone says!
Nothing here I really want. Already have Cavestory+ and Okami on the Wii
Okami was decent but not spectacular for me — mostly because I found no challenge to it. The story was cool and the art style is lovely, but at no point of the game did feel challenging. Surprised it beat Twlight Princess to GOTY
Stuck with it to the end but wouldn’t go back to it.
What the hell is "belt action"? Sounds more like something that you'd find in the niche section of adult entertainment...
Thanks for this. With so many great games in sale it's really helpful to see a wider perspective. Already have binaries but never played.
Really tempted by Loathing but fear it'll must've another game I never get round to playing....
I tried playing Okami on PS4 but the visuals felt like they were 3D without the 3D glasses. You know that double image effect? It just looked weird and i thought it was my monitor at first. Not my cuppa tea.
@charlieonholiday I absolutely loved Okami, it is a great game. The visuals took me a while to get used to, but the story and gameplay were fantastic. You are in for a treat.
West of Loathing really is laugh out loud funny. I usually love the Western theme in story telling for it's grim and unforgiving nature - obvious examples are Red Dead series (although the last one does not really appeal to me), Gun, Call of Juarez (the good ones, not the bad and ugly),...
And spin-offs of it with multiple themes combined, like Hard West and Red Steel 2.
WoL is merciless with the Western theme, and after learning the ridiculous walking in the game, even simply walking around can catch you by surprise and make you laugh out loud.
@dugan for the price - around a tenner - I think it’s worthwhile.
I’ve played Okamiden and despite the DS visuals I really enjoyed it so I’m really looking forward to Okami.
Download Lathing, Heist and Goetia. One day I hope to play them
@Smashfan502 WoL is the aforementioned West of Loathing
And yes, back on the Gamecube I played a western game named "Gun". It had its flaws, like most games really, but was quite an enjoyable game actually.
The first Red Steel wasn't, Red Steel 2 went a completely different way in art style and setting and was a crossover between western and eastern... well, stuff.
If you like western, you might enjoy looking into these games, if older systems to run them and dated graphics aren't an issue.
velocity 2x on my radar never heard of it but actually looks like just the thing i would enjoy!
Don’t you dare put the European flag above the British flag 🇬🇧
Okami is extremely overrated. I personally don’t like the art style and wish I hadn’t bought it
Okami. That is all.
got Blasphemous after playing the demo. while it's on sale best time to get it. not sure when I'll playing yet though. Going through BOTW again 😬
Super One More Jump is absolutely incredible. The best value for money game on the Switch at this price with the sheer amount of modes, unlockables, stages etc
Many of these games are always on sale.
I bought most of these full price back when there were fewer titles, now I can afford to be more choosy and await sales.
Must say I think there’s far too many ‘rogue-like’ games out there just now. To me it just means, ‘Couldn’t be bothered actually designing levels, so let a computer randomise one for us’. I don’t intend to support that kind of development mindset, personally.
I picked up a few games for under £20– The Bridge—a weird, dreamlike puzzle adventure game, Goetia—a French point and click ghost story, Stick it to The Man, Flipping Death, Stories Untold—an 80’s inspired horror title with innovative gameplay styles (also developed by some of the people who worked on Alien: Isolation, a team from my native Glasgow).
I’ve also been playing my way through FAST RMX, which is an absolutely brilliant future racing game. If you’re dying for F-Zero, buy it immediately.
Oh, and if you’re looking for a short, unique Silent Hill style horror game, I highly recommend ‘Detention’. Great atmosphere and an engaging, affecting, humane plot, which taught me about a period of history in Taiwan to which I was previously ignorant. 5 stars.
@HappyMaskedGuy
You completely misunderstand Roguelikes if you think that way. In many ways, the level design in a Roguelike has to be even MORE meticulously crafted compared to fully-authored environments in order to work properly in every scenario.
Rather than just having to design a level, a puzzle, or a scenario that only works from one direction with full understanding of what the player has or can do, a Roguelike has to instead design puzzles and environments that work and make sense in many different circumstances, without knowing what kind of state the player is in, or what kind of surroundings the environmental element finds itself in. It's much trickier and in no way lazy.
@EarthboundBenjy I don’t care about the process—I care about the result. Procedurally generated environments are universally forgettable, having zero discernible form or design.
Are you denying that a computer randomly generates the environments? Are you honestly claiming that developers choose procedural generation because it’s harder to create?
Come on. That’s total bull, and you know it.
Also, thanks for reading and considering the rest of my post, where I do people the favour of suggesting games they might like. But never mind, let’s just jump on defending rogue-like, computer generated games.
@HappyMaskedGuy
I didn't have anything to add to the other half of your post. I'm not familiar with Fast RMX, The Bridge, or Detention, so all I can do with your recommendations is to read them, and then keep in mind that I've heard good things about these games if I ever want to check them out in the future. What exactly can I add? I don't respond to everybody's recommendations in every thread, that would be futile.
Anyways. Regarding randomly-generation environments.
No, developers don't choose procedural generation because it's harder to create - that doesn't make any sense. They choose it because it creates a game where the playable environment is different with each playthrough. As you said, it's not about the process, it's about the end result.
The appeal of a Roguelike is that it's not a game about memorising levels, but about internalising mechanics.
Going through a Super Mario Bros. level, for example, might be about pure player reaction during first time through, but if you're going for a good time attack run, then it's more about memorising the enemy placement and knowing which blocks the power-ups are inside.
Going through a Spelunky level quickly, on the other hand is about knowing exactly how each and every enemy and object interacts with one another. Since you don't know where anything is, it's the player's knowledge of the game as a whole that determines how successful they are. It's about on-the-fly decision-making, and weighing risk vs reward in a scenario where you don't know what awaits you on the next level.
It's not a matter of developer laziness. It's just about creating a game that exercises a different skillset.
For 9.99 € I'll probably buy Rayman Legends again, just so I don't have to boot up the WiiU to play it. Together with Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze it is the best 2D Jump and Run on the WiiU IMHO.
Edit: Checked the eShop and found a few great deals:
Agent A: a puzzle in disguise looks pretty cool and has good reviews (one called it the best puzzle game on iOS) and currently costs 2,59 €
Forgotton Anne is one of the best looking games I have played in recent years (played it on Steam when it came out). It feels like a playable Ghibli movie! The game play is nothing special, but it has some neat puzzles and the story is great! Costs 8 € right now.
@EarthboundBenjy Must admit, that’s a good argument for the gameplay benefits of roguelike. If it’s the mechanics of a game that especially interest you, I can see that making a lot of sense. A game that keeps on giving, essentially.
My own problem stems more from the layout, the plot as it were, of the adventure. Human designed levels are able to tell a story, set specific moods, and create a narrative that randomisation simply cannot, except by dumb luck. Human designed levels can also be satisfyingly cleverly designed, an art in itself.
I suppose it comes more down to what you want to get out of your time with a game—an immersive narrative adventure, or a gameplay driven one.
@Scottwood101 I second this. I sunk a huge amount of time into this game, amazing since you only push the one button.
GRIS and The Messenger... just might have to get them now.
Big fan of Dragon's Trap too, but I always told myself I wanted the physical edition. Very curious about Rabbids too, but the same feeling applies.
Bastion and Gris!
Amazing games!
If we're talking cheap, last night I picked up Blood Breed for a ridiculous price. It's 40% off its usual price of $10 Australian, but 90% or 100% off if you own one or another game from the same publisher - both of which are on even deeper sales. So it's actually cheaper to buy two games.
The drift racing game I got to trigger the discount is abysmal, but Blood Breed itself has a great mid-90s horror atmosphere. Definitely worth a dollar from your pocket and an evening of your time.
Definitely recommend Okami. That game becomes an emotional roller coaster like Ori in the later parts.
My (cheap) hidden gem ATM is "Rage in Peace". A moving experience disguised as a rage game (with lots of checkpoints, mind you.)
Its soundtrack is fantastic, too. For less than 5€ it's well worth it IMO.
PS: If someone at Nintendo Life could review it, that'd be neat. I feel like other reviewers never got past the second level.
@AmplifyMJ let's say isn't great for an old game, but still an old game. It lacks some QOL we have in good modern games
This article being an update of an old article means the comments section is full of old, irrelevant posts.
My gaming funds being comparatively tighter this month (and looking to remain that way for the next year or so, if somewhat better come December/January), I've mostly made plans for the smaller pricetag curiosities like Roll'd or Sinless, but it seems like freemiums will be my only September gains. Time will tell what happens in October. That said, customer discounts (or whatchamacallit when you get one based on the ownership of certain other titles) are starting to laugh at the temporal budget constraints - my account's granted massive cuts on WeakWood Throne and The Great Perhaps till the end of March and one on Archaica... till the end of next December. I'm surprised they didn't just go and make it permanent like some others do.😄
Bulletstorm should be on this list, its about £4.5o at the moment.
Actually have all those listed and they're all good. Don't Starve takes patience
I dare say no one other stealth game tops Mark of the Ninja. Then again I haven't played many other stealth games after Mark of the Ninja...
Super one more jump is awesome
One I would add is Serial Cleaner. Cartoony 2D stealth game. Easy to play but difficult to master. Usually for sale for only a few quid.
This Strange Realm of Mine is a sleeper "hidden gem" that NintendoLife are yet to review
Wowsers, Ni no Kuni is an absolute steel at that price! I bought it the last time it was on sale on the NA eShop, but the price wasn’t anywhere near as low as that! 😳
Kinda off-topic, but I really wish Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom would also come to Switch at some point.
@charlieonholiday I also picked up Okami HD while it was on sale a good while back now, but due to a heavy backlog and my love of unending roguelikes, I haven’t yet got around to it.
Have you started it yet, buddy? And if so, how do you find it? I’m genuinely interested in what someone who’s never played it before thinks of it 🤔. I ask because I‘ve never played it before either!
There's nearly always some cracking discounts on the eShop. Worth just wishlisting a load and monitoring that wishlist once the discounts for those games come rolling in bit by bit
Nobody appears to be talking about Killer Queen Black and its awesomeness, while everybody should. It got great additions after release and was already one of the greatest single screen eight player games ever to hit the Switch. Get it now and marvel at snail victory, sweaters and starvation!
Nino Kuni at 10€! WHAAAAT???
Downloading it already XD
Mechstermination Force is also quite tempting at that price!
I will try ni no kuni
39.99 złoty is a good price : D
Imagine calling Gone Home "essential"
Bought ni no kuni online last night. I thought a bargain at £22 now £7.99. order already shipped
Assassin's Creed Rebels Collection is 50% off, two sweet he games at half price.
@The_Pixel_King I played Okamiden, Okami’s DS sequel first, so I had a little bit of familiarity with the Okami universe.
Regarding Okami, the humor is spot on, the gameplay is great (it controls brilliantly in handheld) and the stylized world of Ancient Nippon is a beautiful one to wander around. The art style is really special it has a timeless feel like wind waker.
Don’t expect a Breath of the Wild open world, this game is firmly rooted in the old 3D Zelda’s linear gameplay. But saying that, Okami is for me the best of the old 3D Zelda’s.
It took me 40 hours to get to the credits, and it was so much fun. You can spend longer if you’re a completionist or less if you ignore the side missions. Whatever way you play, I am sure you will enjoy it. There is a reason why it is so highly acclaimed.
Mechstermination Force is good fun, absolutely worth it at that price! Was surprised to see Bloodroots was also 90% off making it £1-2 at the moment. Having fun with it, would recommend it at that price.
@Coach_A recently picked it up and completed it, it's indeed a great game. The story is really interesting actually.
Now, from Coach A to Agent A...
Agent A definitely deserves some spotlight. The others i feel are more well known (and the ones I own and played are great!), but Agent A is a superb point and click adventure actually, I had great fun with it. It has some of that classic spy comedy to it, and I don't recall any of the puzzles as being obstructive to my progress in the game, yet also many to be quite clever and / or funny. At this price you can hardly go wrong with it.
@charlieonholiday Thanks for the reply, buddy. I’m alternating Disc Room, Hades and Dead Cells right now, but Okami HD will definitely be the next game I add to the rotation once I’m done with one of that trio. Thanks again, man! 😊
Ni no kuni for £7.99? did I read that right? I was waiting to get a good deal for a physical copy,but I don't think I can turn down the digital download for that price. Alien Isolation is also on my list but its still too much money compared to other platforms
I think I will pick up ni no kuni, I have been 100% mario galaxy and i'm burnt out on platformers I need somthing els.
@Kit I've been considering that as Black Flag intrigues me... Is it a game you're able to play fairly mindlessly? Some open world games overwhelm me (including BOTW and I hated the collapsible weapons) I like to know what I have to do and not have to solve lots of cryptic puzzles or feel lost... Thanks!
I bought Ni No Kuni and I'm considering Mario Party (not mentioned here, but also has a temporary 33% discount).
Hi @Clyde_Radcliffe yeah Assassin's Creed games are pretty mindless hack 'n slay, climbing and jumping on rooftops, mission-lead type games. AC:Black Sails introduces a really cool sailing mechanic and is probably the best game in the series tbh.
Got Ni no Kuni! Could't resist with that price, cheaper than two pints of beer here in France and now my region is under curfew, so no going out for probably 6 weeks
Ni No Kuni is a fantastic price at the moment and the best "Pokemon" game I've ever played by some distance. Also Ghostbusters is just a love letter to the fans of the movies (not that one) and a really good time as well. These also highlight how truly awful Nintendo's own sales are
Conduct Together is cheap again, and highly recommended.
This week I am gonna bag...
Ni no kuni
Gonner
Bloodroots
Bury me, my love
Which will run me about 11 quid. That is pretty insane tbf
What The Golf just added a demo on the eshop. Which I tried. That's great, I'm sold on getting that soon now.
That is a really good price for Ni No Kuni. I already have it on disc on PS4, but for that price, I'll take a digital copy for my Switch too.
Ni No Kuni is a game I’ve wanted for years, but never pulled the trigger. This sale has passed me by, so thanks for the tip! It’s now downloading as I type.
Also, yesterday, I picked up Virtue’s Last Reward on 3DS for £3.99 - how could I not?
I feel that Agent A should be downloaded by everyone for that price. If you like point and click, and even if you don’t! Superb spy game xxxx
I picked up Xeon Racer for €1.97 and it runs well now as performance Issues are fixed. Sale ends in 2 hours.
£8 for Ni No Kuni is probably the best price for anything since Portal was free.
A Short Hike is 20% off, down to £5.03 and I would have happily paid £20 for it. Absolutely stunning game and a truly joyful way to spend the end of the year!
Think I'll go in on Into The Breach. Very tempting at that price.
Really appreciate articles like this to cut through all the dross. 74 pages of sale stuff on the eshop online (on PC, not via the Switch) - total headache! And why do they make it so hard to find your wishlist?!
Into the Breach is tempting. As for Okami that game is simply wonderful but I can understand it not being to everyone's taste. Personally I've played it so many times now I've lost track and I'm still not bored of it. I recently managed to collect every single Stray Bead and unlock Ammy's strongest weapon the String of Beads.
@sandman89 Considering the ***** show that is Britain right now, I see no problem with it.
Why did you guys not make a new page for this?! The comment section has recommendations for games that already had sales back in January and I guess October? Come on...
I think I have all those on that article list bar 3 (Crawl, Donut County, Flashback - may look deeper into them). All solid recommendations by the NL crew.
I wish we could gift digital games on Switch. I would get Yoku for everyone I know.
Not one of the comments has mentioned Horace as yet? I find it astonishing so far (although I'm still in the early game, to be fair).
@Grandiajet You are correct - and I see no reason why Nintendo shouldn't implement this fairly simple feature. If I could give a copy of Horace to friends, I would.
@sandman89 Bye-bye, Brexiteer.
@COVIDberry 🇬🇧💪 rule Britannia
@HappyMaskedGuy Id have to agree that a large portion of roguelikes make it hard to tell a story.
I would say a few of them manage it by have built in lore drips (which wont always hit as hard) in certain progression sections.
However I will suggest you try Hades, it's a game that "fixes" many of the problems with roguelikes, it tells a story that makes sense with the mechanics and hits home.
For the rest i would say many roguelikes are forgettable.
Just Horace for me from this sale so far but I might buy Leisure Suit Larry with my Christmas vouchers and possibly Rollercoaster Tycoon. Glad the sale lasts until after Christmas!
Edit - Just seen Disaster Report 4 is in the sale too. I really liked the demo despite performance issues.
I’m currently trying to make my mind up between Kentucky Route Zero, Slay the Spire, Spiritfarer and Unto the End, which are all on sale right now. Plus racers, GRID Autosport and Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit are both half-price right now.
If I could get two from those six, which should I pick up? Meanwhile, Immortals: Fenyx Rising is down to 40 bucks on the NA eShop. Should that be on my radar, too?
£3.29 for three hours of Donut Country isn’t that high. I think the article was referring to the standard cost and not the sale cost.
I can easily recommend Horace, Okami and Yoku, picked up Donut Country on PS4 but yet to try it out.
Tempted by Demon’s Tilt myself, what’s the verdict on that game?
Just dance is on a pretty big sale too, and I really recommend it as a good workout if you enjoy dancing. Its a lot of fun ♡
Yeah, Forgotten Anne is great! God, I hope Square Enix makes another like that.
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