Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Switch)
The beauty of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is that it caters to everybody, from the deep-diving series stalwarts who analyse each frame and peruse patch notes to the novice button-masher. It can be a little tough to follow all the action onscreen with lots of characters, but the premise is simple enough for anyone to understand. Button-mashers can still have huge amounts of fun kicking seven shades out of each other and the game's huge (and ever-growing) roster of famous fighters offers something for everyone. With support for up to 8 players, it's a frantic and fantastic family game, provided you can keep up with it. Fight!
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.
![Super Smash Bros. Ultimate [Download Code - UK/EU]](https://images.nintendolife.com/products/25512/100x100.png)
Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Switch)
Nintendo's slow-life sim appeals to the creative part of everyone and gives the whole family the chance to express themselves through their decoration, attire and even their horticultural skills. Yes, Animal Crossing: New Horizons fosters a wonderful spirit of optimism and togetherness that anyone can benefit from, and this newest entry features Party Play, a mode where up to four island inhabitants can play at the same time with one taking on the role of leader.
The only real problem we can see with just one Switch in the house is everyone fighting over it in order to sell their turnips, collect their resources and go fishing. Yes, the optimum way to play would involve everyone under one roof having their own Switch with their own copy of Animal Crossing containing their own island. Wily Nintendo, eh? However you choose to enjoy it, though, New Horizons is the definition of 'fun for the whole family' and worth diving into.
![Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Happy Home Paradise DLC - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]](https://images.nintendolife.com/products/16102/100x100.jpg)
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes (Switch)
With split-screen co-op, and incredibly gentle expectations as far as the gameplay is concerned, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes is a fantastic, low-stakes game for parents and kids to play together, but also for adults who are looking for something that pleasantly whiles away the hours without beating you over the head with difficulty. You know what you're getting with Lego games, and this is one of the best. Excelsior!
If it's more Lego brick-blasting content you want, then LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga has plenty more of that.
Mario Strikers: Battle League (Switch)
The Mario Strikers series finally returned in 2022, and with it came chaotic multiplayer soccer action on Switch. Mario Strikers: Battle League has been updated numerous times since its release, bringing new characters onto the pitch, but the game is just pure fun as it is and full of character — and everyone in the family loves character and personality. It's perhaps not the place for wholesome family fun, but if you're looking for something a little bit more competitive to take on the kids with, Battle League is the perfect answer.
![Mario Strikers Battle League Football [Download Code - UK/EU]](https://images.nintendolife.com/products/18852/100x100.png)
Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics (Switch)
The 'classics' part in the title of Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics won't ring true for everybody, but with over 50 on offer there's bound to be a good handful of them that please everyone in the family. With board games, card games and even action games like bowling to choose from, there's oodles of charming content to enjoy here, all presented in a friendly Wii Sports or Wii Play-esque manner. Wholesome, and more importantly, fun.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Switch)
A beautiful little game, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is a winner whether you're after puzzling or jump button-less platforming. With beautiful visuals and an upbeat soundtrack, it's is a real gem; a wonderful and gorgeous 3D platform puzzler fit for all ages with slow-paced gameplay which is well-suited to being played as a family with onlookers suggesting solutions to the gentle puzzles.
The two-player co-op Nintendo added makes this offering even tastier, with Toadette joining the Captain as an optional second player on all levels. And there's even a nice little nugget of DLC for once you've polished off the main game.
Let's Sing ABBA (Switch)
Is there any other band more timeless than ABBA? No matter what kind of music you like, how old you are, or what generation of music you grew up with, everyone loves a bit of ABBA. But what's better than just listening to the Swedish supergroup's back catalogue? Singing it, of course! C'mon, who doesn't like watching their grandparents sing to 'SOS' after a few too many?
Well, Let's Sing ABBA will let you do just that — let your hair down with your nearest and dearest. You can sing your heart out to 'Thank You For The Music', or challenge your cousin to a 'Super Trouper' sing-off. It's not about how good you are at singing at all, and that's the best part. Definitely one for a good ol' family celebration.
Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain (Switch)
Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain is a great little local co-op game for the family, with brain-teasers that are tailored for the age of each player in such a way as to address the the age-old dilemma of whether you should let your kids win. If Dr. Kawashima's friendly but sterile style is a little too staid, the snappily-acronymed BBABVB is just the brain-matter tickler you're after for the holidays, or any other family-focused time for that matter.
Nintendo Switch Sports (Switch)
We've been waiting patiently for the day when we can relive all of the family feuds we had in Wii Sports on Switch again, and this spring, Nintendo Switch Sports delivered. There's nothing better than setting the youngest member of your family and one of the oldest in front of the TV, giving them a Joy-Con each, and letting them go at it at whatever sport they want.
Bowling is, of course, the first and best option, but there's Chambara for those who want a one-on-one sword-fighting duel. Football is compatible with the Leg Strap so you can make fun of each other as you attempt to kick the ball into the goal. And Golf is also now part of the package! Even if this is missing some of the bells and whistles of Wii Sports Club, Nintendo Switch Sports is the perfect game for the sheer amount of laughs you can have with the entire family.
![Nintendo Switch Sports [Download Code - UK/EU]](https://images.nintendolife.com/products/18751/100x100.png)
We hope this selection of games helps get your family gaming on the right track. Our competitiveness used to get the better of us — giving lil' Timmy a sound thrashing on the digital racetrack would be a healthy life lesson, right?
The above games helped us become better guardians. Hopefully, they'll help you strike the perfect balance that ensures everyone with a controller in their hands, old or young, is having a great time gaming on Switch. There are more games, of course, but the ones above are the most accessible to the most people. Let us know what other games have gone down a treat with your entire family below.
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.
Comments 46
I want Wii Sports Club on the Switch! Great family fun, with underutilized motion controls!
https://www.nintendolife.com/games/wiiu/wii_sports_club
1-2-Switch is a very creative concept and shows off features like HD Rumble better than most games out today can.
But even on sale, I find the price point to be a little high for what it is. I still think it was a huge missed opportunity not to have this pre-packaged into the Switch at launch.
For me, my recommended Family Switch games :
1. 1-2-Switch
2. ARMS
3. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
4. Yonder the Cloud Catcher Chronicles
5. Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu / Eevee
6. Dragon Quest Builders 1 / 2
7. Pokemon Sword / Shield
8. Portal Knights.
9. Go Vacation
10. New Super Lucky's Tale
Can we please stop pretending that Mario Tennis Aces and Super Mario Party are good games? Come on guys it's 2020. There are way better games out there.
@koaeinferno
I agree with you.
Kirby Star Allies and ARMS took too long to release all content I guess.
Yet super mario party releases none.
@koaeinferno Both games are a bit lacking in content, but Aces' gameplay is really strong, if nothing else.
That said, there are more enjoyable party/family games out there - Jackbox Party Packs aren't necessarily for family, but many of the games within have family friendly modes or are good for older players, and I'm surprised they didn't put Minecraft on the list as well
Towerfall. Just saying.
My list of family fun games...
– MARIO Kart
– Donkey Kong Country
– Snipperclips
– Overcooked
– Yoshi
– Luigi’s mansion
...surprised that Nintendo hasn’t released Super MARIO 3D World yet on Switch. We had so much co-op fun with that one on the Wii U.
Captain Toad, DKC Tropical Freeze, Kirby Star Allies, NSMBU, and Yoshi's Crafted World would probably be good picks as well.
ARMS keeps being omitted from these lists and it's just criminal. One of the great all-ages games IMO. My daughter and I still go at it from time to time - it's stuck much better than Smash Bros for this particular family.
Isn't super Smash Bros kinda violent game for
a family with small children?
Should 1-2 Switch ever be on a best of list ever?
I disagree. Best games for playing with kids are: Donkey Kong, Mario Deluxe, Ray Man, Mario Party, Mario Kart and Smash.
What about Mario and sonic at the Olympic games? I haven't played it (other than trying out the demo) but I would've thought it would be a better family game than some of the games mentioned here
2 of my gamer kids and I have played most of those games, logged plenty of hours and still play smash and maker near daily. However we are also on our 4th play through of dark souls, I have the least hours at 150 or so. My 9 year old has other characters and plays it way more then I do. Switch has been the best console I’ve owned and it’s not even 3 yet.
Wow surprised they actually recommended 1-2 Switch, and I am equally surprised at the lack of Jack Pack.
I’d argue Labo is very family orientated and should deserve a spot. Built it with my nephew and still play it sometimes when he’s coming over for the weekend.
Best quality time I’ve had with the kid so far
Lovers In A Dangerous Spacetime is a fantastic family game where up to four players co-operate to fly a spaceship and destroy enemies in open levels. It's a great game for teaching you how to work together. Also can't believe Towerfall wasn't mentioned
Risk of rain 2
@Friendly yes I second Labo! May be an unpopular choice here but definitely a hoot with kids.
@YozenFroghurt punch out Wii needs to be released like on the shield in hd
@Alztru we play Mario vs sonic as a family and enjoy it
@strongest_link towerfall absolutely!
1-2 Switch is a joke. The game does not worth 40 euros, not even 20 that I paid.
1-2 Switch and Just Dance are amazing to play with family no matter what ages. Even the grandparents will geek just a watching.
I haven’t bothered logging in for a while but this list is missing some much better titles:
Horizon chase turbo
Castle crashers
The stretchers
MARIO and Sonic Tokyo games
Splatoon
And many many more! Who writes this stuff???
1-2 Switch? Really? Any ‘best of list’ with this on it can be ignored
Anyone who can't manage to have fun with 1-2-switch must have incredibly humourless friends and family.
Played mario party with both friends and family now and it's not great, I wouldn't recommend for non gamers
Slight issue, or rather major issue actually, with Luigi's Mansion 3.... Nobody in my family can play it because we all use the proper, inverted Y axis. It's been nothing but a $60 paperweight since release! In 2019, you surely didn't expect a game to release without the one scientifically proper method of play. Reaching out to the devs has yielded nothing as well, they're too busy hiring for another project when they haven't even finished this one.
Can't say I really agree with Smash Bros as a family game. Feels like its here more so because you can have lots of people play locally rather than it actually being suited to family play.
A family game should be accessible to everybody, which Smash is to an extent since it's fairly basic at a surface level, but in a typical family setting where not everybody necessarily plays a lot of video games? You're just going to have the person who owns the console either destroying everybody else, putting more effort into playing poorly or simply just not playing, none of which sounds particularly fun for everybody.
Mario Kart by comparison has features there for people who might not play many video games so that they can join in and have a chance of winning too. That's a perfect family game because I can play as I usually do with none of these features enabled and realistically my little sister could still be competitive thanks to steering assist or auto accelerate.
Or Overcooked, being a game with very simple mechanics and concept that slowly ramps up the difficulty. Even my mum could grasp this one.
Poor list. Some games aren't that good, others aren't really family games. Stuff like Boomerang Fu and Tricky Towers are orders of magnitude better family games than most of the stuff on this list
@koaeinferno
You came here just for bad talking all the time. 🤨
@Bondi_Surfer
I like to play 1-2-Switch.
It was an unique game.
You didn't add Mario Party Superstars despite reposting this article?
The ones my 8 kids most enjoy are:
Stardew Valley
Stick Fight
Smash Bros
Hidden in Plain Sight
Unspottable
Heave Ho
Overcooked
And of course... Minecraft 🤮
I had lots of fun playing Big Brain Academy with family over the holiday
@sketchturner Hidden in Plain Sight is brilliant for anyone new to gaming. I introduced it to a friend who had only played a couple of mobile games and they were a bit anxious about jumping up to consoles. They loved it!
@Tao Smash Bros has handicap settings, though I would guess most people don't bother with them.
@gopher1369 I agree this is a disappointing list given the high quality I've got used to from Nintendo Life lists. I clicked expecting to find something new.
To add to @sketchturner's list:
Death Squared
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime
(those two are great for local co-op - Death Squared may be a bit advanced depending on age)
Rocket League
BOXBOY! + BOXGIRL!
Snipperclips
There are others I'll have forgotten to mention.
Mario Party for sure!!
Can def vouch for clubhouse games. At the very least Mancala will go down a storm
I like how there is (Switch) after every game title on this list.
Does that Andy guy not write these articles anymore?
Lol smashbros... Mmm family friendly? For bigger kids okay..
Let me sum up some parts eventho it looks family friendly (and we play with almost every age in the fam)
Seeing a smiling mario smashing another person from 1000ft high.
Seeing a giant mushroom head which is the same as toads head? A beheaded toad? Lol eeting him will make you strong lol (friendly version of mortal kombat, just kidding)
Nah just messing around we always play Mario kart, smashbros when with my family those games are kinda a traditional.
I read that someone put pokemon Shield on the list, havent played that game but now i am interested what makes it on their list?
I just played the Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain demo with my family on New Year's Eve. When I explained that the full game is "only $40 CAD", the reaction from 1 person was:
"$40?? Maybe $4".
Tap here to load 46 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...