Cast your minds back, if you will, deep into the mists of time, all the way back to 2018. Yes, a lot has happened since then, not least where Nintendo Switch is concerned! After a barnstorming opener which featured genre-defining winners like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey, there were questions as to whether Nintendo could come close to matching the level of software quality (and quantity) of Switch's launch year.
2018 was the year Super Smash Bros. Ultimate would drop with practically every video game character in the known universe (and that's only a mild exaggeration!) in attendance. Couple that with Pokémon: Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee, Super Mario Party, Nintendo Labo and some choice Wii U ports and you could hardly call 2018 a slouch. Add in a deluge of third-party and indie offerings and you couldn't move for brilliant titles to play at home or on-the-go, as you'll see from the following list of the 50 best games from 2018.
We here at Nintendo Life Towers didn't rank these ones, though - this ranking is dictated by the user ratings associated with Switch games on Nintendo Life's database. This means that this list changes according to your ratings. If you've previously rated your Switch games (the ones released in 2018), just sit back and enjoy. If, however, you've yet to give your personal score for some (or all) of the games below, clicking on each game's rating to cast your vote and affect the list.
Can't see your favourite? Head to our library of Switch games for 2018 and input your own ratings. A game needs a minimum of thirty ratings (we’ll up this to fifty as more ratings pour in) to become eligible, so it's entirely possible to influence the ranking and get your favourite games onto the list.
So, let's dive into the best Switch games from 2018 according to you lovely people...
50. Night In The Woods (Switch eShop)
Less of a game, and more of an interactive story with some light platforming and exploring to tie it all together, Night In The Woods is one of the most rewarding experiences you can play on Nintendo Switch. A curio better played for yourself than described by us, it’s an indie title that will no doubt leave an impression with its enchanting soundtrack, disarming story and instantly identifiable character arcs. Strange and wonderful in equal measure.
49. Super Meat Boy (Switch eShop)
Super Meat Boy is another excellent indie addition to Switch's library. The short, but challenging levels are a perfect fit for portable play, and the game runs perfectly in both handheld and TV modes. The tight platforming mechanics and wealth of hidden warp zones, bandages and playable characters are enough to keep us coming back for more. We wish it would add support for video capture features, if only so we can brag about our accomplishments, but it doesn't hinder our enjoyment of the game. If you haven't played this on another platform, or just want to play it on the go, pick this up.
48. Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy (Switch)
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is a ruthlessly faithful recreation of some of the earliest successes in 3D platforming. Levels are slick, gorgeous to look at, and recreate the feel of the originals superbly. Newcomers to the series may be put off by the steep difficulty spikes and little to no explanation of some of the finer mechanics. All the fun and the foibles of the original three games are here, for better or for worse, and despite some odd design choices it still manages to be a really enjoyable retread of some old classics, warts and all. This is definitely worth a look if you're a fan of 3D platformers, but just as was the case back in the '90s, Crash isn't in quite the same league as Mario when it comes to playability, inventiveness and entertainment. If you're after a nostalgia trip, though, it's tough to beat.
47. Hyper Light Drifter: Special Edition (Switch eShop)
Hyper Light Drifter: Special Edition puts Heart Machine’s obtuse yet engaging throwback where it belongs — in portable Nintendo form — and it makes for the definitive version. With a handful of exclusive features, the game suddenly feels new and fresh - and with a silky smooth frame rate and every boss, secret and upgrade from the original here for you to experience, this is a wonderful addition to the Nintendo Switch’s bulging indie library.
46. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (Switch)
While Wolfenstein II's graphical downgrade is hard to miss, that doesn’t detract from the fact that this is one of the best single-player FPS experience you can have on Switch right now. The lack of a multiplayer mode (the versions on other consoles didn’t have one either, so don’t worry about being short-changed) still grates, but with its brilliantly-written story and intense action, not even 2017’s excellent DOOM port can stand up to B.J.’s latest war on the Reich.
45. Transistor (Switch eShop)
Supergiant Games outdid itself with Transistor, providing an engaging ARPG experience that managed to improve upon its predecessor in many ways while adding in distinct new elements that help to define its identity. It's another welcome addition to the Switch library, and is the epitome of a modern RPG classic. Its fusion of cyberpunk elements, unconventional and effective storytelling, and dynamic gameplay make for a game that you won’t want to miss out on.
44. Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon (Switch eShop)
Bloodstained: Curse Of The Moon is undoubtedly aimed at a very specific audience, and you’ll know if you’re part of that just by looking at the screenshots. If those make your heart sing, it’s definitely worth your time. It’s like Castlevania just decided to come soaring back into all our lives, and how can that ever be a bad thing? Exactly.
43. Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom (Switch)
Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is a tremendous accomplishment. It’s a gorgeous looking game with a fantastic soundtrack and does its spiritual predecessors proud by nailing the Wonder Boy mechanics while still offering something that will appeal to modern audiences. As long as you can appreciate that it’s still very much an old-school game at heart and you’re going to get some 8-bit era platforming trickiness as a result, you’re going to thoroughly enjoy playing through this adventure for the 12-15 hours it’ll take you to beat it. It may not be Wonder Boy by name, but it’s definitely wonderful by nature.
42. Mega Man 11 (Switch)
Mega Man 11 was an excellent resurgence for the character, imbuing the tried-and-true classic gameplay with modern touches and new ideas that expand on existing concepts in interesting ways. The underlying action platforming gameplay is just as tight and challenging as you remember, and when combined with the new visuals and extra options for replayability, you’ve got a game that’s every bit as good as those that came before, while surpassing them in some ways. Mega Man 11 is a modern classic, a fitting refresh for a beloved series.
41. Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum 'n' Fun! (Switch)
You’ll want to consider forking out for the taiko peripheral to see the Japanese drum-fun of Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum ‘n’ Fun! at its best, but Switch’s touchscreen makes this an easier recommendation than it would otherwise be. The motion controls should be avoided with extreme prejudice – they’re simply unworkable – and a few odd design decisions, not to mention an excess of loading screens, take the shine off what is a beautifully bold and bouncy game. Fortunately, the Party Game section helps shore things up, offering short bursts of multiplayer fun as a credible stopgap until a Rhythm Paradise arrives on Switch.
Comments (65)
Hollow Knight for me. Easily.
I missed the part on how the list was ordered and thought you guys just put Smash in first place and rolled the dice with the rest. While Smash is not my favorite of last year it definitely takes the number one spot. Too many dream match ups in that games.
I'm currently replaying Celeste, I never finished the B-sides and now that the moon level happened, I'm going through the whole thing
I really liked Octopath, Okami, Dead Cells, and Owl Boy. I just couldn't get into Celeste and I don't have any interested in Smash.
Valkyria Chronicles 4 was easily my favorite game of 2018. On any platform.
Curse of the Moon is second. It REALLY hit the Castlevania sweet spot for me, and is better than any of the actual NES Vanias. I still like it more than Ritual of the Night, personally.
Hollow Knight is probably third place. Beautiful and really solid indie action-platformer.
@SBandy Yep, Hollow Knight all the way with Inside 2nd.
I can't believe Inside never even made the top 50,what's going on with that? It's one of the best games on Switch,, never mind 2018. Gris I found to be hugely overated. It was alright and I'm glad I played it but it was nothing memorable.
Mediocre year for Switch for sure. Glad this year has shaped up better, and if we can get Animal Crossing and BOTW 2 next year it will be even better.
2018 was actually pretty weak for Switch game releases. Things were so bad that Octopath Traveler was considered the biggest hit until very late in 2018. 2019 has been much, much, better.
Yes, it's an extremely well selling home console, but I'm still waiting for Nintendo's handheld to drop, so I can finally take these games on the go! Face it, Wikipedia calls Switch Lite a Switch, and says Switch is a home system, only replacing the failed Wii U (a home console), not the 3DS (a handheld), thus Switch Lite being a Switch, and Switch being a home console means Switch Lite is a home console. Again, when Nintendo releases their next handheld, I'll be all over that! Until then, we've got to wade through all these home console releases, even if some of them started out as handheld games.
@OorWullie Inside only has 18 user ratings on this site. In order to be considered for this list, a game needs at least 50 user ratings.
EDIT: actually, it seems the author of this page is incorrect. For example, Darkest Dungeon is on this list with only 37 ratings.
EDIT: it looks like the actual cutoff is 30 user ratings.
@Ralizah I agree with you on Valkyria Chronicles 4. Also, Hollow Knight ended up being pretty good after everything was finished.
Horizon Chase Turbo is a fun game indeed, but at number four? Wow - curve ball city.
I loved and nearly completed everything in the game on iPad years ago, and I've no problem with a 'mere' mobile-origin game being so high, but this for me was the only 'what the...' on the list. There are so many games that have so much more going on compared to this wonderfully fun, but ultimately quite shallow experience.
But, hey, the peoples vote has spoken.
@NintendoLife. "A game needs a minimum of fifty ratings to become eligible..." should be changed to thirty to reflect the actual items on this list.
I'd add Atelier Lydie & Suelle and Touhou Genso Wanderer Reloaded to the list as well. I greatly enjoyed them.
@james_squared Ah right, I probably should have read the text before the list. I just voted for Inside so it has 19 now. Still criminally low. Limbo is also great, played through that twice.
Edit, Inside still has 18. I must have voted for it already.
@brunojenso I also find Horizon Chase Turbo to be overated. I played it for around 20 hours and had fun with it but really it's nothing special. I'm a huge fan of driving games and loved Lotus Turbo Challenge 2 on the Megadrive, HCT's biggest influence and with the Switch at the time lacking in decent driving games I was really looking forward to Horizon Chase but I was pretty disappointed with it. Now I have Grid Autosport, Virtua Racing, Outrun and F-Zero so I'm happy.
@OorWullie - Inside definitely stuck with me. A simple game in so many ways, but manages to be both sad and beautiful.
The 'blast room' was just... I won't say scary, but somehow massively emotionally moving. The sound and the shock wave, the feeling of helplessness it generated and of "what's happening?"
@gamefreak77
I bought a switch lite. The yellow one.
But after a week of playing it, I returned it. It feels good in hands, but that's it. Nothing more.
I just felt that it is a half baked product. Barebone. It doesn't deserve the name "switch". I really tried to give it a chance. But, like I said, apart from the feeling when having it in hands... nope
The d-pad... I don't know if it was the unit I picked, but it felt so... low quality. It felt like a new 2ds xl d-pad. I played street fighter on it and out of 15 tries to pull off a dragon punch I succeeded 2 times. Many times I couldn't jump diagonally. As if it didn't register the input.
I liked the feel of buttons and joysticks, but that feeling of a potential drift occuring hovering over my head... nope
On the other hand, playing my other switch(v2) felt much better. It is a switch. Plus, it has a better battery, even though it is not a dedicated handheld. Ridiculous.
I would absolutely not recommend the switch lite. Maybe after the revision, after the potential joycon drift is dealt with. After better quality d-pad is added. And after it gets a new name, because the "switch" doesn't suit it well.
As long as we support these half finished products with our money, Nintendo will get away with it. Look at Microsoft and Sony. They don't degrade their products.
Use your common sense people, not feelings induced through hype.
Anyway, yes, like you, I'm waiting for a true portable Nintendo device.
On topic: horizon chase is a mobile game originally?
Where is xenoblade chronicles 2?
Ys VIII is higher for me. If I hadn't played it the year before on PS4 it would have been my GotY.
@aVagabond IMO Xbox releasing an all digital Xbox one with only 1T onboard memory was a huge downgrade to their other offerings.
@Mamabear
I wasn't aware of that.
Idiots!
Some great titles, with a couple randoms that I hadn't even heard of. No CTR?
I'm maybe in the minority but I think Hollow Knight is definitely better than Celeste but I guess it depends what you are more personally into. Celeste was more the jumpy landing stuff but Hollow Knight was adventure and exploration and felt so gradious for an indie. I beat Celeste once and was pretty done with it but I have played Hollow Knight multiple times. Very much my fave indie on here.
@aVagabond XC2 came out in 2017.
@Jayofmaya CTR came out this year.
The biggest thing I disagree with this list is that Torna isn't on it. Sure it's part of the expansion pass for a 2017 game (XC2) but the content and physical standalone release was in 2018. I put that at the top.
Valkyria Chronicles IV, Death Road to Canada, Broforce, and SNK 40th Anniversary, are missing from this list.
Honestly Hollow Knight is my number one. Absolute masterpiece
Why do I have a feeling that something else should replace Fortnite on this list?
2018 was a weird year for me as it was the first time I dug into indie games. Most of my playtime was on Stardew Valley, Hollow Knight, Shovel Knight, Gris and the Steamworld Dig games.
Not many games from Nintendo are on the list. Mario Tennis Aces was revamped from Ultra Smash on Wii U. Captain Toad, Hyrule Warriors, DK Tropical are Wii U ports.
I'm surprised to see The Messenger so high, but it deserves it!
So sad to see Mario Tennis so low... It deserves much more love. It is really a great game.
@aVagabond You need to get better at street fighter.
@Giygas_95 The Messenger definitely caught me off guard when it released. Instantly fell in love with it.
Yohoo, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate! Congrats!
It really has everything I wanted, a don't-cut-any-characters direction. And a load of other good fan wishes that materialized and new ideas that made the game so much better than before. Nintendo never cared so much for (and never communicated so directly with) its fans and partners as with this game.
Ultimate is my number 1 game of 2018 as well, and Undertale is my number 2.
@Mr_Muscle I still listen to the soundtrack when I'm driving or when I just want music to listen to at home or work.
Some of the top 10 massively surprised me
2018 did not match 2017 in terms of mind blowing amazingness, but still had some great releases. I'd probably rank Civ 6 way higher on this list and consider it in my top three for the year along with Octopath Traveller and Night in the Woods.
Yeah, not surprised by Smash being number 1. NintendoLife basically worships Smash.
Dark souls is number one for me.
@Mr_Muscle
On that I agree.
Bought those daemon x machina joycons yesterday and played street fighter again. Out of 15 tries I pulled 13 dragon punches off. With the d-pad of course. Awesome joycons. 1st party joycons/joypad from Nintendo sucks. Except the nintendo switch tablet itself. That's awesome. But the switch lite sucks though.
@aVagabond Someone already mentioned XBox, but the PS3 removed PS2 BC in later models, which strikes me as a far worse downgrade than the Switch Lite. Especially since the Lite isn't replacing the normal model.
@sandman89
Great hair-pulling, rant and rage inducing game. Love it. Hope they bring dark souls 2. Dark souls 3 is highly unlikely.
@link3710
By that I presume you mean "backwards compatibility"?
I'm talking about hardware side of degradation.
Even modern pc has difficulty playing dos and windows 95 games.
@Giygas_95 ME TOO
@james_squared YOURE NOT interested in smash? thats like not being interested in pizza.
Cool there is a couple of games here i bought in my intial "i just gotta switch" spending orgy, and promptly forgot i owned.
Can we pencil in borderlands 3 for 2020?
@JEM NintendoLife is a site that talks relentlessly about Smash and showers it with praise, it is no surprise then that it has attracted largely a following that largely shares that opinion.
It's fine, I know that no one is gonna agree with me when I say that Smash is over-rated. It's a great game, but it's just a fighting game. And fighting games, by definition, don't impress me that much. Even in the case of the very best of the genre, which Smash is.
Octopath traveller and World of final fantasy were my 2018 highlights. Played the demo of Valkyria chronicles 4 and was going to buy after completing the first one but it crashed on me at chapter 9 and I never went back to it. Will do in a lull though
Love count downs, thank you
Wow this list is a joke where is Dragon Quest XI??
@aVagabond No, it was a hardware degredation. PS3 had full BC with PS2, and the PS3 Slim removed the chip it needed to do so.
EDIT: To be clear, yes I did mean Backwards Compatibility. But the fact that it was removed in a later 'improved' model to make it cheaper was the issue, like how the DSI can't play GBA games when the DS and DS Lite could. Another example would be the PSP Go's inability to play physical discs, rendering someone's physical collection worthless if they 'upgraded'.
@FredBiletnikoff Totally didn't read the title and just filled it in for my own head... Not sure why when it's not even 2020 yet. Woops. Thanks for correcting me!
@Tasuki You did the same as me. This is lat years games, dude!
@link3710
I guess every system is then participating in the great downgrading conspiracy against consumers. Crap.
When does Stadia launch?
@Jayofmaya No problem. I've not actually played CTR and I've played MK8 to death both versions. How does CTR compare?
My favourite games of 2018:
1) Dark Souls
2) Hollow Knight
3) Smash Bros
4) Dead Cells
@aVagabond i completed my first play through. On NG+ but giving it a break now. Got 110 hours clocked so far on the game.
@Tasuki lol? That was just released 10 days ago on the Nintendo Switch..
Glad to see that Kirby made it. Star Allies is really underrated and is my second favorite Switch game after Odyssey.
@Heavyarms55 I get bored very quickly with Smash. It's kind of fun for a little while to play with a group of people, but I never play it by myself. After getting both the wii u and 3ds versions, I decided to pass on Smash ultimate. Despite all the hype surrounding it, I've heard plenty of Nintendo fans say that they don't really care for Smash. I believe there was an opinion piece on this very site about not being able to get into Smash much.
Hollow knight and Monster Hunter were my favorite games last year.
I can't be the only one who thinks Celeste is overrated. It's a very well made game in many ways, but I just found the mechanics and level design stressful and ultimately not really fun. Out of sheer stubbornness I played it to the end but I couldn't be bothered to go after any of the strawberries after the first couple areas. As for the story, well I just found the characters, all of them, extremely annoying.
@FredBiletnikoff Much more hands on! I would say that to 100% the core game you'd have to put in about the same effort as getting decent at 200cc Mario Kart. This of course, is only really for 1 character and a couple of skins. The rest is very easily earned and accomplished within a few days on the Adventure mode and bought with freely earned Wumpa Coins. Speaking of adventure mode, you'll have to do Time Trial as well as a slightly harder race where you must collect tokens in harder to reach spots. The drifting takes place with both shoulder buttons and is a little awkward at first but once you get the timing down I find it much more engaging to get a 3x perfect boost (this will greatly increase speed) and even do so on turbo pads, getting even more speed. All you have to do then is watch out for walls. So currently, the updates make 36 tracks to play on and whilst you will have missed the Grand Prix content (karts, characters, skins, etc.) they will be bringing it all back to the shop. I believe in January based on my observations of the model. The shop is fair on pricing and will keep you coming back every weekend to earn 3 or so karts if you wish to put in an hour or so each of the 3 days. The core game also has some extras in the shop, the CNK characters and all legendary skins. Really, it is a little bit of a grind but the newest update makes all characters equal (pick your class on each character, speed, accel l, etc.) so not necessary if you're not a completionist, just wait for the shop to display something you like. There's still at least 2 more tracks (the tracks so far are very detailed and each have their own flavour) and lots more content to come in November and December, so it will end up a very varied game. I've currently earned about 80% of shop items and nearly 100% the core game! The time trials outside of Adventure took me the longest, they really ask you to nail the mechanics for the last character and skin. The best part is they also jusy added multipliers for offline races, this is useful for when you're practising to go up against some of the tougher racers online. I can come around 3rd consistently, sometimes being 30 seconds behind top spot and I thought I was good at the game! Haha
One final thing is they added a catch the ghost extra challenge for October, also. I have a feeling it might be temporary but it served to be fun when I may get distracted and mess up and online race badly at the begining, leaving me far enough behind to not catch up the the perfectly performing player.
gris makes the top 20 as a worse version of every other notable title of its ilk, and gorogoa, one of the best visual puzzlers yet made, doesn't even make the list
a bit sad to see. replayed gris twice over after finishing it the first time to make sure i'd seen all there was to see and it was incredibly tedious. i've replayed gorogoa around six or seven times now and it is just as enrapturing as it was the first time i booted it up.
@Jayofmaya Thanks for such a detailed reply. Sounds like it might be just what I'm looking for so I'll check it out.
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