Persona 4 Golden (Switch eShop)

Persona 4 Golden remains a thoroughly enjoyable and engrossing RPG that, for the most part, has stood the test of time. Although its visuals might be a bit dated, the gameplay and story presented here do more than enough to justify the purchase, while all the tweaks and additions that came with this ‘Golden’ edition round out most of the rougher edges from the initial PS2 release.

Still, this is one of the best RPGs of its era, and it still stands the test of time today. If you try and love Persona 5 Royal, you owe it to yourself to pick up Golden.

NEO: The World Ends With You (Switch)

NEO: The World Ends With You impresses in so many different ways, even where we were terrified it could fail. The game boasts an energetic soundtrack that feeds off the energy of the original, a deep and rewarding combat system that makes a successful leap to 3D, an inspiring cast of characters that stand tall on their own, and importantly, a world that begs you to come back even after you’ve finished the 40+ hour campaign.

If you're looking for more musical modern-day RPG action, then The World Ends With You: Final Remix is a solid port of the DS cult classic, and unmissable if you love the sequel.

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The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero (Switch)

In a series renowned for its stellar writing, twisting plots, and wonderful characters, The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero is a stand-out RPG. Narrowing the focus of its story to one state, and honing in on a smaller cast of characters, makes for a fantastic and engrossing adventure that is about both intimate relationships and huge, secretive scandals.

If you love Zero, then we absolutely recommend picking up the sequel — Trails to Azure. This follow-up amps up the stakes while adding an emotional core that makes it one of the best entries in this long-running series. The Trails series, in general, is fantastic and worth diving into.

Chained Echoes (Switch eShop)

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 best indie RPGs we’ve played.

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. This game stands as a shining example of everything that makes RPGs great.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (Switch)

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a genuine masterpiece and the highlight of Monolith Soft's superb series. There's an emotionally charged and surprisingly edgy epic to get stuck into here, a sprawling and hugely engaging narrative populated by a cast of unforgettable characters, all backed up by some of the best combat we've had the pleasure of getting to grips with in the genre. It more than delivers every bit of the adventure, emotion, and action that the series promises. Aionios awaits, it's time to seize the future.

Don't forget the Expansion Pass, which contains the outstanding story DLC Future Redeemed, either. If you're a series fan, this one's unmissable.

Sea of Stars (Switch eShop)

Sea of Stars is a sensational achievement for Sabotage. The studio is two for two in providing impressively designed and genuinely innovative takes on classic genres. Some pacing issues aside, the complex narrative, deep and strategic combat, thoughtful level design, and fantastic visuals and music all combine to make this one of the best indie RPGs on the system.

There are few games that would be a better introduction and representation of what makes JRPGs great. Sea of Stars is an instant classic and a new high-water mark for modern retro-styled indies, and you really shouldn’t miss out.

Final Fantasy I-VI Pixel Remaster (Switch)

The six games in the Final Fantasy I-VI Pixel Remaster bundle provide a superb way to experience or re-experience Final Fantasy history.

Not all Final Fantasies were created equal, however; some, like Final Fantasy IV and VI, have aged gracefully and remain great narrative-driven adventures, while others might feel a bit more archaic even with the quality-of-life additions. Purists also may not appreciate the new balancing introduced in these new remasters.

Even so, if you don't have them on a cartridge with an ancient TV to hook them up to, or don't want to experience the bonus dungeons added in other versions, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more convenient, aesthetically pleasing, and faithful way to play through some of the best JRPGs ever made.

Star Ocean: The Second Story R (Switch)

This revival of a PlayStation classic does a thorough job of mixing modern game design and artistic elements with old-school sensibilities to make for one of the most impressive RPG releases of 2023. Star Ocean: The Second Story R is comfortably the best entry in this series.

A lengthy, player-driven story, thrilling combat system, gorgeous new visual style, and remixed soundtrack all come together to create a fantastic RPG, and this ]remake is the best way to play the game.

Octopath Traveler II (Switch)

Octopath Traveler II is a triumphant and confident follow-up to its predecessor — which is also well worth picking up on the Switch — building on the established foundation with welcome new ideas and tweaks that make for an overall excellent experience.

A strategic combat system, open-ended character progression, well-written stories, gorgeous visuals, and an incredible soundtrack all coalesce into one of the finest RPGs available on Switch. Though it may be more of the same, Team Asano demonstrates mastery of its craft at every turn here.

Beyond Galaxyland (Switch eShop)

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.

Bloomtown: A Different Story (Switch eShop)

Despite a few minor issues, Bloomtown: A Different Story is a game that’ll stick with you long after you put it down. The blend of comforting and creepy is masterful, and the game presents a surprising amount of challenge in places.

With everything from boss fights and puzzles to intricate crafting and skill-building, there’s a lot to get excited about here. Bloomtown was clearly made with a lot of love and attention to detail, and it’s the perfect pick for anyone who enjoys rich stories paired with riddles and tricky, turn-based combat.

Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars (Switch)

While not as feature-rich as some collections, Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars proves that these RPGs have largely stood the test of time.

While a few issues with this remaster don’t take away too much from the original games' brilliance, we think these classics deserve the very best and we hope Konami sees just how important this series is to many and makes a handful of tweaks.

Still, boasting ambition, narrative stakes, and heart that few other RPGs of the time can muster, Suikoden burns bright in its origins and comes recommended.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Switch)

For years, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door has been held as the best Mario RPG of all time, and the Switch remake proves it has earned that title.

This is a fantastic RPG adventure, whether you’re a Mario fan or not, with some best-in-class combat and brilliant writing. A fresh new localisation, beautifully enhanced visuals, and new quality-of-life features help iron out a few little creases to make this the definitive way to play a GameCube classic.

Don't forget you can also get the brilliant Super Mario RPG remake on Switch, too, alongside the newest Mario & Luigi title, Brothership. If you love Mario RPGs, you're spoilt for choice on Switch.

Deltarune (Switch eShop)

Deltarune is a game that can feel odd to recommend, as it’s both difficult to convey in words what makes this game feel special and… well, with further chapters yet to join the present four, it still isn’t finished yet.

Its goofy and subversive narrative, innovative battle mechanics, and killer soundtrack all combine to make this follow-up to Undertale from Toby Fox worth the purchase in its current state, even if it is incomplete and the visuals feel a tad underwhelming.

There’s no telling when the story will finally wrap up, but the release of Chapters 3 and 4 did a lot to round out what once felt a little anaemic.

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition (Switch)

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is an expertly crafted revamp that gives us all the bells and whistles we could wish for in terms of graphical upgrades. However, it's actually Monolith Soft's attention to clever gameplay revisions that impresses most here.

This is X streamlined and modernised, carefully recast and reset in order to play better than ever. Additional characters, a new ending, and all that snazzy stuff is all well and good, and fans will be excited by the fresh revelations that occur, but it's in how everything flows so much better now that we reckon the hardcore will find themselves most impressed.

And for newcomers a recommendation is even easier; this is up there with the all-time great sci-fi RPGs and an absolute must-play.

As you can see, Switch really is an RPG monster! Good work getting through all those.

Best Switch RPGs FAQ

Here are some common questions readers often ask about the best RPGs on Switcf.

What RPGs are on Switch Online?

There's a small selection of retro RPGs available to play if you have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, too, including:

The following games require a Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscription.

If you have a Japanese Nintendo Account, you'll also be able to access the following (unlocalised) games:

  • Shin Megami Tensei
  • Shin Megami Tensei II
  • Shin Megami Tensei If

There is also a good selection of Zelda games, although then you get into the question of whether or not Zelda games are RPGs, and most people think not.

What tabletop RPGs are on Switch?

While this list is mostly traditional, turn-based combat RPGs, we've got a few games that revolve around dice rolls and lack any combat.

Disco Elysium and the two Citizen Sleeper games are fantastic examples of how to do RPGs without combat, while they lean into the traditional tabletop stylings with stat distribution, dialogue choices, and dice rolls.

Otherwise, games like Baldur's Gate, Divinity, and Hand of Fate 2 are all heavily inspired by (or set in the universe, even) Dungeons & Dragons.

Where is The Witcher 3? Or Fire Emblem: Three Houses?

Ahhh, see, here's where we find out who skipped the intro.

This list only covers traditional RPGs. We're talking menu-based combat — hence the appearance of Star Ocean and Tales of games on this list — not necessarily turn-based, though that does make up the majority of this list.

Fire Emblem fans will want to check out our Best Strategy Games list for more like-minded grid-based games. And if it's a heavy emphasis on action combat you're after, then you'll find The Witcher 3 in good company on the Best Action RPG list

Is Diablo 4 coming to Switch?

Blizzard has made no announcement regarding a Diablo 4 Switch or Switch 2 port.

However, Diablo II and Diablo III are both available on Switch, so it's not totally beyond the realms of possibility that Diablo 4 could come to Switch at some point.

Wondering where Diablo III is above? It's on our Action RPG list!

Not a bad ol' collection, is it? Think there's something missing? Have we somehow missed the best Nintendo Switch RPG? As always, share your thoughts in the comments.