Chicory: A Colorful Tale (Switch eShop)

Every Paper Mario game has experimented with the paper form in some way or another. Thousand-Year Door let Mario turn into paper planes and tubes; Color Splash had paint; Sticker Star had stickers (for better or worse). Chicory: A Colorful Tale, from the makers of Wandersong, also plays with the paper form — but you yourself are the artist, bringing colour back to a world turned monochrome. The writing is lush and layered, with a lot of real-world issues hidden amongst its soft, gentle themes, but there are plenty of jokes and sweet moments in amongst all the heart-rending cutscenes. This is the Paper Mario: Color Splash we deserved.

Rainbow Billy: The Curse of the Leviathan (Switch eShop)

If you can bear Rainbow Billy's heavy dose of twee — you'll be sailing around the world on a literal Friend-Ship, engaging in "combat" that's actually all about befriending your opponents by listening to their problems — then you'll find a rather fun, surprisingly challenging Paper Mario-like that wears its heart on its sleeve. The visuals are a combination of Paper Mario's simple linework and white outlines, and that classic rubberhose animation style which was brought back into the spotlight by Cuphead, which nicely sets it apart from many pretenders to the Paper Mario throne.

Demon Turf (Switch)

Featuring flat 2D characters in 3D environments, Demon Turf initially looks a bit, well, odd. In practice, the juxtaposition of visual styles actually holds a lot of charm — it's not quite Paper Mario, but it works. It stars Beebz, a 1000-year-old demon who must navigate a series of levels — or ‘turfs’ — in order to reclaim the land from the Demon King and ultimately usurp the ruler from his throne.

As a platformer, it feels satisfyingly retro, but thankfully modern, and although the combat doesn't quite match up to our expectations, it must be said that disappointing combat is sort of one of the mainstays of the Paper Mario series, anyway!

Born of Bread (Switch eShop)

Like Bug Fables, Born of Bread is very much inspired by the paper Mario franchise, right down to its visual style, tone, and gameplay. This is a turn-based RPG with charming characters and a weird, wonderful story. There are timed button-hits, a "live audience" watching every battle (this time via a stream), and plenty of exploration and puzzles. Plus, lots of bread puns. Now you can't turn down a good bread pun, can you?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Paper Mario-like?

When we talk about a Paper Mario-like, we're thinking about aesthetics and tone mostly. Fun, paper-craft visuals, humorous characters, fun dialogue, and a unique tone. Paper-themed jokes are also welcome, of course, but it's mainly about how the game looks and feels.

When is the next Paper Mario game out on Nintendo Switch?

You're in luck — a remaster of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is coming to Nintendo Switch in 2024. This is an HD remaster of the 2004 GameCube RPG developed by Intelligent Systems.

While we don't have an exact release date, we suspect it'll be before the game's 20th anniversary on 22nd July 2024. So, in the next six months, hopefully!

Are all Paper Mario-likes turn-based RPGs?

No, they're not! We've made sure to pick from a variety of genres for this list and not just turn-based RPGs. While Bug Fables and Born of Bread are certainly the most Paper Mario-esque games, we've included puzzle platformers like Tinykin and action-adventure games like Nobody Saves the World.

Not even every game in the Paper Mario series is a straight-up turn-based RPG, after all. Look at Super Paper Mario...


We've got our eye on Paper Animal RPG, Scrap Story, Flynt Buckler, Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo, and The Plucky Squire, too — all of which promise a healthy dose of Paper Mario-inspired hijinks. Things are looking up for Paper Mario fans! Especially with The Thousand-Year Door making a return.

As always, head to the comments below if you've got a game to recommend that nails the vibe of Paper Marios past, whether that's the writing, the humour, or, of course, that papery aesthetic.