
Updated with Simon the Sorcerer Origins. Enjoy!
Nintendo's Switch and its successor host classics from across the gaming spectrum, including an array of old-school point-and-click adventure games, a genre that flourished on PCs in the old days and one which Nintendo's hybrid consoles offer a convenient way to play.
The touchscreen makes it an ideal match for titles traditionally best paired with a mouse, but many adventure games these days function just as well whether you're playing docked to your TV with a pad or you're out and about with your Switch in handheld mode. Add in Switch 2's Mouse Mode and you've got a perfect portable platform for pointing and clicking (or tapping)
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Below you'll find our recommendations — in alphabetical order — for the best adventure games on Switch; games less about swashbuckling and more about navigating conversation trees and tapping verbs and objects. Of course, some of the very best point and clicks ever made are swashbuckling adventures; the infamous Guybrush Threepwood swung to Switch in the triumphant Return to Monkey Island. The arrival of his previous adventures is only a matter of time, surely? (Please, Disney.)
If you prefer first-person narrative games, we've got another list of the best Switch 'walking simulators' and environmental narrative adventures for you to peruse, and we've also covered visual novels. Due to the large Venn diagram of adventure game types, you'll find a few edge cases below, but we wanted to cast our net wide, even if that means stretching the definition to get more winners under your nose — games which otherwise might not sit comfortably on any of our Switch essentials genre collections.
So, sit back and prepare to scroll through the best point-and-click adventure games on Switch.
2064: Read Only Memories INTEGRAL (Switch eShop)
2064: Read Only Memories INTEGRAL takes the classic point-and-click genre of old, strips out many of the annoyingly exacting puzzle systems, and injects a refreshingly positive and progressive outlook. A cast of memorable characters and some spot-on retro presentation should seal the deal for fans of a good story and snappy dialogue.
Afterparty (Switch eShop)
Afterparty is certainly an acquired taste, but, like a fine wine or a good beer,it’s definitely worth the effort. From beginning to end, Night School's follow-up to Oxenfree is a thoroughly enjoyable narrative experience — a puzzle-less point-and-click, if you will — that draws you into a hellish world that you (ironically) won’t want to leave.
Branching paths and a smartly implemented drink system add plenty of options for replayability, and though the performance leaves something to be desired, Afterparty proves itself to be a visual treat. We’d give Afterparty a high recommendation to anyone looking for a good story to immerse themselves in; this is one that goes down real smooth.
Agent A: A Puzzle in Disguise (Switch eShop)
A point-and-click adventure game with a cool '60s styling and an intriguing story, we missed out on reviewing Agent A: A Puzzle in Disguise, although Nintendo Life readers brought it to our attention. It's a stylish little adventure and well worth investigation if you're a fan of non-serious secret agent puzzling with the classic (or should that be cla-shic?) James Bond flavour.
Another Code: Recollection (Switch)
Another Code: Recollection's biggest addition to the original DS and Wii experiences, besides the slick new graphics and fully explorable 3D environs, is its all-new navigation and puzzle aids.
With the obtuse nature of some puzzles now a triviality should you find yourself stumped, there are now no difficulty spikes or annoying moments to hold you back from a two-part tale that's worth diving into for fans of slow-burn point-and-click titles.
The pacing could have done with some more work, but this collection of cult classics is as good a return to Ashley's world as fans could have hoped for.
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Broken Sword - Shadow of the Templars: Reforged (Switch eShop)
Despite some eyebrow-raising exoticism, the low quality of the 1996 PC voice samples, and linear, dialogue-heavy interactions, this reforging of an old point-and-click classic does a great job. It looks fabulous, and everything that gave the original its appeal is intact.
It hardly needs proving these days, but Broken Sword - Shadow of the Templars: Reforged shows once again that nostalgia never gets old.
Bulb Boy (Switch eShop)
Bulb Boy won’t stay in your memories forever; it is a relatively small game that shouldn’t take too long to complete, but whilst it lasts it offers nicely designed puzzles and an underlying humour that offers a different experience. It is clearly lovingly put-together and refreshingly manages to make horror cute and fun, rather than taking itself seriously.
Bulb Boy appeal comes in the form of its characters, craziness and toilet humour – a deadly combination that deserves to be played.
Grim Fandango Remastered (Switch eShop)
The fact you’ve been able to play Grim Fandango Remastered on your TV and in handheld form elsewhere for years doesn’t matter one bit, because this gem of a game is still as enchanting and evocative as it was the first time you popped open that oversized cardboard box back in PC in 1998.
Here and now on Nintendo Switch, this port looks and runs noticeably smoother thanks to Double Fine’s deft adjustments, so whether you’ve already joined Manny on his afterlife odyssey or this is your first time among the dead, Switch's library is 100% better for its inclusion.
Hero-U: Rogue to Redemption (Switch eShop)
An engaging blend of fantasy RPG and point-and-click adventure, Hero-U: Rogue to Redemption is a successful return to the Quest for Glory universe as well as a clever, addictive and highly replayable adventure game in its own right.
Fans of the franchise will find lots of little references and in-jokes to revel in as they make their way through the substantial campaign, and newcomers should enjoy the well-written, smartly balanced mix of point-and-click puzzling, time/relationship management and turn-based combat on offer.
Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition (Switch eShop)
Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition is the full and complete Kentucky Route Zero experience. A magical realist point-and-click adventure that takes you on a beguiling journey to a place that exists both below and beyond. It's a trip to be savoured, ruminated on; no need to rush. Each act here brings with it some new perspective, new places and people to forge deep connections with.
You may be confused, even bewildered by your initial steps down into the subterranea that exists somewhere beneath this version of Kentucky but, by the end of your journey, you'll have made friends and memories and been escorted through a rich and beautiful experience that will stay with you much longer than you may expect.
Loco Motive (Switch eShop)
Loco Motive combines wit, charm, smarts, and its own brand of pixel art perfection to provide a point-and-click murder mystery that's well worthy of its genre predecessors.
Channelling the spirit of the LucasArts classics, this game's state at launch was a little too marred by bugs for an unqualified recommendation on Switch, but updates have since removed the leaves on the line and put things back on track.
Lost in Play (Switch eShop)
Lost in Play has many of the hallmarks of golden-age point-and-click adventures: a cartoon style, humorously animated protagonists, item-based puzzles, and curiosity-piquing 2D scenes serving as both play space and reward for clearing the previous area.
However, it also shakes off many of the classic bugbears: pixel hunting is impossible because you’re moving a character, not a cursor; using no words in the game leaves the hint system to be helpful but not too transparent; there’s very little backtracking because environments are kept small and the time in them is brief; and wacky dream logic is completely excused because you’re playing in children’s imaginations.
Over its five-or-so hours, Lost in Play barely puts a foot wrong, delivering cerebral gaming and effervescent entertainment. In doing so, it makes many of the genre’s design challenges look easy.





Comments 76
Grim Fandango is my favorite game of all time. Never played the remastered though. I love the music so much and was always afraid the remastered music loses a bit of it's mood.
Had the soundtrack CD always playing while working back in the day.
Not exactly a point and click game (though it does have some such elements) but there's a game on sale right now for $2.99 called Jenny LeClue Detectivu. It's somewhat like Night in the Woods but with some detective elements as well. I've played about an hour of it, and it's super charming.
@Yanina it doesn't plus the remastered visuals are can be toggled at any point, main thing is it has a better option than the original "tank" controls
Besides the stuff on this list, I love Layton's Mystery Journey and Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney Trilogy!
Wouldn't you know it I picked up Agent A recently for just over a $1 and really enjoyed it, didn't want to put it down until completing the 5 chapters.
Also loved Oxenfree and really should pick up Afterparty. And I need to get back to Thimbleweed Park.
Oxen Free was the biggest load of balls I've ever played. I was so disappointed that I wanted to see the 'proper' ending, so I did it again in the hope it would be justified. Nope. I love this genre but Oxen Free sucked.
Grim Fandango would make a much better movie or series than it does a game. The story is great, and all the characters are really interesting, but's a really clunky and frustrating game to play. I would not recommend it to anyone except those those who are really into old school point and click games AND understands their shortcomings (although those people would probably already have played it).
The main problem with 'Stories untold' is that the first chapter is so fricking good that the rest of the game, though not bad on its own right, just can't measure up.
Oxenfree is fantastic.
As are the curiously absent Syberia and Goetia. Much better games, in my opinion, than say... Bulb Boy.
Agent a kicks ass! Xxx
I think I have played 9 of those (and 2 from the honourable mentions list). Interestingly, they all took me a bit of a while to get into. However, once I did, they provided me with satisfying gaming. Kentucky Route Zero stood out in particular I think. My teenage daughter is a fan of a couple of the games on there too.
I may investigate a few of the others you have listed there that I have not played
What a strange genre for console
If you have an Xbox One or Playstation Now (or a Wii, I guess) and you want a point and click adventure, may I recommend Sam & Max?
"and we'll cover visual novels at some point in the future, too"
I don't have particularly high hopes for that list considering how few of them get reviewed here.
Machinarium is amazing! The art is gorgeous!
But I would love some Monkey Island games on the Switch and Sanitarium which is THE BEST POINT AND CLICK ADVENTURE for me.
AI: The Somnium Files probably has the highest degree of production value (animation and voice work) over most other point'n'click games. I'm also a big fan of the Shadowgate remake.
I would love Full Throttle, Day of the Tentacle and Monkey Island series to come to the system!
Kinda shocked to see Broken Sword 5 missing. I much prefer it to some of these other choices. It deserves a spot for sure.
How playable are these without a mouse? I'd love to play some point and clicks on Switch but I'm worried my lack of a mouse would make it frustrating.
Broken Age needs to be on this list
Machinarium is easily one of the best point and clicks I’ve ever played. I grew up on those things, so it’s nice to see the genre making comeback.
Some others worth a shout out (in no special order) are the Edna & Harvey Games, The Journey Down Trilogy, Detective Gallo, and The Little Acre. The Switch has lots of hidden gems in this genre.
West of Loathing is my recommendation. It's half point-and-click, and half light rpg, with actually good writing and humour.
No love for Deponia I guess
Some of these I had never heard of before. Thanks for the list!
How did I forget the Syberia trilogy? Granted, only the first two would fit this list, but they also come recommended. Woulda been nice to at least see the first one make this list.
Gabriel Knight 2 would be great on Switch! (As far as I can remember it...)
Nintendolife you forgot a really good one.. True Fear-Forsaken Souls part 1 and 2
@graysoncharles this is what I came to say.
Deponia is an amazing point and click, but wait for a sale as like most ports it is ridiculously over priced on the switch
It's a shame that I still didn't get it through Grim Frandango after so many years, but its control scheme was and is my personal nemesis.
The list also missed some masterpieces:
Broken Age
Deponia series
Night in the Woods
Röki
Silence
The Book of Unwritten Tales 2
The Journey Down
@geox30
Yep, we got Grim Fandango, but what's about DotT, Full Throttle and Monkey Island? Come on, Double Fine/LARIP!!!
@megakasp
Yes, these are safe bets given the nature of the platform. And although I haven't ever played Full Throttle and Day of the Tentacle, I can't force myself to sit in front of my PC to do so.
@Creature @yanina the Switch version does have the commentary too.
I'm not a regular point and click player, but I did enjoy and recommend Agent A. Also, kinda enjoyed Darkside Detective, but not as much.
Just bought Jenny LeClue and Agent A after seeing the comments section.
Hopefully will enjoy 😊 Only paid around £3 (a London price coffee 😂) so no harm if not.
Would love to have Grim Fandango Remastered in physical format what a fantastic game!😀
Great list Nintendo Life and thanks to the commenters for their suggestions. I prefer point and click games on a PC with a mouse or a tablet with touch controls.
Wadjet Eye Games has lots of great point n click games that remind me of the Lucas Arts games of the 90’s. None of them on the Switch though, but maybe soon according to Dave Gilbert of Wadjet Eye.
Makes absolutely no sense that Broken Age didn't make the full list. Please fix this
@Yodalovesu Totally agree. Agent A is great but Broken Age is a top notch point and click.
I played Machinarium on an ipad
I hope Nintendo bring this classic point and click adventure to NSO soon.
Night in the Woods, Gibbous, Scheming Through the Zombie Apocalypse, and (if you’re a fan of the original series) Leisure Suit Larry is a good reboot of the series. All good games and worth the time/money for any PnC fans
This list does exactly what it should do: it highlights adventure games that people might have missed. I had a ball with Broken Age, but it’s not exactly under the radar. However, I had completely missed Afterparty, had forgotten about Tangle Tower and then there are a few good suggestions here I had never even heard of.
I'm taking furious notes here. I'm a big fan of the genre, yet there's a lot in here I haven't tried.
Wow I’ve played quite a few of these already and really enjoyed them. Thimble weed Park is on my ‘must get it’ list.
One that’s been missed that I recommend is Tuberbrook, it’s not perfect in terms of story but it’s worth a play throughout the physical version comes with a lovely little booklet 😉
Yesterday Origins
Deponia1-4,
Broken Age,
Sybyria 1-2,
Myst,
Violet,
A lot of great games missing here.
@Zimon Deponia is great, but it may take longer for the main character to grow on one than one would be willing to give it. If you stick it out, it's a wonderful series, though.
No love for Broken Sword 5?
@Pak-Man I'm glad to hear that becsuse I'm almost done with part 1 and I really dislike Rufus as a character. He's not even selfish in a fun way.
Has anyone played Darkestville Castle? I really enjoyed the demo.
@Yanina
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km6bLtiSSq4
@GG11 ❤️
The bad dream series is so underrated. The games are usually on sale for about a $1. Each game is different in theme but similar in atmosphere.
Im surprised those two fantastic games haven’t been mentioned yet:
Edna & Harvey: The Breakout - Anniversary Edition
Edna & Harvey: Harvey's New Eyes
❗No love for 'Secret Files 1/2/3/Sam Peters'?
For shame...
@TG1 You think so? I picked it up yesterday (luckily it was on sale), and like suspected I’m finding it mundane and uninspired.
Broken Age is real quality. And Unforeseen Incidents is quite good, even if it is not fully bug-free and some (few) puzzles are too obscure.
It's misleading to include Oxenfree here as it's not even close to the same type of experience. I bought it based on the idea that it was in fact an adventure game in the vein of Monkey Island and Maniac Mansion and quickly realized it's little more than a conversation sim. It's great for what it is, but it's absolutely NOT a puzzle game.
@nab1 As someone who didn't have access to PC games until much later, I absolutely loved point and clicks when I was a kid in the NES era after first being introduced to them by the NES version of Maniac Mansion, considered Shadowgate one of my favorite games at the time, and devoured every one of them I could get on any console I had going so far as to RENT A SEGA CD JUST TO THE FIRST MONKEY ISLAND! I even invited myself over to a friend's house who had The Fate of Atlantis and stayed up all night just to see how far I could get before wearing out my welcome. So, when I started hearing about how incredible Grim Fandango was, all the talk of this elusive game I couldn't play being the greatest of it's kind burned it's name into my brain so that I wouldn't forget about it if the time ever came when i could. When it was released on Switch I was overjoyed, bought it immediately, and I totally agree with you. Not only is it not even close to the best adventure game but it's one of my least favorite I've ever played. The ONLY reason, I'm convinced, it had and continues to enjoy it's sterling reputation is entirely due to it's presentation, setting, and dialogue. As a game it's terrible and the puzzles are almost all God-awful.
@macman I was thinking the same thing.
Deponia has a lot of charm and pretty good humor, character and puzzles.
Syberia games are also not bad really old school but nice games none the less.
@Zimon Rufus is selfish but he also tries to do what is right, the game aknowledges he is awful he is just not self aware enough to notice.
I like him as a character because he is not evil just a bit of a jerk.
I've got back into Broken Sword 5 this week. Very enjoyable and the hint system is good for those of us whose pointing and clicking ability has gotten rusty with age...
"Unavowed" is a very shocking omission.
Up there with the best if not the best.
I just started playing 3 Minutes to Midnight, and it's honestly one of the best point-and-click games I’ve played since Thimbleweed Park. The humor is silly with some dark moments too, which I love.
@Serpenterror And now in 2024 Clock Tower: Rewind is now available! I'd been wanting to try it for a long time and finally got the chance to play through it with its official release. Still have to get more of the endings, but I've been enjoying it.
Grim Fandango, oh man what a gem of a game.
@megakasp A new control scheme was added to the Remastered!
And: I second that (asking for the other classics) and even wrote to Double Fine recently, if they don't wanna consider Switch (2) versions of DOTT and Full Throttle, now that Microsoft is giving up on exclusivity. But they didn't reply. According to Apple App Store reviews Full Throttle is very buggy, so maybe they don't wanna touch it again.
@nab1 I don't agree - there's a convoluted section early on (the woods) that could put you off, but it gets back to amazing after that.
@Fearful-Octopus There is / was a physical edition of Grim Fandango Remastered for Switch! I have it. It was limited though, by iam8bit :/
I've played through Thimbleweed Park a number of times. Great game.
So, do any of these games have mouse controls? I wonder if the ones that don't will get a patch at some point.
Not quite a traditional point and click but Disco Elysium could be seen as an incredibly in depth Adventure game with deep conversation mechanics. Lots of item experimentation as well
An English Haunting is a recent release that is Absolutely fantastic if you enjoy OLD school point and clicks. It's a pity is has no voices, because the writing is very good.
Night Manor from ufo 50 and darkestville.
I wonder if the port of "I Have No Mouth But I Must Scream" is any good for it to qualify
Why do you write (Switch eShop) after every title?
99.99% of all games can be found on the eShop.
If it's to say they are eShop only, then that is simply not true, since half of the games on this list had a physical release as well.
This list still shows a disappointing lack of Unavowed mentions.
Does Return of the Obra Dinn count?
Duck Detective deserves to be on this list.
Milkmaid of the Milky Way is also delightful.
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