Best Space And Sci-Fi Games On Nintendo Switch 1 & 2

Outer Wilds (Switch eShop)

If you can overlook the technical challenges — and we could — Outer Wilds remains a wondrous experience on Switch. With almost no gating and free rein to investigate a rich corner of the universe, it captures the quest for learning in the most direct way possible: the only reward for progress is knowledge.

Starting with no information at all, you come to understand the intricacies of this little solar system better than its inhabitants. Having soared through such an epic, introspective, and existentially inquisitive adventure, we probably came to understand ourselves a little more, too.

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Radiant Silvergun (Switch eShop)

Going back to blasting things to smithereens in space, shmup-style, Radiant Silvergun remains, despite its uncompromising nature, deservedly celebrated. The game wears its hardcore credentials on its sleeve, and its depth in both technical and artistic terms is astonishing. As stimulating and rewarding as it is exhausting, it’s a labour that has transcended not only the genre but the medium to some degree.

Regardless of its difficulty — and in that difficulty, its lack of immediate connection — those who learn to fell the game proper can say they truly lived Radiant Silvergun. That’s an experience worth fighting for.

Ray'z Arcade Chronology (Switch eShop)

Still in the shmup sector, Ray'z Arcade Chronology brings home ports of the Ray series, spit-polished by M2’s dedicated commitment to quality. It offers very accurate arcade ports of three superb, nuanced shoot 'em ups, famous for their fantastic soundtracks, engrossing gameplay mechanics, and visual showboating.

Lag is minimal enough to have no impact, and the HD upscaling is wonderful. With no training modes, historical bonuses or rearrangements, however, it falls shy of being the ultimate package. But only just.

Rebel Galaxy Outlaw (Switch eShop)

Many space games (and movies, and TV) position their protagonist as Mr Cool Hero Man, who's magically good at everything and came out of nowhere to claim the title of Saviour of the Galaxy. Not Rebel Galaxy Outlaw, whose Juno Markev is naught but a space cowboy among space cowboys, on a mission for revenge.

With country music radio to listen to and hillbilly bars to frequent, RGO imagines a galaxy where space truckers exist in a universe full of shady dealings and untrustworthy scum.

Star Trek: Voyager - Across The Unknown (Switch 2)

For resource management and survival nuts who like a bit of '90s Trek, this feels like a homecoming. Be warned: Star Trek: Voyager - Across The Unknown is a suitably stressful, gruelling journey that'll stretch your abilities and send you, repeatedly, battered and bruised to sickbay. Steer well clear if planning ahead and strategising your way out of tricky situations by the skin of your teeth isn't your forte.

It's not without rough edges, either, but it's lovingly presented and the systems beneath are robust. Those who don't get teary-eyed from a few bars of Jerry Goldsmith can knock a point off the score below. For Trekkies with determination and grit, though, this is a hell of a time. To the journey.

Star Wars Outlaws (Switch 2)

Switching to the other enormously famous 'Star' franchise, Star Wars Outlaws on Switch 2 is a very fine port of a solid Star Wars game.

Kay Vess's story may over-utilise tried and tested gameplay mechanics, it may not bring anything new or hugely exciting to the table, but what it does do is give you a well-crafted world stuffed full of lore through which to explore, sneak, and forge your own path.

With solid performance and good looks in both docked and handheld, and motion controls and cross-saves thrown in for good measure, Ubisoft Redlynx's impressive port is an easy recommendation for Switch 2 fans of Star Wars and galactic swashbuckling in general.

STAR WARS: Knights of the Old Republic (Switch eShop)

Star Wars has been a mainstay of pop culture for so long that sometimes it's hard to remember that it's about space, and not just the dating lives of the Skywalkers.

KOTOR does a spectacular job of creating a world that feels adequately ‘lived in’, and a big part of this can be credited to the in-depth dialogue system, which ensures that even conversations with one-and-done NPCs have more to them than just one or two lines. Plus, there's a morality system! Everyone knows that space is all about morality.

Starlink: Battle for Atlas (Switch)

With its exclusive use of some substantial Star Fox content that gets you in the cockpit of an Arwing on Switch, Nintendo's console got the best version of Starlink: Battle for Atlas — and with a more accessible and ultimately enjoyable version of No Man’s Sky's gameplay mechanics (certainly compared to that game's launch versions) and Mass Effect’s original vision, you’re getting one of the best dogfighting/space exploration games you can buy outside of Elite: Dangerous.

Its gameplay loop does run out of steam after a while thanks to the required grind, but with a surprisingly ungreedy approach to content access and toys-to-life integration, Starlink makes you think there might be some life in the genre yet.

What's more, you can pick it up for a pittance now if you hunt around. It's certainly worth investigation if you're a Star Fox aficionado.

Subnautica (Switch eShop)

Kicking off with your silent protagonist crash-landing on the alien planet 4546B, Subnautica immediately throws you into this heady mix as you fight to extinguish a fire aboard your tiny little escape pod before getting your bearings and coming to the realisation that you need medical aid, sustenance and an explanation as to what's just happened.

Subnautica digs its hooks into our most basic, primal fears of the ocean, of drowning, of getting lost in treacherous underwater caverns or succumbing to some great monstrosity in the deepest, darkest depths.

More sea-y than space-y, but certainly sci-fi-y, there's a free Switch 2 Edition upgrade to enjoy these days, too.

Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Switch)

A little less serious than many of the entries we've got here, but 'Mario goes to space' needs to be included!

There’s no question about it: Super Mario Galaxy and Galaxy 2 are two of the most sublime games ever created. With gameplay that subverts expectations and scenarios that wouldn’t be possible if not for the creative freedom of the cosmos, they represent the Mario series at its absolute best. Available separately on Switch eShop, they look better than ever, boast small yet welcome additions, and expand upon the narrative with new storybook pages.

Gyro aiming simply isn’t as effective as the Wii pointer, however, and you’ll be recentring the onscreen cursor a lot. Very minor issues with the camera are also a bit more noticeable now than they were in 2007, but the fact that Nintendo managed to pull off some utterly ridiculous sequences without the camera going haywire remains a remarkable feat.

These games command a high price on Switch, to be sure, but you’ll be playing them for the rest of your life. If you've never blasted into the final frontier with Mario, now's your chance.

Tales from the Borderlands (Switch eShop)

Tales from the Borderlands absolutely excels at creating a take on the Borderlands universe that's chock full of entertaining action and populated by well-written characters you'll actually grow to care about.

It consistently delivers actual belly laughs over its 10-hour running time, manages to convincingly portray its core protagonists' emotional journeys, does a strong line in romantic subplot and, what's more, it does all of this whilst giving fans of its source material plenty of returning characters, lore and a healthy dollop of the series' signature gross-out humour to indulge in.

The Artful Escape (Switch eShop)

What if Ziggy Stardust had literally gone to the stars? David Bowie seems so terribly mundane compared to Francis Vendetti, who is plucked from his creatively stifling life as a folk cover musician to instead become a rock star to the stars. The literal stars.

Space can be so incredibly grey, but in this punky re-imagining, it glows neon-pink against the black of the night.

The Outer Worlds (Switch)

Obsidian has created a wonderful slice of space, filled with genuinely entertaining characters and excellent writing that injects the often bog-standard side-quests and errand missions with a level of wit and charm that's all too often missing in the genre.

Is it Fallout in space? Absolutely. But there's nothing wrong with that.

Void Bastards (Switch eShop)

And finishing up on this trek through the stars, we've Void Bastards. You assume the role of an endless procession of dangerous prisoners aboard the monolithic Void Ark, an enormous space jail whose inhabitants are now being dethawed one by one from their cryogenic slumber by the ship's onboard A.I — B.A.C.S — in order to venture into the infamous Sargasso Nebula.

The core combat is straightforward stuff, but it's given plenty of extra bite through the fantastically evocative graphics and kept interesting with hackable turrets and a handful of other BioShock-esque elements that give your engagements with the many Screws, Juves, Tourists, and Spooks you'll come across as you traverse the Sargasso Nebula a slightly strategic lift.