The Switch eShop is stuffed to the brim with downloadable video games that run the gamut when it comes to quality. In an ideal world we'd review absolutely everything, but that's simply not possible. Therefore, we endeavour to pick and choose games that look interesting and that we think will interest you. Be it a nifty art style, an intriguing premise, a clever mechanic, or sometimes just a fun trailer or title, we do our best to showcase the gems coming to Switch so they don't become hidden.
Unfortunately, it's inevitable that we'll miss some great games in the flood. Earlier this year we asked Nintendo Life readers to send us recommendations for games we didn't manage to review. The response was good, so six months on we decided to ask for another round of recommendations.
A big thank you to everyone who responded! We've rifled through our digital correspondence sack (which included a handful of suggestions carried over from last time and several we've actually reviewed, too — hello Little Triangle and Furi!) and below you'll find twelve more Switch games that come recommended by Nintendo Life readers. Each entry (with one exception) features quotes from users, lightly edited in some cases. We've included a trailer for each game, too, to help bring you up to speed quickly.
Lacking in Switch games to keep you busy over the holiday season? We don't believe that for a second, but let's take a look — in no particular order — at some NL reader recommendations to keep an eye out for regardless.
This Strange Realm Of Mine (Switch eShop)
This Strange Realm Of Mine is a lyrical, retro-styled first-person shooter with psychological horror elements. KrazyKain had this to say:
This Strange Realm of Mine appears at first glance to be another retro shooter, and while it is that, it is also a poetic exploration of what it is to be dead, and accept your own mortality. It also has an amazing level on social anxiety that has stuck with me for months.
Mini Metro (Switch eShop)
Mini Metro is a relaxed subway network sim and puzzle game which we've enjoyed elsewhere and which made the journey to Switch a couple of years ago. NL reader pAq gives it an enthusiastic recommendation (along with another game in a similar vein):
I’d like to recommend Mini Metro (and 911 Operator), They are both sort of a top down simulation, with the former being more simplistic and symbolic in building a metro map, while the latter allows you to dive deeper into coordinating emergency units. Both have excellent sound design which combined with the simplistic gameplay, has a pleasing meditative effect.
Death's Hangover (Switch eShop)
Death's Hangover features a pair of "dead morons" who are returned by Death himself to the land of the living in female bodies. Boasting plenty of arcade action and (im)mature toilet humour, backup368 had this to say:
A Brick Breaker / Arkanoid-style game in an SNES like art style. Using the ball and paddle you destroy obstacles and crush enemies. You control two guys that the Grim Reaper turns into women, Andy controls the paddle while Bob is inside the ball you hit. They explore many floors inside Dracula's castle in search of the Dealer's lost souls. There are also cutscenes with humorous yet crude dialogue. It's also a very cheap game at that.
Sagebrush (Switch eShop)
Another first-person entry with a horror bent and a deliberately lo-tech aesthetic, reader Adam had this to say about Sagebrush:
I'm recommending Sagebrush. It's a fascinating 1st person adventure game in which you're exploring an abandoned compound of a cult. The use of PS1-style graphics and atmospheric soundscape is very reminiscent of Paratopic, though I honestly think this is a better game. This is a rare game that intelligently examines the nature of cults, why people join them, and why they are so dangerous. Best five bucks I've spent on the eShop.
Siralim 3 (Switch eShop)
Siralim 3 is a monster-catching dungeon crawler that released on Switch back in July 2019. Keengamer is appropriately keen on this game:
I’d like to suggest Siralim 3. It’s a monster catcher game, there are 700+ monsters. Battles are turn based 6v6. Each monster has a unique trait, by various mechanics you end up building a team with around 15 traits. The goal being for these to interact in a way to make you unbeatable. It has a huge amount of content and never ends. It’s also made by a tiny team (I think one guy and some volunteers).
Wuppo: Definitive Edition (Switch eShop)
An endearing puzzle-platform adventure with cute hand-drawn visuals and a co-op mode in this Definitive Edition of the game, NL reader Tido is a big fan of Wuppo:
Wuppo is a Metroidvania that's all about its crazy world and quirky characters. You play a mischievous wum, a little round creature that can wear various hats. The NPCs interact with the world in a way that makes it feel more alive and real than a lot of AAA games. Wuppo is fun and funny, it's hard to play this game without constantly smiling. It feels really unique and mostly does its own thing, it's hard to compare to other games. Graphics are beautiful too. It truly deserves more love.
Comments (61)
Can't say that any of these ones really appeal to me. That's not a big surprise though. I pay pretty close attention to the eShop so not too many that interest me slip through the cracks.
Can't wait for Part 3:
Man we're really out of touch.
This is definitely lacking Princess Party...
Discovering games like this is the reason I started frequenting Nintendo Life in the first place... way back in the WiiWare days.
Please keep doing this once a quarter or so... and thanks for including trailers.
Wuppo and Mini Metro are easy recommendations, really brilliant.
This is a pretty great lineup! Mini Metro, Wuppo, Evan's Remains, and Marble It Up are particular highlights for me.
I may check a few of these out. Like me some hidden gems
I want a mini metro and 911 operator review love these games
@HobbitGamer I googled this and found a trailer but no reviews on Metacritic is this a good or bad game.
@HobbitGamer I'm not opposed to it! I just need a sentence or two on what makes it great, or at the very least what makes it better than other games with princesses and parties.
Thanks for including Siralim 3! It really is a fantastic game. There’s a sequel currently in development which will be on switch at some point next year:
https://www.thylacinestudios.com/
Sunless Sea is an absolute gem. Feels like a modern ‘text only’ game; visuals are there to accompany and boost the brilliant writing, gameplay is slightly performative but it’s absolutely worth slogging through to enjoy the world. Really unique, special piece of work.
Both 911 operator versions are on sale. 911 operator deluxe version that has the 4 dlcs is $5 dollars usually being $22 and the regular version with no dlcs is $2 dollars usually being $14 i would recommend the deluxe version since its 3 dollars more. The 1 dlc Search and rescue is about fires and being trapped in snow the 2 is every life matters that has a summer festival in miami and riots in boston the 3 special resources and 4 First Response are just more vehicles and equipment. I think the 4 one is free but i forgot. Each dlc has new vehicles like the search and rescue has a rescue helicopter and every life matters has a water cannon to wash of the rioters this is a every fun game in my mind.
Hades and Ori 2.
Just buy those two games.
Now.
They are way better than any Nintendo exclusive that came out this year.
Dope article! I somehow missed part one. I’m just now seeing the community, article...thing. Sorry, I don’t know the proper term! 😂 I’ll definitely look into some of these!
@dartmonkey @HobbitGamer do you mean pretty princess party where you learn to be a princess in a enchanted castle to explore and wear different clothes and hats and shoes and do princess stuff
I have spent hours on mini metro—both before and after it came to Switch—and yer Switch version is the best. Love the touch screen controls and challenges. Huge recommend.
Don’t remember if Nintendo Life did a review on Hamster’s Burgertime original arcade archive release. Anyone who prefers the 1982 classic, it is up on the eShop.
Wuppo looks really cool, but I'm also getting vibes that it isn't a long game. Does anyone have a length window?
Edit: HowLongToBeat.com is saying 9-13 hours, which is alot better than I expected. Still would love confirmation in the comments if possible.
@holygeez03 Yes! That reminds me that the main reason I used to visit this site was for the DSiware features and reviews. Gotta make the most use of those Nintendo Points!
@kingbk
1 game exceeds both
Animal crossing new horizons
Mini Metro is a port of a popular mobile game, it's only $0.99 on mobile, them charging $10 for it on Switch is absurd
Oh dear, I seem to have accidentally cheated! I am both Lapses and Jasper, must not have used the same account last time. Anyway, don't take it out on Sublevel Zero, that's still great. I'll just disqualify myself from any further opinions until next year in penance!
Siralim and Banner of the Maid have caught my eye mostly, but these are almost all titles I have overlooked so thanks all for contributing. Once 😁
Yay! Marble It Up! finally gets a mention 😁
Hmmm, that is interesting.
I already have Mini Metro, Marble It Up and Sublevel Zero Redux which are decent games.
However, I can't say I knew a whole lot about the others. May have a look deeper. Especially into Banner of the Maid, Evan's Remains & Wuppo
Thank you all involved.
Evan's Remains caught my eye with that platforming puzzle and beautiful sprite art
Also, I completely forgot about Banner of the Maid
Very informative article, Thank you NL and NL community
Wuppo, Marble It Up, Sagebrush, those all tickle my fancy. Cheers 👍
@sketchturner I'm the mysterious 'Tom' who also recommended it, glad it made it to the list! I must admit I've given up hoping for a multiplayer update after 2 years haha
I looked into marble it up at one point since I was a huge marble blast ultra fan but the price and jump mechanics kind of turned me off.
Oh yea Marble it up is great, surprised you guys missed that one
Dude, stop might be fun.
Marble it Up! looks cool as heck, but to be honest I found Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD (considered an easier entry) to be a stiff challenge & am not sure I'd be up for anything more hardcore.
Regarding SMB:BBHD, I cleared the main story & the first post game world, but the second post game world is beyond my ability.
I can really only speak to Wuppo from this list. Awesome, funny game with great world building. I originally bought it a few years back because it was one of the highest ever rated games on Steam, iirc.
Not gonna lie...went and grabbed Sagebrush like 20 seconds into the trailer
@The_Trooper49 Yeah that's been my only disappointment... multiplayer was supposed to be added ages ago but I'm still waiting. Recently I saw the developers are still working on it though.
I made a typo in that, by the way. Dumb phone changing words. Thanks though.
@Lapses
Siralim 3 is also available on IOS and Android for about £5 iirc, it runs very well on my old iPhone
I’ve had Wuppo downloaded and waiting to be played for a while now. Might have to bump it up the backlog
Wuppo is great! I adore that game.
marble game looks frustrating xD Jk it looks fun.
Haha, my mate got his game mentioned. Kudos.
lol, I thought they were going to actually go review games that they originally missed, not just slap together an article and include reader blurbs
Ew, Ratalaika Games. I see their name, I avoid.
Marble It Up and Death's Hangover are the only ones that looked interesting to me.
Heaven Dust should be in there. Great early Resi Evil vibe. Really enjoyed it.
@HobbitGamer craezie tiems. I was to looking onto the party. Now? I am find MY own way
Marble it up was right down my alley. Great one. And for some reason it looks amazing on my CRT
So, basically an article about games that most of us have never heard of, recommended by users that most of us have never heard of either.
Alrighty, then...
@holygeez03 Me too. Those Wiiware reviews are my tragic origin story.
Amazing
Wuppo looks ace!
Oddly, I’ve missed playing Descent too, I’ll have to check out Sublevel Zero.
Loads of these games look worth a bit of time, nice one!
Siralim 3, 9th Dawn 3 and Tangledeep are all in my "Games that look a bit rough but have fantastic gameplay, ridiculous depth and great devs" category (I need an acronym). I love articles like this one.
I'm looking forward to Siralim Ultimate, which seems to add even more content to a game already crammed with a ridiculous amount of content.
@kingbk
You're not serious are you?
This is a list of hidden gems that flew under the radar of a lot of people, not games that are well known, loved and adored already by many people.
Love that 'This strange realm of mine' is in, that really is quite an experience that I urge everyone to play. You likely won't replay it but it's a brilliant take on what can be done with gaming and the story it tells.
It is however more an experience rather than true game so to speak.
Some of these really appeal to me and I think I missed most of these . Really good idea doing this , it’s very hard keeping up with so many releases
Supposedly Sunless Skies is better than Sunless Sea. The game suffers from slow early game and not explaining the basic loop too well.
Blazing Beaks!
Great article! Please keep these coming!
Might i recommend this small, little-known gem: It's a little deal I like to call Ring Fit Adventure.
A really lovely list. I hope you make this type of article a regular feature.
Great article. Bought two of these.
Kinda nice to see so much great cheap games. I can buy almost 10 indies for the price of 1 WiiU port. Insane isn’t it?
It's disappointing that you guys didn't include some of the great free RPG Maker games people have made for the Nintendo Switch, such as 'Kingdom of Neandria' and 'When He Shall Die'.
Please please someone review pony world 3 XD
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