Nintendo Life Game Of The Year 2020

2020 is now but a distant, if persistent, memory and we can now look back and survey the gaming battleground it left behind. Despite the year being a particularly ugly one for practically everyone, we were lucky enough to enjoy some incredible games that year, several of which helped restore spirits in our down time, enforced or otherwise.

Below you'll find the Top 50 Switch games of 2020 as ranked by readers of Nintendo Life. The order is governed by the User Ratings associated with every Switch game released in 2020 on our games database. As with several of our reader-ranked Best Games round-ups, the ranking is totally fluid even after publication, which means it's never too late to rate your collection and influence the list.

Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube840k

If you've yet to score your favourites, simply click your chosen games' ratings below and score as you see fit. Can't see your favourite? Head to our library of Switch games (click the Games tab at the top of the page) to find what you're looking for. A game needs to have been rated by a minimum of 50 users to become eligible, so it's entirely possible to influence this best Switch games of 2020 ranking and get your favourites on the list.

The best Switch games of 2017, 2018 or 2019 are available if you want to look back even further, but for now let's dive into this selection of the best Switch games of 2020...

50. Super Mario Bros. 35 (Switch eShop)

Super Mario Bros. 35 gave Nintendo's most iconic game a jolt of life and it was massively welcome. Its matches could have done with being a little shorter, but it says a lot about the quality of the experience that the biggest problem we had with it was that after April 2021 it wasn't going to playable anymore.

And it wasn't — still isn't. A shame. Good while it lasted, though.

49. Ys Origin (Switch)

The story in Ys Origin takes a back seat to the brilliant and compulsive dungeon crawling gameplay, which should appeal even to those who don't tend to enjoy action RPGs. No puzzle, no battle and no single room ever outstays its welcome in Ys Origin, resulting in one of the most easy-going and brisk action RPGs on Switch.

Sure, the visuals could be better, the overall length might be too short for hardcore RPG fans and there's a lot of grinding afoot, but this remains a solid choice if you're a fan of this sort of thing. Ys Origin is perfect even if you've never touched a game in the series before.

48. Paper Mario: The Origami King (Switch)

Paper Mario: The Origami King tried to do something different with its combat system and, to be honest, we weren't really feeling it. That doesn't mean the rest of the game isn't thoroughly entertaining, however, and while the puzzle-based battles weren't quite what a new Paper Mario game needed, they aren't so awful that everything else shouldn't be experienced as a result.

It might not be the new Thousand-Year Door that fans were hoping for, but it's still one of the funniest games in the series and it's got a truly likeable companion character. Combat is far from ideal in this entry, but the fact that we recommend the game regardless should speak volumes.

47. Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope (Switch eShop)

Shovel of Hope — the original Shovel Knight release from 2014 now rebranded as a standalone episode (kinda like how Star Wars became 'A New Hope', if you like) — stands as an example of how excellent retro-themed platformers can be when you have a team of experienced and passionate developers working on them, and still to this day acts as a standard which other, similar releases are judged against. The interesting level designs, humorous writing, high replayability, and intuitive controls make this one an easy recommendation, although with the caveat that the full Treasure Trove release (which includes all Shovel Knight content released to date) is still the better way to go. Even so, it’s tough to go wrong with this original campaign, and if you haven’t played it yet, we’d highly recommend that you do so.

46. Carrion (Switch eShop)

Carrion is a special thing in many ways — a game which puts you in the shoes (or slithering eldritch tentacles) of the game's 'boss' — but its actual meat-and-potatoes structure is as formulaic as the genre gets. Thankfully, its core gameplay of tearing room after room of people into wet chunks of corpse never ever gets old and sustains the experience throughout. It looks superb, sounds great, and is plenty of fun to play, despite some minor issues which just hold Carrion back from the absolute upper echelons of the Switch library. Still, if you're after a horrific Metroidvania with a twist, this one is disgustingly intriguing.

45. Doom 64 (Switch eShop)

While it was already something of a relic when it launched on the N64, Doom 64 remains a great example of just how refined a formula the series offers and just how good a job the late Midway did in the shadow of id Software.

The lack of local multiplayer support still stings, even after all these years, but with support for motion controls on Switch – something Nightdive has already pulled off to a tee with its Turok ports – and the addition of a new DOOM Eternal-themed level, this is a classic retro shooter that deserves a little more love.

44. Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection (Switch)

Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection is everything that you could’ve hoped it to be. This is ultimately six great Mega Man games presented to you with a slew of customisable features, extra content, and quality-of-life updates. If you’re a fan of either Mega Man or side-scrolling action games in general, you owe it to yourself to give this release a go and see what all the fuss is about. These are hard and occasionally frustrating games, but they offer up some rewarding, action-heavy gameplay that even today stands among the best of its class. Don’t pass this collection up.

43. The Wonderful 101: Remastered (Switch)

Marrying astonishing spectacle and overwrought drama, The Wonderful 101: Remastered is one of the most memorable action games you’ll ever play. Its delirious excesses come with a price, and it’s one that’s at little harder to forgive this time, with the original’s flaws remaining untouched, and a few compromises made to accommodate the Wii U version’s dual-screen set-pieces. But for all its minor frustrations, it’s a game that rewards patience and perseverance. Grit your teeth through its control quirks and camera foibles and relish the giddy spectacle of a game that doesn’t know when to stop.

42. Metro Redux (Switch)

Metro Redux is a top-notch first-person survival horror package that delivers countless hours of thrilling stealth combat all wrapped up in a superb story.

These are two of the most atmospheric games you'll likely play, set in a beautifully detailed depiction of post-apocalyptic Russia. 4A Games has delivered a port that stands shoulder to shoulder with Alien: Isolation as one of the best on Switch – an almost flawless experience which should absolutely be right at the top of any FPS or survival horror fan's must-buy list. This is essential stuff.

41. Murder By Numbers (Switch eShop)

Murder By Numbers successfully manages to combine an entertainingly wacky series of whodunnit mysteries starring a properly entertaining cast of characters with some excellent puzzling that'll keep Picross fans happy for a good long while. There's an engaging, funny narrative at the centre of proceedings, and you'll find yourself rooting for Honor and SCOUT as they make friends and alienate people on their way to solving murders and finding out the truth behind SCOUT's mysterious past. This one's an easy recommendation and a genuinely delightful surprise.