In Other Waters (Switch eShop)

A very pleasant surprise indeed, In Other Waters is a bit of a minimalist masterpiece that you'll often want to dip into for a more contemplative experience than the majority of the Switch's library. It has found a perfect home on the handheld, the form factor of which massively works in the favour of the game's mood and atmosphere to create an exceptional and unique experience. What you're getting here is a story that you're an integral part of, and it's one of the coolest, cleverest games we've played in a long time. An absolutely first-class effort.

Lonely Mountains: Downhill (Switch eShop)

An exquisite bike racer-cum-trials game with tight controls, varied courses, and uniquely zen-like presentation. At once calming and demanding, Lonely Mountains: Downhill looks and feels like no other game on the eShop. Barring one or two disappointing technical issues, it's an absolute freewheeling delight.

Pure Pool (Switch eShop)

If you enjoy a game of pool every now and then, then you’re going to love Pure Pool. It’s just pool, nothing more and nothing less. Well okay, there’s snooker too, and a lovely jazz soundtrack if you absolutely have to have more. In fact, there’s plenty to be getting on with here, with unlockable cues, table designs, and more to keep you coming back, and while it’s not exactly the kind of game you’ll want to marathon, it’s definitely one to keep stored in the library for a relaxing, rainy day.

Townscaper (Switch eShop)

With Townscaper, Oskar Stålberg made a charming and compelling toy for imaginative, peaceful play. Anyone willing to project themselves into its worlds and tell stories to themselves as they build will have a great time (although young kids might need assistance with the controls). Publisher Raw Fury claims to care about “experiences and emotions” not “genres or mechanics”. If that’s where your priorities lie, too, then give Townscaper a shot.

A Short Hike (Switch eShop)

A Short Hike is a fat-free experience from top to bottom – or should we say bottom to top? It's the kind of game that makes us just sigh with happiness when we recall our time with it, and even having played it through to its ostensible conclusion multiple times, we know for a fact there are still things to see and do on that mountain. What we have here is something of an apotheosis – a milestone in indie games akin to Cave Story, or Spelunky. The very best bits of multiple game genres, stripped of all padding and bloat, mixed perfectly into a delicious video game stew that only gets richer and richer the more you play. An exploration in every sense of the word, A Short Hike is cute without being twee, challenging without being obnoxious, and emotional without being cloying. A landmark game for all ages. Don't miss this one.

TOEM (Switch eShop)

Like a great album you put on at the end of the day to wind down, Toem is an incredibly relaxing experience that you'll wish you could experience all over again once it's finished. It almost makes us want to start capturing photographs of the world around us, but sadly, we don’t have a duck dressed as a lighthouse keeper to show them to. If only.

Dorfromantik (Switch eShop)

Here you have a relaxing puzzle game that doesn't chase after complex mechanics, cutting-edge design, or intense action; Dorfromantik is simply about building warm, rural countrysides at your own pace. No pressure. No noise. And though it sacrifices some of its long-term appeal with this approach, we commend Dorfromantik for committing wholly to the peaceful atmosphere it endeavors to create. It may not have a ton of staying power, but it offers up a satisfying and chill puzzle experience that we feel is worthwhile in the end.

Alba: A Wildlife Adventure (Switch eShop)

With so many games featuring death and destruction, Alba: A Wildlife Adventure is a breath of fresh air. Much like Pokémon Snap, its focus on observation is a welcome change of pace, and it never feels like the underlying message is being shoved down your throat. At two-to-three hours in length, our only wish is that it lasted a bit longer, but with its relaxing tone and simple gameplay, this is one we suspect you’ll go back to again and again.

Littlewood (Switch eShop)

For people who loved the collect-craft-combat loop of Fantasy Life, this game might scratch that same itch, and it'll certainly take up a fair few hours – even if the 'combat' part is missing. Littlewood is an incredibly impressive game for a solo developer, and though none of its ideas go particularly deep, it more than makes up for it in breadth. If it's a relaxing game with an addictive core you're looking for, look no further.

PowerWash Simulator (Switch eShop)

PowerWash Simulator is a game where you use a pressure washer to clean various items and locations. You have a variety of nozzles, cleaning products, and attachments with which you can streamline the process. It’s wonderful and to be perfectly honest has absolutely no right to be as much fun as it is, whether you're going solo or joining friends online for a co-op squirt session. One thing that is sorely missing in this Switch version, however, is gyro aiming. It’s not a dealbreaker, and there’s still a roaring good — and incredibly relaxing — time to be had here, but oh how we ached to wave our controller around and have it actually do something in-game.

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PowerWash Simulator
PowerWash Simulator

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch)

Our triple-figure hour count for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild tells its own story. Yes, we could have made a beeline to Hyrule Castle at the very beginning of the game and dealt with Ganon immediately, but it's the self-made stories we experienced in the rolling fields of Hyrule that made the journey a magical one. From the fiery pits of Death Mountain to the snowy peaks surrounding the Gerudo Desert, every last nook and cranny in this game holds secrets that we've been uncovering for nearly 300 hours now. And we still haven't found all the Korok seeds.

Could we have found them all by now using a walkthrough instead? Of course, but galloping across the glades on horseback, or ripping up hillsides on our motorcycle has been one of our best gaming experiences ever and the remaining seeds secreted in the kingdom give us the tiniest excuse our objective-based lizard brain requires to dive back in time and again for a relaxing jaunt through Hyrule.

Tears of the Kingdom is great, too, but there's so much going on. BOTW is chill.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Thanks to MegaWatts for suggesting assembling a list of chill Switch games. Is there another Switch game you find particularly soothing? Let us know below and perhaps we'll add it to the list.

This article is one of our Switch Essentials guides which cover a wide variety of genres, including the Best Switch FPS Games, the Best Switch RPGs, the Best Switch Games For Kids, the Best Switch Couch Co-Op Games and the Best Switch Fitness and Exercise Games. We can also help out hunting down the Best Switch Horror Games, the Best Switch Racing Games, the Best Switch Action-RPGs, the Best Nintendo Switch Roguelikes, Roguelites and Run-Based Games, the Best Free Switch Games, the Best Remakes And Remasters, the Best Switch Music And Rhythm Games, Best Feel-Good Switch Games, Best Switch Open-World Games, Best Switch Soulslike Games, Best LGBTQ+ Switch Games, and even Games to Play After You've Finished Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Whatever your favourite genre, we've got you covered: Strategy Games, Metroidvanias, Puzzle Games, Party Games, Online Multiplayer Games, Local Wireless Multiplayer Games, Shmups, Twin-Stick Shooters, Visual Novels, Kart Racers, Fighting Games, Football Games, Funny Games, Golf Games, 'Walking Sims' And Narrative Games, Switch Games For Lovers And Lonely Hearts, Detective Games, Hidden Gems, 2D Platformers, 3D Platformers, Puzzle Platformers, Tabletop Mode Games, Run and Gun Games, LEGO Games, Sports Games, Survival Games, Beat 'Em Ups, Camera Games, Chill Games, Family Games, Retro-Inspired Games, Short Games, Card Games and Deck-Builders, and Life Sims And Farming Games.

Still hungry for more? Elsewhere we look at Wholesome Games, TATE Mode Games, Flight Sim and Space Combat, Point and Click Adventure Games, and the Best Switch Exclusives, as well as Every Arcade Archives Game, Every ACA Neo Geo Game, Every SEGA AGES Game On Switch, plus the Best Switch Ports, Best Wii U-To-Switch Ports, Best Switch Collections And Compilations, Best Cheap Switch Games, Best Switch Demos, Games That Are Better On Switch OLED, Switch Games Under $10, $20, $50, and Switch games with the Best Soundtracks and the Best Graphics. Phew!

If you're looking for the best Switch games regardless of genre, our reader-voted selection of the Best Nintendo Switch Games Ever should help you out, and you can also find the Best Nintendo Switch Games of 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. And finally, if you're interested in other Nintendo consoles and retro games, check out the Best Game Boy Games, Best GBC Games, Best GBA Games, Best Nintendo DS Games, Best Nintendo 3DS Games, Best NES Games, Best SNES Games, Best N64 Games, Best GameCube Games, and Best Wii Games, and Best Wii U Games, as well as Every Available Nintendo Switch Online Retro Game, and ranked lists of Every Nintendo Switch Online NES, SNES, N64 and Sega Genesis / Mega Drive Game.