Top 100 / Best Indie Challenging Games on Nintendo Switch

Showing 1 to 50 of 100 total entries

Hades

OK, so I’ll admit the folks at Supergiant Games (behind the favorites Bastion and Transistor in particular) had me with ...

Dead Cells

This was probably my favorite game of 2018, though since it's also a very challenging title it won't be for everyone. I ...

Neon White

Right out of the gate, the highest compliment I can pay Neon White is how quickly its tight controls and smart design ca...

Neon Abyss

If you're up for a challenge, tons of power-ups, and bullets everywhere...

Cuphead

With a mix of brutal boss battles and challenging run and gun sections Cuphead is notorious for being a tough game. Whil...

The Messenger

Possibly one of the best retro console titles I've ever played, The Messenger actually feels like a collection of multip...

Hollow Knight

Another one of the titles I didn't originally review for the system, this is another one of those games that would be cr...

Celeste

While not a game I formally reviewed for the system this is one of those titles that can't be omitted since it is both t...

Wulverblade

Full of technique, nuance, and some very challenging boss fights Wulverblade has established a new gold standard in w...

Blasphemous 2

Building on the foundation of an already-solid predecessor, Blasphemous 2 soars to new heights of brutality

Cursed to Golf

This roguelike golfing title thoroughly proves that sports titles are ripe for conversion if they can all be this good

LEGO® Bricktales

Finally, a LEGO game that truly captures the essence of both its creative and functional play in digital form

OlliOlli World

Given the overall lack of sports-oriented titles on the Switch in general, let alone from indie developers, it’s always ...

Super Mombo Quest

There’s nothing quite as satisfying in the indie games space than to stumble onto something that immediately feels prett...

Tails Of Iron

This is a title that hit me a bit out of nowhere, took my lunch money, and is now making me earn it back one challenging...

Curious Expedition 2

For me Curious Expedition 2 is everything I look for in a sequel outing. It delivers a bit more quirk and color in its c...

Ori and the Will of the Wisps

When reviewing games in general I try to carefully avoid hyperbole and excessive exuberance whenever possible. To tha...

West of Dead

While there are many roguelike shooters on the Switch (and quite a few of them are absolutely terrific) none of them pla...

Ms. Splosion Man

I'd heard of this title before but nothing could prepare me for just how weirdly, brilliantly silly it all is. While in ...

Hyper Light Drifter -Special Edition

The first thing to know is that the only way to digest the game’s story is through still images and small in-game moment...

A Robot Named Fight

If Nintendo were to decide to turn the Metroid series into a roguelike it would likely end up looking quite a bit like A...

Super Meat Boy

One of the original poster children of brutally challenging platforming is now on the Switch and he's as tough as ever. ...

Swordship

Fan of arcade-like intensity and a tough-but-fair level of challenge should really dig this unique roguelike dodge-em-up

Rogue Legacy 2

One of the OG roguelike classics has been given an overhaul but retains its unusual charms and challenges

Pepper Grinder

An absolute banger of a wildly different take on platforming, though if you’re challenge averse it may be overwhelming

Bleak Sword DX

Certainly not for those lacking in skill and patience, Bleak Sword DX distills the likes of Dark Souls into a lo-fi and brutal arcade-like action game

Tunic

Undoubtedly the most well-crafted “tough Zelda” game out there, with tons to discover and learn (usually the hard way)

Death's Door

Opening with a pretty minimal understanding of what’s going on, Death’s Door gets off to a bit of a rocky...

Has-Been Heroes

It seems appropriate include this first game I reviewed for the system and prepared a pretty extensive tips and trick...

Gunbrella

There’s no doubt that it does some things differently, and there’s merit to that, but Gunbrella just falls short of next-level greatness

Sifu

If you’re a huge fan of beat-em-ups or crazy martial arts action Sifu delivers, but you’ll need to work for it!

Aces of the Luftwaffe - Squadron

The classic arcade shooter 1943 and its many variants are among my favorites of all time and Aces does an incredible ...

Thumper

As has been the case with quite a number of games I’ve enjoyed on the Switch to date I would gladly recommend T...

DRAINUS

While there’s a learning curve to its style and upgrade systems, this neuvo retro shooter is compelling

Mecha Ritz: Steel Rondo

Old-school vertical shooting meets some welcome alterations in this well-made modern retro classic

Graceful Explosion Machine

What fascinates and has surprised me about GEM, it that it somehow has created a serene experience for more casu...

Quadroids

A pretty unique test of your ability to process quite a lot at once, your reactions, your planning, and your patience

Souldiers

Originally impressed by my time with it when I played the demo for it from Steam Next Fest, Souldiers is a Metroidvania ...

Zombie Army 4: Dead War

The Sniper Elite series has been a pretty consistent source of stealthy Nazi body count accumulation on the Switch, and ...

Steel Assault

Run-and-gun shooters were absolutely a consistent staple in the arcades and on consoles back in the day, and that puts a...

Spelunky

One of the last OG indie titles to finally come to Switch, Spelunky promptly gave me a nice slap in the face to remind m...

Mushihimesama

While there are certainly more modern takes on bullet hell shmups from the past it’s always interesting to see an OG cla...

Curse of the Dead Gods

Roguelikes have exploded in popularity in the past few years, with games like Dead Cells and Hades showing the way the l...

RUINER

With its visual flair, dystopian world, and what appeared to be a penchant for tense and violent action, Ruiner has been...

Lonely Mountains: Downhill

If there was a major genre on Switch to argue may be the worst represented, whether AAA titles or indies, it could be sp...

Bloodroots

This is a title that got me excited the first time I saw it in a Nindie Direct and that I was even more thrilled with wh...

Risk of Rain 2

Having played both the original Risk of Rain and the Early Access version of this sequel on PC I’m pretty well-acquainte...

Hotline Miami Collection

Shadow dropped as a surprise this year, Hotline Miami was one of those indie darling titles that had shocked me continui...

Into the Breach

Coming from the people behind the infamous FTL (which somehow still isn't on Switch), this bite-sized strategy title wor...

Ikaruga

Though it's a carry-over from the previous generation there's still no other space shooter quite like Ikaruga. Not only ...

Showing 1 to 50 of 100 total entries

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