Hades Banner
Hades
OK, so I’ll admit the folks at Supergiant Games (behind the favorites Bastion and Transistor in particular) had me with ...
Dead Cells Banner
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 Banner
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...
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Neon Abyss
If you're up for a challenge, tons of power-ups, and bullets everywhere...
Cuphead Banner
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 Banner
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 Banner
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 Banner
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 Banner
Wulverblade

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

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Blasphemous 2
Building on the foundation of an already-solid predecessor, Blasphemous 2 soars to new heights of brutality
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Cursed to Golf
This roguelike golfing title thoroughly proves that sports titles are ripe for conversion if they can all be this good
OlliOlli World Banner
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 Banner
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 Banner
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...
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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...
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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 Banner
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 Banner
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 Banner
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 Banner
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 Banner
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 Banner
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 Banner
Rogue Legacy 2
One of the OG roguelike classics has been given an overhaul but retains its unusual charms and challenges
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Cult of the Lamb
The folks at Devolver certainly have a type and know how to pick weird but excellent indies, striking gold again
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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 Banner
Tunic
Undoubtedly the most well-crafted “tough Zelda” game out there, with tons to discover and learn (usually the hard way)
Death's Door Banner
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 Banner
Has-Been Heroes

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

Gunbrella Banner
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 Banner
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 Banner
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 Banner
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 Banner
DRAINUS
While there’s a learning curve to its style and upgrade systems, this neuvo retro shooter is compelling
Mecha Ritz: Steel Rondo Banner
Mecha Ritz: Steel Rondo
Old-school vertical shooting meets some welcome alterations in this well-made modern retro classic
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Graceful Explosion Machine

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

Souldiers Banner
Souldiers
Originally impressed by my time with it when I played the demo for it from Steam Next Fest, Souldiers is a Metroidvania ...
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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 ...
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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 Banner
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 Banner
Mushihimesama
While there are certainly more modern takes on bullet hell shmups from the past it’s always interesting to see an OG cla...
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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 Banner
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 Banner
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 Banner
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 Banner
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 Banner
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 Banner
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 Banner
Ikaruga
Though it's a carry-over from the previous generation there's still no other space shooter quite like Ikaruga. Not only ...
Don't Starve: Nintendo Switch Edition Banner
Don't Starve: Nintendo Switch Edition
Starting out the game with only the game’s main character Wilson as an option you’ll find yourself dropped into the wild...
Ugly Banner
Ugly
While mechanically it can be tricky at times as you work through larger puzzles, the dynamic nature of your mirror works nicely
Falling Out Banner
Falling Out
While there’s no doubt that the gameplay is Spelunky-inspired, the option for co-op play and a slightly milder challenge help it shine
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Mr. Run and Jump
If you’re in the market for a responsive, challenging, and tough-but-fair platformer to obsess over, this delivers
Trek to Yomi Banner
Trek to Yomi
Despite its action mostly being on the middling side, the game’s artistic style and story make it a compelling experience
The Oregon Trail Banner
The Oregon Trail
The educational classic, with a few upgrades of note, remains challenging and more insightful than ever
No Place for Bravery Banner
No Place for Bravery
Among the things there are also no place for in this title: Lack of skills, and unwillingness to be patient
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Inertial Drift

While some people prefer their racing to be a bit rough around the edges, banging around turns and defying any sense ...

30XX Banner
30XX
While more of an evolution than revolution from its predecessor, some refinements, new weapons, and enemies improve it nicely
Garlic Banner
Garlic
Don’t let its pretty simple and somewhat silly looks fool you, this is a consistently challenging platformer that works pretty well
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Lootbox Lyfe+
Mixing together Metroidvania sensibilities with some challenging platforming makes for a refreshing budget package
Hyper Shapes Banner
Hyper Shapes
Feeling like a mix of Flat Heroes and Just Shapes and Beats, Hyper Shapes keeps it simple but challenging
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Ship of Fools
While only ideal playing with a friend, Ship of Fools manages to be both simple and complex… and compelling
TEN Banner
TEN
Ah, challenging games… they’re a love them or hate them affair depending on how much you like having a compulsion to lau...
Card Shark Banner
Card Shark
Bless the indie developers who are determined to take ideas that may sound a bit crazy in concept and run with them, rev...
Super Impossible Road Banner
Super Impossible Road
Rolling onto the scene and feeling like the marriage of Super Monkey Ball, a futuristic racer, and an exercise in calcul...
Klang 2 Banner
Klang 2
When it comes to music and rhythm games there are those titles that take a familiar road, often mapping buttons to speci...
Dandy Ace Banner
Dandy Ace
While I’ve been a fan of roguelikes for quite some time it’s only been in the past few years with top-tier titles the li...
Eldest Souls Banner
Eldest Souls
For me, Eldest Souls is a bit of a pleasant surprise. You see, whenever I see any game that’s tough and is in any way im...
Super Meat Boy Forever Banner
Super Meat Boy Forever
Fans of one of the OG teeth-gnashing platforming challenges from the early indie days have been waiting for a number of ...
Evergate Banner
Evergate
I’d consider Evergate one of those sneaky indies that has a look that gives one impression but whose level of challenge ...
Depixtion Banner
Depixtion
While for many years the Picross series has sat safely at the top of its own puzzle kingdom, seeing threats from other c...
Creature in the Well Banner
Creature in the Well
With Creature in the Well there’s just so much to like and appreciate. The art style is distinct and interesting, the mi...
Mechstermination Force Banner
Mechstermination Force
Mechstermination Force is a pretty tight and enjoyable retro sci-fi robot stomping party… though it will typically take ...
Caveblazers Banner
Caveblazers
On the whole Caveblazers is a ton of challenging fun and currently has no direct competition on the Switch. If you can g...
Joggernauts Banner
Joggernauts
As a party game your job will be to coordinate as you’re trying to get your aliens through a gauntlet of differently-col...
Runner3 Banner
Runner3
Taking it all in, scoring this game for a general audience is a challenge. On the one hand it has a ton of very cool con...
Light Fall Banner
Light Fall
When Light Fall is firing on all cylinders it feels absolutely incredible, and it’s easy to see where it will be terrifi...
Clustertruck Banner
Clustertruck
While endless runners have become a pretty popular genre you'll find that they're almost always in 2 dimensions. This is...
Darkest Dungeon Banner
Darkest Dungeon
Fans of tough games have no doubt already heard plenty about this dark and difficult RPG experience with a roguelike unp...
Furi Banner
Furi
This was a tough title to find a genre for since it isn't so much of a strict beat-em-up as a tough-as-nails boss rush t...
The End Is Nigh Banner
The End Is Nigh
While not as viscerally-satisfying as its older sibling Super Meat Boy, Ash's quest to find cartridges and tumors in his...
Planet Cube: Edge Banner
Planet Cube: Edge
While your protagonist can feel a bit chunky in tight spots, this tough platform shooter still plays smoothly overall
Death's Gambit: Afterlife Banner
Death's Gambit: Afterlife

Beneath the veneer of this very attractive side-scrolling Metroidvania-ish action RPG beats the heart of ambition&hel...

GONNER2 Banner
GONNER2

I absolutely adore the original GoNNER but I won’t deny that it’s a love that wasn’t easy to develo...

ibb & obb Banner
ibb & obb

Local co-op games are obviously pretty well-represented on the Switch, and they range from light and silly to pretty ...

The Last Hero of Nostalgaia Banner
The Last Hero of Nostalgaia
Channeling a low-res Souls-like vibe, sprinkled with ample humor to lighten things up, it knows what it wants to be, though not for everyone
Word Web by POWGI Banner
Word Web by POWGI
If you get excited by quite challenging word puzzles, there’s no question this delivers…
Panic Porcupine Banner
Panic Porcupine
While it initially feels like a simple ripoff of Sonic the Hedgehog, once the difficulty curve kicks in hard it stands on its own
Astronite Banner
Astronite
Delivers some challenging Metroidvania play with a distinctive black-and-white retro look and feel
Palindrome Syndrome: Escape Room Banner
Palindrome Syndrome: Escape Room

With escape rooms having been a pretty popular group activity over the past decade or so (with the exception of the p...

Elderand Banner
Elderand
The luscious pixel art and Metroidvania flow of Elderand give it appeal, just be ready for a pretty brutal challenge
The Knight Witch Banner
The Knight Witch
Combining Metroidvania concepts with some twin-stick shooting, The Knight Witch swings big… and gets on base
She Wants Me Dead Banner
She Wants Me Dead
Simple lesson: Don’t cross your cat or they’ll set a series of diabolical death traps for you
Moonscars Banner
Moonscars
While it has visual flair, challenging combat mixed with not-so-great mechanics make it “Souls-like” in more ways than one
Jack Axe Banner
Jack Axe

Tough-as-nails platformers have legitimately become a thing over the years, and in my experience with a few exception...

Pinkman+ Banner
Pinkman+

While there are an abundance of challenging retro minimalist action platformers out there I don’t find that I o...

Circus Electrique Banner
Circus Electrique
Undeniably stylish, cool, and ambitious, the planning and strategy demands it places on you can also be overwhelming
Super Magbot Banner
Super Magbot
With as many puzzle platformers as I’ve seen on the Switch it’s always cool to run across one that does things a bit dif...
Immortal Planet Banner
Immortal Planet
While the label “Souls-like” has gotten to be a bit overused and trite, there’s certainly a market out there for people ...
MISTOVER Banner
MISTOVER
Fans of challenging and highly strategic turn-based play have had a number of quality picks on the system to choose from...
The King's Bird Banner
The King's Bird
You play the game as a very nimble young woman capable of some pretty impressive wall-jumping acrobatics but also with a...
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Nindie Spotlight

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