The 200 / Best Indie Games of the Year on Nintendo Switch [2023 Edition]

Showing 101 to 150 of 200 total entries

Hyper Shapes

Feeling like a mix of Flat Heroes and Just Shapes and Beats, Hyper Shapes keeps it simple but challenging

Terror of Hemasaurus

While there’s no mistaking the classic Rampage base experience, Hemasaurus adds enough extra oomph to be its own game

SteamWorld Build

Taking the SteamWorld franchise in a very different direction, mixing together city management with a bit of Dungeon Keeper

Backpack Hero

While hardly a looker, this is pretty unique roguelike RPG makes meticulous inventory management compelling

Suika Game

Proving that smart and effective game design can make even low-budget titles highly addictive

Long Gone Days

While its mechanics are a mixed bag and the story and darker tone may not be for everyone, Long Gone Days does have ambition

Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit

A mix of old-school point-and-click adventure beats mix with modern productions values and polish to make for a good time

Manic Mechanics

No doubt inspired a bit by the likes of the Overcooked series, Manic Mechanics changes some elements up to reasonably stand on its own

Ray’z Arcade Chronology

While perhaps carrying a bit of a premium price, this distinctive arcade shooting series is a blast to play without much doubt

Raiden III x MIKADO MANIAX

If you’re a shooting fan you know Raiden, you probably love Raiden, and you’re likely to want this Raiden. More casual folks, it’s a toss up

Poosh XL

Sometimes one-button play, when done right, can be a compelling challenge despite the simplicity

Project Dark

Focused almost entirely on what you hear, allowing you to even play it with your eyes closed, Project Dark is a unique experience

Storyteller

A really cool and pretty high-concept idea that can lead to some fun and creative stories, but sometimes you can really get stuck

Remnant: From the Ashes

Feeling like it was designed to take some inspiration from the challenge of Dark Souls, and the format and look of Fallout, this feels pretty different

Backbeat

Fun, funky, and more challenging than it can look, this fresh take on a puzzle game simply does its own thing

FATAL FRAME: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse

While its predecessor had the elements of a creepy good time present, Mask of the Lunar Eclipse brings it all together

RE:CALL

With its time and reality-bending story-telling revisionism, RE:CALL makes for a unique experience

While the Iron's Hot

Who knew that what’s roughly a blacksmithing adventure / RPG could be both engaging and generally chill

Pixel Cafe

A story with some heart helps to somewhat elevate what otherwise is generally another variation on time management

The Forest Quartet

Undeniably gorgeous, charming, and wonderfully scored, this puzzle adventure is on the short side but memorable

ASTLIBRA Revision

An epic action RPG that compensates for pretty ordinary core combat with a multitude of skills and gear options

Prison City

A very ambitious retro-styled Metroidvania experience that works pretty well within the confines of classic expectations

KarmaZoo

Inherently multiplayer games are always a risk, but there’s no doubt this truly cooperative platformer is pleasant

Agatha Christie - Murder on the Orient Express

Taking one of the world’s most renowned detectives through one of his most iconic cases is a good time for mystery fans

CounterAttack: Uprising

One of those experiences that gets better with some investment, what starts as more generic becomes something more

Pan-Dimensional Conga Combat

Mashing together elements of Snake (of all things), a dodge-em-up, and a bit of shooting, arcade fans should enjoy it

Solar Ash

There’s a sense of freedom and fun as you’ll explore the world, and it has terrific moments, but it doesn’t all work well on Switch

Dawn of the Monsters: Arcade + Character DLC Pack

A new character to fight with, a challenging arcade mode, and some roguelike variability make a solid game better

Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons

The classic early beat-em-up has gotten a decent upgrade, better than the usual for it, but it has a weird flow overall

The Past Within

While it has an unconventional means of supporting co-op play (you need to play with a copy on 2 different devices), it delivers nicely

ChronoBreach Ultra

While not perfect by any means, this budget mix of platforming and shooting works better than expected

Undead Horde 2: Necropolis

It builds a bit more variety and depth into the formula of the original, but the majority of the core mechanical play remains pretty well the same

Best Forklift Operator

Despite it not being a very thrilling activity (known from experience), I’ll admit that this is an accurate simulation if it sounds cool to you

Terracotta

A unique overall style, ranging from music to visuals, helps to elevate this action-adventure

Battle Kid: Fortress of Peril

Once again, old-school retro gaming fans, the Switch is continuing its fortunate streak of titles tapping into that authentic feel… in a good way

Mechanic 8230: Escape From Ilgrot

While this budget-friendly adventure is pretty humble overall it delivers a reasonably-good core experience and solid puzzles

Tiny Dragon Story

Though it may have a simplistic retro look, this tiny dragon manages to deliver solid classic platforming play with a little flair

Bumballon

This budget action title keeps things simple in terms of controls, but still delivers an engaging and fun challenge

Batora: Lost Haven

With its combat forcing you to move between a twin-stick shooting style and slashing, Batora manages to keep itself interesting and varied

Guns N' Runs

Delivers some classic and challenging platform shooter action with bits of modern flair and variety

Chef Life: A Restaurant Simulator

Depending on what you’re looking for in your cooking sim this will either sizzle or get sent back

Roniu's Tale

Yet again making the absolute most of 8-bit capabilities, and not compromising engaging play, Roniu’s Tale is a great mix of strategy and puzzles

Planet Cube: Edge

While your protagonist can feel a bit chunky in tight spots, this tough platform shooter still plays smoothly overall

Rooftop Renegade

Speedrunning fans should find some appeal, but if you’re not all about perfecting your runs this may struggle to go the distance

UnderDungeon

If you don’t mind the simplistic aesthetics, this is a reasonably-solid Zelda-ish adventure on a budget

HEROish

Mixing together a few different styles of strategic play, HEROish is at least quite unique on Switch

Outer Wilds

Your enjoyment of this outer space adventure will mostly correspond to your comfort with a general lack of direction

Born Of Bread

Sporting a look and general charm reminiscent of the Paper Mario titles, Born of bread at yeast deserves a look

In Stars and Time

Embodying the indie spirit, determined to do its own thing proudly, this will be a home run for the right crowd

Air Twister

Walking the fine line between honoring and completely ripping off the classic arcade shooter Space Harrier

Showing 101 to 150 of 200 total entries

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