Top 100 / Best Indie Strategy Games on Nintendo Switch

Grindstone

There’s nothing I like more than a surprise game that shows up, slaps you around a bit, and leaves you thirsting for mor...

Slay the Spire

While deck building games would usually fall into the category of titles I’d file under “an acquired taste” the Switch n...

Mini Motorways

Whoever out there would say that simple games, or at least ones that at a glance could be “casual”, are a...

SteamWorld Heist: Ultimate Edition

With multiple skill levels available SteamWorld Heist is a game that anyone, from a tactical strategy newbie to a griz...

PICROSS S7

You know you’ve really established something special when the name of your game becomes synonymous with all gam...

Loop Hero

The thing I tend to love most about indie titles is their ability to surprise with remixes of gameplay elements you’ve n...

Lost in Random

Full disclosure, up front I’ll admit that I’ve always tended to be fond of games from the Zoink crew, in particular find...

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...

Signs of the Sojourner

There’s just something about this game that feels so brilliant and yet there’s also something unassuming about its natur...

Dicey Dungeons

OK, so perhaps at this point the concept of a deck-building strategy roguelike has been played out a bit… but what if yo...

Kingdom Two Crowns

Since I was already a pretty big fan of the first installment of the Kingdom series (New Lands) that arrived on the syst...

Kingdom Rush

While one of the sequels in the series has already been released on the system (Frontiers), the OG Kingdom Rush has now ...

Killer Queen Black

After having heard so much about this killer multiplayer arcade title I was interested to see what the fuss was all abou...

Has-Been Heroes

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

Pirates Outlaws

With its smart and generally quick play, plenty of heroes to unlock, and a bit of roguelike flair this deckbuilder has a lot going for it

Inscryption

At its base it’s a deck-building strategy with disturbing vibes, and from there it continues to surprise

Worms W.M.D

In the end I must say that I’m extremely impressed with the level of care and effort that has been put into mak...

The Last Friend

Doing a fantastic job of mixing classic tower defense with satisfying beat-em-up action and plenty of furry friends that...

Timelie

While time manipulation puzzling has been done before in the indie space, there’s an element of visual polish and flair ...

Pathway

Elevator pitch time: Set off on an adventure with a party of your choosing with a wide variety of skills. Every step of ...

Through the Darkest of Times

While games are a great vehicle for departing from reality and enjoying an escape they’ve increasingly been used as a me...

Sentinels of Freedom

While the Switch has been enjoying a fair selection of quality turn-based strategy games more recently, there’s nothing ...

Cardpocalypse

While deck building and battling games were never something I got into physically, I’ll admit that in the digital space ...

Megaquarium

Manage your own aquarium and try to "lure" in the public in this pleasant sim

OTTTD: Over The Top Tower Defense

Tower defense titles are extremely common in the mobile space (for good reason, they’re well-suited to touchscreen contr...

SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech

Despite my feeling that it lost some steam towards the conclusion, SteamWorld Quest is easy to count among the most poli...

Reigns: Game of Thrones

To the game’s credit there’s a ton of content to explore and digest and the fan service paid as a whole is commendable, ...

Hard West

All things considered, for the price Hard West is a surprisingly competent tactical turn-based shooter than gets more ri...

Swords and Soldiers 2 Shawarmageddon

While very similar to its predecessor in many ways, this sequel seems a bit more streamlined in terms of the structure o...

Armello

Starting out with a pretty thorough and helpful tutorial you’ll have the core understanding you’ll need to get started b...

Into the Breach

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

Wildfrost

While there are quite a number of quality roguelike deckbuilders already in the eShop, Wildfrost makes a strong case for some attention

The Oregon Trail

The educational classic, with a few upgrades of note, remains challenging and more insightful than ever

Foretales

How do you make a splash on the Switch eShop? You polish, polish, polish…

Rogue Lords

Roguelike deckbuilding games have been quite the rage for the past few years, but not everything in the space strateg...

Defend the Rook

When it comes to tactical strategy the Switch has been blessed with both some variety in takes, ranging from more lon...

Monster Train First Class

While I’ll admit to having a bit of deckbuilding strategy fatigue, there have been a number of titles on Switch...

Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition

Damn RPG lovers, the Switch has been a terrific return to Nintendo fully delivering a variety of options in this genr...

Chess Ultra

From top to bottom Chess Ultra is a complete package and perfect for anyone who either loves or would like to develop...

IRONCAST

Somewhat picking up the mantle from the popular Puzzle Quest series, Ironcast constructed a very compelling, though u...

Backbeat

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

Dorfromantik

While its name is undoubtedly odd, this very chill-but-smart puzzler delivers a unique challenge

Before We Leave

Smart strategic city-building and a pro-environment vibe help this sim stand out as something enjoyable

Hundred Days - Winemaking Simulator

I’ll just open with the fact that I truly despise pretty well all forms of alcohol, so in theory I’m a tough sell for a ...

Rise of the Third Power

There’s no doubt that for many the 16-bit era was where JRPGs really exploded into the mainstream, so titles that bring ...

Neurodeck

While the fact that we’ve been inundated with roguelike deckbuilders over roughly the last two years can make new entrie...

Crying Suns

When it comes to strategy games, on a general level it feels like the Switch hasn’t been terribly well-represented as a ...

Legend of Keepers: Career of a Dungeon Manager

In order to keep things fresh developers have a constant challenge to mix and match genres and play styles in new ways. ...

Space Crew: Legendary Edition

When it comes to strategy games we’re finally to the point where the Switch has a fair amount of diversity. One of the m...

The Survivalists

As I have noted a few times before, in general survival games haven’t tended to be a favorite of mine in the past. That ...

Wintermoor Tactics Club

When you think of the tactical RPG genre the words “accessible” don’t normally come to mind but Wintermoor Tactics Club ...

Faeria

Truth be told only recently have I been able to play deck-building games of any kind that I’ve found interesting. Usuall...

Nowhere Prophet

In the last generation I’ve been surprised to see the deck-building strategy genre not only move from the fringes into t...

Tower Of Time

Genre-blending is one of the things I appreciate most in the indie space, at least when it is well-executed. In the RPG ...

Dungeon of the Endless

I’ll admit that when I first started playing this title it was a struggle since there’s a distinct lack of explanation t...

Broken Lines

Let’s face it, while there have been quite a few titles out there that have decided to try to take on the likes of X-Com...

Little Town Hero

When you’re a game studio responsible for what may be arguably one of the biggest and most successful franchises in the ...

Space War Arena

While overall Space War Arena is only a middle of the road strategic challenge, it fits into the Switch lineup pretty ni...

X-Morph: Defense

I’m really impressed by everything the folks behind this game have put together. The campaign is challenging and at a sa...

Holy Potatoes! We're In Space?!

The story centers around a certain Captain Cassie, on the run from the powerful Eclipse, and her crew as they search the...

Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle

Taking the formula developed by Slayaway Camp and running with it in a more specific direction Killer Puzzle mostly does...

CastleStorm

While there are some variant mode choices that will let you play against a friend, get right into a fight against the co...

Hand of Fate 2

Part card-based game of chance, part classic D&D-esque dungeon exploration, and part action game Hand of Fate 2 has ...

Squids Odyssey

Through the game’s 8 chapters and more than 90 stages you’ll be in charge of a growing roster of squids looking to fight...

World Conqueror X

The key to sustained success is most definitely filling out a line-up of generals to assign to specific units who will h...

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

HEROish

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

Nova-111

While it gets off to a bit of a light start, Nova-111 is the sort of game that’ll sneak up on you with its chal...

Linelight

Puzzle action games can and have come in many forms, though I don’t think I’ve ever seen any go to the de...

The Lord of the Rings: Adventure Card Game - Definitive Edition

While deck building and card battling games have made their appearance on the Switch in a few different forms, none o...

Flame Keeper

A great overall look gets this off to a hot start, but a little too much repetition and some early struggles hold it back a bit

JARS

With a visual style somewhere between Tim Burton and the characters in Don’t Starve, there’s a timeliness...

Hexagroove: Tactical DJ

While not everything clicks and it feels like you need to read a user manual worth of instructions, it makes for a unique experience

GrimGrimoire OnceMore

Interesting characters, some drama, and a pretty light but engaging take on real-time strategy help this stand out some

Toy Soldiers HD

This strategy / action hybrid has gotten only a mild facelift but its unique and approachable play remains intact

Broken Universe - Tower Defense

Colorful, reasonably challenging, and with its own general feel, this budget tower defense title has appeal

Roguebook

While we’re to the point where there are quite a number of roguelike deckbuilders on the Switch, it’s nic...

Flowing Lights

As someone who celebrates games that take chances to do something new, to a degree Flowing Lights feels like a game m...

Rock of Ages 3: Make & Break

There’s nothing wrong with a little weirdness and quirk and I’ve been very pleased that the Switch has de...

Never Stop Sneakin'

As noted with the boss battles definitely be aware that aside from the silly progress in the story and a very slow evolu...

Redemption Reapers

With its own take on tactical combat, combined with a generally darker tone and story, there’s room for some appeal

Ganbare! Super Strikers

This is one of those titles that I like to imagine back to its initial elevator pitch: “OK, so you really love ...

Chroma Squad

If you grew up enjoying the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers this title may have a special appeal to you since in essence...

Tallowmere

Overall, I’m actually very impressed with Tallowmere and would recommend it strongly to any roguelike fans out ...

Totally Accurate Battle Simulator

Pit one army of floppy units against another, battling it out from afar, or up-close if you want to be involved

Warpips

While playing out in real time, your lack of direct control of your units in Warpips makes for a pretty unique feel in play

Farm Tycoon

While strategy and simulation titles remain a staple in the PC space, more often than not they tend to struggle on co...

Jade Order

Let’s face it, making a mark with a puzzle game in the crowded Switch eShop is a bit of a challenge, and developers need...

MONARK

I’ve got to admit, there are games that I review that I don’t really get, but sometimes they can still make quite an imp...

Castle Morihisa

This is one of those more unusual titles where on the one hand the core gameplay is pretty solid and works well, but on ...

Vivid Knight

When you think of RPG dungeon crawlers you’d normally assume it will fall into one of two camps, a traditional turn-base...

Evertried

Strategy hasn’t tended to be a very common flavor for roguelikes on the Switch (well, at least ones that aren’t deck-bui...

Fort Triumph

Let’s be honest, though many games have attempted to capture some element of the X-Com style of tactical strategy combat...

Iris.Fall

If you’re a fan of puzzle adventures with a distinctive look and some unique and unusual puzzles to work out, I...

Ring of Pain

With a variety of titles proving that the tight and challenging strategy of a roguelike can make for compelling play it’...

Volta-X

One of the most challenging types of indie games I run across are the ones I really admire for being daring, combining s...

Turmoil

Games that were made for the mobile/tablet space coming over to Switch can often be a dicey proposition. Gameplay that w...

Dread Nautical

While there are a few solid survival games on the Switch they’re a pretty eclectic bunch, ranging from more action-orien...

Roundguard

When it comes to casual games from the previous generation or so that I remember with great fondness, the unique Peggle ...

Heroland

Full of quirky and unusual characters, and built on a somewhat unusual premise of there being a hero amusement park of s...

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