Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse is just as intoxicating and surprising as its predecessor, but has an integrally different tone and flavor to its surprisingly heartfelt love story. It’s a new classic for the visual novel genre.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a delicious mouthful of puzzling, platforming, adventure-filled fun, with heaps of inventive mechanics, luscious level design, and plenty of challenges to chew on

An outstanding celebration of the series’ legacy, coupled with well-implemented online features and gameplay tweaks. Mario Party Superstars is a thrilling roller coaster of emotions that has refined this formula to near perfection.

Matching tight, intricate controls with a vibrant style and high-spirited, energetic world, OlliOlli World delivers the best skateboarding experience on Switch. The series has taken a significant leap forward and absolutely stuck the landing. An essential indie for any skateboarding fans.

The Super Mario RPG remake delivers a finely tuned reimagining of the incredible original with welcome updates to the turn-based battle mechanics. If the 1996 version was the best Mario RPG game to date, this remake goes one better.

A beautiful realisation of the joy of playing, Chicory is an astounding use of the medium of video games that also leans heavily into the emotional weight of expectations and doubt. An incredibly real and human story is told with fantastic gameplay, and bringing the world of Picnic back to life is a journey I won’t forget.

Magical Delicacy brews up the perfect mixture of Metroidvania exploration, cozy game farming, and narrative intrigue to keep you hooked. You’ll easily spend hours helping Flora in her quest and enjoy every second of it.

Frog Detective: The Entire Mystery bundles all three of the amphibian’s adventures together in one neat package, offering humor, intrigue, and a fun story. It might just be the best $20 you spend this year.

TOEM is a short, densely packed, and extremely satisfying little adventure that smartly fills every corner of its world with something beautiful to see or another cute animal to discover.

Klonoa Phantasy Reverie is a superb collection of platform games that shine a light on an iconic character from the genre, one that deserves this moment. Both games are full of fun and intricately designed levels, and not only look stunning, but are warm and welcoming.

Brutal and beautiful. Those are the two words that describe MIO: Memories in Orbit. The game offers a stunning world that’s matched by an equally gorgeous soundtrack, while the level design, enemies, and bosses force you to learn and adapt if you want to survive.

Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg expertly synthesizes exploration, combat, and story elements into a beautifully packaged, laid-back RPG experience suitable for long-time fans and newcomers alike.

Infinity Nikki truly is the coziest open-world game I’ve ever played. Fashion-forward, fantastical, and full of whimsy, it seamlessly takes all your favorite elements from the best RPGs, life sims, and dress-up games, combining them into one unforgettable adventure, and we can’t wait to see what comes next.

While it was difficult to imagine how Nintendo could top previous 3D Mario adventures, Super Mario Odyssey is nigh-on perfect in almost every way. With the help of Cappy, Mario has never been as fun to control, reaching new heights and, in the hands of a skilled player, accomplishing impossible skips. You need only pick up a controller to see why this is the best modern Mario game ever.

Living up to its name, Pine Hearts is a thoughtful and emotional nugget of joy. Its welcoming atmosphere encourages curiosity and play, while not being afraid to tackle some of humanity’s most difficult emotions.

Super Mario Party Jamboree is truly the final form of Mario Party on the Nintendo Switch, learning and growing from the past two games to create one massive masterpiece of multiplayer mayhem.

The Mageseeker is a confident and immensely satisfying action game with a great mixture of physical attacks and a huge arsenal of magical abilities to steal and equip. I love the multiple ways to improve your moveset and your home base, and even as a Fairweather League of Legends fan, I’m now obsessed with Sylus’s character and the world at large. Digital Sun has crafted a fantastic title for League fans, but anyone with an interest in the genre will find something to love.

Deadpool VR’s comedic plot, with Neil Patrick Harris’ hilarious take on Wade Wilson, is second only to the exciting combat and engaging narrative. While there are a few performance hiccups, it’s clear that Deadpool VR is an essential game for virtual reality players, especially fans of the insult-slinging anti-hero.

With a true-to-life Tokyo and a vibrant, color-saturated Digital World full of life to explore, this is the Digimon game I’ve desperately wanted for the last ten years, and it definitely doesn’t disappoint. Unless my perfect game shadow drops soon, Digimon Story: Time Stranger is shaping up to be my GOTY for 2025.

Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe is a wonderful revival of an already excellent game. Adorable, enjoyable, and absolutely oozing with charm, it offers a great range of platforming, puzzles, and minigames to explore either alone or with up to four players. Boasting enhanced visuals, fresh copy abilities, and new content, it’s an absolute delight, and a must for anyone looking for some family-friendly fun to brighten up their day.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom brings a delightful entry to the classic franchise with Princess Zelda as the leading lady. Use your wits and a catalog of echoes in an incredibly well-rounded game to rediscover every corner of Hyrule in a new story.

The Life is Strange: Arcadia Bay Collection invites you to re-experience two of the best narrative games ever made. Better still, the Switch port performs well with only a couple of hiccups here and there, meaning it’s a solid platform to experience the story of Max and Chloe on.

Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes is the best musou spin-off to date, offering an unbelievable amount of storytelling that any fan will delight in. Swirling around all this is a cacophony of mechanics that may at first overwhelm, but once they make sense, the game is harmonious and hard to put down. It feels like a mainline Fire Emblem game with more action, which might actually be music to the ears of anyone who’s not tried the series before.

The Spirit and the Mouse is a truly thoughtful game that proves even the tiniest things in life can make a big difference. With its adorable protagonist, enjoyable missions, and touching message, it’s a sure-fire way to warm your heart on a rainy night.

Silent Hope brings classic isometric JRPG dungeon crawling into the modern age with its adorable characters, slick combat, and heartfelt narrative about protecting the people we love. The seven protagonists and hundreds of potential load-outs offer endless ways to play and replay this magical story.

Cyberpunk 2077’s Nintendo Switch 2 port offers you a new way to play in the form of fluid motion controls, which has quickly become my favorite way to enjoy the combat in Night City. One of the best RPGs of the last decade is right at home on the new console, and I highly recommend both new and old fans give it a try.

In Stars and Time is an RPG classic waiting to happen. This game asks new questions of the time loop genre, all while developing a loveable cast of misfit heroes and a mysterious fantasy world that you’ll want to stay in forever.

Nier Automata is one of the best games from the previous generations of consoles, and it has made the jump to the Nintendo Switch in a mind-bogglingly impressive fashion. Little to no noticeable compromises have been made to get it onto a handheld system, and the magical, inventive nature of the thing sings just as loud as ever.

13 Sentinels barely puts a foot wrong throughout its story. It has lofty ambitions that can become a mess of strange terms, but it never forgets its characters and themes. It loudly reminds you of the violence and destruction to come with the RTS mech combat one moment, then lets you see a character quietly consider the ramifications of everything they learn the next. It has such breadth, not just of ideas, but also of emotion.

Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s a really solid farming game and a stellar entry into the franchise. It shines on Nintendo Switch 2 and runs perfectly well on the original Switch, too. If you like round cows, this is the game for you.

Blasphemous II crafts an intricate and satisfying world that is only accentuated by the gorgeously gruesome art. The Penitent One feels better to control than ever, and the amount of choice you have over your attacks and abilities compliments the game’s punishing combat brilliantly. Despite some niggles, Blasphemous II is a Metroidvania masterclass and an incredibly confident sequel.

A new contender for the best multiplayer title on Switch, Battle League is here to dispel any doubts you had about the future of Mario sports titles. With balanced gameplay that includes all the classic gimmicks, plenty of depth in character and world design, and a modernised online matchmaking system, Mario Strikers: Battle League is a red-letter day in the modern history of the moustachioed plumber.

A fantastic port of what just might be one the best RPGs of all time, it’s a fantastic sequel to its predecessor, and builds upon KOTOR perfectly. Your decisions in the world matter, so what are you waiting for, choose a side, and make the galaxy your own.

Mario Tennis Fever is the best Mushroom Kingdom sporting spin-off in years. Its reinvigorated solo offering has hours of fantastic content, while its character unlock system keeps you engaged right from the start. Combine all that with more multiplayer modes that don’t just revolve around competitive gameplay, and I honestly don’t know what else I could ask for.

Rise nails the theme, introduces smart improvements to combat, and is a thoroughly fun experience from start to finish. If you don’t mind the dip in performance compared to the previous game, it’s the best Monster Hunter on the market.

Five Nights at Freddy’s: Into the Pit is a must-play for all FNAF fans, offering stunning pixelated graphics and a story inspired by the novel of the same name. FNAF has never been so terrifying, Spring Bonnie proves to be a brilliant antagonist, posing a true test of survival while you cautiously creep around each corner.

Chucklefish builds on a rock-solid foundation, and Wargroove 2 manages to both iterate and innovate in a satisfying manner. Coupled with the smart challenge of Conquest mode’s rogue-lite offering, riveting online multiplayer, and a truly intimidating wealth of creation tools, this just might be the most impressive package of any tactics game on Switch. Hopefully, a few updates can address the very few bugs and UI issues we aren’t quite as fond of.

No Man’s Sky is the definitive example of a comeback. What was once a hollow experience is now a dense RPG that encourages you to play your way without punishing you for it. With excellent multiplayer and waves of free content to dig into, No Man’s Sky is the only space RPG you need to play right now.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is a lovingly crafted remake that brings all the fun of the original while including some helpful quality-of-life updates that do away with tedious traveling. There’s a reason this game is a fan favorite, and this enhanced version lives up to all the expectations.

Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake is a beautiful and modernized overhaul of two classic JRPGs that are essential for any fantasy fan’s Nintendo Switch 2 library. It combines stunning graphics with engaging gameplay and storytelling for the complete portable package.

With such expertly crafted and satisfying gameplay that it feels like it was made in a lab by Heisenberg, Poinpy is just ridiculously fun to play, offers a huge amount of ways to customise your personal gameplay, and gives you a treasure chest of fun things to discover along the way. Of course, no game is perfect, but if you asked me to point out the best mobile game of the year right now, I’d probably tell you to play Poinpy.

Skyrim’s innovative open-world RPG boasts incredible worldbuilding, music, graphics, and gameplay that was ahead of its time. It still holds up today, despite a buggy experience.

The most original platformer I've played in years: clever, creepy, and distinctive. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to play the first.

Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II is a ghoulishly gripping horror visual novel that sets out to spook you at every turn. Featuring a fine blend of familiar and fresh gameplay elements, spine-chilling spooks, and heart-wrenching horrors, it’s a brilliant continuation of an already outstanding series, and a real masterclass in supernatural storytelling.

Six iconic RPG titles now look and play better than ever, and the portability of the Nintendo Switch – as well as the great performance – mean this could be the perfect way to play each and every one. The Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters are joyous celebration of classic gaming that any RPG fan will appreciate, so long as you can stomach the price.

Though it doesn't remaster the game, how can you improve upon perfection? Knights of the Old Republic 2 is still one of the best RPGs ever made, and now it's on your phone.

A slight but impactful piece of work, Gibbon: Beyond the Trees blends engaging gameplay and a vital ecological message seamlessly, all while being gorgeous to look at and listen to. It's a powerful, polished package that has almost nothing wrong with it.

Reanimal is an excellent multiplayer experience that takes place in a world full of dread, with a tense and creepy atmosphere that follows you everywhere you go, and enjoyable puzzles that are fun to overcome.

Persona 4 Golden on Switch is just as fantastic as the original game, with minimal performance issues, a great aesthetic, enigmatic characters, and an enthralling story that keeps you guessing, this JRPG is a must-play for any role playing fan. Throw in some great turn-based combat with unique elements, and you’re in for a terrific time.

A delightfully charming business sim with cute characters, fun mechanics, and adorable kitties. Cat Cafe Manager is the purrfect way to relax and unwind after a long day.

Lil Guardsman offers an intriguing and easily completable puzzle, wrapped in a cartoony art style with superb script writing. Let yourself become the gatekeeper of the city and decide the fate of all the visitors flocking to the Sprawl, and the city itself.

A rambunctious, treasure-filled adventure with that classic DQ charm, Dragon Quest Treasures embraces the world of its predecessors perfectly, while still setting itself apart. Its mechanics are unique and engaging, it’s full of personality and charm, and, above all, it’s just great fun. A wonderful entry into a popular series for returning and new players alike.

Despite the occasional balancing dilemma, Gwent is one of the best deck builders on mobile; smart, fast-paced, and most of all, free.

Resident Evil Requiem wonderfully blends survival horror and action, featuring two compelling protagonists with starkly different experiences that keep the gameplay fresh. The story is excellent, fitting nicely into the Resident Evil universe at large, and the game runs really well on the Nintendo Switch 2.

A solid port of one of the greatest games ever made.

Spirittea is a truly enchanting blend of life sim, management sim, and RPG, with a vibe reminiscent of Spirited Away and Stardew Valley combined. With its charming world, engaging gameplay loop, and celebration of East Asian culture, it’s hard not to fall in love with this slice of rural heaven, flaws and all.

A considered and worthy homage to the action-roleplaying genre, here’s hoping that the rest of the series expands on these good ideas.

A glorious, pure co-op experience, It Takes Two perfects the balance of give and take through its ingenuitive puzzles, stellar storytelling, and enchanting environments. With communication at its core, it truly takes two to tango with this one, and I couldn’t think of a better home for it than the Nintendo Switch.

Tunic boasts satisfying and challenging combat, as well as a beautiful world rich with hidden treasures and forgotten knowledge, and revels in slowly giving players the pieces they need to explore its every corner. A delightfully colourful visual language and a beautifully wistful soundtrack also help, bringing everything to life with earnest energy that delivers a sense of childlike wonder that very few games can achieve.

Mario Kart World might not completely reinvent the steering wheel, but it’s still a bold new vision for the 30-year-old series that takes some big risks with the classic formula. That said, thanks to some visually stunning new tracks, incredible karting tech, and a soundtrack that keeps my head bopping at all times, it’s already my favorite Mario Kart game to date, and I can’t wait to spend the next few years drifting and wall riding in Knockout Tour, Grand Prix mode, and beyond.

Try your hand at restoring the earth in the eco-friendly game Terra Nil as it sprouts on mobile and PC, bringing satisfying gameplay and scientific mechanics to reclaim the environment.

A retro-style action-roguelike that feels like Castlevania on steroids, Vampire Survivor goes from one of the most addictive games on Steam to one of the most addictive games on mobile with a stellar port and some great options no matter your device.

Wax Heads is a phenomenal debut indie game, oozing style without ignoring substance. If engaging puzzles, banging tunes, and an underdog story rooted in the DIY music scene are your jam, this game is for you.

Breathing new life into the series while respecting what made it great to begin with, Neo: The World Ends With You is everything fans dreamed of. There’s still room for surprises though with some crafty battle mechanics, dark story twists, and a densely packed and beautifully stylised version of Shibuya to explore. A fantastic return for the cult classic RPG series.

New Pokémon Snap is a heartwarming trip down nostalgia lane. With a huge range of levels, gorgeous graphics, and a relaxing soundtrack, it’s hard not to enjoy every minute you spend in the Lental region.

Splatoon 3 will undoubtedly become one of the best multiplayer games out there. But the issue with playing pre-release is you can only spot the potential. It’s inevitable it will flourish, but I wasn’t able to see it in full bloom. Luckily, the single-player is so good it could be worth buying the game for that alone, while the surrounding quality-of-life improvements and various other additions make this easily the best in the series yet.

Ex Astris is a truly impressive premium mobile RPG that really breaks the mold. Nostalgic yet fresh, this brilliant little gem combines a stunning world, deep lore, lovable characters, and an intricate turn-based-meets-real-time combat system, making for a truly striking experience that is well worth the entry fee.

F1 Manager 24 gives Nintendo Switch owners a best-in-class racing sim with detail rich gameplay and great player freedom.

Vampire Survivors can still do no wrong, and the Operation Guns DLC is an awesome addition that adds hours of playtime to an already engrossing game.

An adorable JRPG with fun characters and an in-depth alchemy system that will keep you entertained for 50+ hours.

Nuts is a simple yet fantastic game that will forever make you afraid of squirrels and the secrets they are hiding.

Bayonetta Origins shows you the umbra witch in a whole new way, and while you may feel skeptical about her going from heavy action to puzzles, Platinum Games nailed the transition flawlessly. While different to the trilogy, the gameplay is engaging, the world is stunning, and the story of Cereza and Cheshire is precious. I can’t recommend this game enough.

Sonic Origins Plus finally gives long-time fans access to 12 Sega Game Gear games, including some of the more obscure titles from the franchise. When you combine that with great graphics that maintain the pixelated charm of the original games, the ability to play as other characters, and the inclusion of missions, this is a must-own collection for fans of the blue blur.

Hello Kitty Island Adventure is a polished, adorable Sanrio life sim jam-packed full of delicious treats and areas to explore on launch. The perfect game for fans of cats, cakes, and cuteness.

This colourful RPG is a constant delight with some fantastic monsters to find, deep mechanics, an interesting story, and some great characters along the way. The game is rewarding for both Monster Hunter fans and anyone looking for a new adventure, Monster Hunter Stories 2 might just be the best monster-catching game on the Nintendo Switch.

Showing no signs of slowing down, these two most recent entries in the Ace Attorney series present a strong enough story, and enough great new characters and mechanics to make the titles feel as fresh as ever. The time period makes for some interesting twists and the earnest protagonist and rookie-lawyer Ryunosuke is a delight thanks to witty writing and fantastic presentation. A series high point and a great entry for newcomers to boot.

A solid mobile port featuring the original's best single-player elements, and an excellent real-time tactical experience.

Tiny Touch Tales does it again: strongly recommended for thorough thinkers and masochists.

Persona 5 Royal is a wonderfully immersive and iconic JRPG, featuring striking, stylised visuals, fast-paced, turn-based combat, and a unique world full of captivating characters and stunning stories. Though the Switch somewhat stumbles with downscaled visual performance, it provides an otherwise smooth experience, and the novelty of being able to take the Phantom Thieves on the go is certainly a plus. Long live the phantom thieves!

Beautiful visuals, a stellar soundtrack, a plethora of great modes, all wrapped around one of the most mechanically perfect video games ever made, Tetris Effect: Connected is an essential puzzle game and a perfect match for anyone with the OLED Switch.

Road 96 is a fantastic coming-of-age and socio-political tale, told in an interesting way that only video games can deliver. Stick your thumb out and hitch a ride with this fantastic adventure, and make sure to turn the music up loud.

Helvetti is a powerhouse of an action game, one that provides a great challenge in a gorgeous 2D world, features fluid combat, and has three distinct characters that each bring something different to the table. When you encompass this with a stunning soundtrack and interesting story, it’s hard to think of a reason not to play it.

Moonlighter is truly the sum of its parts, a brilliant combo of homely shop-keeping and dungeon-crawling depth.

With a fresh take on the puzzle genre and gorgeous aesthetics, bringing a barren world back to life with plants is more fun than it has any right to be. We hope for a couple of small updates down the road, but there is already more than enough great content here for any player to enjoy for days.

Mixtape is a heartfelt coming-of-age adventure that captures the fleeting magic of youth, blending nostalgia, music, and friendship into one unforgettable final night. Its authentic vibes, sharp writing, and standout voice performances will have you smiling from ear to ear, while the perfectly curated soundtrack will linger in your head for weeks to come.

Tavern Talk is sure to soothe your appetite - this talking sim with a drink-making minigame runs excellently on Switch, and introduces a delightful cast of vibrant characters that eagerly order menu items to match every taste. No matter your build, you're sure to savor this gem of an indie game.

Yes, Your Grace loses nothing in its port to mobile, retaining its enthralling atmosphere and narrative, driven forward by straightforward gameplay. You'll spend countless hours in the kingdom of Davern reflecting on your tough choices, while soaking in the wonderful design of the game.

Zenless Zone Zero is an electrifying urban ARPG fuelled by fluid, fast-paced combat, quirky characters, and gripping gameplay. A departure from Hoyoverse’s usual M.O., it pulls you into a fresh yet familiar futuristic world, blending threads from different genres into a truly unique universe.

Atelier Ryza 3 is the perfect way to end the trilogy with slight improvements on almost all aspects found in it’s predescessors, an intriguing story, and some fluid, satisfying combat. An absolute must-play for Atelier fans.

Little Kitty, Big City is a purr-fectly charming game with oodles of personality. Short but incredibly sweet, it invites you to explore a metropolitan playground through the eyes of a curious kitty in the most delightful way. A must for cat-lovers, and a meow-gical time for gamers of all ages.

Stray is a gorgeous open-world platformer that works fantastically on the Switch, despite some understandable graphical limitations. It features a wealth of exploration and verticality only fitting for a sure-footed feline protagonist, as well as a sense of coziness despite the harsh, robotic dystopia.

A sure pick for any who want an excellent resource management game or to live out their vicarious fantasies of starship captaincy.

Take yourself on an emotional journey in The Wreck – a perfectly crafted melancholy story for the Nintendo Switch that makes you laugh, cry, and everything in between.

Honkai Star Rail is a stellar, interstellar turn-based RPG that pushes the boundaries of what we’ve come to expect from the genre. With its tight combat, charming characters, engaging narrative, and stunning world, it’s proved itself to be so much more than a Genshin clone, and I can’t wait to see how it grows.

A feature-complete kart racer with excellent multiplayer out of the box and clever avoidance of off-putting pay-to-win mechanics.

Melatonin is a dreamy rhythm game experience for newcomers to the genre and veterans alike. Prepare to sink some hours into this one, as I can guarantee it will have you hooked.

A loving addition that pays homage to a beloved franchise while injecting new blood into the existing game, the Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania DLC is a shining example of how developers should approach additional content. With heaps of weapons, outfits, and nostalgic surprises to find: there’s a huge amount of bang for your buck, and Castlevania fans couldn’t possibly ask for a more exciting or fun way to bring the series into the fold.

With intuitive controls, beautifully crafted levels, and a story that takes you deep into the mind of a girl and her childhood, NeverAwake is one of the funnest games I’ve played in a while. I simply can’t get enough, and thanks to its auto-aim feature, both hardcore and casual gamers can progress through the levels.