10 Best Nintendo Switch Games of 2026

Tears of the Kingdom ranks first because no other game on the system gives you as much freedom. Nintendo's store page describes it as a sequel to Breath of the Wild in which you decide your own path across Hyrule and the islands floating in the skies above it. The new abilities are what set it apart: Ultrahand lets Link pick up, rotate and attach objects to make bridges and vehicles, Fuse combines objects with weapons, shields and arrows, Ascend lets him rise through ceilings and hillsides, and Recall reverses an object's movement. That means puzzles and fights rarely have a single answer. The store lists TV, tabletop and handheld play, a Nintendo Switch 2 version, and a file size of 16.5 GB on Switch. The trade-offs are that it is single player only and, at $69.99, costs $10 more than most Switch 1 games here. If you only buy one game for a Switch or Switch 2, this is the one to choose.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the best Switch game for slowing down. Nintendo's page invites you to build a personal paradise on a deserted island and to live at your own pace: gardening, fishing, decorating, hunting for bugs and fossils, and getting to know the animal residents. You choose where neighbors live, fill a museum run by Blathers, and expand Resident Services and Nook's Cranny as the island grows. The store lists 1 to 4 players on one system and up to 8 over local wireless or online, which makes it easy for a household or friend group to share. Nintendo's news section lists updates for both Switch and Switch 2. The trade-offs: its slow, real-time design will not suit players who want challenge, the Happy Home Paradise expansion adds $24.99, and online visits need a Nintendo Switch Online membership. For a game to play a little every day, it is the strongest pick here.

Mario Kart World is the best reason to own a Switch 2 if you play with other people. Nintendo's store page says races support up to 24 drivers and that courses are joined by paths that span one world, with mountains, forests and cities, shifting weather and a day and night cycle. Grand Prix links four courses, Knockout Tour eliminates racers at five checkpoints, Battle offers Balloon Battle and Coin Runners, and a free mode lets you wander the map. The store lists 1 to 4 players on one system, 2 to 8 over local wireless and 2 to 24 online, plus GameChat voice chat and USB camera support. Nintendo has kept it fresh: a September 2026 free update added SNES courses and Knockout Tour routes. The catch is cost and hardware: it runs only on Switch 2, costs $79.99, and online play needs a Nintendo Switch Online membership. For groups, nothing else on the system comes close.

Super Mario Odyssey is the most approachable great game on Switch. Nintendo's page describes a globe-trotting 3D adventure where Mario and his new ally Cappy collect Power Moons to power the Odyssey airship. Cappy is the hook: Mario can throw him to capture and control enemies, objects and animals, which changes how each kingdom plays. A second player can take a Joy-Con and control Cappy while player one controls Mario, which suits a parent helping a child. Nintendo lists a free Switch 2 update with visuals optimized for higher-resolution screens and HDR support, and GameShare so two people can play together locally or online over GameChat. The drawbacks are age and price. It came out in October 2017 and still costs $59.99, and the two-player mode is lighter than true co-op. For a feel-good game that almost anyone can enjoy, it remains one of the safest buys on the system.

Stardew Valley offers the most play per dollar on this list. The publisher's description on the Nintendo store has you inherit your grandfather's old farm plot with hand-me-down tools and a few coins, then restore it and the town's community center after Joja Corporation pushed out the old way of life. You farm, build relationships with townspeople and work at your own pace, with no fixed ending. Multiplayer lets 1 to 3 players join you, and the store lists 1 to 4 players online, with an option to scale profit for a harder game. It costs $14.99, takes 1.5 GB on Switch, and the store also offers a Nintendo Switch 2 version and upgrade pack. The limits: the store lists one player per system, so friends join over the internet, and the pixel art will not appeal to everyone. If you want a long game that costs a quarter of a Nintendo release, start here.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the party fighter for Switch. The publisher's description says it brings together every fighter in Super Smash Bros. history, with newcomers such as Inkling, Ridley, Simon Belmont and King K. Rool, plus echo fighters. Battles can run from one-on-one to eight-player fights, and the store lists 1 to 8 players on one system, 2 to 8 over local wireless and 2 to 4 online. Stage Morph changes one stage into another mid-fight, there are 900 music compositions, and GameCube controllers are supported for players who prefer them. Fighters Pass Vol. 2 adds more characters for $29.99. The weaknesses are online play capped at four players and the learning curve: new players can find a full eight-person screen hard to follow. For a group that meets in person, though, few games on any console offer as much replay value.

Donkey Kong Bananza is the strongest new platformer built for Switch 2. Nintendo's page describes a vast underground world that you explore by smashing it: punching through walls, carving tunnels, punching straight down and tearing off chunks of terrain to throw. The more you smash, the more opens up. Pauline, a 13-year-old with a powerful voice, rides along and triggers Bananza Transformations that boost DK's strength and speed. In 2-player co-op, the second player becomes Pauline, using vocal blasts to clear paths, with optional Joy-Con 2 mouse aiming. Assist Mode helps newer players, a free demo is available, and GameShare lets a friend join locally or online. The negatives are platform and price: it requires a Switch 2, costs $69.99, and the DK Island and Emerald Rush DLC adds $19.99. Switch 2 owners who enjoyed Super Mario Odyssey should play this next.

Hades is the best action game on Switch for the price. Supergiant's description on the Nintendo store casts you as the immortal Prince of the Underworld, trying to escape the god of the dead with help from Zeus, Athena, Poseidon and other Olympians. Each run hands you a set of Boons from the gods, and the publisher says there are thousands of viable character builds. You will fail often by design, but the story keeps moving: a fully voiced cast and thousands of story events unfold between attempts, and the Mirror of Night grants permanent upgrades so you get stronger over time. The store lists it as single player, a 5.8 GB download, and $24.99. The trade-off is the loop itself. Restarting after every defeat suits some players and frustrates others, and the combat is fast. For anyone who enjoys action games, it offers more than many full-price releases.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is the pick for players who want a focused sci-fi adventure. Nintendo's page sends bounty hunter Samus Aran to Viewros, an unknown planet with an ancient jungle, where she must explore to find a way home. She gains psychic abilities that clear the path forward, scans stone statues and ruins for clues, and rides Vi-O-La, a bike used both for travel and for fighting in the open. The Lamorn, an alien race, and Sylux, a rival bounty hunter, drive the story. It came out on December 4, 2025, and the store lists versions for Switch and Switch 2 along with difficulty levels and color alternatives. It is single player, a 26.3 GB download on Switch, and $59.99. The downsides are that first-person play and backtracking do not suit everyone, and it lacks the broad appeal of the games above it. For exploration fans, it is the newest big release on this list.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A rounds out the list as the best choice for Pokémon fans. Nintendo's store page sets it in the streets of Lumiose City and highlights a new battle system: there are no turns, and for the first time in the Pokémon RPG series trainers and Pokémon both move in real time, with moves fired when you call them. Mega Evolution returns, Rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon roam the city and drop Mega Stones when defeated, and each night a battle zone opens for the Z-A Royale competition. The store lists single-player story play plus local wireless and online play for 2 to 4, and both Switch and Switch 2 versions. It costs $59.99, and the Mega Dimension DLC adds $29.99. It ranks below the others because its single-city setting is narrower than the open worlds above it. For anyone who wants a new Pokémon game on either console, it is the current pick.