Here, you'll find our pick of the best Switch exclusives around right now.
While the Switch is now last-gen with the arrival of the Switch 2, it saw some truly incredible releases, and the Switch 1 is still happily getting its fair share of new games, with plenty of upcoming Switch games still to come. And of course, all of these games can be enjoyed on the latest console, with some even already getting Switch 2 upgrades.
The best Switch exclusives to play in 2026, starting with...
15. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Release date: May 23, 2024
One of the best GameCube games of all-time got a fantastic Switch exclusive remake with Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, and it's well worth revisiting this excellent adventure or playing it for the first time if you haven't already. Following Mario in a world crafted out of paper, you venture to Rogueport to join Princess Peach on a treasure hunt.
But when things take an unexpected turn and Peach fails to show, you'll find yourself swept up in a quest to find the Crystal Stars of legend and try to track down the princess. With some colorful companions who will join you and fight alongside you, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door is packed full of humor and memorable moments, and its release on Switch in 2024 serves as a great reminder of just why this Mario adventure is so beloved. Don't skip this one.
14. Yoshi's Crafted World
Release date: March 29, 2019
Yoshi's Crafted World excels because it's just so darn cute. Its papercraft, recycled world always looks handmade, with all the enemies getting involved in its DIY project aesthetic. You're rescuing magic gems from the baddies, and to do so you'll have to travel across a beautifully created world all themed around unique topics - whether it's dinosaurs, airplanes, and more.
Each of the levels gets increased replayability through a plethora of collectibles, along with the option to play the level in reverse from a backstage point of view to collect the three mischievous Poochy pups. It's a glorious experience to behold.
For our verdict on this delightful adventure, check out our Yoshi's Crafted World review.
13. Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Release date: December 1, 2017
If you prefer something a bit more modern on the RPG front, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is your game. Players guide orphaned salvage diver Rex on a perilous journey across the world of Alrest after he finds himself bound to the sentient weapon Pyra. The game's CG anime aesthetic and expansive cast of fully voiced heroes and villains draw players into the epic story, while the real-time combat delivers consistent thrills.
It's satisfyingly complex too, with the ability to craft and enhance dozens of other Blades besides Pyra, providing endless customization options for open-world exploration and combat alike. With standalone DLC Torna – The Golden Country expanding on the history of Xenoblade Chronicles 2's world and characters, this is one of the most developed and best RPGs on the Switch.
12. Pikmin 4
Release date: July 21, 2023
Pikmin 4 saw the welcome return of the lovably small plant-like creatures on Switch, and as we take on the role of a customizable planetary explorer, there's so much to love about the fourth entry in the series. Set on a far away planet where some space explorers are in need of rescue, you venture across the world and pick up their SOS signals with the help of little Pikmin.
As we said in our Pikmin 4 review, it's easily the most approachable game in the series yet, with fresh additions such as the adorable Odachi dog fitting in to the classic formula as the pup smashes through obstacles and carry you on his back. With heaps of charm and plenty to discover and do, Pikmin 4 is a fantastic Switch exclusive to get swept up in.
11. Pokemon Legends Arceus
Release date: January 28, 2022
As we mentioned in our Pokemon Legends Arceus review, this Switch exclusive feels like a fresh step for the long-running series that offers something decidedly different. Set in a time long ago, before humans and Pokemon lived and trained together, Arceus gives us a chance to experience a slice of Pokemon history we've never seen before.
Instead of the classic quest to defeat gym leaders and the elite four, the adventure revolves around you completing the very first Pokedex. Joining the Galaxy team as a member of the Survey Corps, you catch and study Pokemon in more open wild areas, complete side quests, and make your way through an exciting main story as you go. With a satisfying sense of progression in more ways than one, Pokemon Legends Arceus really does shake up the classic formula and stands out as one of the best Pokemon games released in recent years.
10. Kirby and the Forgotten Land
Release date: March 25, 2022
Kirby and the Forgotten Land is one of the best-looking games on Switch right now. With the lovable pink puffball arriving in a mysterious land that's not too dissimilar to the world we know, you'll take on the beast pack and all manner of foes with Kirby's copy abilities. While Kirby is no stranger to platforming, this time around, the stages are more open than ever before in the first fully 3D adventure.
Packed full of vibrant levels with lots of attention to detail, a variety of challenges, and upgradable abilities to unlock, Kirby and the Forgotten Land also introduces the wonderfully weird mouthful mode, which sees our hero transform into a car, lightbulb and much more. To top it all off, there's also a home base you can build up known as Waddle Dee Town, with a host of mini-games and adorable features. It really is one of the very best Kirby games to date.
You can learn more about Kirby's latest adventure in our Kirby and the Forgotten Land review.
9. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Release date: April 27, 2017
Yes, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is technically a glorified Wii U port, but it's better than ever on Switch. With all the tracks, racers, and modes of the original release, plus all DLC bundled in from launch, the Deluxe edition offers up one of the best racing game experiences around. By restoring the proper Battle Mode omitted from the Wii U edition, adding in new characters such as Splatoon's Inklings, providing new kart customization options, and more tracks set to be added thanks to the Course Booster pack, this is Mario Kart 8 at its very best.
Running at a silky smooth 60fps in 1080p when the Switch is docked, the friendship-ruining racer has never looked finer, either. Now, mind that banana peel and let loose the blue shells of war – it's race time.
If you are ready to brave some blue shells, read our Mario Kart 8 Deluxe review now.
8. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
Release date: September 20, 2019
The Switch received its second mainline Zelda game in The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, an utterly gorgeous plasticky diorama-style reimagining of the 1993 classic that first appeared on the Game Boy. A marked surreal detour for the series, Link’s Awakening is lighthearted, slightly melancholy, and, most importantly, extremely cute. You’ll trade bananas with crocodiles and honeycombs with a Mario impersonator as a soundtrack drenched in pan pipes and soaring flutes complement your journey.
Link ventures out to find a number of instruments housed in the game's tricksy dungeons, which, in typical Zelda fashion, teach you new abilities and test the inventive side of your brain as you combine moves to cross gaps and kill bosses. The remake also includes a dungeon editing system where you can create your own special gauntlet and share it with friends. This is easily one of the best Zelda games around and a great addition to your Switch exclusives collection.
Read our The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening review for more.
7. Splatoon 3
Release date: September 9, 2022
Splatoon 3 brings the Inklings and Octolings to the new setting of Splatsville for a third instalment that continues to build on the strong foundations of Nintendo's stellar shooter series. New features and movesets give the experience a fresh coat of paint and succeed in offering more depth and dimension for veterans and more approachability for newcomers.
With a host of exciting new stages and returning modes, new weapons, a variety of welcome quality-of-life improvements, and yet more stylish looks to deck ourselves out in, Splatoon 3 continues to provide one of the most welcoming and approachable experiences of its genre. The Splatoon games have always felt original and creative. While the latest entry might not drastically change up the game, its additions round out the experience and try to strike a balance for veterans and newcomers alike.
For more on one of the best multiplayer Switch games, read our Splatoon 3 review.
6. Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Release date: July 26, 2019
Fire Emblem: Three Houses and the Switch are truly a match made in heaven. As a tactical strategy game with plenty of heart, the Fire Emblem series has always put a lot of stock in the depiction of its characters and storytelling, and Three Houses is the epitome entry in this respect. While the story might not be quite as cleanly executed as some of its predecessors, it has lots of notable strengths that set it apart from the rest. You take on the role of a teacher who must choose to lead one of three houses.
Every house offers a different feel and varying storylines, and since they have select students with unique personalities, Three Houses is particularly replayable. The combat is varied and challenging and controls like a dream with the Switch’s setup, making every move on the battlefield satisfyingly easy to map out using its classic grid-based system. And who doesn’t love a good tea party? That’s right. You get to bond with your students by sitting down for a nice cuppa. Is it any wonder this Switch exclusive is considered to be one of the best JRPGs ever made?
For more, read our Fire Emblem: Three Houses review.
5. Luigi's Mansion 3
Release date: October 31, 2019
Not only is Luigi's Mansion 3 one of the best-looking games on Switch, but it's also a wonderful, memorable adventure. Instead of a mansion, as the title implies, it's all about a spooky hotel this time around. Each floor offers a different theme, and puzzles to solve as you work towards rescuing your friends from the evil hotel owner Hellen Gravely and King Boo, who've taken over the hotel and are making your life a living nightmare.
It's quirky, involves switching between Luigi and the now-famous Gooigi to help you access otherwise off-limits areas, and is beautifully animated. Full of charm, Luigi's Mansion 3 is going to go down as one of the best Nintendo Switch exclusives of all time.
For more on this classic, check out our Luigi's Mansion 3 review.
4. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Release date: March 20, 2020
Fancy jetting away to your own island paradise? Well, that's just what Tom Nook and co are offering with Animal Crossing: New Horizons. You'll be gifted - for a fee, of course - your very own deserted island, and it's down to you to transform it from quiet getaway to a bustling locale, filled with friends old and new.
With new features, like crafting and terraforming, later updates introduced diving and cooking to island life, and the launch of a paid DLC that brings some Happy Home Design goodness to the adventure means there's plenty to see and do in New Horizons. But the game also thrives on the gentle ticking of real-world time, meaning nothing is hurried or rushed, and playing Animal Crossing just becomes part of your daily routine. If you ever needed a break from reality, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons is here to deliver.
You can read our Animal Crossing: New Horizons review for more information before signing all your Bells over to Tom Nook.
3. Super Smash Bros Ultimate
Release date: December 7, 2018
With every character, stage, and piece of music to ever appear in a Smash Bros game, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate lives up to its title. Just balancing the fighter roster – which boasts more than 70 characters at launch and has more planned – is a monumental achievement, but this goes even further with more combat items and summonable Pokemon than ever before, all helping to make the series' anarchic multi-character battles more majestically chaotic than ever.
Throw in new modes – such as the elimination tournament of Smashdown or team-based Squad Strike – and a lengthy single-player narrative campaign, World of Light, and this instantly claims the crown as the definitive Smash Bros game. Expect to see this as a fixture of everything from house parties to professional fighting game tournaments for years to come.
Read our Super Smash Bros Ultimate review for more Nintendo fighting action.
2. Super Mario Odyssey
Release date: October 27, 2017
Super Mario Odyssey is a huge evolution for the core Mario series, but one so masterfully presented that you might complete the game before noticing one of the biggest changes: the unusually agile plumber never chomps down on a single power-up mushroom. If such core elements are removed, it might ruin other games, but Odyssey redefines Mario's adventures so brilliantly that their absence barely registers. Instead, players are joined by Cappy, a living hat allowing Mario to possess enemies and gain their abilities.
It's an entirely new way to play, but mere minutes into Mario's globe-trotting adventure – one that takes in some of the most inventive, charming, and challenging worlds in the character's 37-year history – and it feels indispensable. More than a world tour, though, Super Mario Odyssey is a love letter to Mario fans, with sections honoring his 2D platforming roots, plenty of in-jokes for long-time players, and even a swinging musical number delivered by classic character Pauline. It's one of the best Mario games ever made and a must-have for any Switch owner.
Read our five-star Super Mario Odyssey review for more information.
1. Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Release date: March 3, 2017
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is as big a revolution for Zelda as Ocarina of Time was when it debuted back on N64. Perhaps bigger, in fact – while the 1998 classic brought the series into the third dimension, it retained the same structure as earlier 2D Zelda games. Breath of the Wild rethinks everything, abandoning the usual eight major dungeons and relatively linear progression that had defined the series from its inception. In their place are more than 100 smaller shrines, each with a unique puzzle to solve or combat challenges to overcome.
Chances are, you'll spend longer simply exploring than immediately pursuing the nefarious Ganondorf, but that freedom is a huge part of the appeal – this is Zelda by way of Skyrim, with a truly open world there to get lost in. That the structural overhaul is joined by one of the most well-rounded stories in the series' history helps elevate the package. At the same time, the jaw-dropping visuals and versatile blend of melee combat and magical abilities cement it as a timeless classic. Of course, once you've wrapped up the first adventure, it's also well worth checking out the follow-up, Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
For more details on our top Switch exclusive, check out our Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild review.
Want to know more about the must-haves on Switch? Check out our pick of the best two-player Switch games, or head on over to our upcoming Switch games list to see which ones to add to your wishlist.
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