Fancy something a little different to play this weekend? Check out our list of the most underrated games on Nintendo Switch!
The Switch has tonnes of titles, both from Indie and Major developers. And, quite often, some of the ones that should be super successful slip under the radar.
Whether they didn’t have tonnes of backing at launch or just didn’t hit audiences the right way first time around, these games have ended up cowering in the shadows of the more popular players.
We’re here to right that wrong and bring them to the masses!
Check out our favourite unsung heroes of the Switch below and treat yourself to a new gaming experience today!
Table of Contents
1. Ghost Of A Tale (2020)
The results are in, and Ghost Of A Tale is officially the most underrated Nintendo Switch game.
It’s one of the most Zelda-esque games on the console and also happens to be one of my favourite games of all time.
Not that I’m biased, or anything…
If you’re a fan of stealthy sneaking, side quests, collecting, and mice that need your help, then you’ll fight at home here in Dwindling Heights.
Players take Tilo the Minstrel mouse on a quest to find and save his beloved wife.
You’ll need to find different costumes to blend in, throw bottles at guards to sneak past them, and generally use your witts to stay alive.
With secrets aplenty and lots of memorable mouse characters and risky rat business to delve into, you’ll find Ghost of a Tale really hard to put down!
2. Astral Chain (2019)
Astral Chain just missed out on the top spot in our most underrated Nintendo Switch games by the tip of a tail.
One of our best Anime games on Switch, this title sees players taking control of a group off special forces soldiers in charge of protecting the planet from aliens.
The end of the world is literally pouring in through a dimension gate, and the ordinary forces can’t do anything to stop it!
Looks like it’s down to you and you alone, then!
Just look at those graphics in that still above. A robot wolf makes Midna riding around on Link look pretty poor, right?
This game looks and feels like a Jet Force Gemini remake in 2019, which is exactly what the world is short of in my opinion.
Work alongside your twin (I guess it’s not just down to you then!) as you fight to take down aliens at every turn.
Seriously, the fact that you can ride a mecca-wolf should make this one of the most popular games on the planet. Everyone should definitely buy a copy STAT!
3. Descenders (2020)
Few sports games have as much tension as Descenders.
Ok, I know many of you will argue that Fifa can get tense at times, but come on… this is serious extreme sports we’re talking about here.
And just look at the graphics too! Why does this game not get more attention!
I think the main reason that more people don’t play Descenders is because of how hard it is. This isn’t an easy game to master, and those lacking in patience might get a little frustrated.
If I’m being honest, you do need to get in-depth with the physics of downhill biking to get the most out of this game.
But hey, we spend ages messing around with settings on Mario Kart, so there’s no reason why we can’t do this too, right?
Increase your reputation in the downhill world as you pull off epic moves while soaring over slopes and hillbombs.
It’s also got the best game soundtrack since THPS2 too!
4. PHOGS (2020)
PHOGS takes the 4th spot on our list of the most underrated Nintendo Switch games!
Can you remember the cartoon ‘CatDog’?
Well, in PHOGS, the premise is pretty much the same, except it’s ‘DogDog’.
In a weird double-headed dog-snake hybrid linked by a stretchy torso, players take Red and Blue through a world with Spyro and Glover influences.
Talk about a confusing sentence to both read and write!
As you might have guessed with two dogs linked with a belly, players need to work together while moving through the game’s 24 levels.
The Phoggyverse has some incredible worlds too; snap up tasty treats in Food World, stroll through the tranquil sights of Sleep World, and stretch your way through a retro arcade in Play World!
Whoever said dog days were over, eh?
5. Cyber Shadow (2021)
Cyber Shadow has the perfect blend of modern gameplay styles with that classic retro look.
It looks like Metroid but runs super smooth. And the best thing is that your eyes don’t bleed when playing it up on the TV!
Leap over dangers, navigate mazes, and unlock secrets in this exciting ninja game.
Wait… a Ninja game?
Yep; Shadow is a Ninja in a world where synthetic lifeforms rule. Unlock new abilities as you play through the game that will help you to take down the humongous bosses you encounter.
We’re talking R-Type style mammoth monsters here!
If you’re looking for a super slick, 8-bit influenced side-scroller, then look no further. This is one of the most exciting games to play in handheld mode while kicking back on the sofa.
Ditch Netflix and inject some Cyber Shadow into your life!
6. Dragon Quest Builders 2 (2018)
Ever since Minecraft first dropped into our lives, block building games have been high up the list of go-to games for a lazy Sunday afternoon. Dragon Quest Builders 2 falls right into that category!
This game is essentially an RPG title with the ability to just explore and go wild. Make your own world as you train from an apprentice builder to a true creator.
There’s a faction of evil cretins that worships destruction coming after you and the world.
So while you’re learning to be a great builder, there’s the added stress of someone trying to undo everything you’ve created. No pressure, right?
Add into the mix a child who has lost all of his memories, and you’ve got an intriguing storyline filled with mystery, tension, and endless imagination.
I don’t know why DQB2 isn’t more popular. Now, as one of the officially most underrated Nintendo Switch games, it’s our job to change that!
7. Yooka Laylee And The Impossible Lair (2019)
I liked the premise of the first Yooka Laylee game for around 2 hours. It was too much of a Banjo-Kazooie copy to really get on board with, but it also felt unnecessarily complicated.
Yooka Laylee And The Impossible Lair, however, mixes things up a little, bringing gameplay more akin to Donkey Kong Country and Kirby’s Dream Land.
And you know what… it’s epic!
I dropped you a little sneaky teaser earlier when I said that this game had Donkey Kong Country vibes. Some of the team behind that great game actually got on board for The Impossible Lair.
No wonder it’s good!
Yooka and Laylee still work together in perfect harmony like they did in the first game and their forebears from the good-old Rare days. This time, they’re 2.5D in a 3D overworld.
And trust me, the game is better for it.
8. Steamworld Dig 2 (2017)
Next up on our list of the most underrated Nintendo Switch games is Steamworld Dig 2, a game where all the magic happens below the surface!
If you’re a big fan of Metroidvania style games, then you’re in a for a treat here. Throw a bit of Terraria and LittleBigPlanet into the mix too, and you get platform mining adventure like no other.
We’ll, it is like the award-winning SteamWorld Dig, and that was a cracking title!
Your mission is to search for your lost friend in a world deep under the surface.
Players take a lonely steambot on an adventure underground, exploring all the riches and dangers that lie in wait.
Steamworld Dig 2 is one of those titles where you need to stay on your toes. Things can go south very quickly, and you can easily spend too much time focusing on the scenery instead of keeping your eye on the ball…
Or bot, in this case.
9. Arms (2017)
Arms got a bit of a bad rep when it first came out, but I have no idea why.
We all loved Wii Boxing; working up a sweat while laying the smackdown on your mates was always super fun, and Arms brought more of the same feels to the table.
This time, with custom fighters boasting springy arms.
The graphics are ace in Arms, and the gameplay is both fast paced and entertaining for hours on end.
Use the motion controls to swerve punches and hit your opponent where it hurts. Swerve, duck, dive, and even jump into the air and smash down from on high.
The levels and courses are all interesting too; fighting on a trampoline in a haunted house never gets old!
10. Golf With Your Friends (2020)
Golf With Your Friends kickstarts this list of underrated Nintendo Switch games, a game that really deserves to be up there with all the great multiplayer titles.
Seriously, this game provides endless hours of fun. And it’s pretty mad too!
From smacking a golf ball wearing a wizard’s hat and leaving a Tron-like trail behind it to moving through courses inspired by the Worms games and prehistoric times, there’s so much to see and do.
Aim your ball, set the power meter, and watch it fly through obstacles designed to trick and ensnare you.
I did one level recently where you had to hit your ball into suction pipes before flying over ramps and rising blocks.
Needless to say that I didn’t make Par… I think the level timed out before I even got to the hole!
Play online or with friends on the same sofa in true Nintendo style!
