Top 10 Adventure Games on the Nintendo Switch
Adventure games put players in a variety of situations that improve their decision making abilities. Whether it’s battling monsters or solving puzzles, these titles have players exploring new worlds and taking on the role of a hero.
Pixel graphics have been traded in for a smooth, watercolor-like art style in this game. It’s one of the most laid back adventures on the Switch.
1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a game that both reclaims Nintendo’s revered franchise and takes it into unexplored territory. It is the first main game in the series to truly embrace modern open world play.
Instead of dictating what you should do, the game gives you a massive map full of a variety of towns and shrines to explore, imaginative monsters to fight and secrets hiding under rocks and in old ruins.
2. Hollow Knight
When it comes to making a Metroidvania, few games get it quite as right as Hollow Knight. This harrowing insect kingdom, the debut of Australian developers Team Cherry, doesn’t bother with exposition and instead lets its curious spaces tell you their own tales.
Explore a vast interconnected world of twisting caverns, ancient cities and deadly wastelands; battle tainted creatures and befriend bizarre bugs; and unravel an age-old mystery at its core.
3. Fe
Fe, developed by Zoink and published by EA under the EA Originals label, is a beautiful, serene adventure game set in a Nordic forest. You use your ability to sing to interact with the world around you, and each song unlocks a new animal or flower that changes how you move through this beautiful game.
Without the ability to fight, you must rely on stealth to avoid enemies, using small black bushes as cover or scurrying up nearby trees. The ethereal soundtrack and world are both a joy to explore.
4. Transistor
With a gorgeous audiovisual style, unconventional science fiction narrative and empowering combat system, Transistor is an absorbing indie adventure. It is the second game from Supergiant Games and showcases the studio’s renowned ambitions.
The game starts off with Red kneeling by a dead man’s corpse clutching an extraordinary sword called the Transistor. As she makes her way out of the district, she finds herself in conflict with a hostile military intelligence called the Process.
5. Okami
This classic took the world by storm when it first launched on PS2 over a decade ago. Featuring ukiyo-e style graphics and the Celestial Brush (a paintbrush that can perform miracles), Okami is a treat for the eyes.
It’s also a delight to play. Whether you’re sprinting through Nippon with riotous blooms bursting around you or fighting tooth and claw against demons, Okami makes you feel like a god.
6. Super Mario Odyssey
Taking advantage of the Switch’s powerful hardware, Super Mario Odyssey offers a huge range of worlds to explore. You traverse each kingdom with Cappy, the sentient cap that lets you possess enemies and objects.
You’ll find some real twists and turns in each world, which are complemented by a smart design. For example, death coins have genuine consequences for your progress, unlike 3D Mario games of the past.
7. Luigi’s Mansion 3
With its spooky charm and endlessly creative puzzles, Luigi’s Mansion 3 is one of the best adventure games on Nintendo Switch. Next Level Games took what worked from Dark Moon and added new twists to deliver a game that’s a pleasure to explore.
Polterpup, Luigi and the others get invited to stay at an art deco hotel run by Helen Gravely and her spectral staff. But the enchanted hotel is not what it seems.
8. Chicory: A Colorful Tale
Chicory is a small, thoughtful adventure game that tackles some big themes. Its main story is enough to keep you hooked, but there’s also plenty of side content and inventive paint mechanics to enjoy.
This Zelda-like game has a unique control system that allows players to use a brush with different colors and powers to interact with the world. It can be played with touch or motion controls, and in local co-op.
9. Paper Mario: Origami King
Paper Mario: The Origami King is another delightful twist on the series. It combines all the usual elements of RPGs like long adventures and vast stories with humor and charm.
This time around, players can explore a paper world and battle evil Folded Soldiers as well as repair the ravaged landscape with Olivia. Even though the game’s combat system is a little bland, its other gameplay features make it a worthwhile purchase.
10. Legends: Arceus
The embargo on Pokemon Legends: Arceus lifts today, and early assessments have been raving about the new entry in Nintendo’s beloved franchise. Gone are series stalwarts like gym battles and obstacle-clearing special moves in favor of an open structure that looks more closely related to Monster Hunter Stories than Breath of the Wild.
This is an ambitious game that challenges core Pokemon design with a fresh approach. That said, it’s marred by technical issues like stuttering, regular pop-in, and so-so frame rates.
