Taking the mantle from the PS Vita, the Nintendo Switch has become something of an indie powerhouse.
While Nintendo is known for its phenomenal first-part titles, players, like myself, are flocking to the system to check out the latest and greatest indie titles.
With that in mind, here is (what I think) are the 10 best indie games you can play on the Nintendo Switch right now.
- MORE INDIES – Nintendo Indie World Announces 2020’s Best-Selling Indie titles on Switch
Hades – Launch Trailer – Nintendo Switch
Honourable mentions
Obviously, there are far more than ten fantastic indie games on Nintendo’s hybrid console, so, with that in mind, here are some of my favourites that just missed out on the cut.
- Baba is You
- Battle Chef Brigade
- Cuphead
- Dicey Dungeons
- Donut County
- Into the Breach
- Snippeclips
- Steamworld Dig 2
- Undertale
- War Groove
- Yes, Your Grace
With those in mind – here is my official top 10.
10. Star Renegades
Those who have read any of my articles over the last nine months will know that I’m a big fan of Star Renegades.
It offers something different from many other games on this list. Despite still falling into the rogue-lite genre, the game incorporates some really interesting combat mechanics, a beautiful world and an engaging gameplay look.
You can check out my official Star Renegades review, in which I scored the game a 9/10.
9. Golf Story
I’ve only recently completed Golf Story, despite the game launching on the Nintendo Switch back in 2017, and what a joy it is.
The game is part golf-sim, part RPG with an insane story and interesting characters to boot. There are some pacing issues, but overall, it’s a game that really took me by surprise.
8. Crypt of the Necrodancer/Cadence of Hyrule
Speaking of games that took me by surprise, Crypt of the Necrodancer is a big part of that club.
It’s something is an adventure game and rhythm title that forces players to hop around to the beat of the music, fighting enemies and proceeding through dungeons.
It’s incredibly creative and I’ve not played anything quite like it since – except for Cadence of Hyrule – a Zelda themed spinoff which is equally as good.
7. Celeste
The next two places are going to be slightly controversial, however, it’s not a slight on the quality of games, far from it, instead it’s credit to how much fun I had with everything else on the list.
Celeste is an extremely tight platforming masterclass with a touching story to go with it. It’s punishing in all the right places and played across a beautiful world.
It’s definitely a must play.
6. Hades
Make no mistake, Hades is a fantastic game. It won DualShockers‘ GOTY last year! For me, it didn’t quite hit the lofty heights of some other games but my goodness, I still had a blast.
A compelling story, surprisingly likeable characters and beautiful environments are all tied together with some incredibly slick gameplay.
If you own a switch, you should definitely own Hades.
5. Dead Cells
There’s no denying that the indie pixel-art, rogue-lite market is a saturated one but Dead Cells is as close to perfection as you’re going to get across all of these genres.
A great difficulty balance and incredibly addictive gameplay loop kept me coming back for a very long time.
4. Darkest Dungeon
All of these next few games could have topped my list on any given day and this was a very tough choice.
Darkest Dungeon is probably the hardest game on this list. It’s an insanely dark and atmospheric RPG that forces players to deal with some of the most realistic and eldritch of horrors.
3. Slay the Spire
There are only five Nintendo Switch games I’ve put over 150 hours into. Breath of the Wild, Pokemon Shield, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, one game that will be higher on this list and Slay the Spire.
The game is a super addictive deckbuilding rogue-like in which players work their way through a variety of dungeons with a range of characters building decks and slaying enemies.
Each card is well thought out, allowing players, should they choose correctly, to create a range of combos that can decimate the enemy. I love this game.
2. Hollow Knight
For me, Hollow Knight is one of the best looking and most atmospheric games ever made.
Dark environments are coupled with a stunning art style and subtle music tracks which all help to paint a picture of a desolate struggling world.
While the environment alone is enough for me to recommend Hollow Knight, the gameplay is also fantastic. It falls into the Metroidvania genre of games and is equal parts challenging and moreish.
1. Stardew Valley
As you can probably guess, Stardew Valley is the other Switch title that I’ve personally spent over 150 hours on.
I’m sure you don’t need me to explain what Stardew is but think Animal Crossing with an old school Harvest Moon story.
It’s a great, addictive game that is a must for every Switch owner.
The post The 10 Best Indie Games on Nintendo Switch – May 2021 by Sam Woods appeared first on DualShockers.