Best Indie Games On Nintendo Switch 2023

Want to find out what are the best indie games on Nintendo Switch? Check out this list of the best Switch indie games in 2023!

Narrowing down the best indie games on Nintendo Switch is no small task in 2024!

Now several years removed from its launch, the console has built up an impressive library of both Nintendo exclusives and third-party games.

In this list, we’ll explore the best indie games on Nintendo Switch you can play right now.

We encourage you to check back in the future to see new recommendations for the best Switch indie games in 2024!

Related:Best Upcoming Nintendo Switch Games 2023Best Upcoming Indie Games 2023 (And Beyond)The Best Nintendo Switch Accessories (2023 Reviews)

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To get started, our first recommendation for the best Switch indie games is the retro-inspired JRPG Chained Echoes.

Set in a unique fantasy sci-fi world, it follows a group of heroes on a quest to end an ongoing war between three rivaling kingdoms.

Throughout the journey, you’ll meet a host of compelling characters, manage your party’s equipment and skills, and prove your might in turn-based battles.

Rendered in beautiful pixel art graphics, A Space for the Unbound is a slice-of-life adventure game set in late 90s rural Indonesia.

Tackling heavy themes of anxiety and depression, it chronicles the relationship between a boy and girl granted supernatural powers.

It’s hard to say anymore without spoiling parts of the story, so just trust us when we say this is an absolute must-play for indie fans and Switch owners alike.

Developed and published by Rose City Games, Floppy Knights is one of the best indie RPGs on Nintendo Switch.

Fusing card mechanics with tactical gameplay, it sees you guiding a brilliant inventor and her robot-arm best friend through challenging turn-based battles.

Along the way, you’ll meet and recruit a colorful cast of Knights while honing your deck and devising the perfect strategies for each encounter.

If you’re in the mood for a fun golf game with a clever dungeon-crawling twist, look no further than Cursed to Golf.

In it, you assume control of a seasoned golfer who lands himself in Golf Purgatory after being struck by lightning.

To make it out, players must navigate tricky golf-themed dungeons packed with insane hazards, otherworldly power-ups, and challenging opponents.

Moving along, Card Shark is a critically-acclaimed indie Switch game about double-crossing snobby aristocrats using wit and deception.

Taking on the role of a lowly commoner, you’ll cheat your way to the top of 18th-century French society using clever tricks to win card games.

As you climb the social ladder, the stakes for failure become increasingly high, with opponents keeping a watchful eye over how you shuffle and deal cards.

TOEM is a standout indie gem on Nintendo Switch that combines photography and hidden object gameplay.

In it, you follow an inquisitive photographer as they set off on an adventure to catalog the mysterious creatures that inhabit their hand-drawn black-and-white world.

Along the way, you’ll get to meet a host of quirky characters and photograph unique subjects under special conditions.

Guybrush makes a bold comeback in Return to Monkey Island, the first new entry in the nostalgic adventure game series created by Ron Gilbert in over a decade.

Picking up after the ending of LeChuck’s Revenge, the game follows Guybrush’s journey to discover the secret of Monkey Island once and for all.

Much like its predecessors, Return to Monkey Island centers on classic point-and-click gameplay wherein players explore locations to solve puzzles.

If you’re looking for a fun 2D fighter on Nintendo Switch, Them’s Fightin’ Herds puts a unique twist on the genre and comes courtesy of Mane6 and Modus Games.

In it, players pick from a cast of adorable cartoon animals and face off in cute and chaotic hoof-to-hoof showdowns.

The game’s streamlined combat is centered around 4-button inputs with light and heavy attacks, magic abilities, supers, and juggling.

Cult of the Lamb’s devilishly cute hand-drawn visuals operate in direct contrast to its dark and disturbing themes of satanic worship and growing a cult.

Despite this, the Switch indie game manages to be fun at every turn by combining the best parts of colony sims and action roguelikes.

This makes it a must-play for anyone who enjoys cute games with a darker edge to them or managing resources while growing settlements.

Our next suggestion for the best indie games on Nintendo Switch is A Little to the Left, a cozy puzzle game about organizing household objects.

Each puzzle has you sorting, stacking, and arranging everyday objects while keeping an eye out for a mischievous cat that will try to interfere.

There are over 75 puzzles to solve using the game’s intuitive and surprisingly tactile controls.

Carrying on, TUNIC is an indie Soulslike Metroidvania that’s heavily influenced by games like Zelda as well as Dark Souls.

Played from an isometric perspective, it has you guiding an adorable fox hero through vibrant environments collecting pages and battling foes.

This game features some of the toughest bossfights, requiring you to memorize enemy attack patterns and leverage both melee and magic attacks.

Anyone who enjoyed the original Rogue Legacy and wants more Metroidvania action is welcome to pick up the sequel on Nintendo Switch.

Much like its predecessor, Rogue Legacy 2 casts you as a hero with special traits that pass down a family tree anytime you die.

The sequel refines its procedural generation system to create more varied level layouts as well as better weapon and enemy type diversity.

One of the biggest indie surprises of 2021, Inscryption is a fantastic roguelike deckbuilder with satisfying progression and a dash of unsettling atmosphere.

In it, you take on the role of a prisoner forced to play a sadistic card game against an unhinged host with multiple personas shrouded entirely in darkness.

The main gameplay component is card-based battling using animals as vessels for violence, though you’ll also encounter escape-room puzzles that reveal new cards.

Leveraging a colorful pastel aesthetic, Melatonin is a unique rhythm game about dreams and reality merging into one.

Relying on animations and sound cues to guide the player, it sees you harmonizing through dreamy hand-drawn levels referencing the main character’s life.

Each one introduces its own set of mini-games that can be adjusted for more or less of a challenge using optional assists as well as a dedicated “Hard mode.”

Coming courtesy of Hiding Spot and Fellow Traveller, Beacon Pines is a story-driven adventure game about cute woodland creatures and a mysterious book.

Playing as both the reader of the book and its main character, Luka, you’ll embark on a magical adventure filled with new friends and hidden truths to uncover.

As events unfold in the story, the game gives you the option to go back and change your choices to see how each situation may have played out.

Next up on our list of the best indie games on Nintendo Switch is the fast-paced FPS platformer Neon White.

The story centers on a hell-bound assassin competing against other demon slayers for a shot at life in heaven.

The game stands out for its innovative card mechanics that require you to collect and cycle between different attacks on the fly while navigating open environments.

OlliOlli World is the latest installment in the bright and colorful arcade skateboarding series by Roll7 Studio.

In it, players are cast as young skaters looking to dominate Radlandia, a skate paradise teeming with colorful ramps, gaps, and grind rails begging to be shredded.

Rivaling the game’s cartoony aesthetic is a host of dazzling tricks and combos to perform while navigating vibrant 2.5D levels.

Having won several awards for its gameplay and writing, Hades is an absolute must-play for anyone looking to play the best roguelike games on Switch.

In it, you play as the son of Hades on a mission to escape the underworld and your father’s controlling nature by any means necessary.  

To do so, you’ll have to arm yourself with a host of melee and ranged weapons capable of standing toe-to-toe with otherworldly foes.

If you’re looking for a fun and relaxing game to kick back and play on your Switch, Stardew Valley is one of the best options out there.

Taking its cues from genre greats like Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing, it sees you getting back in touch with nature while restoring your grandfather’s old farm.

When you’re not up to your knees in seeds, you’ll make your way around town getting to know the residents of Stardew, quirky traits and all.

Our final entry needs no introduction as it’s one of the best indie games on Nintendo Switch that combines Metroidvania exploration with brutal Soulslike combat.

In Hollow Knight, you assume control of a tiny sword-wielding bug on a quest to explore a mysterious underground kingdom inhabited by other formidable insects.

Combat is unforgiving by design, forcing you to learn enemy attack patterns, leverage different abilities and tools, and devise your own strategies for beating each boss.

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Justin Fernandez

As a fan of both indie and triple-A games, Justin finds joy in discovering and sharing hidden gems with other passionate gamers. In addition to reporting on the latest and greatest titles, he manages GamingScan’s social media channels.

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