Top 100 / Best Indie Action Games on Nintendo Switch

Showing 1 to 50 of 100 total entries

DAVE THE DIVER

Astoundingly varied and deep, dripping with funky charm, and both challenging and approachable. It’s fantastic

Neon White

Right out of the gate, the highest compliment I can pay Neon White is how quickly its tight controls and smart design ca...

The Messenger

Possibly one of the best retro console titles I've ever played, The Messenger actually feels like a collection of multip...

Celeste

While not a game I formally reviewed for the system this is one of those titles that can't be omitted since it is both t...

Katana ZERO

Katana Zero was absolutely one of the best games of 2019 and I’d be shocked it if didn’t end up in my Top 10 (and those...

BZZZT

A colorful and tightly-controlled blast of old-school-meets-new-school platforming action

Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon

Original, brilliantly designed, varied, challenging, and loads of fun the Shovel Knight series has shaken up the action puzzler genre nicely

Neva

Another visual feast of an adventure, though not as successful as its older sibling GRIS

Nuclear Blaze

A creative take on a puzzle platforming adventure that’s challenging but fair, and has plenty of secrets to discover along the way

Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration

Far more than a mere collection of well-known games, Atari 50 sets the standard for chronicling the history of an icon

SteamWorld Dig 2

Widely, and quite deservedly, regarded as the best one of the best early indie games on the Switch (though perhaps St...

Sacre Bleu

A precision platformer with a unique feel, as well as plenty of combat tricks up its sleeve that make for fun improvisation

Anomaly Agent

A side-scrolling beat-em-up / platformer with some retro flair, great moves, and some surprises

Teslagrad Remastered

Taking the masterfully-made original to spruce it up a little and add some additional challenges makes a great game better

Shatter Remastered Deluxe

If you’ve been looking for the best brick breaker on the Switch, look no further… this is it

SpiderHeck

Frantic multiplayer action you can enjoy online or with friends in co-op or competitive modes

Midnight Fight Express

If you’ve ever dreamt of a beat-em-up that would effectively flow and feel like John Wick this gets really close

Zombie Rollerz: Pinball Heroes

While I’ll open by admitting that, in general, any game with the word Pinball in the title gets my attention, in the cas...

Super Mombo Quest

There’s nothing quite as satisfying in the indie games space than to stumble onto something that immediately feels prett...

Spelunky 2

It’s always a bit tricky to release both an original game and its sequel at the same time, but in the case of Spelunky 2...

Space Otter Charlie

It’s always a joy to play a new indie title that you’ve never heard of or seen that immediately grabs you, and for me Sp...

Pumpkin Jack

Ah, tis the season for games that deliver at least a spooky feel, even though I’ll acknowledge more often than not Hallo...

Horace

Horace is an odd title in that much like the title character robot of the same name it is quite unassuming and humble bu...

ScourgeBringer

There’s something about ScourgeBringer that deep down brings back my nostalgia for being in an arcade, pumping quarters ...

Shantae and the Seven Sirens

While I’m a relatively recent fan of the Shantae series, having just been introduced to it in the collection release on ...

KUNAI

Kunai was a title that left me excited but a bit uncertain from its PAX demo last year. I loved the look, and the abilit...

Shovel Knight: King of Cards

While I haven’t formally reviewed any of the previous Shovel Knight games I’ve been a quiet fan of the series since it s...

Ape Out

As someone who loves playing things that are different and a bit daring, Ape Out has easily shot out as one of the games...

Guacamelee! 2

While I really enjoyed the original Guacamelee I actually thought it got a bit more hype than it deserved overall. Whate...

Mark of the Ninja: Remastered

While it may be a port of an older title I can't say that I've played any other game that has nailed making stealthy pla...

Hyper Light Drifter -Special Edition

The first thing to know is that the only way to digest the game’s story is through still images and small in-game moment...

Flat Heroes

While it may look visually pretty simple, featuring geometric shapes for the most part and a very clean design, the game...

Shantae: Half-Genie Hero Ultimate Edition

Oddly up until this year I'd only consistently heard good things about Shantae but I'd never had the chance to indulge f...

Super Meat Boy

One of the original poster children of brutally challenging platforming is now on the Switch and he's as tough as ever. ...

Pinball FX3

While the base game hit the eShop in 2017, the periodic release of new table packs has kept this retro gaming engine ver...

Swordship

Fan of arcade-like intensity and a tough-but-fair level of challenge should really dig this unique roguelike dodge-em-up

The Legend of Tianding

While there have been quite a number of side-scrolling action/brawlers this year, for the most part they’ve bee...

CATO: Buttered Cat

Cute and clever puzzle platforming that delivers a consistently satisfying challenge

Pepper Grinder

An absolute banger of a wildly different take on platforming, though if you’re challenge averse it may be overwhelming

Lords of Exile

A throwback to the classic likes of Castlevania and others with a few modern flourishes

Donut Dodo

Rocking vibes from multiple arcade classics, Donut Dodo is an excellent and challenging remix

Will You Snail?

A worthy discussion that has come up in recent years has to do with accessibility and whether games that are inherent...

Death's Door

Opening with a pretty minimal understanding of what’s going on, Death’s Door gets off to a bit of a rocky...

Splasher

While anyone and everyone looking at it saw a 2D Splatoon of some kind the kinetic and deep gameplay give Splasher a ...

Gunbrella

There’s no doubt that it does some things differently, and there’s merit to that, but Gunbrella just falls short of next-level greatness

Marble It Up! Ultra

Delivers pretty well what you’d want to see in a follow-up with added features, unlockables, secrets, and challenges

PAC-MAN MUSEUM+

Having grown up spending far too much time and money in the arcades of old, the Pac-Man series is near and dear to my...

Super Mega Zero

There’s something to be said for indie games that, at a glance, may feel like they’re taking shortcuts, b...

New Super Lucky's Tale

A great example of how the 3D Mascot Platformer style is still alive and thriving

Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines

Builds on the already excellent play of the original by adding a new distinct character and approachable challenges

Showing 1 to 50 of 100 total entries

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