Top 100 / Best Indie Action Games on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2

Showing 1 to 50 of 100 total entries

Hades

OK, so I’ll admit the folks at Supergiant Games (behind the favorites Bastion and Transistor in particular) had me with ...

DAVE THE DIVER

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

Orbitals

Another brilliant, and incredibly varied, co-op title to enjoy with a friend, with a gobsmackingly-good and highly-memorable visual style

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...

Super Meat Boy 3D

For fans of brutally-tough platforming, this 3D incarnation of everyone’s favorite bloody glob of meat more than delivers, with plenty of variety, secrets, and maybe some periodic crying…

BZZZT

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

SteamWorld Heist: Ultimate Edition

With multiple skill levels available SteamWorld Heist is a game that anyone, from a tactical strategy newbie to a griz...

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

Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime

While it is certainly playable, enjoyable, and challenging as a single-player game where Lovers really shines is in p...

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...

Skul: The Hero Slayer

As a die hard fan of roguelikes perhaps it isn’t surprising that I’ve found Skul to be a great challenge and a good bit ...

Lost in Random

Full disclosure, up front I’ll admit that I’ve always tended to be fond of games from the Zoink crew, in particular find...

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 ...

Indivisible

Probably one of the things I appreciate most in an indie game is for it to surprise me, and with its unwillingness to be...

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...

Heave Ho

While having played so many indie games on the Switch is interesting and exposes you to all sorts of takes on multiple g...

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...

Denshattack!

Part Tony Hawk, part Crazy Taxi, and part roller coaster ride, this is a high-intensity action title that packs in a ton of fun and surprises

SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance

While perhaps not every idea works as well as the others, this blend of homage to the past and refined modern touches is easy to get invested in

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...

Zombie Rollerz: The Last Ship

Combining elements of strategy, action, and roguelike randomness, there’s plenty of chaos to enjoy here

Elementallis

With consistently well-designed dungeons and plenty of secrets to discover, this is a fantastic throwback to the likes of Link to the Past and other top-down classics

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

Tunic

Undoubtedly the most well-crafted “tough Zelda” game out there, with tons to discover and learn (usually the hard way)

Showing 1 to 50 of 100 total entries

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