A couple of games on the Nintendo Switch have dominated the console over the last year, most notably The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. It goes without saying that there are a lot of other great games on the Switch, and most of them are overlooked and can be purchased at a budget price. Here are 20 games that you might have missed that may be worth adding to your collection.
Read our list of the games you might have missed in 2022 while you are here! If you are feeling really retro, check out our 2021 list as well.
Pixel Cup Soccer
$16.99 on the eShop
Who Is It For? So this came out just before 2023 started, but I didn’t get a chance to include it on last year’s list and it deserves mention. Any soccer fan who feels discouraged by the lack of authentic soccer games on the Nintendo Switch will at least want to try Pixel Cup Soccer. There hasn’t been a proper FIFA game in years, and even the few games that the Switch got early on were lacking in almost every way. On the arcade front, we have Captain Tsubasa and Mario Strikers, but they might not scratch the itch that soccer enthusiasts have. Pixel Cup Soccer is a retro-inspired soccer game that might be simple but feels feature-packed and is made with love. There are a surprising amount of features in Pixel Cup Soccer, including a career mode, tournaments, multiple leagues, and cooperative and competitive play with up to 8 players. Players will also find all of the little neat aspects of a proper soccer game, including penalty kicks, yellow and red cards, substitutions, and even player temperament. It’s not a big-budget title, but Pixel Cup Soccer offers a lot that the Switch simply didn’t have before.
Grammarian Ltd
$9.99 on the eShop
Who Is It For? Grammarian Ltd is recommended to people looking to improve their grammar or just want a fun educational game in general. We only recommend this game to fluent English readers, though. The language used in the briefs is not meant for English as a Second Language learners as it’s quite detailed. This would make a great game for high school and early college students if they want to expand their grammar knowledge. It’s neat, it’s different, and more importantly, it’s fun.
Read Serena’s full review of Grammarian Ltd here.
Kana Quest
$14.99 on the eShop
Who Is It For? This is the second game in a row for people who want to learn. While Grammarian LTD is focused on English, Kana Quest helps players to memorize kana, the most basic building block of the Japanese language. It’s not the deepest or most engaging gameplay, but the puzzles are actually challenging and will entertain the right kind of player. It should be clear that Kana Quest only helps players recognize kana. There is no kanji or grammar, so players will have to look elsewhere.
Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society
$49.99 on the eShop
Who Is It For? Labyrinth of Galleria and its predecessor are made for fans of dungeon-crawling RPGs. It offers a modernized take on the genre focusing on dungeon exploration and party-building. The game also incorporates quality-of-life features to mitigate some of the tedious mechanics that the genre is known for while still making the experience punishing. The artwork features excellent character and monster designs with stylish UI and solid textures, but the story and characters leave a lot to be desired.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure
$39.99 on the eShop
Who Is It For? The Legend of Heroes isn’t exactly an unknown series to hardcore JRPG fans, and that’s who this is for. More specifically, this acts as a lovely farewell to the Trails storyline. It goes without saying that players should put in the investment and start playing this series, with Trails From Zero, being the best starting point on Switch. When players catch up, they will understand why this is one of the best JRPG series in the last two decades.
Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly
$14.99 on the eShop
Who Is It For? Unsurprisingly, the sequel to Coffee Talk will appeal to fans of the original game and visual novels in general. Coffee Talk 2 is heavy on interactive storytelling and character-driven narratives, with the occasional opportunity to experiment with a brew or recipe. With its relaxing ambiance and cozy atmosphere Coffee Talk 2 is the perfect game to cozy up to on a rainy day.
Little Witch Nobeta
$49.99 on the eShop
Who Is It For? Little Witch Nobeta is here for fans of action-adventure games who enjoy challenging combat and exploration. With its anime and manga-inspired aesthetics it’s a nice little game for fans of vibrant graphics juxtaposed with a few dark themes. It’s certainly not an excellent game, but the gameplay is solid throughout. The shooting mechanics hold up, giving this a sort of Souls-like vibe with shooting instead of swords. It’s fun, but again, don’t expect a blockbuster.
God of Rock
$29.99 on the eShop
Who Is It For? God of Rock is a rhythm game with a lot of problems, but it’s still a neat rhythm game for music enthusiasts to try out. The game’s biggest fault is the presentation of the track, which scrolls horizontally instead of vertically. This makes getting into God of Rock difficult because of button mapping and the confusion that comes with it. Still, if players take the time to learn and get used to this clunky gem, they will find a truly unique competitive multiplayer experience. If anything, this is a solid building block for a potential sequel.
Sixtar Gate: STARTRAIL
$24.99 on the eShop
Who Is It For? Now this is a rhythm game that’s easy to recommend to fans of the genre who want an anime spin. If players are into the aesthetics, there is almost nothing to heavily critique. The music selection is diverse, the visuals are excellent, and the controls are tight. Multiple modes including a fully narrated story mode add to Sixtar Gate‘s replayability too. Fan of games like MUSYNX and Superbeat Xonic will feel right at home here.
Varney Lake
$9.99 on the eShop
Who Is It For? During my feature that spotlighted 38 games you might have missed in 2022, I mentioned Mothmen 1996 and said it is perfect for visual novel fans who love nostalgia. Varney Lake is the same. It is the second standalone game in the Pixelpulp series by LCB Game Studio and gives a nice coming-of-age story. It’s still atmospheric, has a gripping narrative, and features a few quality-of-life improvements over its predecessor.
Read Marcus’s full review of Varney Lake here.
No Place Like Home
$24.99 on the eShop
Who Is It For? No Place Like Home is made for players who enjoy farming sims and are not too concerned about minor bugs and some parts of the game feeling unfinished. Look, it’s hard to find something as polished as Stardew Valley and that’s okay. If you aren’t up for starting your 10th save file on Stardew Valley and helping Abigail eat rocks again, I recommend trying some of the solid, but not perfect games in the genre. No Place Like Home has plenty of content and is worth exploring. The post-apocalyptic theme is a refreshing change of pace, even if the gameplay isn’t innovative.
Labyrinth of Zangetsu
$16.99 on the eShop
Who Is It For? Players should consider playing Labyrinth of Zangetsu if they are fans of dungeon-crawler games and are looking for a challenging and entertaining experience. While the game may not offer anything particularly unique or groundbreaking within the genre, its appealing visuals and presentation provide a modern touch. The gameplay remains true to old-school dungeon-crawling mechanics, making it a solid choice for those who enjoy the highs of exploration and character progression. Labyrinth of Zangetsu serves as a budget-friendly option for dungeon-crawler enthusiasts until the sensational Etrian Odyssey games get a small discount on the Switch.
Mugen Souls
$16.99 on the eShop
Who Is It For? Mugen Souls is for players who enjoy over-the-top and quirky JRPG experiences. It’s a little heavy on the fanservice, and fans of Disgaea should vibe with the aesthetics. Like most of the games on this list, Mugen Souls is quite flawed, and really will only appeal to a niche crowd. Still, if you are the type who likes fanservice, customization, and old-school turn-based combat, Mugen Souls will be your thing.
Ghostpia
$19.99 on the eShop
Who Is It For? Ghostpia: Season One is a visual novel that would appeal to players who enjoy somber and atmospheric experiences on the Nintendo Switch. The game’s glitchy VHS-style visuals and thoughtful story set it apart from its peers. The controls are intuitive, and the ability to rewind episodes adds a quality-of-life feature that also suits the narrative.
Read Marcus’ full review of Ghostpia: Season One here.
Killer Frequency
$24.99 on the eShop
Who Is It For? Horror fans who enjoy immersive storytelling, puzzle-solving, and 1980s vibes will dig Killer Frequency. The game puts you in the role of Forrest Nash, a fallen-from-grace DJ who receives 911 calls and tries to save residents from a killer. The voice actors kill it, the narrative is exciting, and the puzzles are engaging and done in a neat way. Player choices have real consequences, and the residents that they try to save can die. Killer Frequency is short but memorable, making it one of my favorite horror games of the year so far.
Homebody
$19.99 on the eShop
Who Is It For? It’s been a good year for horror games and it isn’t even spooky season yet. Homebody is a horror game for players who enjoy atmospheric, puzzle-solving horror games with a touch of Groundhog Day. The balance between hide-and-seek horror and puzzle-solving is well-executed, making it enjoyable for players who may typically find such games frustrating. You will die in it, but that’s part of the charm as you work your way through Homebody. It feels a lot like Clocktower or other retro horror games, so it’s another opportunity to get hit with nostalgia in a modern way.
Murderous Muses
$13.99 on the eShop
Who Is It For? Okay, just one more for the horror fans. Murderous Muses is the latest FMV video game by D’Avekki Studios, one of the best studios in the FMV game. Cinema fans will especially enjoy Murderous Muses, which fully focuses on narrative and action. There are a few more puzzles in this title than usual, giving this D’Avekki Studios title more broad appeal than average.
Despot’s Game
$19.99 on the eShop
Who Is It For? Despot’s Game is a turn-based strategy game for fans of auto battler games. There aren’t too many of these games that I know of on the Switch, so this is an opportunity to scratch a specific itch. The customization is expansive, giving players many different approaches while going through Despot’s Game short campaign. The multiplayer is fine and doesn’t steal the show in the way the engaging campaign does, but if players absolutely need more Despot’s Games in their lives, multiplayer will do the trick.
Puzzle Bubble EveryBubble!
$39.99 on the eShop
Who Is It For? It’s like Tetris or Puyo Puyo with a touch of dexterity thrown in. Puzzle Bobble EveryBubble! is a colorful game for puzzle fans who want just a little more pop. Multiplayer comes in many forms, including 2 player competitive modes, 4 player local vs, and the option to play through the story mode with a friend, which is a first for the franchise. It’s not as robust as Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 when it comes to content, but Puzzle Bobble EveryBobble! is so unique that the gameplay alone will keep this game in your rotation for a long time.
Read Marcus’ full review of Puzzle Bobble Everybubble! here.
And That’s It!
There you have it! Are you picking up any of your new discoveries? Let us know in the comments!
Read our list of the games you might have missed in 2022 while you are here! If you are feeling really retro, check out our 2021 list as well.
3 Comments
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Nohbdy on
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Clifford on
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Elias Josevaldo on
Thanks for submitting your comment!All but Puzzle Bobble and Homebody are on Steam so at least you can play them forever on PC.
Thanks, I enjoyed this article and will be checking out a few of the games. I hardly ever browse the eShop so this is very helpful
Some cool new games.
But Switch have a lot of arcade football games and the first Golazo is still the best one. But anyway, this one is charming and thanks for the recomendation.
Now, about Labyrinth of Galleria, c’mon, this is a main launch, a game talked a lot before and still talked. A bit unfair to put it in a category about “games you have missed”.
Otherwise, interesting list.