Everyone needs some relaxation, and a lot of it can be achieved by playing through some of the best Indie games available right now on the Nintendo Switch. But why the Nintendo Switch? Well, it’s portable, meaning that whether you are chilling on your couch or just lying down in bed, you can simply grab the switch and play cool games anytime you want to relax.
As the Nintendo Switch continues to dominate the handheld gaming market, indie developers have taken full advantage of the platform’s unique capabilities, creating a wide range of innovative and immersive gaming experiences. Whether you’re a long-time Switch user or a newcomer to the console, there’s no shortage of incredible indie games to discover in 2024.
Best Indie Games for Nintendo Switch
With so many indie games available for the Nintendo Switch, it can be difficult to pick out the best ones to enjoy, so we handpicked a few that we think you will enjoy.
Little Kitty, Big City
If you love cats, then this indie cat game is for you. Set in an open-world environment, you play as a little kitty who has to pick between returning home or choosing to explore the big city. The city has a lot of surprises for you to discover. And yes, you can enter houses and knock things off the kitchen counter or table. You can do everything a cat does, take a nap, meow around, and just be mischievous.
You can also customize your cat by making it wear different kinds of fun hats.
- Release Date: May 9, 2024
- Genre: Adventure
- Game Size: 1.8 GB
- Download: Nintendo Store
Whisker Waters
Another cat-based game for you to enjoy on your Nintendo Switch. This time, however, you play as a cat who has to catch different kinds of fish. You have some fishing techniques to use. You can befriend other animals out there and help the locals of the city by completing tasks and earning rewards from the different fish that you catch. This is a story-based game and each chapter has a different story filled with mystery and adventure.
Character customization for your cat is available, so make your cat stand out!
- Release Date: April 25, 2024
- Genre: Role Playing, Adventure
- Game Size: 2.7 GB
- Download: Nintendo Store
Sea of Stars
Here is an RPG game about the tale of two children who have the powers of the Sun and the Moon. With the power of Eclipse Magic, you are tasked with fighting off different monsters who have been created by The Fleshmancer- an evil alchemist. As an RPG game, you can play turn-by-turn attacks, travel the world, and go on a wild adventure. There are many characters that you will meet on your fighting adventure.
Apart from just fighting and battling regularly, you can also perform other activities such as cooking, sailing, resting in a tavern or even fishing.
- Release Date: August 29, 2023
- Genre: Role-playing
- Game Size: 4.4 GB
- Download: Nintendo Store
PlateUp!
Now let’s move from cats and magic over to the kitchen. As a four-player game, PlateUp! is all about cooking dishes and managing a restaurant. You have a bunch of main dishes, side dishes, and desserts for you to prepare. You can choose to design the layout of your kitchen and take the orders of the different customers that come to your restaurant every day. The game also lets you install fancy machinery to help serve your customers quickly.
Once you are done with your kitchen, you can move on to the next location and continue expanding your franchise, which unlocks new upgrades and features.
- Release Date: February 15, 2024
- Genre: Multiplayer- party
- Game Size: 1.3 GB
- Download: Nintendo Store
Palia
Palia is a nice cozy and relaxing game for the Nintendo Switch where you can explore, build furniture, catch fish and just chill with friends. Set in an open-world environment, Palia takes you on an adventure to know more about ancient humans. The game also lets you customize your character and build your house. There are plenty of tasks to pick from and thanks to the open-world multiplayer you can make more friends and enjoy the game at your own pace.
Palia also has support for cross-platform, meaning Switch and PC players can play together.
- Release Date: December 14, 2023
- Genre: Simulation, Adventure
- Game Size: 9.7 GB
- Download: Nintendo Store
Spiritfarer
Want to play a management game about dying? Yup, it sounds strange, but it only gets better from here. You play the role of a Spiritfarer called Stella. You are a deceased Spiritfarer who goes on an adventure to explore the big wide world. There are many things for you to do, cook, farm, mine, and even craft various items. The game has Daffodils, a cat who becomes your spirit friend. During this game, you will learn how to say goodbye to your friends and become friends with new spirits.
The game has major content updates for you to play through either as a single or two-player.
- Release Date: August 18, 2020
- Genre: Adventure, Simulation, Management
- Game Size: 4.1 GB
- Download: Nintendo Store
GRIS
GRIS is a puzzle game that talks about a Gris, a girl who is dealing with lots of painful life experiences. The character’s sorrow and grief are manifested within her dress. As you play along, Gris can make use of her new abilities and see the world in a different view. The game has a lot of puzzles for you to solve and skill-based challenges for you to complete.
The game experience for Gris is free from any danger, frustration, and death.
- Release Date: December 18, 2023
- Genre: Platformer, Puzzle, Adventure
- Game Size: 3.9 GB
- Download: Nintendo Store
Hollow Knight
One of the most popular indie games for the Nintendo Switch, Hollow Knight is a 2D-styled adventure game that has a ton for you to explore. There are many caverns and cities for you to explore, enemies to battle against, and also numerous mysteries for you to solve and progress. If you like side-scrolling games, Hollow Knight is the game for you. As you progress through the games you will be able to make use of new spells, skills, and abilities.
The game has received several free content updates that bring you more battles and quests to complete.
- Release Date: June 12, 2018
- Genre: Action, Adventure
- Game Size: 5.3 GB
- Download: Nintendo Store
This concludes the list of the 8 best indie games that you can play on Nintendo Switch. Trying out indie games on the Switch is a great way to discover many new games that you can enjoy either by yourself or with your friends. If you have other games that you think should be on this list, feel free to list them below.
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