The Best Switch Games Of 2024 According To Metacritic

As the Switch enters the twilight of its era, it's time to look back at the games that earned critical acclaim and positive reviews on the Nintendo hybrid gaming system in 2024. Like previous years, the Switch saw first- and third-party releases aplenty, with indie games outshining Nintendo's biggest releases.

That doesn't mean that there weren't a few main-eventers coming out of Nintendo--like a remaster of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and the Legend of Zelda spin-off Echoes of Wisdom--but in 2024, indie games dominated.

We've gathered up and crunched the numbers on the most critically acclaimed games of the year from our sister site Metacritic (as of December 5). Ahead of the imminent reveal of the Switch successor, here's a closer look at the puzzle-solving, retro compilations, and metroidvanias that were highlights on the gaming calendar this year. Be sure to also check out our picks for the best Switch exclusives of 2024.

More Best Of 2024:

• Our Favorite Games That Didn't Make The Top 10
• Best PS5-Exclusive Games Of 2024
• Best PC-Exclusive Games Of 2024
• Best Xbox Games Of 2024
• Best-Reviewed Games Of 2024
• Best Of 2024 hub

Castlevania's golden era can be traced back to a trilogy of games released on the Nintendo DS, and at long last, those stellar adventures have gotten a second lease on life. The Dominus Collection--Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin, and Order of Ecclesia--does a fine job in not only replicating the original DS experience, but it also gives players more options to customize their playthroughs to suit their particular needs. A treasure trove of polished action and labyrinthian level design, this is Castlevania at its best.

Metascore: 92

In an age filled with clever metroidvanias, Animal Well stands out from the crowd. The ambitious single-developer project is not only an achievement in stage design but also an unfolding puzzle box of mysteries. With engaging secrets around every corner, it will keep you digging deeper into the well.

Metascore: 91 | Read our Animal Well review

It's a new era for Xbox games as they make their way to non-Xbox platforms, and while Pentiment might seem like an odd choice to kick things off on the Nintendo Switch, it's still an engrossing murder-mystery with a unique look. A passionate project that oozes medieval style and is loaded with clever writing, the shift from Xbox consoles and PC to Switch feels like a natural fit enhanced by rock-solid technical performance.

Metascore: 90 | Read our Pentiment review

Balatro is an ingenious rethinking of what a roguelike can be. While so many have taken the form of Dead Cells- or Hades-style action games or FTL-style tactics games, Balatro combines roguelikes with the game of poker, while also introducing numerous rule-breaking wrinkles to the proceedings. This creates an incredibly compelling loop where you have to adapt on the fly to the Jokers (and the bonus effects they provide) you receive over the course of a run and just how wildly you can bend the numbers in your favor.

Metascore: 90 | Read our Balatro review

Neva is the kind of game that makes an indelible first impression thanks to its striking visuals. Neva looks incredible when it's in motion--no surprise here given that developer Nomada Studio's previous game was Gris--but there's plenty of substance beneath its stylish exterior. A game about grief and how it can consume you, as players have to find the strength to keep moving forward. The end result is a short and hauntingly beautiful combination of action, platforming, and puzzles.

Metascore: 86

Developer Vanillaware has continually experimented with game genres over its nearly two-decade existence, all while using a striking and instantly recognizable art style. This continues with Unicorn Overlord, an RPG filled with political intrigue and strategic combat, and it builds on the classic Vanillaware aesthetic with some inspiration from Square Enix's HD-2D games. It doesn't fit neatly into one genre--and neither did the studio's previous game, 13 Sentinels--but this unique approach is exactly what makes Vanillaware so special.

Metascore: 89 | Read our Unicorn Overlord review

Visual novels have found a sizable audience on the Switch console over the last couple of years, and with so much interactive reading material available on the system, you need a heck of a story to stand out from the pack. Fortunately, Tsukihime: A Piece of Blue Glass Moon is no slouch in this department as this remake of Type-Moon's first-ever visual novel has an attention-grabbing presentation, wild plot twists, and an excellent localization that'll keep your eyes glued to the screen.

Metascore: 89

A head-scratching puzzle game with classic Italian cinematic influences and a Twin Peaks vibe, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is a cerebral challenge for the ages. Combined with its thoroughly engrossing narrative, it looks, feels, and plays like an arthouse experience that makes every "Eureka!" moment from successfully solving a puzzle feel well-earned. It’s a captivating adventure that leaves a lasting impression on anyone who plays it.

Metascore: 88 | Read our Lorelei and the Laser Eyes review

Although not traditionally taking the form of metroidvania games, The Lost Crown makes a strong argument for a new direction that should be explored further by the Prince of Persia franchise. With great traversal and combat, The Lost Crown has a very fun world to explore--it's full of compelling stuff to do, with very little in the way of fluff or extraneous side quests. The story isn't especially remarkable, but when it so thoroughly nails everything else you want in a metroidvania, The Lost Crown is well worth checking out.

Metascore: 88 | Read our Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown review

Like the best remasters, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door hits that sweet spot for enhancing an already-terrific game while retaining the charm and personality that made it so beloved in the first place. As imaginative and appealing to play today just as it was 20 years ago, one of Mario's greatest outings looks and feels better than ever on the Switch thanks to a crisp graphical upgrade and welcome quality-of-life changes.

Metascore: 88 | Read our Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door review

The cute and cuddly dungeon crawler returns with Cat Quest 3. This feline action-RPG has a pirate theme, letting you traverse the open seas in your ship searching for booty and glory. It's a friendly introduction to the genre that's purrfect for newcomers. (Sorry.)

Metascore: 80

The excellent Grapple Dog received a surprising sequel this year that introduces a new twist. In addition to Pablo's grappling hook abilities, a new dog named Luna comes equipped with a variety of guns and her own moves. The platforming is as tight as ever, but the new set of moves really mixes up the formula in a fresh way.

Metascore: 86

Vengeance takes an already-great RPG and expands on it further, bringing a combination of new content and various quality-of-life improvements that make for the best way to play Shin Megami Tensei V. While maintaining what already made SMTV such a noteworthy game, Vengeance's additions make for a better narrative, while combat also takes a step forward--two essential ingredients when you're contemplating a game you can easily spend 75+ hours with. Whether or not you played the original version, Vengeance is a journey worth taking.

Metascore: 86 | Read our Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance review

Admittedly, Dungeons of Dreadrock 2 doesn't do much to differentiate itself from the first game, but when the foundation for a puzzle-solving game with a '90s vibe is already that good, it doesn't need to. The Dungeons of Dreadrock sequel doubles down on what made the original game so much fun, throws in a few interesting creative curveballs, and wraps it up with beautifully animated pixel-art that makes it one of the best puzzle games of the year.

Metascore: 86

Over the last couple of years, Capcom has raised the bar for ports of arcade classics to modern systems. Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection Arcade Classics doesn't deviate from the company's approach to creating retro collections that make you feel like you've been transported back to the halcyon days of arcade gaming, and this release is a love letter to the fighting games of a bygone age.

Metascore: 86 | Read our Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection Arcade Classics review

A Zelda game like no other, Echoes of Wisdom finally puts you in the shoes of the titular princess. But as Zelda, you'll have a much different way of interacting the world than as Link; the entire game is designed around Zelda's newfound ability to clone and summon Echoes, which can be as mundane as a table or as deadly as the very enemies you'll face. This creates a fun dynamic where you're summoning units to deal with foes you come across or various objects to help you navigate the world and solve puzzles. It puts a new spin on the franchise that presents a wide array of ways to approach a given challenge.

Metascore: 85 | Read our The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom review

It turns out that you can build a better mousetrap, or in the case of Qomp2, a better Pong. Translating the back-and-forth nature of Pong into a labyrinthian adventure full of puzzles that'll test your skills, Qomp2 pays homage to Atari's classic game with its polished and varied level design. It looks great, the archaic sound of a bouncing ball in obstacle-filled levels is oddly mesmerizing, and its "just one more level" energy will keep you entertained for hours.

Metascore: 85

Who said Phoenix Wright gets to do all the lawyering around here? Ace Attorney Investigations Collection is a modern upgrade of Capcom's Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth and Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosector's Gambit. Both star prosecutor Miles Edgeworth, complete with enhanced artwork, quality-of-life improvements, and the option to switch between the new HD style and the original visuals at any time. Sure, prosecutors don't usually make as much as private defense attorneys, but someone's got to handle these fake cases.

Metascore: 85

What if cult-classic bureaucratic-'em-up Papers Please ditched its grim Iron Curtain influences for a bright and whimsical aesthetic instead? You'd get Lil' Guardsman, a pleasant surprise set in a fantasy world. As Lil, the 12-year-old hero covering their dad's shift at the guard shed, it's up to you to process more than 100 people, dealing with the passes of humans, elves, goblins, and other fantastical creatures to see who's worthy to pass through the castle gates. It's a charmingly silly combo of deduction-based gameplay, puzzles, and storytelling that makes paperwork fun.

Metascore: 85

Spike Chunsoft's Mystery Dungeon games have been hard to put down ever since the series debuted many years ago, and Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island doesn't stray from that winning formula. As the wandering warrior Shiren, the game once again leans heavily into its roguelike roots and randomized dungeons, offering clever tweaks to the formula that pushes players to experience everything the game has to offer. It's an appealing combo with deep gameplay mechanics to master, creating yet another strong chapter in Shiren's ongoing journey.

Metascore: 84

The follow-up series to Ace Attorney starred newcomer Apollo Justice learning the ropes from an ostensibly retired Phoenix Wright. The trilogy originally appeared on the Nintendo DS but was remastered and released on modern platforms. The series was always made for portables, which makes it a great fit on the hybrid Switch.

Metascore: 84

Rain falls, wind blows, and Tetris remains one of the greatest go-to games to pick up on any device. Tetris Forever is a celebration of the enduring puzzle game, as well as a fascinating look behind the scenes of its creation. If you consider yourself a gaming historian, this is a fascinating peek behind the Iron Curtain spread across 15 classic games.

Metascore: 84

Thank Goodness You're Here is referred to as a "slapformer," as it's essentially a point-and-click adventure in which you'll navigate the world, solving people's problems by slapping people, objects, and everything in between. This is all in service of its deeply British comedy, but you don't need to be from England in order to enjoy the experience. It's short and sweet, with a delightful art style and wonderful voice acting that brings its ridiculous world to life.

Metascore: 84 | Read our Thank Goodness You're Here review

Some of the best puzzle games of the year have been imaginative, required fast reflexes, and nostalgic blasts of fun. But Botany Manor? It's easily the coziest of the bunch, a game that'll appeal to cottagecore enthusiasts looking to earn a green thumb in detective work as they tackle challenging conundrums and surprisingly heavy subject matter.

Metascore: 83

One part narrative mystery and one part papercraft adventure, Paper Trail's aesthetic is for far more than just looks. As you progress through the dark, puzzle-filled environments, you'll have the opportunity to change the world via folding paper. This means the truth will unfold as the paper folds! It should be a little less confusing for you once you start playing, if you can stop pausing to stare at the gorgeous art.

Metascore: 83

Easily one of the spookiest games to be released on the Nintendo Switch this year, Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II is a visual novel designed to spike your heart rate with its slow-burn suspense and in-your-face gruesome scares. Japanese ghost stories mixed with stunning art makes for another fine chapter in a shocking series of investigative terror.

Metascore: 83

Rounding out the list for 2024 on Switch is another cozy little game. Pine Hearts tasks you with exploring not only the great outdoors but also the memories of its protagonist, Tyke. It has metroidvania and Zelda influences, a heartfelt story about Tyke's childhood, and a thoughtful tale at its core that is designed to be both accessible and approachable.

Metascore: 83