The original Switch launched like a blank slate. With few games at release and no backwards compatibility, each new critically acclaimed gem that got ported felt like a special event. That’s not the case with Switch 2. Instead, new owners have access to a wealth of back catalog riches from the jump, including years of the best indie games just waiting to become their next handheld obsession. Here are the ones I think everyone should have.
Odds are, if you’re a veteran Switch owner who recently upgraded to Switch 2, you already have a few of these in your library. If you’re a hardcore indie fan, you might even have all of them. This isn’t a list of the best games available for Nintendo’s platform, or the best indie games, or even a list of my personal favorites. Think of it more as an indie starter pack: a set of timeless stalwarts with immense replayability that remain perfect for diving into on any occasion.
While many of these games have filtered through Kotaku’s best Switch games list over the years, it’s more of my own personal take on the canonical best all-around indie games to play either on the go, sitting by the pool, or late at night in bed. I hope it’s especially useful for anyone who has exhausted the Switch 2’s initial launch lineup but wants a solid reason to keep playing their fancy new premium-feeling console. Wait until they’re on sale and you can also get almost all of them for the price of a single copy of Mario Kart World.
