Guide: 79 Switch 1 & 2 Games You Should Check Out In The eShop ‘Blockbuster Sale’ (Europe)

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim (Switch)

£12.49 / 14,99€ (-75%)

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a wonderful achievement for dynamic storytelling, as it puts forth a compelling and multifaceted narrative that’ll keep you guessing right up until the very end.

This excellent story, combined with enjoyable combat portions, a striking art style, and some top-notch voice acting make for an experience that you shouldn’t miss. It’s the kind of game that’ll have you wishing that you could play it again for the first time, just so all its best elements could be new again.

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Alien: Isolation (Switch eShop)

£9.99 / 10,99€ (-23%)

Alien: Isolation is a survival horror masterpiece and straight-up one of the very best horror video games ever released.

It’s a nerve-wracking affair — a slow, methodical game of cat and mouse against a brilliantly clever recreation of one of cinema’s most infamous killers — but if you’re up to the task you’ll find one of the most satisfying gameplay experiences in the genre; a brilliant and beautiful homage to one of the greatest sci-fi movies of all time.

Ape Out (Switch eShop)

£1.88 / 1,99€ (-86%)

The Nintendo eShop would be a considerably more exciting and interesting place if it were packed full of games like Ape Out. It’s a refreshingly original experience that more than deserves a place in any Switch owner’s library.

Difficult, frenetic gameplay, strong art direction, and an even stronger jazz drum soundtrack make this the sort of memorable game that you’ll likely keep coming back to over and over for another few runs in arcade mode. Ape Out gets a strong recommendation to anyone looking for a distinct and unforgettable game for their Switch collection; it’s a bit of an acquired taste, but well worth your time.

Astral Ascent (Switch eShop)

£10.49 / 12,24€ (-50%)

Astral Ascent is a prime example of a game that amounts to more than the sum of its parts. Its strong character design, hi-bit visuals, tight combat, memorable bosses, and broad build variety have all featured in games you’ve probably played before—there’s nothing ‘new’ here.

But to write it off as just ‘another one of those’ in a crowded genre would be to miss out on one of the most delightful and surprising releases of 2023. Astral Ascent is comfortably one of the best roguelites available on the Switch.

Axiom Verge (Switch eShop)

£3.74 / 4,49€ (-75%)

Axiom Verge on Switch is truly an outstanding port of an outstanding game, no more and no less.

We would strongly urge those of you who missed this game on other platforms to pick it up here; this is the full Axiom Verge experience, and it’s available in a format that supports both handheld and home play. A fantastic example of how to do a Metroidvania right.

Balatro (Switch eShop)

£11.51 / 12,59€ (-10%)

Balatro is a roguelike for gamers who don’t like roguelikes… and then everybody else on top of that. It utterly nails what it sets out to do, providing an instantly accessible, satisfying, and addictive gameplay loop that anybody can grasp.

It’s an immensely enjoyable experience from the start, but as you get deeper in, there’s really nothing else quite like it. Sublime.

Blade Chimera (Switch eShop)

£12.31 / 13,65€ (-30%)

Blade Chimera is an ode to a very specific kind of Metroidvania – the sort that eschews cryptic puzzles and an open-ended structure and revels in the simple joys of ultra-fluid movement and blasting through enemies with an ever-growing arsenal of powerful weapons and equipment.

It may not particularly impress with its explorative or narrative aspects, but its striking, stylish identity and endlessly entertaining shoot-and-slash combat loop elevate this to the heights of the classics it’s so clearly inspired by.

Blaster Master Zero 2 (Switch eShop)

£4.49 / 7,49€ (-50%)

Inti Creates knocked it out of the park with Blaster Master Zero 2, improving on the original ‘reboot’ in nearly every conceivable way while also setting a clear path forward for what could hopefully become a flagship series for the company.

Tight platforming action, memorable boss battles, plenty of extra side content, and some gorgeous pixel art make this one of the easiest recommendations on the eShop; we’d strongly encourage you to pick this one up. All three of the games are 50% off, so take your pick.

Botany Manor (Switch eShop)

£16.86 / 18,74€ (-25%)

It looks like The Witness and it plays a bit like StreetPass Garden, but Botany Manor blooms into something that’s not only entirely its own, but also something quite special. Don’t let its cosy aesthetics fool you — Botany Manor is packed with nicely challenging, well-designed puzzles, and isn’t afraid to tackle heavy subjects, too.

Castlevania Dominus Collection (Switch eShop)

£13.99 / 17,49€ (-30%)

Castlevania Dominus Collection is quite possibly the best compilation that Konami and M2 have produced to date. It presents three exceptional DS games that easily stand the test of time and provide just as much enjoyment now as they did back in the 2000s.

Not only that, but the impossible has seemingly been achieved with the remarkable addition of Haunted Castle Revisited. Included as a fun little bonus, this revamped take on a reviled arcade curio is fantastic, and while it can’t compete with the very best ‘classic’ games in the franchise, it’s the closest we’ve gotten to a brand new Castlevania in years. An exquisite package.

And if you can’t get enough ‘Vania, the excellent Anniversary and Advance Collections are discounted, too.

Chained Echoes (Switch eShop)

£17.24 / 18,74€ (-25%)

Chained Echoes is a wonderful mash-up of ’90s JRPG tropes, masterfully woven together to produce an experience that feels simultaneously nostalgic and fresh. A well-paced story, unconventional progression system, tactical combat system, and expansive world all come together to make for a game that is shockingly one of the very best RPGs that we played in 2022.

Really, there’s no place where it feels like Chained Echoes drops the ball, which is all the more impressive when you consider that the vast majority of it was put together by one person. It stands as a shining example of everything that makes RPGs great.

Chicken Police – Paint it RED! (Switch eShop)

£6.29 / 6,99€ (-65%)

An extremely impressive first game from The Wild Gentlemen, Chicken Police – Paint it RED! is one of the best visual novel/adventure games we’ve played in a long, long time and one hell of an absorbing tale. It looks and runs great on the Switch, with only a couple of really minuscule interface issues which are easily ignored.

At roughly eight or nine hours, the story is surprisingly lengthy, but we were never bored and wanted to investigate every little thing just to wring out more precious droplets of banter and fascination. Chicken Police is a polished, captivating experience.

Cuphead (Switch eShop)

£12.49 / 14,99€ (-50%)

Cuphead was an absolute masterpiece when it originally launched on Xbox One and nothing was sacrificed in its move to the Switch.

A run-and-gun boss battler dressed up like a 1930s Fleischer or Disney animated short, it’s the same visually jaw-dropping, aurally delightful, knuckle-whiteningly difficult game it was on Microsoft’s console and the Switch’s library is all the better for its presence. Its focus on intense boss battles won’t be to everyone’s tastes, but as long as you know what you’re getting yourself into, we can’t recommend it enough. Just look at it!

And the Delicious Last Course, also discounted, is the icing on the cake.

Cyber Shadow (Switch eShop)

£10.79 / 11,99€ (-40%)

If you consider yourself a fan of retro action platformers, you owe it to yourself to pick up Cyber Shadow. It’s clear in virtually every facet of Cyber Shadow’s design that this project was a labour of love and that its designer is intimately familiar with what makes the stalwarts of this beloved genre so great.

Well-built levels, authentic presentation, tight controls, and high difficulty all combine to make this a supreme and focused experience, and one that we can easily say is well worth your time. Mechanical Head Studios set a high bar with its inaugural release.

Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition (Switch 2)

£50.99 / 59,49€ (-15%)

Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition is a remarkable launch-day port for Nintendo’s console. Its deep, diverse, and tangible world is fully realised with impressive performance for such a low-powered device.

If you’ve not taken your first steps into Night City already, or you’re a long-time player with a portable-play itch that needs scratching, you’re in for a serious treat, choom.

Danmaku Unlimited 3 (Switch eShop)

£2.42 / 2,69€ (-70%)

Danmaku Unlimited 3 is a brilliantly executed ‘best of’ bullet hell shmup ideas wrapped up into a phenomenal package. It is one of the very best shmups money can buy in the whole Switch game library. Even if you don’t particularly like shooters — or if Japanese bullet hells are not your particular favourite flavour within the genre — exposure to the insane lightshows provided by this game might just turn you into a die-hard fan.

We can only fault one particular ‘glitch’: every other shmup on the system feels slow and dull in comparison.

Dave The Diver (Switch eShop)

£11.04 / 12,99€ (-35%)

In 2023, a year dominated by titanic, big-budget releases like Tears of the Kingdom and Mario Wonder, off-the-wall roguelike Dave The Diver stepped up to the plate and knocked the ball clear of the park with a heaving swing.

Its charming animations and writing supplement a mechanically dense experience that never stops dangling a new carrot to chase. You owe it to yourself to pick up this outstandingly funny, enthralling, and weird gem.

Death’s Door (Switch eShop)

£4.49 / 4,99€ (-75%)

Death’s Door is a modern classic, utilising old gameplay ideas in a new setting to make for a short and sweet experience you won’t want to miss. The snappy combat, rewarding exploration, and relaxing music will stick with you once you’ve finished, and while it may not have anything ‘new’ to offer, Death’s Door is so high quality that you’ll hardly have time to think about its lack of innovation.

Any fans of Zelda or Soulslike games will adore this — Acid Nerve has crafted an experience that’s absolutely worth your time and money.

Disco Elysium: The Final Cut (Switch eShop)

£10.79 / 11,99€ (-70%)

Disco Elysium’s narrative and dialogue, which was already wonderfully compelling in the base game, was given a massive boost thanks to the excellent voice acting introduced for the Final Cut.

The gameplay features a host of branching paths for you to explore, and while the slow, methodical approach may turn a few people off, this is nevertheless one of the most well-told stories in any medium from the last few years.

The performance issues at the time of our review slightly took the shine off things, but even with them present, Disco Elysium: The Final Cut was and is a triumph and stands as one of the best RPGs available on Switch.

Downwell (Switch eShop)

£1.80 / 1,99€ (-33%)

This is an excellent port of a game that feels like it’s found a natural home on Switch thanks to a plethora of control options and the console’s natural facility with vertical orientation. Short of popping your 4K TV on its side, Switch offers the very best way to play Downwell.

Its roguelike structure and twitch platforming might not be for everyone, but you should really give it a chance. For our money, Downwell is a modern classic that should be in everyone’s collection; for the pocket change asking price, it’s a steal.

Enter the Gungeon (Switch eShop)

£2.74 / 3,49€ (-75%)

Enter The Gungeon is a brilliantly tactile, endlessly replayable twin-stick roguelike that sits right up there with the very best indie games on Nintendo Switch. With satisfying combat, random levels, and an endless supply of inventive weapons, items and secrets, it’s always a total joy to play.

Yet another modern indie classic found a natural home on Nintendo’s console.

FEZ (Switch eShop)

£6.29 / 6,99€ (-50%)

FEZ is a fun, challenging puzzle platformer fit to burst with original ideas and unique gameplay wrinkles. Its puzzles bend reality and even leech into our own world on occasion, but aside from a few select mega-challenges never stray into the category of too obtuse or unfair.

A few visual and mechanical quirks stop this from being a perfectly polished experience, but these are outweighed by its charm and other wonderful qualities ninefold. It’s another one of those ‘games you have to play’ on Switch, and it couldn’t be more at home.

Gone Home (Switch eShop)

£2.39 / 2,99€ (-80%)

Several years on, there’s no denying the cultural and developmental impact Gone Home has had on the game industry. Both as a near-perfect exercise in interactive storytelling and an example of how to handle complex and very real ideas in a game, only Life is Strange has ever come close to matching its significance.

While there still isn’t much ‘game’ to be found in this 2018 Switch port, the story you unravel through exploring an empty home will stay with you long after you’ve put down your console. Essential.

Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines (Switch eShop)

£7.49 / 8,74€ (-50%)

Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines is everything fans could hope for in a sequel, as it improves upon every aspect that made the first Grapple Dog so great. Strong level design, a fantastic soundtrack, high gameplay variety, and lots of replayability make this one an easy recommendation to anyone looking for an excellent, pure platformer to add to their Switch library. It’s the most fun platformer we’ve played in quite a while.

And the first Grapple Dog is down to three quid, too.

Hyper Light Drifter: Special Edition (Switch eShop)

£12.59 / 13,99€ (-30%)

Hyper Light Drifter: Special Edition puts Heart Machine’s obtuse yet engaging throwback where it belongs — in portable Nintendo form — and it makes for the definitive version.

With a handful of exclusive features, the game suddenly feels new and fresh – and with a silky smooth frame rate and every boss, secret and upgrade from the original here for you to experience, this is a wonderful addition to the Nintendo Switch’s bulging indie library.

Into The Breach (Switch eShop)

£2.84 / 3,74€ (-75%)

Into The Breach is a brutal, uncompromising game of making hard decisions and living with your mistakes, but the short length of battles and endless variety of playthroughs make for an extremely addictive experience.

Though the graphics are nothing special, the gameplay is some of the very best you’ll find in the strategy genre on Switch, and we can easily recommend this to anybody looking for an in-depth game that’ll make you think. Into The Breach feels right at home on this system.

Into the Restless Ruins (Switch eShop)

£9.74 / 11,24€ (-25%)

Into the Restless Ruins took us totally by surprise. This is a belting addition to the Switch’s lineup of roguelikes that manages to make itself fresh and unique in a category full of bland copycats.

The melding of deckbuilding, combat, memory challenges, and construction of dungeons makes for a game that draws you right in every time, robbing you of hours as you work your way through its delightful catacombs. A little more narrative oomph may have taken it even further, but you’re still looking at a bit of a must-play here.