problem solving games switch

• Skip to main content
• Skip to header right navigation
• Skip to site footer

Video Game News, Lists & Guides

29 Best Nintendo Switch Puzzle Games To Exercise The Brain

Put on your thinking caps!

#29 Mario vs Donkey Kong

#28 super mario rpg, #27 hogwarts legacy, #26 pikmin 4, #25 unpacking, #24 far changing tides, #23 the gardens between, #22 the room series, #21 gorogoa, #20 bridge constructor portal, #19 unravel two, #18 the trine series, #17 baba is you, #16 the talos principle, #15 snipperclips: cut it out, together, #14 relicta, #12 little nightmares 2, #11 captain toad: treasure tracker, #10 12 minutes, #8 world of goo, #7 return of the obra dinn, #6 keep talking and nobody explodes, #5 the sexy brutale, #4 portal series, #3 puyo puyo tetris, #2 thimbleweed park, #1 tetris 99.

If you’ve been enjoying the Nintendo Switch, you’ll know that there are all sorts of genres for you to play on the system in great number. And if you like puzzles? Yeah, they got hat in droves as these games will show you.

Platform: Switch Release Date: February 16, 2024

If you never got the chance to play  Mario vs Donkey Kong  on the Nintendo DS, you’re in luck, as the game has been remade for the Nintendo Switch!

The game will put you in over 100 levels filled with challenges, all so you can get back the Mini-Mario toys that Donkey Kong has stolen! But it won’t be as easy as simply finding all the toys. You’ll need to work your way through various challenges to reach them, and then, you’ll need to get them to safety! Sometimes, you’ll even need to guide whole scores of Mini-Marios to the exit!

With new levels and challenges, now is the perfect time to jump in!

Platform: November 17, 2023 Release Date: Switch

You might not think that  Super Mario RPG  is a “puzzle game,” and it’s not in the overall, but there are puzzles in the world to solve.

Not to mention, you have to worry about the “puzzles” that await you in combat! The game will maintain its classic turn-based combat but will also feature plenty of challenges within it that’ll test your timing and skill in figuring out how to exploit the enemies within!

So, while it may be an RPG, that doesn’t mean you can’t put your puzzle brain to the test by playing it! After all, it’s a remake of a classic title. What’s not to love?

Platform: PC PS5 XSX|S – February 10, 2023 | PS4 Xbox One – May 05, 2023 Release Date: Switch November 14, 2023

Steam | PlayStation | Xbox | Nintendo

Many people would say that the most important thing about being a witch or wizard is being able to use powerful spells and curses. But the wise ones among you will state that it’s about how you use those spells and whether you can use them to your advantage in multiple scenarios.

As you travel throughout the world of Hogwarts Legacy, you’ll have to face trials, not dangerous in nature but puzzling. So think like the educated student you are and use spells to move objects or erase obstacles from your path.

The more puzzles you solve, the further you’ll get to explore!

Platform: Switch Release Date: July 21, 2023

It’s easy to picture the Pikmin as just tools to use or beings to throw at foes to get them out of your way. But as  Pikmin 4  reminds you, you’ll need to use them and other entities wisely if you wish to get around the alien world you’ve crash landed upon.

At first, you’ll be restricted to certain areas, and you’ll need to use the Pikmin to open new paths, collect “treasures” to fix your ship, and fight off against familiar figures in Dandori battles to rescue your lost squad mates.

So don’t think of Pikmin as expendable. Instead, think of them as your most useful tool for getting out alive!

As the name suggests, this unique puzzle game tasks players with helping to unpack a person’s belongings after a move. Beginning in 1997, Unpacking follows the same person across several moves and many different years. From childhood to college to relationships, players will gain clues about the person’s life and experiences by looking at their belongings. Play casually to enjoy the story or search for all the hidden achievements for an added challenge.

A sequel of sorts to Far Lone Sails , Far Changing Tides puts you on a large boat, where a young man is trying to sail it in order to get to a new place for him to live in a world that has been nearly flooded.

The puzzles here lie in both the world around you, as you’ll need to activate certain things to open paths to get your boat through, as well as your ship itself. Dive deep into the vessel to figure out what it is all about, how to operate it correctly, and more.

It’s you and your ship against the world, and you’ll find that this adventure will take you to highs and lows while also giving you a unique atmospheric experience.

For a more lighthearted adventure, you might want to try out The Gardens Between . Because this single player title puts you in a story that focuses on “time, memory and friendship.”

You play as Arina and Frendt, two friends who fall into a “dream world”, and that world just so happens to be filled with relics from their time together as friends. Now, you’ll control the two friends and work together to solve puzzles to figure out more about their friendship, what they really mean to one another, and more.

It’s a very unique title that delves deep into its narrative, so you might just want to play it to see where the “bittersweet” story goes…and ends.

The Room Series is for those who like a deep approach to their puzzle titles while also twisting the perceptions of what those games can be. Because in the game, and the many that follow, you’ll be a person locked in a room, or dimensional space, and you’ll be left with nothing but puzzle boxes and clues as to what you need to do.

With each puzzle you solve, your “world” grows a little bigger, but then again, so does the mystery. You’ll learn about various sciences and dark practices and wonder how it’ll all going to end. More than likely…you won’t be able to guess…

With multiple games in the series, you’ll be able to try them on Switch and have plenty to do for a while.

There has long been an argument about whether “games are art”, and the answer is very obviously, “yes”. But if you want a game that very much proves that feeling, you need to look no further than Gorogoa .

Because in this game, you’ll be solving puzzles within a very special narrative, the twist is that these puzzles are tied to illustrations (thousands of them) that were made by a singular man: Jason Roberts. How you use these illustrations/art pieces will depend on the puzzle and what you’re trying to do.

The visual style here is truly unique, as is how you use it all gameplay-wise. So if you want a truly visual yet deep puzzle experience, here you go!

Combining elements from both the Portal universe and the Bridge Constructor series, Bridge Constructor Portal is an engineering puzzle game. As the name implies, players must construct bridges to transport trucks around Aperture Laboratories. Any bridge that withstands one truck passing over it will solve the challenge, but for a higher rating, all the trucks in the convoy must successfully cross. In addition, the cost of building each bridge is calculated, and players are challenged to keep their costs as low as possible.

After a shipwreck, two Yarnys (creatures whose bodies are made of wound-up yarn) connect their loose yarn ends. This binds the two together and creates a magical spark, which the players must chase. Using the yarn of their characters to climb, swing, and pull objects, players solve puzzles across the game’s island setting while uncovering a surprisingly dark story about children fleeing from abusive adults.

Set in a fantasy world, the Trine games focuses on a set of heroes who use an object known as the Trine in order to solve puzzles and fight evil. All so that they can save the kingdom they’re in.

The twist here is that unlike typical fantasy games, the combat and other elements are all tied to physics based puzzles. Each of the main characters for examples have skills that will affect things in a way that can solve puzzles or send objects at enemies to bust them up.

Because of the freedom and the skills of your characters, there are multiple ways to solve puzzles in the series. Plus, since there are 4 different games in the series, that’s a lot of puzzles to go and solve.

As an evil man once said, “True power is warping reality around you,” and that is a perfect lead-in to the title Baba Is You . Because in this game, every level you play you can change the rules of the game and the reality you play in.

That’s because the “rules” are displayed in blocks, if you change them, everything changes with it. And that means that anything and everything can happen depending on how you want to play things.

Plus, with 200+ levels for you to “bend the rules in”, that’s a lot of potential and possibility for chaos! In the fun way, of course.

So jump into Baba Is You and see just how you can change the world!

Sometimes the best puzzle games are the ones that make you ask the questions of all that is going on. In The Talos Principle , you are an entity in a world of ancient ruins…but also modern technology. The one who built you put you on a “mission” to solve over 120 puzzles scattered throughout the place.

But the question becomes…will you do it as your master wants? Or, will you try and solve the puzzles to learn more about yourself and then seek a way to escape?

The Talos Principle has a deep and twisting story that will ask a lot of big questions, all the while having you enjoy the puzzle-solving experience.

In this co-op puzzle game, players will snip and clip the paper bodies of their co-op partners to create different shapes to solve puzzles (for example, cutting a pointed shape to pop balloons). The game’s World mode allows one or two players, while the Blitz and Party modes allow up to four players. Party mode features puzzle challenges designed for more players. Blitz mode ups the ante with snipping deathmatches alongside games like basketball and hockey.

In this M-rated, first-person puzzle game, players will use magnetism and gravity to solve physics-based challenges. After being stranded on a moon base, a top-level physicist searches for her daughter while also confronting the truth behind her own research. Players can simply solve the puzzles or take their time exploring, fleshing out the story of this 22nd-century world and perhaps changing the destiny of humanity itself.

Arguably one of the best puzzle games ever made, Fez puts you in the role of Gomez, who is a 2D creature…that all of a sudden gets “revealed” the third dimension. Curious about what is going on, Gomez sets out on a journey to figure out the truth, leading to a large puzzle adventure you’ll enjoy.

Unlike many on this list, Fez doesn’t need “over the top” or even ‘super realistic” graphics to get things done. The visual style is simple for a reason, and it lends to the deep world that the game is trying to portray in its own way.

Trust me, the game is deeper than you realize, and so if you haven’t check this game out yet…you should.

There are some rather dark titles on this list as you’ve seen so far, and Little Nightmares 2 is another example of that.

In this sequel, you’ll play as Mono, who ends up in a nightmare world full of distortions and monsters. The reason for this is a signal tower, and it’s up to you and another named Six to reach the tower and figure out what is going on.

You’ll have to get the two characters to work together to not just solve puzzles, but fight off the various creatures that inhabit the dark and mysterious areas you’ll travel to.

This is definitely a title for those who prefer a very spooky element to their games. So try out Little Nightmares 2 is that fits your style.

It took us a while, but here indeed is a 1st-party puzzle game. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker was first released on the Wii U, but ported to the Switch (like so many games before it…and after it…) so that more people could try it out. And you should absolutely do so.

You’ll play as…who else? Captain Toad! And in each level you’ll need to use all the camera angles and perspectives to figure out how to get from one spot to the next, get all the treasure, and avoid enemies and traps!

You can even play in co-op to have someone help you out with those enemies! It’s a lighthearted and simple title, but at times…isn’t that what we really need?

This top-down game boasts the voice talents of James McAvoy, Daisy Ridley, and Willem Dafoe. A husband and wife are celebrating the news that she is expecting their first child when a man claiming to be a cop arrives at the apartment. The man accuses the wife of murdering her father, and in the ensuing struggle, both the husband and wife are killed. The husband then wakes up moments before the man’s arrival. As the husband, players must use the time loop to save their wife and determine the truth about the death of the wife’s father.

It’s honestly hard to describe a game like Inside without diving deep into spoilers, so I’ll try and keep it light.

In this game, from the creative team of PlayDead, who made the equally dark and praised title Limbo , you’ll find yourself as a young boy who is drawn to a certain building where a “dark project” is being done.

What exactly is going on here? That’s for you to figure out in this narrative-driven puzzle title. You’ll have to make it through the confines of the building, solve puzzles, avoid detection, and learn the truth. But as these games like to show…sometimes it’s best if the truth…isn’t revealed at all.

Here’s another classic that was eventually brought over to the Switch. World of Goo puts you in control of living glob entities that you can both get and then place in order to build various things. Like what? Bridges, buildings, slingshots, and more. As long as you have the right structure, and amount of goo, you can make it.

Why do you need to do it? Because the game’s levels are all meant to do something specific, and you have to get your goo creatures to build the right kind of structure to complete the task.

It might sound simple, but it’s not. Each level is special, and can even have dangers for your goo creatures. So use them wisely, and get to the next challenge!

In 1803, the Obra Dinn set sail around the Cape of Good Hope with 60 people on board, but the ship never arrived at its destination. Five years later, it has mysteriously washed up at the port with all its passengers and crew either dead or missing. In this “1-bit” gorgeously-stylized, first-person game, players assume the role of an investigator and search the ship to try to determine what happened to the Obra Dinn . They are aided by the Memento Mortem, a device that lets them go back in time to witness a person’s final moments.

In this multiplayer puzzle game, communication is key. While one player (the Defuser) attempts to disarm a bomb, the others (the Experts) must read the instruction manual and convey the proper procedures for doing so. Neither party can see the other’s screen, so players are forced to rely on each other to disarm the bomb as a team. And if the bomb’s timer reaches zero, everyone explodes.

A party in a mansion has gone horribly wrong. All the party-goers are dead except for Lafcadio Boone, a preacher. Boone is stuck in a time loop, reliving the party over and over again, looking for a way to prevent the deaths of the party goers. In this single-player puzzle game, players must explore the mansion, gain new abilities, and decipher how to save the party guests. Along the way, they’ll uncover the truth about the guests, Boone, and the party itself.

…so, who wants some cake?

The Portal Series is indeed on Switch, and Switch players are lucky to have this title as it’s one of the most important puzzle franchises ever made.

In it, you are stuck in Aperture Labs, and an evil robotic entity known as GLaDOS is “guiding you” through the place in order to complete various tests. You won’t have a weapon in the game to help you though, all you have…is your portal gun.

The puzzles, creativity, and feel of this series is S-tier in every way, and that’s part of what makes it so great to play over and over again. And now that you can play it on the go…you have even more reason to try it out on Switch.

I’ll admit that I’m a little bias with this game because it’s something I found really fun even though I didn’t know what Puyo Puyo was.

Basically, this game is a fusion of two worlds of puzzle games complete with adorable and hilarious characters that interact with one another to try and save the universe! And naturally, you’ll save it by playing Puyo or Tetris against other characters and even against one another.

There’s a lot of depth in this game believe it or not, and that makes it all the more enjoyable to play not just the story modes, but all the other game modes.

There’s two games in the series on Switch, so don’t miss out!

Developed by Ron Gilbert and Gary Winnick, this point-n-click puzzle game is a spiritual successor to Maniac Mansion and The Secret of Monkey Island . A pair of FBI agents arrive in the town of Thimbleweed Park to investigate a murder, but not all is as it seems in Thimbleweed Park. Using commands like “pick up” and “talk to,” players navigate the town while collecting evidence and interviewing suspects to uncover the truth behind the murder and the town itself.

There are a lot of reasons why I’m putting Tetris 99 on top despite it not being a “typical puzzle game”. But in point of fact, Tetris as a whole IS a puzzle game. You’re trying to fit the pieces together (like a puzzle) in order to get points and keep going.

In Tetris 99 , the difficulty is ramped up because you’re going to be facing off against 98 other players who are trying to not just beat you, but bury you in Tetris blocks.

So you’ll have to play fast AND play smart so you can trip them up before they do it to you, as well as get out of any sticky situations you find yourself in.

Do well enough, and you’ll be No.1!

About Todd Black

14 Best Educational Games for Nintendo Switch

TheToyZone is an independent publication with no ties with companies mentioned on the site. We don’t accept free products in exchange for glowing reviews. Instead, we report our own findings to help you make an informed decision.

Here are four reasons you should trust us:

• We love our kids as much as you love yours, so we would never recommend a toy or gift we wouldn’t feel comfortable buying ourselves.
• We know kids can get obsessed with characters or types of toys. That is why we build lists around these 'obsessions' to inspire kids to try different types of play, fuelled by what they love the most.
• We are a team of independent reviewers. We don’t accept freebies sent by toy or gaming companies in exchange for a 5-star review.
• We look out for fake reviews. Our data analysts help us uncover fake review activity to ensure we are not directing our readers to product listings pumped with fake reviews.

As we all know, education is not exclusive to the classroom. We spend our lives learning new skills and acquiring more information until we gather enough wisdom to be as intelligent as the smartest people on the plane — Mom and Dad.

Gone are the days when video games were seen as corrupting our youth; now, they can teach us valuable math, sports, problem-solving and social skills. No other console promotes these types of games more than the Nintendo Switch . With their bright, colorful, fun releases, they have given us games that educate and entertain.

It’s crucial that screen time is used productively; that’s why these games are perfect for players of all ages. Most of the time, players don’t even realize they are learning.

So whatever educational game you’re looking for, you should be able to find it here.

The Top 3 Educational Games for Nintendo Switch

Those are my top three picks, but check out the rest of the list to find the perfect educational game for yourself or as a gift.

1. Best for Creativity: Minecraft

If you like your creativity mixed in with some action, we have the perfect educational game for you. Minecraft became an instant hit when it was released in 2011 and has solidified itself as a classic in the gaming world. Combining fun characters and vast worlds to build and explore, Minecraft’s longevity, creativity and educational value know no bounds.

What We Love:

❤️ You can build pretty much anything you want ❤️ You have to protect your environment from enemies ❤️ Building your own community with other players

What We Don’t Love:

💔 Building can take a while to get used to

2. Best for Problem-Solving: Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain

When it comes to problem-solving, I believe it’s a lot more fun to battle against others, brain vs. brain. With this academic accolade, up to four players can pit their brain power against each other, testing memory, math and motor skills in various games involving speed and accuracy. 

Developing and training memory skills are essential in childhood as they lead to other skills they will learn. Studies have shown that a good memory takes you back to previous experiences and allows kids to retain information such as language, follow directions, learn routines and solve problems. It also has a big part in developing imaginative play. 

❤️ Each player can set their own difficulty level  ❤️ You can test yourself against scores from other players around the world ❤️ The use of split-screen mode when connected to a monitor

💔 It’s more fun in multiplayer mode than solo play

3. Best for Sports Education: Nintendo Switch Sports

Following on from the success of Wii Sports , Switch Sports features new games and some of the classics of its predecessor. Grow your skills while staying active as you play Soccer, Volleyball, Bowling, Tennis, Badminton, Chambara and (my favorite) Golf. You navigate your character by swinging, kicking, spiking and putting your way to victory and maybe, if you’re successful, take those skills to the field in real life.

Taking part in sporting activities is not solely about fitness and fun; it can also promote academic success in children . Team sports can teach social skills, teamwork, discipline and leadership capabilities.

❤️ You can play against people at home or across the world online  ❤️ Includes a leg strap for soccer ❤️ Adjust the difficulty as your skills develop

💔 You need plenty of room to play

4. Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Not all education is about arithmetic and spelling; humans must also learn about the community. One of the best games to promote social skills on the Switch is Animal Crossing, which focuses on building your home, decorating it and creating a community with other players. You can fish, hunt for fossils and plant your own garden, but most importantly, you must learn how to exist peacefully in your society.

There are plenty of activities in Animal Crossing that promote social-emotional learning that can develop skills such as personal responsibility, decision-making, generosity, money management and altruism — all critical life skills that, when taught at a young age, can benefit a person significantly.

❤️ The colors and animations are very child friendly ❤️ There is a vast land to explore ❤️ The seasons change over time

💔 Can become addictive, so you may need to limit screen time

5. My Friend Peppa Pig Complete Edition

This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed at home, but this little Peppa Piggy has taken the world by storm with books, movies, theme parks and now, her very own video game. A new friend has come to play with Peppa, a character you have created. Explore the landscape, tidy up the home and sing songs with your new best friend as you learn and play.

Peppa Pig is bright, colorful, fun, and offers great educational value to younger kids. Peppa, as a character, is kind, thoughtful, polite and friendly, teaching social-emotional learning like learning to share, giving thanks, compassion and making new friends.

❤️ It’s fun to see your creation interact with Peppa ❤️ It’s incredibly bright and colorful ❤️ Learn new activities and songs

💔 It is more story than gameplay

6. Super Mario Maker 2

Have you ever imagined designing your very own video game? With Super Mario Maker 2 you can start by making custom Mario levels of your design. You can choose which blocks go where, add enemies to your liking and plot out brand new courses for Mario to navigate through.

We all know how important creativity is in a child’s development. Dr. Sandra Russ , a creativity and play expert, described creativity as “the ability to come up with original ideas; to put ideas or images or experiences together in new ways.” Super Mario Maker 2 promotes creativity and helps build valuable STEM skills as kids better understand basic video game coding .

❤️ You can choose which era in the Mario Saga you want to design ❤️ Learn which designs work and which don’t ❤️ The possibilities are endless

💔 It takes a lot of patience to design a level

7. My Universe – Pet Clinic: Cats & Dogs

Another important lesson is how to look after those around us, including our pets. This game allows you to run your own pet clinic, where you must learn how to care for animals and nurse them back to health. First comes the diagnosis; when you know what is wrong with each animal, you can treat them to make them better.

Although much is still to be learned about the educational values of simulation games, studies have shown that these types of games off great real-world experiences for children in a risk-free environment. Pet Clinic, in particular, teaches kids valuable lessons in compassion and empathy and developing their business skills.

❤️ Make a diagnosis by solving the puzzle of their symptoms ❤️ As you progress, you can upgrade your clinic ❤️ Treatments include; x-rays, bandages and preparing medicine

💔 You need a good grasp of reading to play

8. Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics

What better way to spend some downtime than to play a classic game with your friends/family? This release includes 51 classic games all in one place for you to develop your problem-solving and strategy skills and learn that important lesson; how to win and lose graciously. Including Chess, Checkers, Dominos, Darts, Bowling, Backgammon and solitaire, there is tons of fun to be had.

Problem-solving games such as these are a great tool in a child’s education. They encourage critical thinking, promote collaboration and competitiveness and provide opportunities to apply concepts they’ve already learned and learn new ones.

❤️ It’s ideal for long journeys ❤️ You can connect several Switchs’ together for multiplayer games ❤️ You can change difficulty settings

💔 You have to learn the rules for 51 games

9. Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training

If there’s any game in this list that exemplifies the expansion of your brain, it’s this. Test your existing skills and grow your brain power with this set of classic and new exercises. You can play alone or train with friends or family in the same room or online.

It may sound obvious, but studies show that brain training games can play a major role in improving cognitive functions in both children and adults. Benefits from these types of games can include; improved memory and recognition, increased attention span and enhanced cognition.

❤️ You can use the touchscreen or the controllers ❤️ It comes with a stylus  ❤️ Improves your memory

💔 If you’ve played the DS version, you may already know most of the puzzles

10. Snipper Clips Plus: Cut it out Together!

Snipper Clips Plus is pretty out there when it comes to solving puzzles in video games, but that’s what makes it so fun. Most of the time, you don’t realize that you are developing your problem-solving skills when playing. You don’t win “Family Game of the Year” at the 21st Annual D.I.C.E. Awards for being boring.

The benefits of these types of games are well-studied, and evidence shows how much of an asset they can be to our educational growth and development. As well as improving motor skills and promoting creativity, recent studies have shown that kids who play puzzle-solving video games show higher brain activity associated with memory and attention.

❤️ The main characters are adorable ❤️ Up to four players for co-op play ❤️ Each level is a different challenge

💔 The harder puzzles can get frustrating to solve

11. Game Builder Garage

Computer programming may seem complicated, but it doesn’t have to be with Game Builder Garage. Take your first steps into a new world by building your own video game using the step-by-step lessons. Not only will you learn new skills, but you can also let your imagination run wild with different designs.

No matter how you feel about computers, they’re here to stay, so learning coding early can have enormous benefits to a child’s development. The University of Texas states that learning coding at a young age can boost problem-solving skills, advance computational thinking and digital literacy, encourage persistence and improve confidence and communication skills.

❤️ You can test your skills between each lesson ❤️ You can share your games with others online  ❤️ You can play games created by others

💔 You need plenty of patience

12. Professor Rubik’s Brain Fitness

The Rubik’s cube has puzzled us for 50 years, flipping the colors around to make them match up. With this brain fitness video game, you test your speed, memory and logic skills in its twelve mini-games involving the famous cube.

The Rubik’s Cube is the ultimate brain teaser, but sticking with it (and not throwing it out the window in frustration) can lead to great benefits in our development. Enhancing problem-solving skills is the most obvious asset, but it also boosts cognitive power, improves memory, enhances brain-hand-eye coordination and instills confidence.

❤️ It tracks your activity to show your progress  ❤️ The difficulty heightens as you progress ❤️ It’s challenging and stimulating

💔 It encourages you to play everyday

13. Taiko No Tatsujin: Drum ‘n’ Fun! Bundle

They say music is the food of love, but it’s also food for your brain. This Drum ‘n’ Fun bundle keeps your mind active by memorizing patterns and following rhythms to over seventy iconic video game songs. Playing video games that involve rhythm and music can be an excellent way for kids to dance, sing and have fun, but they can also promote some key developmental skills.

The prestigious Kaufman Music Center in New York states that music training can strengthen a child’s decision-making network, encourage the ability to take instructions and improve focus and concentration.

❤️ Connect your Switch consoles together for multiplayer mode ❤️ Play as characters from the Nintendo universe like Kirby and Splatoon 2’s Squid ❤️ The drum is a fun accessory

💔 Banging the drum can be loud

14. Colors Live

One of my favorite classes in school was Art, so I had to include this colorful, creative title in our list. Colors Live lets your imagination run free with realistic painting and design. It features a pressure-sensitive painting to give it a real-life feel and lets you record your process to see how it all came together.

Art and creativity are an integral part of our social and emotional development . As well as the satisfaction and pride you get from creating something, it allows us to share our perspectives and learn to express ourselves. What makes art so special is that it can be used as an expression of our imaginations and feelings or as a fun activity to enjoy as a group.

❤️ Complete challenges to advance your skill ❤️ You can display your work online for all to see  ❤️ Comes with a Sonar Pen to draw and paint with

💔 The lessons are more for beginners

Frequently Asked Questions About Educational Games for Nintendo Switch

🤔 are educational switch games good for kids’ development.

Simple answer. Yes.

Video games are a fantastic way to carry on a child’s education outside the classroom. As we see it, they will want to play video games anyway, so why not sneak in some lessons to screen time while they do?

Nintendo has an MO of releasing bright, colorful, fun games for all the family, making their latest handheld console, the Switch, the ideal platform to bring educational games into the hands of younger players.

With so many titles on offer, the key is to find a suitable game that kids will engage with to get the most out of the lessons they’re learning while having fun.

🤔 How can video games contribute to kids’ education?  

Gaming has become a huge part of our society, and while some games are mindless fun, others can stimulate and expand key learning skills in a child’s development. 

Don’t just take my word for it; check out the results of this study into Children’s Motivations for Video Game Play in the Context of Normal Development from Harvard student Cheryl K. Olson.

The right educational video game can:

• Teach problem-solving skills
• Inspire interest in history and culture
• Develop social and competition skills
• Encourage exercise
• Spark creativity

So… What Educational Game Should I Get?

The great thing about kids is that they all have various interests, but sometimes they find it hard to engage with anything other than what they enjoy. The surefire way to find the right game is to discover their interests and what kind of games they enjoy playing.

If they’re big into sports, then Nintendo Switch Sports is the obvious choice. If they are a budding artist, you can’t go wrong with Colors Live . And for the academics out there, you can nurture their thirst for problem-solving with Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain .

If you’ve seen a Switch game that I haven’t included in this list and you think it should be, PLEASE send me a message so I can update and include it.

More from TheToyZone

Pocket-lint

Best puzzle games on switch: get thinking with these clever games.

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

The Nintendo Switch is a superb console for many reasons, not the least of which is that it plays host to a huge range of genres and types of game. If you're looking for a new title for the Switch and fancy a bit of a puzzle, this is the list for you.

We've gathered the very best options for the Switch if you want to have to think plenty before making a move, whether it's a pure puzzler or a devious adventure game. These are the top puzzles games on Switch.

Return of the Obra Dinn

The Case of the Golden Idol

Paradise Killer

The excavation of hob's barrow.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

Storyteller

Incredibly inventive and mind-boggling to figure out to its full extent, this is a puzzling masteropiece.

• Beautiful visual style
• Incredible sense of discovery
• Leaves it all to you
• Seriously tough nut to crack

Return of the Obra Dinn is one of the most challenging games we've ever had to wrap our heads around, but that challenge is entirely cerebral. You play an insurance inspector making your way through a ship that lost all its hands on a long voyage, piecing together exactly what happened.

Your main tool is a timepiece that lets you view a snapshot of the death of any corpse you come across, and this turns into a marvellously complex operation that will have you following obscure threads to uncover a range of interesting twists in a patchwork story.

A brilliant puzzle game that leaves you to figure out what's going on, and tells a wickedly dark tale in the process.

• Doesn't hold your hand
• Smart hint system
• Very quickly gets super complex

The Case of the Golden Idol follows the story of a stolen treasure passed down through devious generations, each twist uncovered as you explore a frozen tableau figuring out who's there, who's died, and how.

If that sounds straightforward, it quickly becomes anything but, and you'll soon be flipping between rooms, comparing notes and scrambling to remember seemingly inconsequential details from prior scenes, all with the aim of figuring the next out.

Paradise Killer is a really fun look at how a detective game could work with multiple possible outcomes depending on how you build different cases.

• Loads of fun dialogue
• Game adapts to your conclusions
• Zippy, fun soundtrack
• Somewhat clunky controls

Paradise Killer is a really chilled-out exploration game that divvies up its puzzles into two main camps - talking to people, and exploring its huge island. You play a detective called in to figure out a bizarre supernatural crime in the titular paradisal island, with a baker's dozen of suspects to sift through.

Interrogations are sprightly and well-written, the game has loads of nooks and crannies to explore that yield further secrets, and all of its adapts to offer multiple satisfying endings, making for a really well-rounded but relaxed detective experience.

Hob's Barrow is a wonderful homage to a classic genre of games, and will have you puzzling your way to a truly memorable ending.

• Great story
• Terrific voice acting
• Lovely art style
• Some clunky controls
• Occasionally obtuse

If you've a hankering for a truly old-school adventure game (and the puzzles that automatically come with that territory), then you can't do much better than the superb Hob's Barrow, a creepy and folksy tale of dark secrets.

With a gorgeous art style and a tone that clearly pays homage to the likes of The Wicker Man, Hob's Barrow sees players guiding Thomasina Bateman through her attempts to excavate a rural gravesite - and it's just as eerie as that sounds.

A delightful puzzle game that makes amazing use of 3D spaces to create levels that beg to be rotated and explored.

• Lovely tone and style
• Family-friendly
• Great levels late on
• Pretty easy in early stages

Nintendo doesn't just leave puzzle games to indie studios, though - it also makes some of its own, and an early star of the Switch generation was Captain Toad's Treasure Tracker, a Wii U re-release that shines on newer hardware.

It lets you move Toad carefully through 3D diorama levels that hide clever secrets and loads of treasure, and is a perfect puzzle game for families and younger players.

This delightful puzzler is simple but makes the most of its short runtime with excellent, inventive applications of its clever premise.

• Good central premise
• Nice funny art
• Doesn't outstay its welcome
• Could still be longer

It took absolutely ages to make, and it might not be the longest game ever despite that, but Storyteller is a real treat that uses a simple system of swappable cards to create delightful conundrums.

It's all illustrated by fun cartoony art, and shows how simple formulae can make for satisfying puzzles even when you're familiar with how they all should work.

How we picked the best puzzle games on Switch

There's only one real way to figure out the best puzzle games for Switch, and that's to play a whole bunch of puzzle games on the Switch, which is exactly what we've done.

This has taken us through a bunch of sub-genres that you'll find reflected above, from point-and-click adventure games to first-person explorers and more, but all of them share the core facet that they make you stop and think about what you're meant to be doing next, or what you conclusions you can draw from what you've seen so far.

Each is an excellent game in its own right, but as a whole they make up a smorgasbord of puzzle choices for Switch gamers.

How to connect your Nintendo Switch to a TV: A step-by-step guide

Complete guide to the nintendo switch.

• Console Gaming
• Nintendo Switch

The 16 Best Puzzle Games on Nintendo Switch, Ranked

If you buy something using our links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!

As a hybrid gaming console, the Nintendo Switch is perfect for pretty much every type of video game—especially puzzle games, when played in handheld mode.

If you've ever had a Game Boy, you know how many hours you can sink into a game like Tetris when you're on the couch, in the car, or wherever else. But there are hundreds of puzzle games of varying quality available for the Nintendo Switch!

So, which ones are worth your time? If you aren't sure where to start, here are my picks for the best Nintendo Switch puzzle games that are pretty great and worth checking out.

16. Watermelon Party

Watermelon Party is a pretty simple game, but it's also pretty cheap—significantly so if you can grab it on sale—and it's fun to break out every so often as a quick filler game between bigger ones.

The goal is to be the first to pick up all your watermelon slices, which you do by placing tiles on the ground. Your character will automatically move along the path you set, so the trick is to build the most effective road as quickly as you can.

It's definitely not your typical puzzle game, but that uniqueness helps set this one apart and make it worth trying.

15. Pack Master

You know how packing luggage into a case can feel like a puzzle? That's basically what Pack Master is, except this game is a lot more relaxing than shoving actual clothes and gadgets into a carry-on!

Every level in Pack Master is basically a set of objects of varying sizes and shapes, along with a case where they need to be fitted into. You'll need to rotate the objects and place them with precision if you want to get them all inside properly.

The solo mode is very relaxing and a great way to kill time—especially in handheld mode—but the versus mode is also fun as you rush to pack your case before anyone else can.

14. Tumblestone

Tumblestone is an action-puzzle game that's perfect for when you want a simple game that exercises both problem-solving skills and dexterity challenges. The quicker you are, the bigger the advantage!

In Tumblestone , each level is a set of colored blocks and your goal is to clear the blocks by removing one at a time. The catch? You can only pick from the blocks closest to you, and you always have to clear three of the same colored blocks at a time.

The campaign mode is a full-on take-your-time puzzle challenge, but the endless mode and versus mode both have you racing to see how quickly you can clear everything.

13. Lumines Remastered

The PlayStation Portable didn't make much of a dent in the sales of Nintendo's handhelds, but it did have its share of fantastic games, one of which was the mesmerizing Lumines .

This remastered take on that game is every bit as addictive as the original title was, and it's a must-play for Switch owners even remotely interested in puzzle games.

It's just a shame that there is no online multiplayer to let you face off with other players from around the globe.

12. Slayaway Camp: Butcher's Cut

Have you ever wondered what it would look like if you tried to make a puzzle game out of a slasher horror movie franchise?

Slayaway Camp: Butcher's Cut is the answer to that question. While it starts relatively stacked in favor of the player character, Skullface, you'll eventually face tougher levels that feature SWAT teams and other challenges to your reign of terror.

11. Art of Balance

Art of Balance is a physics-based puzzle game where you're given a set of strangely-shaped pieces and tasked with stacking them in such a way that they don't topple over.

Of course, the game becomes deeper in later levels, especially when other types of objects are introduced—such as glass blocks that can only withstand a certain amount of weight on top—which force you to think on multiple levels for a solution.

While Art of Balance is a fine game for solo play, it shines with friends. You can play it cooperatively (taking turns placing blocks) or competitively (in a race to see who can finish first).

10. BOXBOY! + BOXGIRL!

The titular characters in BOXBOY! + BOXGIRL! can create boxes, hence their names. You, in turn, use these boxes to make your way around whatever obstacles the game throws at you.

Of course, it's never actually this simple. It's what you do with the boxes that matters, and this is where the complexity lies.

9. Puyo Puyo Tetris 2

As the name implies, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 is a mash-up of the gameplay styles of the Puyo Puyo and Tetris franchises. You can play either game standalone, but the modes that combine them both are the reason to play this game or its sequel.

Pode is a brilliant, lovely, artistic, soft experience that's ultimately about two strangers—an orb of fire and a block of stone—who fall in love and must work together to navigate puzzle-laden levels.

On top of the solid puzzle gameplay, Pode stands out for its ambience and environmental storytelling that makes for a relaxing puzzle experience. You don't need much action-dexterity and you don't need to be a genius. You just need to work together!

7. Mr. Driller DrillLand

At it's core, the gameplay of Mr. Driller DrillLand is simple: drill downward through colored blocks, line up color combos, and make sure none of the falling blocks from above land on you.

That said, the balance of tension and action make this one of the more gripping puzzle games you'll find. This is a great one for puzzle fans looking for some twitch action.

6. What the Golf?

What the Golf? originally debuted on Apple Arcade, one of the few games that made the service feel worthwhile.

On the Switch the game is just as fun, and it doesn't feel like a mobile game carelessly ported to the Switch, it feels like this was the target system for the game all along.

5. Tricky Towers

Take Tetris , but take away the part where the blocks always align perfectly, and that's Tricky Towers in a nutshell. Building taller and taller towers in this game feels like a combination of Tetris and a 2D Jenga , and it's just as fun as that sounds.

4. Death Squared

Death Squared is a phenomenal cooperative puzzle game where players take on the roles of four different colored cubes, navigating through levels where each player can only interact with certain objects.

This means everyone needs to work together to solve the puzzle of each level, all while dodging and overcoming hazards (especially in the later levels). The 3D stage geometry leads to some really interesting solutions that force you to think outside the box.

While Death Squared is best played with friends, you can play it solo. It's a different experience, but still a solid one worth having.

3. Puzzle Bobble Everybubble!

Puzzle Bobble is far from the only old-school puzzle game on the Nintendo Switch, but a list of puzzle games wouldn't be complete without a bubble shooter like this one.

You know this game: you shoot bubbles and cluster them together to pop them, which drops everything that was clinging to them. The whole experience is surprisingly relaxing and satisfying.

Modern gamers will want to opt for Puzzle Bobble Everybubble! , a remake that takes the original gameplay and wraps it up in a co-op adventure that supports up to four players.

And when you're done with the story mode, you can keep playing in multiplayer mode, from 1v1 up to 2v2.

2. Picross S8

Nintendo handhelds and Picross have a long history together, and there are already plenty of games of this kind on the Nintendo Switch.

You can pick up and play any one of them and have fun, but this is the latest entry in the series, so it's as good a place to start as any other game in the series.

1. Tetris 99

Here's an idea: take Tetris and make it a battle royale. That may sound pretty terrible on paper, but for some reason it works...

...and the cherry on top is the fact that this game is free as long as you subscribe to Nintendo's Switch Online service.

There are optional paid add-ons, but you can have plenty of fun without paying an extra dime.

• Ethics Policy
• Ownership Policy
• Corrections Policy

The 10 best puzzle games on Nintendo Switch

With the essential feature of handheld gameplay, the Nintendo Switch is a fitting platform to casually play puzzle games on. And the Switch has plenty to offer across a number of different puzzle subgenres, from falling block puzzle games, mysteries to solve, cooperative problem solving , and other general brainteasers. There are some obvious Nintendo-published standouts in the larger genre, including Snipperclips and Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, but there are plenty of third-party gems to explore as well. These are 10 of just some of the best puzzle games for Nintendo Switch, in alphabetical order.

Baba Is You

Puzzle games are nothing without a sense of accomplishment and triumph once you solve them at the end, and Baba Is You is full of complicated puzzles that will make you feel like the smartest person around for cracking them. Starring a bunny-like creature named Baba, this indie game will have you moving around tiles that act as conditionals, changing the properties of objects on the field to get you into a winning state. It’s almost like a visual representation of programming, and like programming, it will surely lead to frustrating dead ends. The rules are yours to manipulate — you just have to know how to bend them.

BOXBOY! + BOXGIRL!

The latest entry of the BoxBoy series adds a second player, with both Qbby and Qucy forming strings of boxes together to traverse levels. They’ll help each other out by creating platforms and bridges, all with a limited number of boxes that can be used at once for each stage. Even with a minimalist mostly black-and-white and square art style, the titular BoxBoy and BoxGirl elevate the charm of this puzzle platformer from Kirby developer HAL Laboratory.

The Gardens Between

Adventure game The Gardens Between is single player and has a focus on story, following the young duo of Arina and Frendt. The journey they take through a dreamlike garden is both an examination and a metaphor for their friendship, as they manipulate time, relive memories, and unlock secrets. With vibrant colors, lively animations, and a heartfelt story, The Gardens Between stands out for its hybrid of emotion and surrealism.

Originally a standout at the launch of Apple Arcade, Grindstone is a puzzle-battler game with over 200 levels and a distinct cartoon aesthetic. You’ll be slashing through monsters on a grid, using color matching and strategic movements to pull off combos. There are plenty of bosses to fight, resources to loot, and attempt to conquer leaderboards.

Lumines Remastered

Long before designer Tetsuya Mizuguchi fulfilled a career dream by producing Tetris Effect, Lumines was the music-based falling block puzzle game that he made, lacking the Tetris license at the time. But as its own original puzzle game, Lumines made a strong impression when it debuted on the PSP — Lumines requires you to create squares of the same color from 2×2 pieces, all with stunning visuals and addicting electronic music in the background. Lumines Remastered ended up being a perfect fit on the handheld Switch, with improved visual effects and even HD Rumble feedback to the rhythm of the music.

Anyone with an appreciation for both puzzle games and especially public transit systems will certainly take an interest in Mini Metro from Dinosaur Polo Club. The premise is simple, but Mini Metro certainly presents a challenge, as players create transit maps in real time and attempt to juggle the needs of commuters. The levels are loosely based on real cities, but the stations and passengers themselves, represented by shapes, are procedurally generated. The Switch version features an exclusive multiplayer mode, for transportation enthusiasts who want to try their hand at handling the needs of simulated metro communities.

Puyo Puyo Tetris 2

Following up from Sega’s hybrid of Tetris and their tile-matching Puyo Puyo series is Puyo Puyo Tetris 2, a sequel that expands on the original in several ways. Players can face off against each other, regardless of which falling block puzzle game they’re playing, or even compete in a combination Fusion mode that challenges everything they know about either game. Like the first game, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 has a fully voice acted single player story mode, with quirky characters and dialogue helping to justify the unexpected marriage of these two game modes. Skill Battles add an unexpected RPG element to the game, with characters offering skills for players to use on the board. And Sega being Sega, Sonic the Hedgehog himself is playable as a character after a post-launch update.

Return of the Obra Dinn

Papers, Please developer Lucas Pope eventually brought Return of the Obra Dinn to Nintendo Switch — this mystery game is one based entirely on observation and deduction. You play as an insurance agent investigating the reappearance of an abandoned ship, and using a special pocket watch called the Memento Mortem, you are able to observe the deaths of the crew members and passengers at a limited capacity. The devil is in the details, and you’ll use the limited dialogue and frozen images in time to determine the identity of all on board, who (or what) killed them, and what everyone’s final fate was. Return of the Obra Dinn sports a monochromatic Macintosh art style, and is rounded out by its excellent audio design.

Tangle Tower

Snipperclips developers SFB Games brought back a legacy character of theirs, Detective Grimoire, for this cartoony murder mystery. Grimoire and his assistant Sally are on the case of Freya Fellow, a young girl found seemingly murdered while painting. Players will observe rooms to search for clues and evidence, and they will have to uncover the secrets of Tangle Tower by solving Professor Layton-like puzzles. Additionally, you as Grimoire will interrogate the eccentric family members at this tower, putting pieces of evidence together to come up with some far-fetched answers behind this bizarre killing.

Tricky Towers

In this twisted fantasy take on Tetris, Tricky Towers has players stacking up falling blocks, but not to clear lines — instead, players are competing to build the tallest and most stable towers. Players can also cast spells on each other to alter the situation to their advantage, with powers either helping yourself or hindering others by altering physics. At some point, Tricky Towers looks less like Tetris and more like Jenga.

Top 20 best puzzle games on Nintendo Switch

Updated by Ivan Spasojevic on December 22, 2023  - swapped 1 game. We have made a list of the top 20 best Switch puzzle games that you can get right now on the popular handheld console!

But, first things first, we need to answer this question: What exactly is considered to be a puzzle? It seems like the term 'puzzle game', is used to describe titles from different genres. From first-person adventures to platformers, simulations, and  Switch board games . The list goes on and on.

Well, the truth is, that puzzle games make up a very broad category, and they include various subgenres. So, in order to avoid getting too technical about this, let's just consider any title that has some puzzle-solving as a core mechanic to be a puzzler.

Picking the top 20 Switch puzzle games was harder than you think

1 baba is you.

Baba Is You is a single-player title with unique gameplay that allows players to change the rules of the game. By manipulating blocks, you can change the level mechanics, transform your character or even change the goal that you need to reach.

The trailer below illustrates the game's mechanics beautifully. When "wall is stop," a wall stops you from the level's goal. But what happens when you remove the "stop" from that statement? You change the world, and the wall fails to stop you. If the rule is "key is you" then you are no longer controlling Baba, but you're controlling the key. Simply "walk" into the door to complete the level. It's all up to you and the decisions that you are going to make! If you're looking for more detailed info, we have a Baba Is You review for Nintendo Switch .

2 Return of the Obra Dinn

Return of the Obra Dinn is a first-person adventure that blends mystery and puzzle elements together. Take on the role of an insurance investigator who's working for the East India Company. Your objective is to figure out what in the world happened to the merchant ship Obra Dinn that suddenly drifted into London's port, five years after it was declared lost at sea. Use a mysterious pocket watch to turn back time and view each person's last moments.

Return of the Obra Dinn features an utterly unique art style that looks both retro and fresh, it uses a black-and-white "dithering" technique to create high-resolution visuals using one bit per pixel. Don't underestimate it though, because Return of the Obra Dinn is visually gorgeous.

3 Good Job!

Good Job! is an action Switch puzzle game that supports up to 2 players and offline gameplay. If you want to climb the corporate ladder, you better be prepared to do whatever it takes! Your job duties will vary from fixing the office's internet connection to cleaning up the weird goo. With every puzzle you solve, you come one step closer to the executive suite!

Every puzzle is a hilarious exercise in "just how much chaos can I cause." Why carefully water the plants when you can flood the office? Why wheel the copier into a new room when you can risk lives by constructing a catapult with zero regard for doors, walls, and basic safety? It's brilliant, laugh-out-loud fun matched by a cartoony art style and slapstick humour.

4 Untitled Goose Game

Untitled Goose Game is another puzzle game for Switch that supports up to two players co-op in offline gameplay. You play as a loose goose that is about to bring chaos to a whole town. Steal hats, set up pranks, honk a lot, and do pretty much anything that you can to be super annoying and ruin everyone's day.

Following the quest objectives is only part of the fun. Sure, you can steal slippers, trap a terrified kid in a phone booth and drop garden tools in the pond ("rake in the lake" is our favourite quest objective ever) but part of the fun here is in experimentation and generally being horrible. It's great in single-player, but couch co-op makes puzzle-solving and chaos-worshipping even better. Therefore, we highly recommend you try this funny gameplay together with a friend. All hail the honk.

5 Catherine: Full Body

Vincent's love life is... complicated... to say the least. On top of that, he's starting to have weird nightmares that force him to climb for his life. Catherine: Full Body is a mature action-adventure puzzle with an intriguing storyline and challenging puzzles. Gorgeously animated in anime style, you'll alternate between daytime segments where you'll navigate Vincent's relationships with various girlfriends, and nightmare segments climbing a tower made of blocks that must be arranged to facilitate your escape.

Aside from the great story, daytime segments also allow you to purchase drinks which will help in the nightmare segments... but have too many drinks, and you'll make your escape that much harder. If you're looking for a more mature puzzler, this is for you.

INSIDE is an award-winning puzzle platformer by Playdead. It is known for its art style, a combination of dark visuals and audio that creates a cold, dystopian world. In its 2.5D monochromatic environment, you control a young boy without a name who has to solve a series of puzzles in order to stay alive. This clearly isn't the one for younger audiences.

INSIDE is atmospherically heavy and creepy, leaving the story open to your own interpretation as you sneak through its haunting halls and otherworldly environments. If you liked Playdead's previous game, Limbo , you'll love this.

7 Little Nightmares 2

Little Nightmares 2 is a single-player, 2.5D puzzle platformer. The story precedes the events of the original Little Nightmares. You play as Mono, a boy who's trapped in a distorted world, caused by a humming transmission coming from a tower far away. A girl named Six will be his guide as he sets out to explore the Signal Tower and uncover its secrets.

It's atmospheric, grotesque, and foreboding at every turn. A game with such a cute art style shouldn't be this scary, should it? If you are up for a horror adventure that has a lot of mind-bugging puzzles, Little Nightmares 2 is a must-try. If you have already played it, and looking for something similar, here we have a list of the best mobile games like Little Nightmares .

8 The Talos Principle

The Talos Principle is a single-player, puzzle adventure. You play as a robot, tasked by its creator to solve a series of increasingly complex puzzles in an ancient-looking world. Here you will find 120+ puzzles with different levels of complexity, so it actually might take quite a while to beat the game.

It's best to go into The Talos Principle knowing as little as possible about its story and its world, but excellent puzzle-solving experience, combined with a unique storyline, make this title a must-have for the fans of the genre. It'll stay with you for a long time after the final credits roll. Sounds interesting, right? To learn more about this exciting title, feel free to read our The Talos Principle review .

9 Machinarium

There are all sorts of Switch puzzle games. Block-based puzzlers, platformers, first-person, strategy, and the list goes on. Machinarium is a single-player, point-and-click adventure puzzler that was originally released for PC back in 2009. Prepare to solve a series of puzzles and brain-teasers.

The story follows Josef, a little robot who's trying to get back to the city and reconnect with his girlfriend after he was dumped in a scrapyard. Games are often criticised for being too "brown," but Machinarium has a unique, sketch-like art style and brown-toned colour wash that only adds to the impression of a cold, surreal robotic world. In case you want to know more about the title, feel free to read our Machinarium review for some additional information.

10 Human: Fall Flat

Human: Fall Flat is an excellent puzzle game with lots of challenging puzzles and entertaining gameplay. You will have to complete levels full of various obstacles, find items and figure out how to use them properly in order to beat the level. The very first task here is to learn how to control your character because it is pretty complicated.

Human: Fall Flat also has a multiplayer mode, therefore, we recommend you play it with friends because solving puzzles together with someone is even more exciting here than in any other similar title. It is definitely worth your attention, but if you are still having doubts about it, feel free to read our Human: Fall Flat review to learn more about this exciting game.

11 Snipperclips - Cut it out, together!

Snipperclips - Cut it out, together! is a unique action-puzzle game. If you are looking for a title to play with friends or family, then you should give this one a try. Snip and Clip must cut each other up in order to overcome tricky obstacles and match the outlined shapes. Or just for fun. Too tall? Take a little off the top. Even though the puzzles are easy at the start, they get increasingly more complex as you progress.

It's surprisingly pretty, too, with the characters reacting to each snip and cut with joy and laughter. If you have enough controllers, you can even play with four people on the one Switch, making this a fun, light-hearted party title. If you're not convinced yet, and looking to learn even more about it, we have a Snipperclips review !

12 Human Resource Machine

Another type of Switch puzzle game that blends strategy and simulation elements together is Human Resource Machine, a delight for 'expert' nerds. At every level, you have to program little office workers, to automate a task given to you by your boss. If you succeed, and you make your boss happy, well, you get promoted to the next stage.

At the start of the HRM, you can only use 2 commands to program your workers, but as you advance new commands become available, making it more complex. You don't need to know programming, either. You'll be automating the workplace in no time! An exciting title, isn't it?

Gorogoa is a narrative-driven puzzle game. Arrange and combine a series of beautifully illustrated panels in order to solve the puzzles. It may be short and might only take you less than two hours to complete. But, its absolutely amazing art style and unique gameplay make for a great gaming experience. It is a cute story about a young boy that makes you relax and enjoy the adventure.

What makes this more impressive is that it was created by one person, developer Jason Roberts, hand-drawn and written over a period of six years. Without a doubt, such efforts truly deserve admiration, and the title itself is so beautiful you cannot just skip it. If you want to know our detailed opinion about it, make sure to read our Gorogoa review , where we explain in detail why this puzzler is a masterpiece.

14 The Gardens Between

The Gardens Between is a single-player puzzle adventure about two friends reliving their fond memories together. The game's time manipulation mechanics offer an interesting take on the indie puzzle genre, allowing you to reassemble parts of the environment that were previously impossible. It is a pretty short title, you can complete it in a few hours.

The island environments are bursting with detail, too; from flood-soaked rocks to falling autumnal leaves, the visuals are vibrant, beautiful, and storybook-like. With simple controls and a calm, ambient soundtrack, this is a world you'll love to get lost in.

15 Tetris 99

How do you make Tetris even better? You make it super competitive.

In this version of Tetris, you are not just competing against yourself, but you go up against 98 other players. That's right, it's Tetris meets Fortnite. Who knew the puzzle genre could work as a battle royale? You take part in large-scale online battles and defeat your opponents one by one in order to be the last player standing!

On top of being very entertaining, it's also totally free for Nintendo Switch Online members, making it a fantastic reason to join the service (in addition to everything else it offers, of course). If that was not enough to convince you to try the game, feel free to read our Tetris 99 review , and after that, destroy your opponents on Tetris battlefield!

16 Death Squared

Most puzzle games are single-player, but not Death Squared. This is a co-op puzzler, and even though it can be played solo, it was clearly made to be played by a group of people. Each player takes control of a robot, which they need to guide to a colour-coded goal. But, there's a catch. The path is full of deadly traps and hazards. For a team to survive, close observation and communication are key.

This is great to play at parties, but just don't blame us if you lose a few friendships or relationships along the way. Also, we're totally not advocating for sabotaging your friends. You won't clear the level that way... but it'll be really, really funny. And before you move to the next game on the list, make sure to check out our Death Squared review for more detailed information.

17 World of Goo

World of Goo is a physics-based puzzler where the player must use balls of goo to create bridges and various other large structures, in order to help other goo balls reach the endpoint of each stage.

You will have to overcome not only gravity but also various types of terrain. The challenge is to use as few balls as possible each time. Its strange, surreal levels and quirky designs just make this one even better. Indeed, the level design here is pretty interesting and unique, and on top of that, World of Goo has a simple but, at the same time, beautiful art style. Throughout the game, you will find many new goo balls that have various abilities that you should use wisely to beat the level. For detailed info, check out our review for World of Goo .

18 Super Bomberman R 2

Older players remember Super Bomberman as one of the first battle royale games, even before the genre existed officially. It was just known as a PVP game. Well, many years later, you can rejoice, as Bomberman 2 is out!

The essence of the game is rather simple, you have a limited ring where you need to blow up all other players in order to win. The gameplay is incredibly frenetic, as each player needs to destroy as many obstacles as possible and collect as many boosts as possible before going into a fight with another player. It's a combo between puzzle solving and quick reflexes, and it's fun as hell! Bomberman 2 brought a new Castle mode, where a player will have to defend his treasure against the rest of the team. We still think that the original gameplay is much more fun, as it will bring so much laughter.

19 Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is an enhanced port of the action-puzzle game that was released for the Nintendo Wii U originally, and then ported to Nintendo Switch. Toad has never quite been the star of his own game quite like this. Take control of Toad and try to safely navigate through various obstacles to reach the endpoint of each level, rotating the levels to reveal hidden paths and avoid enemies. Even better, this port includes additional extra levels, and it also supports multiplayer gameplay.

We have a pretty detailed Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker review for those who want to learn more about the title.

20 Lumines Remastered

Lumines Remastered might initially look like a Tetris clone, but make no mistake: this title is its own addictive beast. Lumines has you dropping square blocks consisting of four smaller blocks and (often) two different colours. Match as many colours as possible before the timeline bar sweeps across the screen from left to right. When the bar touches your matched blocks, the combination will be counted and you'll be awarded your score. Then, rinse and repeat.

It's simple to explain, but fiendishly addictive in its execution. Couple that with the game's sleek design, colourful visuals, and pumping electronic tunes by Mondo Grosso, Lumines is hard to put down. When the song changes, the stage changes. You'll be returning to this one again, and again, tapping your foot to the rhythm of the bass.

The Best Problem-solving Games for Nintendo Switch

• Fortress Building Puzzle - Galaxy Cube Tower Simulator Game
• Release date: New first
• Review score: Best first
• IOS (iPhone / iPad)
• PS4 (Playstation 4)
• PS5 (Playstation 5)
• Xbox Series X
• Oculus Rift

qomp2 (2024)

An artful reimagining of Pong. Control a Pong ball aching to break free of its life stuck between two paddles. Explore a dangerous, minimalist world, armed with simple two button controls.

• problem-solving
• experimental
• exploration

Fortress Building Puzzle - Galaxy Cube Tower Simulator Game (2023)

Fortress Building Puzzle is a puzzle game where you need to strategically remove all the cubes to bring your castle to the ground. You must carefully consider which cubes to remove and in what order, as the structure must maintain its balance or else it will topple over prematurely.

Submit a new Game

Start typing the game you would like to add. If the game you are looking for does not exist, it will be added to our database.

Thanks a lot for your contribution.

Latest games

Related Genres

• Genshin Impact
• Call of Duty
• Final Fantasy
• Blox Fruits Codes
• Blade Ball Codes
• Fruit Battlegrounds Codes
• Haze Piece Codes
• King Legacy Codes
• Shinobi Life Codes
• Anime Champions Simulator Codes
• Peroxide Codes
• Fortnite Skins List
• Fortnite Item Shop Today
• Tomorrow's Fortnite Item Shop
• Fortnite Rarest Skins
• Fortnite Rarest Emotes
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use

Best Switch Puzzle Games

It's time to leave the crossword and word search books at home. Playing brain-teasing puzzle games on the go, has never been more stimulatingly fun and addicting.

From falling block and adventure puzzles, to challenging physics-based and cooperative problem solving puzzles, these games are the perfect brain teasers for a handheld console. Here's a list of some of the best Switch puzzle games.

Mario's Super Picross

What would a list of Nintendo games be without a Super Mario Bros. cameo? This puzzle game of logic is like a cross between the games, Paint by Numbers and Crossword. Players must use a rock-hammer and chisel to dig up and reveal pictures. Uncovered pictures reveal number clues to show the amount of squares that should go in each column or row. Mario's Super Picross draws players in slowly with its simplicity , then ultimately challenges them, as each level progresses and grows more complex .

Tricky Towers

Tricky Towers feels like a tricky take on Tetris and Jenga. Stack up falling blocks to build the tallest and strongest tower, while competing against others. Players can cast spells on their opponents, or on themselves ; by choosing to use these powers to either hinder their enemies or to help change the physics of each round and alter the game in their favor. Tricky Towers is great to play with friends, and can become a very competitive and addicting game!

Boxboy! + Boxgirl!

This cute and charming strategy puzzle game allows players to create platforms and bridges with Qbby and Qucy, by forming strings of boxes in order to traverse levels. Boxboy! + Boxgirl! is a puzzle game with a minimalist square-art style feel, that's just perfect for passing time.

Related: Best Switch Exclusives

Lumines Remastered

Made by the creator of Tetris, before Tetris; Lumines Remastered is new and improved, making it a perfect fit for the Switch . Create squares with the falling blocks of the same color, from 2x2 pieces. With stunning visuals and HD rumble feedback to the rhythm of some very addicting music, Lumines Remastered is a great puzzle game, that's easy for players to get lost in while playing.

The Gardens Between

The Gardens Between is an adventure puzzle game , with a metaphoric take on friendship, that's teeming with surreal heartfelt emotion. Players will journey as Arina and Frendt through a surreal dreamlike garden; unlocking secrets, reliving past memories, and manipulating time to solve puzzles . This single player puzzle game tests logic and observation , with lively animations and strikingly vibrant color visuals.

Think classic Tetris , with a Battle Royale twist . Somehow, it just works. Tetris 99 requires problem solving , concentration, and training in order to defeat 98 players in its multiplayer battle mode. The tetriminos cleared by players will transfer to their opponents at random, or players can manually select which enemy will get their left overs. Tetris 99 also has a variety of solo challenges , reviving this classic puzzle game to its ultimate potential.

World of Goo

World of Goo is a multi award winning, physics-based , puzzle/ construction game. As millions of delicious Goo Balls curiously explore, completely oblivious to the fact that they are in a video game; players must drag and drop these lively globs of goo to build structures , bridges, cannonballs, and giant tongues. Each level is dangerously enchanting and introduces new areas and puzzle challenges to overcome. World of Goo oozes a fairytale of love, conspiracy, and discovery of dangerous beauty in the third dimension.

Related: Nintendo Switch Error Codes List — And How to Fix Them

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

Filled with a series of charmingly smart puzzles and brilliantly designed mazes , this adventure puzzle game allows players to cheerfully hunt for treasures as Toad and Toadette. Waddle through traditional 3D Super Mario Bros. themed levels to collect the golden star and discover buried objects, hidden inside dense challenging mazes along the way. With more than 70 aesthetically themed levels , that establish their own unique schemes overtime; Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is perfect some classic Super Mario Bros. fun, with a brain-teasing twist.

Snipperclips: Cut It Out Together!

One of the best strategy puzzle games on the Switch, is Snipperclips . Cut the paper characters, Snip and Clip into the correct shapes, in order to solve compelling puzzles in colorful challenges. Explore a variety of activities in an addicting world, full of creativity and imagination. This simple, yet artful puzzle game was designed with a strikingly balanced visual approach, that is meant to be experienced socially . Requiring two or more players, Snipperclips is the ultimate puzzler to play with friends.

Puyo Puyo 2

Sega's crossbreed of its Puyo Puyo series, and Tetris; a falling block puzzle game containing skill battles, that gives a Role Playing feel to the fun. Compete against other players, no matter which falling block game they are currently playing. This not only challenge the players knowledge of the block game they are playing, but it will test the knowledge of the block games their opponents are playing . Puyo Puyo 2 is another classic puzzle game, successfully revived and transformed for the new age gamers.

Need more Switch games to play and connect with friends on? Take a look at this list of the Best Switch Multiplayer Games.

Write A Comment

Cancel reply.

Comments are on moderation and will be approved in a timely manner. Please read the following rules before commenting:

• All comments must be on topic and add something of substance to the post
• No swearing or inappropriate words
• No asking or begging for anything free
• Do not attempt to start a poll in the comments
• Comments in all CAPS will be removed
• We reserve the right to remove a comment for any reason
• Do not impersonate a staff member or influencer

Save my nickname and email in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

The Slant team built an AI & it’s awesome

Find the best product instantly, what are the best puzzle games for the nintendo switch, 16 games considered.

World of Goo

My rec ommendation for world of goo, my recommendation for world of goo.

Excellent physics engine

A twisted tale, beautiful visual style, great variety in puzzles, my rec ommendation for gorogoa, my recommendation for gorogoa.

Beautiful artwork

Really short.

Captivating puzzle mechanics

Device screen, simple yet effective storytelling, little inferno, my rec ommendation for little inferno, my recommendation for little inferno.

Minimalistic, eerie puzzles, gameplay and narration pointing out how the games we play manipulate us

The game is quite short, delightfully warped gameplay makes for an amusing way to burn digital objects, no puzzle diversity or large number of mechanics added, intriguing wordplay-based puzzles that keep the player guessing, most of the time is spent waiting and not on puzzles, human: fall flat, my rec ommendation for human: fall flat, my recommendation for human: fall flat, playing co-op with your friends adds a whole new experience to the puzzle solving, not much visual appeal, oddly rewarding control scheme, levels have multiple paths, encouraging discovery, can cause motion sickness due to camera shaking, fantastic physics, good progression of difficulty, you can personalize your avatar with colors and textures, hilarious co-op mode, puyo puyo tetris, my rec ommendation for puyo puyo tetris, my recommendation for puyo puyo tetris, great online experience, unfair matchmaking in online mode, tons of game modes, tetris is slowed down, two strategic, classic games in one, has some balance issues, level skip for tricky puzzles, story mode will not appeal to all, fast and frantic competitive play, very interesting gameplay premise, captain toad: treasure tracker, my rec ommendation for captain toad: treasure tracker, my recommendation for captain toad: treasure tracker, battle chef brigade, my rec ommendation for battle chef brigade, my recommendation for battle chef brigade, a new in-game challenge every day, too much guesswork in the cook-offs, good difficulty progression pacing, an enjoyable blend of puzzle solving and action gaming, snipperclips, my rec ommendation for snipperclips, my recommendation for snipperclips, davinci resolve 15, my rec ommendation for davinci resolve 15, my recommendation for davinci resolve 15, my rec ommendation for ironcast, my recommendation for ironcast, unique setting, favors rng over skill, a new experience each playthrough thanks to randomized missions, permadeath doesn't feel like it fits in a luck based game, loads of strategic combat choices, gameplay feels fresh and new due to the puzzle based combat, fun and exciting combat, lumines remastered, my rec ommendation for lumines remastered, my recommendation for lumines remastered, bridge constructor portal, my rec ommendation for bridge constructor portal, my recommendation for bridge constructor portal, interesting puzzles, can feel frustrating, decent amount content for its price, can seem a little bland in its presentation, sushi striker: the way of sushido, my rec ommendation for sushi striker: the way of sushido, my recommendation for sushi striker: the way of sushido, expensive for a puzzle game, flowlines vs., my rec ommendation for flowlines vs., my recommendation for flowlines vs., levels+: addictive puzzle game, my rec ommendation for levels+: addictive puzzle game, my recommendation for levels+: addictive puzzle game, my rec ommendation for subaracity, my recommendation for subaracity, don't see your favorite option add it., steamworld dig, my rec ommendation for steamworld dig, my recommendation for steamworld dig, super bomberman r, my rec ommendation for super bomberman r, my recommendation for super bomberman r.

Built By the Slant team

Are you sure that you want to abandon your hard work?

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes

We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation.

7 Educational Nintendo Switch Games That Kids Will Love

These video games encourage children to think critically, strategically, and creatively.

In This Article

• Our Top Picks

Parents / Alli Waataja

Gaming has become a huge part of 21st-century life. The world of esports is continuously growing, with many gamers proving successful in turning their long-time passion for virtual competition into flourishing careers and sources of income . Though it can be easy to chalk children's gaming up to something that's lighthearted and only for playtime, there are potential benefits to gaming , and almost any video game will force players to think strategically and activate their problem-solving skills. If you're looking for a Nintendo Switch game for your child that incorporates more traditionally educational components, we've rounded up some of the best options.

While there may be something new to learn from any video game, some admittedly have a more overt educational purpose than others. They can help players develop new skills, interests, and knowledge that can prove useful outside of gameplay.

There are Nintendo Switch games like Game Builder Garage designed to teach players about programming, and also multiplayer brain teaser games like Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain that allow players to competitively flex their logical thinking skills among friends and family. And don't underestimate the educational power of role-playing games (RPGs). There are plenty of RPGs for the Nintendo Switch that will teach players about lifestyles that are different from their own and provide facts about different environments throughout the game. Some RPGs may also require players to manage virtual, in-game money, as well as perform other tasks that rely on everyday math skills.

Nintendo Game Builder Garage

Playing video games is fun, but learning how to make video games is fun too. Game Builder Garage has two modes: Interactive Lessons and Free Programming. In the Interactive Lessons mode, your child will follow fun, interactive lessons and learn about game design from the perspective of Nintendo game-makers. The lessons will walk your child through building seven different games (via highly visual and easy-to-follow directions), allowing them to see what the gamer sees on screen and the programmer sees behind the scenes throughout each stage of the creation process. Free Programming mode allows them to apply their new knowledge from the lesson and create games of their own. ESBR Game Rating : Everyone.

Nintendo Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain

This is a brain teaser game that has a multiplayer and a single-player mode. The single-player mode allows your child to practice brain teasers by themselves, while the multiplayer mode challenges friends and family to see who can correctly solve the puzzle fastest. One of the best things about this game is that you can set individual difficulty levels for the players. You can set the game to an easier mode for a young child and a more difficult model for an adult. That means people of all ages can play together and the game will be fair, making it a great game for families to learn new things together. ESBR: Everyone.

Nintendo Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics

Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics allows you to play different board games, card games, and other traditional types of games virtually. As they master each game, your child will become well-versed in the strategies and principles behind them. The video game includes games popular to an array of different cultures and countries, making it a great way to combine cultural exploration, strategic thinking skills, and a fun gaming experience. Some of the games available to play are Chess, Shogi, Hanafuda, Chinese Checkers, and Hare and Hounds. ESBR: Everyone.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is one of the most popular games for the Nintendo Switch. In the game, your child will create and design their own island. As they explore the island, they'll learn about different aspects of the world through the different challenges offered in the gameplay. For instance, your child can discover insects, fish, and fossils (all of which have a real-world basis), and bring them to the island's museum. When they donate the items, the owl in charge of the museum will teach them about what they brought. Your child will also have to work to distinguish between real and counterfeit pieces when curating the museum's art gallery, so there are opportunities to learn about works of art too. ESBR: Everyone.

Nintendo Labo Variety Kit

If you have a kiddo who is always creating and building something, or want to encourage them to do so, you'll want to consider Nintendo Labo Variety Kit . The kit includes five IRL, tangible cardboard toys that your child will need to construct: two remote-control cars, a fishing rod, a house, a motorbike, and a piano. Rather than following a set of paper instructions, the game will walk your child through the process of building a functional version of each toy. Once the building process is finished, real-life and virtual worlds collide as the cardboard creations are incorporated into gameplay , with each toy having its own place to hold the Nintendo Switch and its Joy-Cons. For instance, the Switch will sit above the keys on the piano, and when you press on the cardboard keys, the Switch will make music. Your child essentially helps design components for the game, making this kit great for tying STEM concepts and creative thinking into playtime. There's also a Nintendo Labo Vehicle Drive Kit , Robot Kit , and VR Kit . ESRB: Everyone 10+.

Super Mario Maker 2

Courtesy of Amazon

This is another game that allows your child to take on the role of game creator, though with a Super Mario-focus. Super Mario Maker 2 will have your kiddo creating side-scrolling platformers (in the traditional Super Mario style) featuring none other than Mario himself. With all the items available to use during the game-creation process, such as those classic coins, Super Leafs, and Fire Flowers, and all the different gaming concepts available for your child to tinker with, it's a great game for players to explore their own imagination. Your child can play the games they make, but they can also take on the challenge of the ready-to-play courses available in single-player Story Mode. ESBR: Everyone.

Nintendo Pikmin 3 Deluxe

Pikmin 3 Deluxe is a strategy and puzzle game with charming visuals. The game follows three explorers from a starving home planet who land on planet PNF-404 in hopes of finding food. In the game, your child will lead plant-like creatures called Pikmin, who will help the explorers combat enemies, explore the planet, and find food. Your child will have to work with their team of Pikmin and think creatively if they hope to overcome the obstacles they'll face on planet PNF-404. The game also offers a Story and Mission mode that allows your kiddo to play with friends, which further adds to the game's collaborative nature, teaching lessons in teamwork. ESRB: Everyone 10+.

Sarah Toscano is a writer and current Henry Luce Foundation fellow. When not writing or working on her fellowship, some of Toscano's hobbies include longboarding, watching anime, playing video games, and eating new desserts.

Related Articles

The 14 Best Nintendo Switch Puzzle Games

Em is an RPG fanatic from the UK with a love for all things cute, witchy, and spooky. Their favorite games include World of Warcraft, Animal Crossing, and Pokémon.

Puzzle games make up a huge portion of the Nintendo Switch library, and with good reason.

Some puzzle games are approachable, lighthearted and ideal for beginner players. Others come complete with rich storylines and genuinely challenging gameplay to put seasoned gamers through their paces. It’s an incredibly versatile genre.

If you’re looking for a new puzzle title to tackle, I’ve gathered up 14 of the best Nintendo Switch puzzle games that you need to add to your library today. I’ve made sure to include a variety, covering everything from story-heavy games to mind-bending classics.

The Gardens Between

The Gardens Between is a visually stunning indie game that puts a new spin on the puzzle genre. It’s charming and creative, and manages to tell a fantastic story with no dialogue.

The game follows two children (Frendt and Ariana) who are hiding out from a storm in the treehouse that connects their back gardens.

A time-traveling orb flips their worlds upside down, providing them with a constant stream of puzzles and challenges to navigate that take place around their homes.

The time travel element here is fascinating, and it works masterfully with the controls. Instead of moving the characters around like a standard puzzle game on the Nintendo Switch, you’re controlling the flow of time and assisting the characters.

It’s genius, and makes for an immersive experience.

I love the attention to detail that went into the character design with this game, too. Both Ariana and Frendt have a unique ability to help them navigate the confusing world in the game, and there’s a lot of personality in their every movement.

The game itself plays very smoothly, with intuitive controls that don’t take long to pick up and a very pleasing art style. It matches the console perfectly, and you can pick from handheld or docked mode depending on your preference. The soundtrack is utterly entrancing, too.

The Gardens Between is one of the most creative puzzle games on the Nintendo Switch, hands down. The puzzle style is unique, and there’s a real level of difficulty to match the satisfying challenges that the game throws at you.

If you’re on the hunt for a unique game that’s driven by elegant visuals, Gorogoa is the game you need to buy this year. It’s an absolute gem.

This game feels similar to a visual novel, but with a fascinating twist. The screen is split up into four sections for each page of the story, and players will have to interact with each individual element to solve the puzzles.

It’s hard to talk about Gorogoa without immediately jumping into a monologue about how beautiful it is. This is a truly stunning game, with wonderful graphics and controls that match the overall aesthetic perfectly. It looks fantastic on the Nintendo Switch, and it plays very smoothly as well.

The level of challenge presented in Gorogoa is perfect, and it builds at a steady pace.

The game allows you to get your bearings with minimal hints and suggestions, and presents a real challenge with the puzzles throughout the game. It’s ideal for experienced gamers, yet still accessible for people who are new to puzzle games.

I won’t dive into the story too much, as I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who’s hoping to play through the game in full. It’s an immersive and enchanting narrative, and it’s easy to see why this game picked up such a cult following.

Gorogoa is unlike the vast majority of puzzle games on Nintendo Switch. It offers an entirely fresh perspective on puzzles and story-driven games, and it’s something that you simply cannot miss out on playing.

Lumines Remastered

This remaster of the 2004 title Lumines is really masterful. It’s perfectly built for the Nintendo Switch, and offers up a fun, fast-paced experience that’s ideal for gamers who enjoy classic games like Tetris.

The general idea behind Lumines is that players have to position blocks that fall from the top of the screen, while keeping up with a timeline on the top of the screen that’s synced up to the music. It’s a fast, vibrant and exciting game, with plenty of twists to keep you on your toes.

Something that I really love about Lumines Remastered is that it’s accessible for new players, but still presents a real challenge as you get stuck into the game. It ramps in difficulty steadily, and it’s quite intense towards the end of the game.

There’s a mountain of content to tackle in Lumines Remastered, as it comes with several game modes. You can play through it in everything from shuffle and skin edit mode, to challenge and time attack mode.

There’s a lot to unpack in this game, and it offers great value for money.

Lumines Remastered also offers a great single player CPU mode , where you can battle against a surprisingly active and complex computer opponent. Unlike other puzzle games with CPU modes which can feel repetitive or not challenging, this mode is refreshingly difficult and you can adjust the pace where needed.

You can also use the online leaderboards to add extra hype and excitement to your gameplay. I would have personally loved to see some online multiplayer modes (sadly, there aren’t any) but the different leaderboards manage to keep it interesting still.

This is a stellar example of what a puzzle game should look like on the Nintendo Switch. It’s full of wonderful content to keep you occupied, and plays incredibly well on the console. I highly recommend getting a copy for yourself today.

Tricky Towers

If you’re a fan of Tetris, this is the ideal pick for you.

Tricky Towers is a fun, fast-paced game that’s very similar to Tetris and has been made with multiplayer gaming in mind. You’ll stack and arrange falling blocks in rainbow towers, battling against physics to keep everything lined up and in the right place.

One of the things that makes this game stand out from the other puzzle games on Nintendo Switch is that it offers both local and online multiplayer modes. This means that there’s plenty of ways to enjoy the game with friends and family.

There’s also a handful of different modes and gameplay styles to explore in the multiplayer aspect of Tricky Towers, too. You can play through race mode, survival mode or puzzle mode, each coming with their own challenges and perks.

There are single player options available in Tricky Towers, but they’re admittedly a little less fleshed out than the multiplayer modes. You can play through in endless mode, or tackle the trials mode. They’re still great fun, and a nice feature to have available if you want even more content to sink your teeth into.

If you’re a competitive person, you’ll be happy to know that the scores in the endless mode for single players end up on a global leaderboard.

Each mode also has difficulty settings on offer, to help make this game accessible to all.

If you’re an experienced gamer, you’ll be able to bump the difficulty settings up high for a fast-paced and intense game. If you’re a newer player or looking for something more chilled, you can skip that and fit the game style to your needs.

Something that I love about this game is the extra features and add-ons that each mode has to offer. For example, race mode can add in everything from challenging winds blowing across the screen to magic bolts that you can chuck at opposing players. They’re small features, but add to the complexity and overall enjoyment of the game.

Tricky Towers plays incredibly well on the Nintendo Switch, with no performance issues or hiccups. The art style is charming and colorful, and the controls are very easy to pick up.

7 Billion Humans

7 Billion Humans is a refreshing addition to the puzzle game genre on the Nintendo Switch. This game has a coding theme, and oddly charming characters to go along with it.

The general premise behind this game is that you’re an office manager solving problems in a workplace, using code to keep employees busy and finish tasks like shredding or copying. You’re working with data cubes that all have a numerical value, and will be using basic code to solve the problems throughout.

It’s important to note that you don’t need to know how to code to play this game. 7 Billion Humans is a fairly paced, accessible game that steadily ramps up in difficulty, and it’s worth checking out even if you’ve never coded before.

The game itself is beautiful, with quirky little characters, vibrant set design and bold fonts. It plays very well on the Nintendo Switch, with intuitive controls and no performance issues.

Games about coding might not always make you think of great writing, but this particular title has some stellar writing throughout it. It’s a genuinely enjoyable experience, with emotive scenes and characters that you’ll grow to love as you play through it.

Out of all the games in this list, this is one of my personal favorites. It’s incredibly unique, and brings something entirely new to the puzzle genre. It’s been made well, and also comes with some educational value too. What’s not to love?

Bomb Chicken

This game stars a bomb-laying chicken, fighting against the fowl misdeeds of a huge, evil fast food corporation named BFC.

That sets the tone for Bomb Chicken nicely. This is a silly, fast-paced arcade style game that meshes the adventure, platform and puzzle genres together perfectly.

As the main character, you’ll have to use bombs to cross lava pits, break down barriers and fight enemies. Each stage is full of challenges like moving through obstacles, hiding from danger or battling bosses.

There’s a wonderfully retro vibe to this game, with a vibrant and pixelated art style that works perfectly on the Nintendo Switch. The music fits the theme perfectly too, and the game makes good use of the rumble mechanics that the Switch has to offer. It manages to feel just like an older arcade game, but with a polished spin.

Something that really stood out to me with Bomb Chicken is the creative and quirky character design. There’s a heap of different enemies and characters to battle, ranging from mystical old gods to BFC employees. The characters make the world feel much more alive.

Bomb Chicken scales in difficulty perfectly as you progress throughout the game. If you’re a new gamer, you’ll be able to tackle this game and learn on the go. It still offers enough challenge to keep experienced gamers occupied and happy, though.

I’m a big fan of the silly, pixelated world that Bomb Chicken has to offer. It plays well on the console, looks great and crosses multiple genres skilfully.

Little Inferno

Little Inferno is one of the most interesting puzzle games on the Nintendo Switch. Tomorrow Corporation is known for creating innovative and unique titles, and this particular game is no different.

Little Inferno has one simple task at its core. Burn things.

As you sit in front of a fireplace and burn things, you’ll earn money. This money can in turn be used to buy more items that can be burnt up. It’s an incredibly simple premise, but surprisingly very enjoyable and almost meditative. To complete catalogs of items, you’ll need to burn up specific item combos.

This game is a gem, and I’m a huge fan of the visuals. It’s a charming yet eerie art style that fits the vibes of Tomorrow Corporation’s other games nicely, and it looks great on the Switch. It plays well too, with minimal performance issues and intuitive controls.

This game is a port of an older WiiU title, and they’ve managed to nail the controls surprisingly well. It’s easy to pick up the game controls, and it fits the console incredibly well.

Unlike the original WiiU version of this game, Little Inferno has a multiplayer option available which is good fun. It’s not the most complex or competitive game by any means, but it makes for a fun two player experience.

I love the aesthetic and creepy, underlying story of Little Inferno. To me, it stands out from the majority of the puzzle games on the Nintendo Switch and I’d highly recommend checking it out today.

Puyo Puyo Tetris 2

This title is a crossover game that features both the worlds of Puyo Puyo and Tetris, which are both iconic games in the puzzle niche. It’s a colorful and vibrant addition to the Nintendo Switch eShop, and worth checking out.

If you’ve played Puyo Puyo or Tetris before, you’ll be able to pick up this game quickly. This game offers fun, fast-paced versions of both games, and even a quirky fusion mode which combines both gameplay styles into one package. It’s a lot of fun, and easy to pick up.

I’m a big fan of how this game looks on the Nintendo Switch. It plays very well, with funky graphics and easy, intuitive controls. It feels right at home on the console, and captures the vibes of both featured games perfectly.

Something that’s essential to highlight with Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 is the sheer amount of content that is on offer. This is a huge game. There’s a main adventure mode and free play mode, skill battle mode and four individual game leagues to check out. There’s gameplay modes for both single players and multiple players.

This game offers immense value for money.

It is worth noting that you will have to play either Puyo Puyo or Tetris at some point in the game, so if you’re only a fan of one of the games then this may not be the best pick for you. There are some individual game modes, but the two games do cross paths.

Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 is a polished, light hearted game that’s ideal for both experienced puzzlers and newbies alike. It’s perfect for players who enjoy both Puyo Puyo and Tetris, and offers even more content than the first game.

Untitled Goose Game

Have you ever wanted to experience life as a chaotic goose? If so, this is the game for you.

Untitled Goose Game is absolutely ridiculous, yet wonderful to play through.

This title is a hybrid between a puzzle game and an action game, and it features (as the name might suggest) a goose as the main character.

You’ll be set increasingly disruptive tasks as you play through as the beaky protagonist, including breaking objects, dressing up statues and forcing people to pay for their own belongings.

While this is certainly a silly and goofy game, there’s still a nice amount of difficulty to be found in the puzzles. It’s not the most complicated game on the market by any means, but solving the puzzles is very satisfying and you’ll need to be a creative thinker if you want to beat the game.

The art style for this game is endearing, and it looks fantastic on the Nintendo Switch. The game itself plays very well, with a surprisingly realistic physics system that makes the puzzles that much more rewarding to solve.

This game is a cohesive title, with delightful puzzles, an intriguing world and a simply horrible main character that is immensely fun to play as. I’m a huge fan of the inherently chaotic vibes that this game gives off, and highly recommend checking it out.

Touhou Spell Bubble

If you’re looking for something that combines the best of puzzle and music games on the Nintendo Switch, this is the perfect pick for you. Touhou Spell Bubble is a lively party game that combines a musical theme with a fast-paced puzzle mechanic.

This game is a competitive puzzler, tasking you with scoring more points than your opponent by popping bubbles and successfully keeping up with the rhythm element of the game. There are special bubbles and character spell cards that help to add an extra level of complexity, too.

Something that I adore about this game is how well it plays. The mechanics work incredibly smoothly, with intuitive controls and a pleasant user interface. It feels at home on the Nintendo Switch, and it’s enjoyable to play through.

The character design in this game is second to none. Each character sprite is vivid and well drawn, and there’s a fantastic level of style throughout the game. The narrative in the story mode is great too, but can feel a little clunky in places.

It’s refreshing to see that this game doesn’t hold your hand through every stage. There’s a cohesive introduction for newer players, but the game has plenty more to unlock and explore past this. It’s a game that is accessible for sure, but the difficulty ramps steadily.

Touhou Spell Bubble capitalizes off of the popular bubble popping style of puzzle game, and presents something unique and enjoyable. This game is a gem, and it’s worth getting it for your Nintendo Switch library today.

Baba Is You

Out of all the games in this list, Baba Is You stands out to me as one of the most creative indie games on the Nintendo Switch. This game is simplistic at first glance, but offers a truly unique and immersive world to explore.

This game follows a simple sliding puzzle mechanic with a twist.

Each level will have phrases on the floor, which you can slide around the map. You’ll need to push them into the right spaces to form the rules of that level e.g. if the phrase ‘object is push’ is seen, you’ll be able to push that object on screen around until the phrase is broken up.

There is so much nuance and detail to explore in these 2D puzzles, and it’s an absolute joy to play through. The world is vivid and charming, with a lovely art style and interesting soundscape to accompany it. It plays well on the Nintendo Switch too, with sensible controls and no performance issues.

The difficulty picks up steadily as you get further into the game, and the solutions to the puzzles get much more complex. If you’re a big fan of puzzle games and you want something tricky, the later puzzles in Baba Is You are genuinely challenging.

While this game is not the most accessible puzzle game on the Nintendo Switch, the unique game mechanics and intriguing play style make this a must-have for any puzzle game nerds. The art style is wonderful, the puzzles are challenging and the game world is fun to explore.

Subsurface Circular

Did you read those ‘choose your own adventure’ RPG books growing up? If so, you’ll be a huge fan of this game. Subsurface Circular is a creative puzzle-adventure hybrid, with a simple text RPG style of play.

The general premise for this game is that you’re a robot (known as a Tek) who is programmed to be a detective. The whole experience takes place inside one train carriage, with the initial story focusing on a missing Tek. You’ll need to unravel the story and get to grips with the strange world that you’ve found yourself in.

The star of the show here is the storytelling. The sheer quality of the writing and attention to detail that went into the story is second to none, and makes this one of the best games in this list. It’s simply fantastic.

Despite the singular location that this game takes place in, the visuals in Subsurface Circular are fantastic. The art style is smooth and polished, and the visual mechanics work incredibly well on the console. As a whole, the game plays incredibly well.

This game has a wonderful electronic soundtrack too, which matches the art style and gameplay perfectly.

In terms of difficulty, Subsurface Circular feels incredibly balanced. It’s not immediately difficult right off the game, but as you uncover more mysteries and gain more pieces of information, each interaction and conversation becomes more loaded.

Something that I love about this game is the ability to unlock developer commentary. Once you play through the game and complete it, you’ll be able to unlock the developer commentary and play through with this in place. It makes for an intriguing experience, allowing you to learn more about the world and game itself.

Subsurface Circular is impressive, and worth picking up today. It may seem simple at first, but the story and puzzles that lay within it are rich and packed with detail.

Tumblestone

Diehard puzzle game fans will adore Tumblestone. This game is a masterclass in the match 3 style of puzzle games, and will keep you entertained for hours.

In Tumblestone, you’ll be presented with a grid of multicolored blocks to shoot with other blocks, with the aim of matching colors. There’s a limit on which blocks can be shot in which order, requiring you to plan ahead and think strategically about your moves.

There’s a surprising amount of difficulty to be found in this game, with new mechanics and challenges being thrown at you in every step of the way. If this is a game style that you find yourself leaning towards often, this is a title that I’m sure you’ll get hours of enjoyment out of.

Speaking of hours, there’s an immense amount of content in this game. There are tons of levels to play through, and completing the game will take you a good while. There are different game modes to explore too, including marathon, arcade, infinipuzzle and heartbeat modes.

There are also some wonderful multiplayer modes to explore as well, including puzzle race, battle and tug of war mode. The multiplayer mode offers local multiplayer only, though, which is a shame as online multiplayer could have been a lot of fun here.

Tumblestone is a stellar game. There’s a lot of warmth and humor packed into this game, with quirky characters, vibrant level designs and plenty of content to keep you occupied. It’s enjoyable for local multiplayer games, and offers plenty for single player options as well.

Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon

There are lots of games on the Nintendo Switch eShop that combine action, adventure and puzzles, and Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon is one of the best, hands down. This pixelated puzzler packs a punch, and I’d absolutely recommend checking it out.

In this game, you play as a knight who discovers a magical cube that transports him into a mystical dungeon. To escape the dungeon, you’ll have to tackle a falling block style of gameplay that feels similar to Tetris, with more of a focus on combat and battling enemies. A new block drops every time you take a step.

The art style and character design in Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon stand out to me, as there’s clearly been a lot of thought put into it. Each enemy is unique and has a different skill set to contend with, and the world feels immersive and lively.

Speaking of characters, I love the variety of playable characters that are on offer in this game. There are characters to fit any needs or preferences that you have for a game like this, and unique skills and designs to go along with each one.

Something that’s worth noting is that this game is pretty tricky. There are a lot of different challenges and obstacles to overcome, with a slightly unforgiving style of play. Don’t let this immediately discourage you though, as the game can be modified and adapted where needed to suit all skill levels.

There’s a great multiplayer mode available with Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon, where you can play against a friend in versus mode. Unfortunately there is no online multiplayer mode available, but it’s fun to play with a friend in person.

Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon is a cohesive, fast-paced game that’s ideal for experienced puzzle gamers. The art style is charming, and there’s a lot to love about the puzzles, too.

More Nintendo Switch

• The 10 Best Cottagecore Games on Switch
• The 10 Best Drifting Games for Nintendo Switch
• The 11 Best Tower Defense Games on Switch
• The 10 Best Educational Switch Games
• The 8 Best Otome Games on Switch
• The 10 Best Pixel Games on Switch
• The 11 Best Family Games on Switch
• The 14 Best Building Games on Switch
• The 8 Best Mafia Games on Switch
• The 14 Best Story-Rich Games on Switch
• The 9 Best Switch RTS Games
• The 12 Best Third Person Shooter Games on Switch
• The 11 Best Loot Games on Switch
• The 13 Best Space Games on Switch
• The 9 Best Nintendo Switch Shooter Games
• The 14 Best Side Scrolling Games on Switch
• The 14 Best Medieval Games on Nintendo Switch
• The 8 Best Sniper Games on Switch
• 10 Best Online Multiplayer Switch Games
• The 15 Best Platformer Games on Switch
• The 13 Best Sci-Fi Games on Switch
• The 10 Best Mech Games on Nintendo Switch
• The 13 Best Dirt Bike Games on Switch
• The 9 Best Battle Royale Games on Switch
• The 14 Best Switch Party Games
• 9 Best City Building Games on Switch
• The 10 Best Casual Switch Games
• 10 Best Nintendo Switch Simulation Games
• The 15 Best Interactive Story Games on Nintendo Switch
• The 8 Best Local Co-Op Switch Games
• The 13 Best Idle Games on Switch
• The 17 Best Single-Player Games on Switch
• The 10 Best 2D Switch Games
• The Best 10 Zombie Games for Nintendo Switch
• The 7 Best Wrestling Games on Switch
• The 13 Best Bullet Hell Games on Switch
• The 12 Best Sandbox Games on Nintendo Switch
• The 17 Best Roguelike Games on Switch
• The 15 Best Adventure Games on Switch
• The 8 Best Boxing Games for Nintendo Switch
• The 10 Best Pirate Games for Nintendo Switch
• The 7 Best Fishing Games for Nintendo Switch
• The 13 Best Nintendo Switch Horror Games
• The 15 Best Anime Games on Switch
• The 16 Best Retro Games on Switch
• The 15 Best Horde Mode Games on Nintendo Switch
• The 21 Best Zelda-Like Games on Nintendo Switch
• The 8 Best Hunting Games on Nintendo Switch
• The 17 Best Racing Games on Nintendo Switch
• The 19 Best Detective Games on Nintendo Switch
• The 17 Best FPS Games on Nintendo Switch
• The 22 Best Superhero Games on Nintendo Switch
• The 14 Best Farming Games on Nintendo Switch
• The 16 Best Card Games on Nintendo Switch
• The 23 Best Action Games on Nintendo Switch
• The 21 Best Metroidvania Games on Nintendo Switch
• The 20 Best Action-Adventure Games on Nintendo Switch
• The 20 Best Hack and Slash Games on Nintendo Switch
• The 8 Best Bowling Games for Nintendo Switch
• The 12 Best Switch Games for Couples
• The 12 Best Survival Games on the Nintendo Switch
• The 11 Best Nintendo Switch Golf Games
• The 21 Best Open World Games on Nintendo Switch
• The 11 Best Board Games on Nintendo Switch
• The 11 Best Sports Games on Nintendo Switch
• The Best Nintendo Switch Horse Games
• The Best Nintendo Switch Mystery Games
• The 24 Best JRPGs on the Nintendo Switch
• The 23 Best Turn-Based RPGs on Switch
• The 11 Best Fighting Games on Switch
• The 50 Best Indie Games on Switch

Screen Rant

Every free puzzle game on nintendo switch, ranked.

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree Is Hiding A Point Of No Return

10 most inspirational animal crossing islands in 2024, 10 new ark: survival ascended - the center new features, dinosaurs, & updates.

The puzzle genre has become popular on the Nintendo Switch, with massive hits like the Untitled Goose Game and Donut County keeping players busy solving entertaining levels. Switch owners who want to test their skills and try out a puzzle game don’t have to spend a single penny as there are quite a few of them available on the eShop for free.

RELATED:  15 Best Co-Op Games For Switch, Ranked By Metacritic

Out of over 70 free-to-play and free-to-start titles to choose from, there are seven free puzzle games that players can download at any time. Some of these games have great mechanics, complex puzzles, and entertaining levels that make them worth checking out.

Angry Bunnies: Colossal Carrot Crusade

Angry Bunnies: Colossal Carrot Crusade is a bunny-flinging puzzle game where players have to figure out the best ways to demolish structures and crush foxes in each level. The physics-based demolition game has over 150 levels, designed to become increasingly complex as the player progresses.

Angry Bunnies is a funny game for the Switch , but it’s an obvious revamp of the more popular and humorous Angry Birds games. It doesn’t really add anything new to the formula as it mostly just replaces birds and pigs with bunnies and foxes. The puzzles aren’t too challenging to figure out, and the bunnies’ special abilities do little to add excitement to the gameplay. It might be fun for players who have never tried anything from the genre before, but the game's uninspired levels are a pale imitation of the original, which is also free to download on any smartphone.

Lost Lands: Dark Overlord

After Susan takes a phone call and turns away from her son for a split second, Jimmy is suddenly pulled into a mysterious portal, which closes before his mother could reach him. Lost Lands: Dark Overlord follows Susan through this magical dark world, where she must solve puzzles and look for clues to figure out how to get her son back.

RELATED:  15 Scariest Games You Can Play On Switch Right Now

The game has beautiful hand-drawn visuals, which is pleasantly surprising for a free title. Its soundtrack adds to the magical atmosphere of the hidden world. The puzzles aren’t too exciting, as they’re nothing players haven’t seen before. For instance, there are puzzles where players have to turn over tiles to match images and others that require them to light up bulbs to form constellations. On the other hand, the clue-finding aspect is fun, as there are a ton of overstuffed rooms for players to sift through. It’s worth checking out for players who want an easy puzzle game with stunning visuals.

Gems Of War

Gems of War is a fun puzzle game on the Switch that tasks players with matching gems and skulls to power their characters and defeat their enemies. It incorporates RPG elements, as players have to level up troops and equip them with armor and weapons, while also discovering new attacks and spells along the way. There are also various quests, guild activities, fight modes, and events for players to enjoy.

Gems of War is an interesting take on the genre, as it combines all the fun elements of RPGs but combines them with puzzles. It requires players to be strategic about using their mana, as it’s easy to run out of it after enough matches against other skilled players. The biggest issue with this game is that it’s extremely difficult to level up characters without buying better gear or upgrading abilities through microtransactions. If players are willing to grind for hours to gain a few ingots in the game, Gems of War can be a rewarding experience with a good number of quests and other entertaining activities to do.

Hexceed is a challenging but also relaxing Switch game that puts a spin on the classic title it’s based on ( Minesweeper ). Instead of a dull gray grid, it features creatively designed levels filled with hexagons for players to uncover. Like the classic game, each hexagon will reveal how many dangers are hidden around, allowing players to strategize about their next move.

The game has some fun level designs, with one of them even made to look like a map. Hexceed doesn’t try to innovate on Minesweeper ’s core elements, but it does improve them by making the gameplay more exciting through brilliant design. The pastel color palette and relaxing soundtrack are an added bonus.

The most relaxing game that’s free on the eShop is undoubtedly Color Zen . The objective given to the player is simple – just keep combining shapes with the same color until only one fills the screen. The level designs become increasingly complex, eventually forcing the player to strategize (at least a little bit) to clear each one.

RELATED:  10 Best Free RPGs On Nintendo Switch

Even on the hardest levels, this game never becomes frustrating. It’s almost impossible to get annoyed when there’s a meditative soundtrack and relaxing sound effects that accompany every move. The simplicity of the shapes and the overall gameplay make it a charming game for players who want to relax for a few hours.

Nintendo’s Tetris 99 is another  classic game made with better graphics with a multiplayer twist. Just like its name suggests, players are pitted against 98 other users in a thrilling Tetris battle that ends with only one winner. During the battle royale-style matches, players can send out Garbage Blocks to opponents, which will slightly obscure their screen.

Having 99 Tetris games all at once is an ambitious concept for a game, but it works amazingly well. Players have to be strategic not just about their own game, but about who to target next. The excitement and tension are only intensified as more and more players are knocked out. It’s also ridiculously difficult to win against so many other players, but the thrill of trying makes it worth playing over and over again.

Pokémon Café Mix

Pokémon Café Mix is a feel-good game that tasks players with running a café with an adorable staff. Familiar Pokémon like Charmander and Togepi help the player churn out tasty-looking treats like Eevee cakes and Diglett sandwiches. The more puzzles players complete, the more food and drinks they can serve – the café can even be expanded to attract more customers.

One of the most thrilling parts of the game is the Pokémon customers that come to dine in the café. Minccino can just walk in and order decaf – if it’s good enough, he might even join the staff! The actual puzzles aren’t difficult at all, as it’s easy enough to link Pokémon faces together to clear the levels. This isn’t surprising, as the playful art style and relaxed café environment suggest that the game isn’t mean to be hard. It’s a fun and easy puzzle game for players who aren't really looking for anything challenging.

NEXT:  15 Best First Person Shooter Games Ported To Switch

• Nintendo Switch

Educational Nintendo Switch Games For Gamified Learning

My son has been asking for a Nintendo Switch for years. We hesitated. We already own an XBox. Why would any family need more than one gaming system? Well this year the stars aligned and the ONLY thing my son put on his Christmas wish list was a Nintendo Switch. So we made our boy insanely happy. Now it’s time to find him some games. And as his mom and teacher, my main goal is to find games that are fun but also educational. I love the idea of gamified learning, especially for this child and the way he learns. So here is the results of my research into Educational Nintendo Switch games!

Educational Kids Games For Nintendo Switch

What you will discover in this article!

Disclaimer: This article may contain commission or affiliate links. As an Amazon Influencer I earn from qualifying purchases. Not seeing our videos? Turn off any adblockers to ensure our video feed can be seen. Or visit our YouTube channel to see if the video has been uploaded there. We are slowly uploading our archives. Thanks!

Before we dive in, I want to make it clear that we don’t own all of these… yet! We literally just bought the Nintendo Switch with all the controllers and it came with Mario Kart. However, I know my elementary aged son is going to want more games and I want to be ready when he asks by doing my research.

The big thing I am loving so far about the Nintendo Switch is how it can be easily hooked up to the TV or used as a portable game. Perfect for learning and playing on the go!

For our purposes I am mainly looking for educational games for the Switch that will appeal to 8 to 12 year olds.

What is Gamified Learning? 

So the big question is, what is gamified learning? It is the use of video games and gaming concepts in a learning environment.

Kids love video games. It is rare to find anyone under 40 years old that hasn’t played video games, and the younger generation seem to love video games as much and sometimes more than television.

Is all this screen time good for our brains? Well that’s a complicated question, but with the right games, rules and environment, there is a lot of valuable learning that can happen with gamified learning. The good news is that gamified learning doesn’t have to involve screens. There are lots of screen-free options too. For us though, we are embracing our son’s love the Nintendo Switch and bringing a little learning to his game playing fun.

The biggest benefit of gamified learning is that it is a form of education that kids want to do, they enjoy it, and for some out of the box learners, it presents in the information in a way that is much more effective than traditional educational methods.

And sneaking in a little learning into our everyday fun is always a big win!

Digital vs Physical Nintendo Switch Games

One of the things I have recently learned about the Switch is that Nintendo has a lot of the games available for digital purchase only. So you will need to visit the Nintendo website to purchase some of the games and then save them directly to your console. This is a relatively simple process like any other gaming system. However, we have noted that their Canadian site is missing a search engine for their store making it a bit of a nightmare to navigate.

Educational Nintendo Switch Games For Kids

Nintendo labo kits.

This right here is one of the most innovative and exciting things I have seen for any gaming system. It makes this STEM lover super excited and is secretly one of the reasons I wasn’t completely opposed to the idea of adding another gaming system to our household. Labo kits bring play and engineering into a fantastic hands on STEM experience. There are a variety of build kits that integrate the console of the Switch to bring your creations to life. This is the absolute top of my list when it comes to educational Switch games we are going to check out.

Scribblenauts

This is a fun puzzle solving game that my son played extensively on his Nintendo DS. This mega pack includes some new features and play that I am sure will once again keep him busy for hours.

Snipperclips Plus

A funny and smart action puzzle solving game for kids that they can play alone or with up to 4 players. From what I hear the fun with this one increases significantly if you play it together. Good thing we have 4 controllers.

We played Pokemon Go for a while on my phone and it was a fun and interesting past time to do as a family. I am not 100% sold on the Switch version yet, but I’ve been told it is different from Go and involves skills in strategy, reading, and math.

Game Builder Garage

Introduce your kids to building their own game with Game Builder Garage. This is fantastic for middle school aged kids who want to learn about Game Design and Programming.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

My kid was obsessed with the Mario Wii games and this one embraces all the puzzle solving fun of those old Wii games. I love that it encourages critical thinking, logic and thinking outside of the box. All great skills for kids to develop. All in a fun environment suitable for all ages.

This game was developed with the help of neuroscientists to help develop math skills. It is a newer game, but looks fascinating and soon after release won a number of awards. This is a digital game straight from Nintendo, which also means it is very budget friendly. Definitely one to check out. You can find it directly from Nintendo Switch here .

Civilization 6

This strategy game involves developing skills in mapping, critical thinking and problem solving. The cool part of this game is that it also requires that players understand economics, government relations and apply different forms of government to find the most effective means of building their empire. There is even a bit of history thrown in. This game may not be appropriate for the younger end of the scale but your tweens and teens will really enjoy this game.

Letter Quest Remastered for Switch

This spelling game looks like a lot of fun. There is something about it that reminds me of games I used to play on my old Commodore 64. I loved the idea of using words to win battles! The idea is that the Grim Reaper needs your help to defeat monsters, ghosts and even evil bunnies, all by spelling words. This will be a great way to gamify some word practice for my reluctant reader and writer. You can find it directly from Nintendo Switch here .

Dragon Quest Builders

Well anything with “dragon” in the name is going to get my attention! This game looks like a lot of fun. It has a few modes of play. You can do free play and build amazing creations (great for incorporating with a lesson, like building a butterfly statue to go with a butterfly unit study), or you can go into the full strategy adventure game where you need to gather, craft, and build your world and defend it from monsters. If your child loves Minecraft this game is sure to be a hit.

Calculation Castle

This is a math game, which is pretty obvious from the title. It is available in 4 different versions – addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. By answering the math questions correctly, kids can navigate through the game defeating ghosts and unlocking passages. It’s a fun way to practice math skills in a game environment. You can find all four versions on the Nintendo site here .

The Nintendo Switch offers some exciting possibilities in the gamified learning realm. Labo, in particular, is a brilliant way of incorporating STEM and STEAM into your lessons. I am also excited about some of the games that help develop language and math skills. I will update this post as we start to use some of the games and let you know our personal experiences. We already bought Letter Quest!

Happy learning!

MORE OUT OF THE BOX EDUCATION IDEAS

Best educational Nintendo Switch games for kids 2024

Your kids can learn while they play these Nintendo Switch titles.

Game Builder Garage

Eat Your Letters

Little Mouse's Encyclopedia

Abbie's Farm for kids and toddlers

Educational Games for Kids

Memory Lane

while True: learn()

TRIVIAL PURSUIT Live!

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain

Colors Live

Planet Quiz: Learn & Discover

The Nintendo Switch is a great console for kids. Aside from setting your child's console up with one of the best Switch cases to keep it protected, the next best thing is to set it up with some educational games for Switch. That way, your kids can play in a way that's good for their brain instead of just traveling a fantasy land saving a princess, although that is fun too. With the best educational games for Switch, your kids will have so much fun that they won't even know they're learning. Here are a few we recommend.

This science-based game is for kids age 6+ with different content for age groups 6-7, 8-9, and 10+. Players are trying to save their friend Finn from an evil infection! They are shrunk down to fight off bacteria and viruses. Along the way, they learn about the musculoskeletal, digestive, circulatory, respiratory, and nervous systems.

Finn caught an infection! Luckily for him, you are able to shrink down to the bacteria's size and fight off the virus while learning about the body.

Buy from: Nintendo

Learn what it takes to make a game with this visual, step-by-step guide to programming and game design. Through fun, game-like lessons, players will be able to create their own games and play them when they're complete! This is a fun option for middle school kids, parents, and grandparents alike to enjoy some time together learning a new skill. Bring the game of your dreams to life for the whole family to enjoy.

Build a game and get a taste of game design life! After you build it, test it out and see how great of a game you're able to create.

Buy at: Amazon | Best Buy | Walmart

Teaching kids to clean their plates and how to look for words in letters all in one! This cute game is all about figuring out how many words you can spell when given a select few letters. Find them all to get to the next level! There is a selection of difficulty levels, so both younger and older children will get just the right level of challenge in the 540 available levels.

In this fun food-based game there are puzzles where you have to find all the words in letters to clean your plate. Choose a difficulty level and dig in!

Buy at: Nintendo

Explore nature as Little Mouse! While you find new things in nature, a new encyclopedia page with all kinds of information on the plants, animals, and other items you discover is created. Interact with the things nearby to choose what you'd like to learn about. This children's-book-illustration-style world has four fun areas to see.

An interactive encyclopedia where players go through the pages as a little mouse, learning about the nature around him along the way.

Being on the farm includes a lot of chores that involve everyday learning! Kids will have a great time learning about animals, how to grow food, counting and cooking in the kitchen, and more. Join Abbie throughout the day and see just how many opportunities life gives you to learn. These simple games are easy and fun for little kids to play and learn.

Abbie takes kids on a journey of learning through daily activities. Help her out around the farm and in the kitchen and learn about every step along the way.

This game offers 20 different games for kids ages 3-11. Playing these games will help kids learn math, logic, reflexes, memory, and more. Keep things simple and relaxing with a jigsaw puzzle, test your knowledge with a world geography game, and get musical by playing around with instruments. This game will even keep track of your child's progress so you can see what they're learning.

Enjoy 20 activities available for kids from ages 3-11. Track progress along the way and see how far your child comes from the beginning!

A great game for all ages, Memory Lane is a simple test of memory. Cards are laid out across beautiful, peaceful backgrounds with a match to each card. Select two and find the one that matches. Remember where you found the matching pair and clear the board!

A memory game for players of all ages! There are beautiful cards and backgrounds to choose from while you try to find the matching pairs.

In this cute coding game, you play as a coder whose cat is also good at coding. Build a cat-to-human speech recognition system so you can talk to your cat! This silly game actually teaches kids about coding and programming and how machine learning works. The best part is it's beginner-friendly, no experience needed. 

Cuteness, cats, and coding all come together in while True: learn(). Learn coding while you try to build a system that will allow you to talk to your coding cat.

Jeopardy! is a long-time family favorite TV game show with trivia in many areas. Get everyone involved with Family Mode, adapted for family play. Think fast and test your overall knowledge across several categories. Each question is worth a different amount of money based on the difficulty level, and the person with the most money at the end wins! 

Bring a game show favorite into your own home for your family to join in on. Test your trivia skills and earn the most points to win!

Buy at: Best Buy  

Another classic trivia option with family mode is TRIVIAL PURSUIT Live! There are six general categories throughout the game. You can choose which categories you want to play, the way your questions and answers are entered, and even the difficulty level with a special kid-friendly difficulty setting. Up to four players can join in on the fun. 

Adjust your trivia categories to fit for little kids, or keep it traditional for an adult game night. This gives your trivia game some options!

Buy at: Amazon | Best Buy

Train your brain with a variety of games and watch your Big Brain Brawn score rise. Choose to focus on building a specific skill or do a variety of activities to get some well-rounded play. You can play together as a family, each with your own score and difficulty level, or play online against other players in Ghost Clash. As you play you even get to customize your avatar with items you unlock by completing goals!

A series of games and activities designed to strengthen your brain. Play as a family with each member playing at the difficulty level that matches you.

Make education creative with Colors Live! Follow the color quests to create different images based on the prompts and learn how to use the different tools together. Participate in weekly challenges to grow your skills even more. This game comes with a special pen to use with your Switch to draw on it.

Creativity on the go! Colors Live comes with a special pen to make drawings and follow color quests that teach you how to use your tools. 

From cultures to animals, agriculture, and more, Planet Quiz tests your knowledge of all things planet Earth. There is also a complete edition of this game that comes with additional questions about oceans. Choose from four modes: tournament, quizpedia, quick play, and campaign. Although it doesn't allow you to customize the difficulty level for each player, as a group you may choose to do easy, medium, or hard.

Check your knowledge on a variety of topics about our home, Earth! Play a quick mode or enjoy a whole tournament.

Fun for everyone

You can always trust iMore. Our team of Apple experts have years of experience testing all kinds of tech and gadgets, so you can be sure our recommendations and criticisms are accurate and helpful. Find out more about how we test.

These video games help give kids something fun and educational to do on the Nintendo Switch . Our favorite is Game Builder Garage, as it shows the behind-the-scenes of the games they enjoy playing. Another option for behind-the-scenes tech is while True: learn(), plus it has the bonus of having a cat in the game; who doesn't want to talk to their pet? For more traditional topics get into BodyQuest and have them learn about their body inside and out!

If you are looking for something for a younger audience, get a case on your Switch and check out Abbie's Farm for Kids and Toddlers for simple gameplay that's educational and easy to learn. Or get the whole family involved with the classics, Jeopardy! and TRIVIAL PURSUIT Live! These show that learning can be fun, and video games don't have to be mindless. Your kids are sure to enjoy learning as they play.

Master your iPhone in minutes

iMore offers spot-on advice and guidance from our team of experts, with decades of Apple device experience to lean on. Learn more with iMore!

Alex has been working with iMore as a Freelance Gaming Writer for three years. You can also find a few articles of hers on Android Central and Windows Central. She regularly covers Nintendo Switch games and accessories as well as iOS game apps. In addition to the Nintendo Switch, you may also find her playing on the PlayStation and PC. When she doesn’t have a controller in hand she likes to spend her time with her husband, son, and dogs, exploring new places, or hiding away with a book (or comic book). A few of her favorite games include the Zelda franchise, Little Nightmares, and Animal Crossing.

How to catch Kecleon in Pokémon Go: Movesets, counters, and tricks to get the Normal-type Pokémon

Sonic Mania, GTA Vice City, and Hades — here's why Netflix is the best value in iPhone gaming right now

Got $1,200 to spend on an M3 iMac? Here are the 6 things I'd buy in the hunt for Apple desktop perfection instead

Most Popular

• 2 This iPhone theft warning shows why Face ID is more important than ever before — criminals swiping 80 phones a day can make $63,000 in half an hour
• 3 What connects, Apple, The Beatles, and one of the BBC’s most viral bloopers of all time?
• 4 Apple launches brand new Beats Pill speaker: Here are 7 things you need to know about it
• 5 Own the suit Steve Jobs wore in an iconic Macintosh ad with an estimated $30,000 value at auction

Great Nintendo Switch Games For Casual Gamers

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

6 Games That Are Surprisingly Thought-Provoking

15 games you should play before you sleep, the best wii u games ever made, ranked.

Nintendo has always been a good friend to the casual gamer, offering a wide range of titles like Mario and The Legend of Zelda that don't have competitive play and often let players go at their own speed. The Nintendo Switch has become an immensely popular and successful console, with hundreds of games available in its store.

The Switch has a massive number of non-Nintendo games featured on its platform, which has been great for the casual gaming scene. It has allowed smaller developers to be seen by more people, and the Switch’s TV link abilities have given a boost to local co-op games . Whether casual gamers are looking for peaceful environments, easy controls, or low-stakes puzzle-solving, the Nintendo Switch has the perfect solution.

Updated April 16, 2024, by Alexandra O'Leary: Nintendo is no stranger to the casual gaming scene. As one of the first console companies to successfully make gaming a family-wide activity, Nintendo has been catering to a broad audience for decades. From the Wii, to the DS, to the Switch, there's a game for everyone. Some casual gamers look for good vibes and minimal gameplay, while others prefer more lighthearted and whimsical titles. Not every game needs to be gritty and challenging, and not every gamer has to spend hours grinding away to make any progress. For those who like to pick up a game in their spare time and jump straight into the fun, the Nintendo Switch has endless choices.

Nintendo: Mario's Best Rivals

Mario has locked horns with a lot of enemies over the years. These are some of the Nintendo mascot's best rivals.

19 Dave the Diver

Diver by day, sushi chef extraordinaire by night.

Dave the Diver

Dave the Diver came swimming onto the indie gaming scene out of nowhere, and became a huge hit with all kinds of gamers. It combines exploration and adventure with management and simulation, resulting in a genre-defying, unbelievably fun game.

By day, go diving in the sparkling blue sea of the Blue Hole. By night, serve imaginative sushi to an array of customers. There's little more to ask for in this idyllic, entertaining game. Even several hours into the game, players will still be unlocking new content and mini-games to keep them entertained. Ultimately, players will be able to manage their sushi restaurant, grow their own crops, farm fish, explore multiple different areas of the sea, participate in festivals and cooking shows — all while restoring an ancient race of sea people. For those who love mellow, charming games with a little bit of challenge here and there, Dave the Diver is a must-play.

18 WarioWare: Move It!

Kooky, chaotic party games.

WarioWare: Move It!

WarioWare: Move It! is the second WarioWare game released for the Nintendo Switch, and the eleventh in this fan-favorite party game series. Known for its ridiculous, nonsensical mini-games that are bound to leave players laughing, WarioWare has become immensely popular as a go-to choice for parties and groups.

While it's not always the best option for single-player, the fast-paced and frantic nature makes for oodles of fun in a group setting. The mini-games (or microgames, as WarioWare calls them) are highly entertaining. With low stakes and minimal challenge, it's a super accessible choice for those who only dip into the video game world occasionally, and is great for all kinds of people.

17 Princess Peach Showtime

Fanciful fun and easy gameplay.

Princess Peach: Showtime!

Princess Peach: Showtime! is the long-awaited, second-ever Princess Peach fronted Nintendo game. After several long years, players finally have another chance to play as Peach , who is front and center for all the action. Showtime definitely has a different energy from other Mario spin-offs. While Wario found his stride with wacky party games, Peach's niche is switching up her outfits and becoming a jack-of-all-trades.

Mario: 6 Games With The Most Timeless Graphics

Not all Mario games have aged well throughout the years, but the same can't be said for these charming entries in the series.

Princess Peach: Showtime! is reminiscent of the Paper Mario series, with a similar style of villain and a more theatrical plot. It's not as challenging as many other Mario games, which makes it an easy choice for the casual gamer. Still full of fun and creativity, it's an easy way in to the franchise for gamers who don't go for platformers and would prefer some action-adventure.

16 Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley

A cozy, cute adventure.

• Released: 2024
• Developer: Hyper Games
• Genre: Adventure

Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley is a cozy adventure game based on the longstanding world of Moomin . Surrounded by the whimsical and Nordic Moominvalley, players explore the map as Snufkin searches for Moomintroll, who has mysteriously gone missing after winter.

This adorable game is brimming with heart and beauty. At its core is a lesson about respecting the Earth and spreading kindness, and the atmosphere, puzzles, and art-style all perfectly capture that message. While it might not be the most challenging or stressful game, those who want a fun and fanciful jaunt with their favorite childhood characters will absolutely adore Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley.

15 Fall Guys

Colorful and casual battle royale.

Fall Guys was initially released in 2020 with sweeping success. Its massive multiplayer battle-royale style made it a perfect option for gamers during lockdown, and its diverse, fun games have kept it popular since. The game was acquired by Epic Games in 2022 and was ported to most major platforms. Fall Guys is a great, casual battle royale with silly skins and game show mini-games like obstacle courses and last-person-standing levels.

Each round will eliminate a certain number of players until one person is finally victorious, making it competitive but relatively low-stakes - although players might find themselves wanting that crown after a few losses. In-game, players can interact with each other by grabbing or knocking one another over in order to stunt progress. There are multiplayer options that allow groups of friends to play together, as well as team rounds for ultimate hilarity. It's by far the best battle-royale game for cozy or casual gamers, thanks to its adorable art and limited PvP.

14 Mario Party Superstars

Virtual board game with fun, easy mechanics.

Mario Party Superstars

Mario Party Superstars is the latest installment in the Mario Party franchise and features the best of the best in terms of boards and mini-games. It's essentially a virtual board game where players roll dice and move around a map, interacting with various spaces and competing in relatively simple mini-games. These mini-games can range anywhere from jumping in front of a camera to counting goombas as they run by.

Best Nintendo GameCube Games, Ranked

The Nintendo GameCube may not have been as successful as the Wii, but it still had some fan favorites. Here are the console's best games.

Mario Party Superstars compiles several remastered boards from the first three N64 games as well as most of the mini-games from previous Mario Party titles. Any gamers familiar with the original games will feel nostalgic and right at home with the classic but updated boards, and new players will get to experience all the fun for the first time. This franchise has always been popular with families and casual gamers thanks to its easy-to-understand premise and player-friendly system.

Cozy Introduction to MMOs

Palia is a cozy MMO (massively multiplayer online) game that combines the life simulation of games like Animal Crossing with the social interactivity of games like Runescape . With multiple NPC villagers to meet and befriend - each with their own backstories and roles, players can customize their living space and learn to live off the land.

It's a friendly introduction to MMO games, one that appears a lot less intimidating than a lot of other classic games in the genre. The servers aren't quite as vast as some, so if players feel unsure about the MMO aspect - they aren't likely to run into too many people and can easily plan to play with friends. One of the biggest draws for any newer gamers is that it's free to play, making it a great choice to try out this style of game.

12 Overcooked 2

Hilarious co-op cooking.

Overcooked 2

Overcooked 2 is a crazy, hectic co-op cooking game that sets up players as chefs in a busy kitchen. The game uses simple controls (essentially pick up, throw, slice, and cook) that are easy to learn, which makes it accessible to almost anyone. At its core, it's a creatively fun cooking game with adorable customization options and wacky levels.

The challenge in Overcooked 2 comes from the timer and bustling environments - players can find themselves floating above the world in a hot air balloon or running across busy roads holding boiled rice. Anything goes in Overcooked 2 , and that's part of what makes it so fun. The game has local and online co-op, so gamers can play with their friends anywhere in the world.

11 Nintendo Switch Sports

Fun sports simulator with classic mechanics.

Nintendo Switch Sports

Nintendo Switch Sports might look familiar to some Nintendo gamers, and although it doesn't quite have the same ring to it as Wii Sports , it has all the fun. Nintendo Switch Sports combines some classic games from the series, like bowling and tennis, with a few new ones, including soccer and volleyball.

Using the Nintendo Switch joycons, players can physically take part in a variety of sports and compete against others to win. Anybody who was a fan of the original series will love the Switch adaptation, which lets gamers compete with dozens of others all around the world. It's also a great game to play with friends, both locally and online - once again proving itself a great way to finally get good at sports.

10 Disney Dreamlight Valley

Magical adventure game with familiar faces.

Disney Dreamlight Valley

Disney Dreamlight Valley is a life simulation and adventure game, combining the best of Disney's storytelling with the ability to have a vivid player character in the middle of the magical world. It's another great choice for cozy gamers who want a more calm and exploration-based gaming experience. The game takes place in real-time, so whenever players decide to hop on, they'll find the in-game time the same - which can be great for immersion.

Disney Dreamlight Valley is a fantastic game for casual games since it features the familiar faces of beloved Disney and Pixar characters, and although it's non-linear, it has a great selection of adventures for players to go on. The world is so fun to experience, with characters taking up fitting roles throughout Dreamlight Valley and providing Disney at its most immersive level so far.

9 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Easy controls and a variety of games modes.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

It's no surprise that Mario Kart has made its way onto this list. The spin-off game featuring beloved Mario characters has been incredibly successful ever since its first iteration on the SNES and has now expanded to feature familiar faces from The Legend of Zelda , Animal Crossing, Splatoon, and more.

This classic title is the perfect choice for players looking for a fun game with easy controls and different modes. Solo gamers can rise through the ranks by playing Grand Prix style or find out who's the best racer by playing with friends. If players get tired of classic mode, they can always try their luck with Battles that offer new stakes and tactics. Similarly to the Wii, the Switch is a fantastic console for local multiplayer, and Mario Kart is the perfect party game.

Forgiving, Linear Game with Simple Gameplay

This may seem like a strange choice; after all, Inside is - to some degree - a horror game. It's true that there are stakes to Inside —its monochromatic appearance and minimal sound make it very easy for players to become overwhelmingly protective of the main character, a young boy clearly on the run from something.

These games may not immediately strike players as philosophically deep, but they do have many thought-provoking themes.

However, Inside is forgiving of mistakes and will respawn players at the most recent checkpoint if they happen to die during their journey. The game is predominantly puzzle-driven, and the controls are relatively simple, which makes it accessible to most gamers. Although some might not find the dark essence of the game appealing, it would be a shame to miss out on such a creative indie game . Inside is also a fantastic game to watch and can easily become a shared immersive experience.

7 Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Friendly and accessible social sim.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Animal Crossing is renowned for being a friendly, comforting game. Its release at the very beginning of the pandemic was monumental for its sales. As a social simulation game, it provided players with much-needed interaction - especially since it allows players to visit friends' islands.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is an adorably pleasant game that asks players to help Tom Nook and Isabelle build a brand-new village on a luscious island. Players can build their own cute avatar and run around the island collecting resources, chatting with various anthropomorphic villagers , and deciding everything from the location of homes to the style of pathways. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is an easy choice for any casual gamer looking for a peaceful game with low stakes since it allows players to go completely at their own pace.

6 Stardew Valley

Peaceful farming sim with no time limits.

Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley is perhaps one of the most successful independent games of all time, initially developed entirely by ConcernedApe (Eric Barone). Not dissimilar to Animal Crossing , although very aesthetically different, Stardew Valley is a farming simulation RPG that allows players to experience the tranquility of village life while completing various daily chores.

Stardew Valley has very simple controls, arguably even easier on the Switch, and does not require fast-paced responses unless players are specifically in combat. As they work to rebuild the derelict town center, players can farm, forage, fish, and mine their way to a perfect life. The enemies in the game can be found in the mines, where players can defeat relatively un-threatening monsters to gain resources. However, the easy-to-use co-op mode is perfect for splitting up tasks, meaning players who prefer to fish quietly can do so while their partners scurry down the mines in search of battle.

5 Snipperclips

Silly co-op puzzle solving.

Snipperclips: Cut It Out Together

Snipperclips is a co-op puzzle launch title for the Switch. It involves two pieces of paper - Snip and Clip - running around a paper world and cutting themselves into various shapes in order to complete puzzles. The co-op element is that Snip and Clip can only cut each other out, meaning players will have to communicate well in order to progress.

Snipperclips does a great job of introducing its mechanics to players and is increasingly creative with its puzzles and solutions. This is the perfect game for two people looking for a simple, fun game and hoping for some laughs. It may occasionally stump players, but the game is nonetheless endearing enough to keep interest. The only stakes in this game are the ones players place upon themselves, otherwise creating the perfect environment for a casual gamer.

4 Untitled Goose Game

Chaotic gameplay with simple controls.

Untitled Goose Game

Untitled Goose Game is likely wildly different from any other game players may have encountered before. This peculiar game puts players in the position of a pesky goose , intent on wreaking havoc everywhere it goes. With both single-player and multiplayer options, this game is hilarious and charming.

Untitled Goose Game requires players to walk, run, quack, and grab, meaning the controls are simple and easy to master. Therefore, players can focus on waddling around various environments and completing the list of tasks assigned, which will be crossed off as and when they are achieved. Any players looking for a silly, incredibly fun, and satisfying game will absolutely adore Untitled Goose Game.

Adorable Puzzle Solving with Pikmin

Pikmin is another of Nintendo's long-standing, recognizable titles. Although it isn't a household name quite to the extent that Mario might be, it is nevertheless an adorably fun and unique game filled with charming details. Released ten years after its last main installment on the Wii-U, Pikmin 4 puts players in charge of a whole horde of Pikmin and must use them to cleverly complete puzzles.

From Stardew Valley to Flower, these wonderful games might just help you unwind and de-stress from your day.

Pikmin 4 focuses on a vibrant and charming world and therefore places minimal pressure on players to execute tasks perfectly. Although it is a real-time puzzle game, Pikmin 4 does a wonderful job of introducing players to creative problem-solving and mainly requires them to choose carefully between the types of Pikmin - who have individual skills based on their color. An added perk of this edition is that players can create their own Pikmin to play as, only adding to the fun and imaginative world.

2 Unravel Two

Endearing platformer with friendly co-op.

Unravel Two

Unravel Two is a platform puzzle game designed to be single-player or local multiplayer. It follows two endearing bundles of yarn - Yarnys - on a big quest. The game takes place in the foreground of a story that predominantly happens around the Yarnys and takes some darker turns at certain points.

The game has relatively simple controls, and its stunning art is enough to win most gamers' hearts. It's the perfect game to play with a friend and has a great combination of story and gameplay. Like Inside , Unravel Two is just as fun to watch, and the endearing Yarnys will have players invested in no time.

1 Sea of Stars

Nostalgic rpg with no time pressure.

Sea of Stars

Sea of Stars is a turn-based combat, retro RPG with carefully created, nostalgic art that will appeal to all gamers. With charming art, music, and characters, Sea of Stars is an overwhelmingly appealing game that evokes genuine joy. Players can make their way through this delightful world wielding elemental powers and foraging for resources in order to make tasty snacks.

The turn-based element of this game makes it perfect for casual gamers since it doesn't require quick reflexes or stressful combat encounters. Players can take their time while in battle and can otherwise happily explore the charming world to find new friends and adventures. The game offers side-quests, endearing dialogue, and puzzles, perfect for any gamer looking for an enjoyable addition to their collection.

Owners of the Wii U had several fun games to choose from despite eventually being overshadowed by the Nintendo Switch.

The Best Co-Operative Puzzle Games

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Although it's fun gaming solo, sometimes you want to get someone else in on the action with you, whether it be a close friend, partner, or complete stranger. Luckily, cooperative games seem to be on the up, with some amazing new additions finding their way onto shelves and digital libraries in the last few years.

The Best Puzzle Games On Steam

The best puzzle games can hook even the most resilient players, and these puzzlers on Steam are some of the best ones available.

Many of these cooperative adventures contain puzzle-solving elements, requiring you to work together and communicate well to reach your end goal. So whether you're looking to escape a frightening labyrinth, work out a gravity-defying world, or even play as two geese waddling their way to village overlords, here are some of the best cooperative puzzle-solving games out there, all fantastic for an evening on the sofa together.

Updated on January 25, 2024, by Jouanna Bondakji: Gaming by yourself is fun, but being able to share that joy with others makes it all the better. Neither you nor your friend(s) need to be video game experts to enjoy cooperative puzzle games. We've added even more entries for you and your loved ones to enjoy together.

23 Never Alone

Lots of co-op puzzle games focus on the funny hijinks you and your co-op buddy can get into, but Never Alone is a bit different. You play as a young Iñupiaq girl named Nuna and her fox companion as you venture to put an end to an eternal blizzard that threatens her village.

The developers collaborated with members of the Iñupiat to bring the game's story and environment to life, and it shows. Not only is the gameplay itself immersive and challenging, but you'll learn a lot about the Iñupiaq along the way.

22 Boxboy + Boxgirl

Part of the Boxboy series and at least as good as the other games, Boxboy + Boxgirl is a co-op puzzle platformer where you create boxes to overcome obstacles and complete levels. The catch is that you can't make as many boxes as you please; every level has a certain limit on the amount you can create.

You and your co-op partner will have to put your heads together to figure out how to make the best possible use of the boxes you can make. And if you like collecting things, good news: you can collect crowns to purchase power-ups, accessories, and even bonus levels that up the challenge.

21 Heave Ho

If you're looking for something you can play with a group in gatherings, Heave Ho fits the bill. It's a silly platforming game with one goal: don't fall. The puzzle aspect comes from finding out how to best move along the level while being attached to three other people. The platforms you stick to come in all shapes and sizes, from hooks to boulders to see-saws, and some even have spikes you can't touch.

The levels aren't easy, but the humor factor will make you and your friends laugh out loud instead of yelling in frustration. You can customize your characters to more easily differentiate who each person is supposed to be (and to look cool), but that won't totally save you from plummeting to your deaths more times than you can count.

20 Very Very Valet

Very Very Valet is a wacky party puzzle game that is dripping with off-the-wall shenanigans. If you haven't guessed from the game's title, you play as a valet driver. Your chosen cartoony valet driver works diligently to wrangle up as many cars as possible to park them and eventually retrieve them for your patrons.

13 Best Free Co-Op Games On PC

These are the best co-op games to play on PC for free.

While that setup may sound undeniably simple and even mundane, nothing could be farther from the truth, especially when playing this one in zany co-op. Adding two or more players to the mix really makes this game a blast as you work with your chosen co-op partner to drive around the vehicles, which end up basically being puzzles since you have to navigate them through specific stage-based hazards and scenarios.

19 Good Job!

If you haven't played the downright hilarious puzzle adventure game Good Job!, you should be sure to remedy that right away. It's equal parts fun and hilarious, especially in co-op. In this game, you play as the heir to a successful CEO, and it's now up to you to work your way to the top, literally and figuratively.

Good Job! relishes in physics-based mayhem where your goal is to move through different stages of a large office building, solving environmental puzzles, interacting with objects, and, of course, causing tons of destruction. While the game is fun solo, adding a friend to the mix turns this game from a simple puzzle experience to a bonkers one.

18 39 Days To Mars

This Kickstarter-funded project by It's Anecdotal finally came to fruition after years in limbo, flying under the radar as a particularly innovative indie puzzler. The charming co-op game forces two players to work together through a series of creative brain-busters as they embark on a short but memorable trip to Mars by airship.

These 19th-century explorers must scramble to solve problems on board so they can reach their destination in one piece. Whimsical themes and stylized, hand-drawn visuals add a sense of character to the experience, engrossing you as you tinker with clever puzzles to maintain the ship. Tasks range from churning mechanical contraptions to assembling maps—and even the simple act of making tea.

17 Shift Happens

Shift Happens is a puzzle-platformer game. It's really best experienced with two people, but the developers also ensured there was a single-player mode available

The two creatures that the players control (named Bismo and Plom) are made out of jelly, which allows them to do chaotic and creative things! One of the main mechanics is "shifting," which allows you to trade jelly to adjust your size between a big version and a small version of your jelly creature. There are four worlds to explore, each requiring your unique talents.

16 Snipperclips: Cut It Out Together

This delightful puzzler channels that feeling of playing around in elementary school art class. Similar to that experience—just about anything goes in Snipperclips, as two players must use intuition and improvisation on the spot to solve crafty puzzles.

8 Hardest Video Game Puzzles Ever

These puzzles are so difficult that they're more frustrating than fun.

The game's puzzles revolve around rotating and overlapping controllable shapes to snip out new ones, which are used to transport or otherwise interact with other objects. Communication is key here, as both players will be working through a slew of random scenarios on the spot with little to no guidance. This colorful co-op romp makes for a fun little diversion that's good for some laughs.

15 Death Squared

Released by SMG Studio in early 2017, this mechanical game harkens back to the old-school puzzler feel, standing out in an era when bigger and more bombastic seemingly equals better. But while this blocky title seems simple on the surface, Death Squared offers some deceptively tricky tasks that keep folks coming back for more.

Two players will need to be precise and work in synchronicity to progress through the dozens of unique block mazes. This includes clearing obstacles and platforms by triggering contraptions and matching with switches of the same color.

14 Human Fall Flat

Fumbling through these courses may seem counter-productive and silly due to the clumsy ragdoll physics—but in No Brakes Games' co-op journey, this is the point. The aptly named Human Fall Flat drops loads of online players into a set of progressively tricky stages. From there, they'll hop, stumble, and crawl their way through various puzzles while dealing with impeding obstacles, mostly themselves and each other.

One can imagine the laughs this goofy experience brings—with the blend of drunken physics, bustling crowds, and the relative precision the game demands to progress. Something as simple as dropping a plank for a bridge and scurrying across can be a tough, treacherous act.

13 A Way Out

Those seeking a cooperative game with a slightly grittier, cinematic blend should look no further than this 2018 effort from Hazelight Studios and EA. Though more action-adventure than a straight-up puzzle game, A Way Out tasks you with coming up with solutions and working through tasks together in order to progress.

It's a fun and intense experience with much on the line—as you must work together to sneak, fight, and maneuver your way out of prison while steering clear of the authorities. Uniquely, this memorable game stresses local split-screen play , as many of these actions require discussion and knowledge about what your fellow prisoner is currently up to.

12 Labyrinthine

One for horror fans, Labyrinthine is unique. It combines fan-favorite survival horror with some classic puzzle-solving as you seek to escape a creepy children's hedge-maze together and hopefully survive the bloodcurdling horrors calling it home.

The Best Asymmetrical Multiplayer Games

These are the best Asymmetrical multiplayer games, including some recent hits and the classics that are worth revisiting.

Labyrinthine was built for cooperative play between four players and plays like a classic puzzle-solver. Everyone must know what they're doing and work together to uncover the dark secrets lurking around every corner and escape the maze in one piece.

A journey for two players, Dyo has you assume the role of two Minotaurs both trapped on either side of a split-screen who must work together to escape the cursed labyrinth they've been trapped within.

You each need to control your Minotaur and use your ability to hop over the split-screen to mix up and manipulate levels, working together to solve platforming puzzles and carve out a path to your freedom. There are no enemies and no time limits, so sit back, get puzzling, and try not to yell at each other as you both attempt to solve this maze's tricks and traps together.

10 Tick Tock: A Tale For Two

Tick Tock: A Tale For Two is a game where playing solo is not an option, as you'll need both of you working in unison to escape this escape room-style game together.

The story is based on Scandinavian folklore, creating a beautiful, if not slightly eerie, setting. The key to freedom is in cooperation, with you both needing to share information to get the full picture of what's going on and solve the story's mysteries in tandem.

9 We Were Here Series

We Were Here is unique, having you and your partner separated and needing to work on puzzles both independently and together through your communicative walkie-talkies in order to work out your locations and (hopefully) escape.

We Were Here plays as an immersive first-person cooperative adventure, with both of you needing to discover useful items and communicate well in order to solve each other's puzzles and reach the end. It's great for those looking for a short escape room style of adventure game, and with a trilogy and fourth game due to be released, there's no time like the present to be picking this title up.

An older entry in the cooperative puzzle genre, but one still going strong as a two-player co-op adventure for you and a friend to spend hours upon hours puzzling over.

The Best Xbox Puzzle Games You Should Be Playing Right Now

Puzzle games are for a niche audience, but these are the best Xbox puzzlers to keep veterans and newcomers busy.

Portal 2 's cooperative mode offers an entirely separate campaign mode with a unique story, portal mechanics, and two new characters to play as. The trick to success is teamwork, as in working together, you'll discover new ways to use portals and hopefully create a means of escape from the test chambers before Glados turns you against one another.

7 Ibb and Obb

Ibb and Obb is a delightfully cute and creative cooperative puzzle game using gravity-changing mechanics to have you working together to move past obstacles and have some innovative level-solving fun.

With stylish art and sound, it's great for an easy game to play together on the couch , and will keep you coming back again and again with some tough and challenging puzzles - but nothing your teamwork can't solve.

6 Unravel 2

Unravel 2 is arguably perfection in couch co-op, needing you and another player to solve platforming puzzles in order to progress through the stages and save two children running away from unreliable adults looking to hurt them.

The game is beautiful, with breathtaking scenery and gameplay surrounding a sad but enlightening tale. The puzzles featured in the game vary from needing to escape a crazed pheasant, using objects to get to hard-to-reach places, and most of all, making sure to never leave one another behind.

5 Heavenly Bodies

Heavenly Bodies is a wonderful game about space exploration where you play as cosmonauts! (Did you know that a person who travels to space from America or the rest of the western world is known as an astronaut, while one who travels from the Soviet or Russian space programs are known as cosmonauts? If they were launched from China, they're called taikonauts.)

In space, you'll need to help people on the ground by installing and maintaining solar arrays, doing research, and building telescopes, among other things! It's not quite like any other game you've played before; the physics in space are unfamiliar and you're performing fairly precise tasks, so it'll take some practice before you're perfect.

4 Untitled Goose Game

The world's (least) favorite goose is back, and this time he's got company. The incredible open-world cooperative game for two players, Untitled Goose Game co-op allows for two geese to travel through the village's story together; solving problems, chasing villagers and of course, endlessly honking.

Nintendo Switch: The Most Relaxing Games To Play That Aren't Animal Crossing

Animal Crossing isn't the only chill and relaxing game you can play on your Nintendo Switch.

This is a great relaxing game for two, with you able to work together to solve your list of errands without a time limit. So whether it be chasing a boy into a phone box, wearing a fancy bow, or stealing an old man's slipper - why not do it together? Just don't forget to HONK.

• Triple-A Games

• It Takes Two

We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.

The 13 best Nintendo Switch games to play in 2024, ranked

Featuring Mario, Zelda, and some amazing indies.

From first-party titles carrying that unmistakable Nintendo touch to a huge range of acclaimed indies that can be enjoyed on the go, there isn't a shortage of games to play on the hybrid console.

We at Digital Spy have debated long and hard to come up with a list of our favourite 13 games on the Nintendo Switch.

Of course, it's impossible to include everything. Such is the quality of the Nintendo Switch's library that it would have been easy to recommend 100 games – so here are some honourable mentions that just missed the cut for the final list:

• Kirby and the Forgotten Land
• The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
• Metroid Dread
• The Talos Principle
• Tetris Effect: Connected

With that out of the way, here are our top 13 games on the Nintendo Switch...

13. Slay the Spire

Slay the Spire remains the best deck-building card game around. It's a roguelike that's less about finding the perfect card and more about finding the perfect synergy between your cards, and the execution of this idea is near-flawless.

It's also brilliant on the Nintendo Switch, with the touchscreen and portability making the handheld version the best way to play the game.

12. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Ultimate doesn't change the Smash Bros. formula much, so it is no surprise that the brawling is as fun as it's always been.

The thing that makes Ultimate stand out is how – from the roster and stages to the single-player World of Light mode – it celebrates Nintendo's catalogue of games with love and passion.

Playing it is a constant reminder of how rich and wonderful Nintendo's history is.

11. A Monster's Expedition

We couldn't write a best-of list without including this underrated gem of a puzzle game. This immersive, relaxing and creative Sokoban -based puzzler has the player explore an interconnected two-dimensional world of islands by rolling logs to create bridges and rafts.

It's full of rewarding mechanics and moments that make it a delight to play, especially on Nintendo Switch where you can pick up and play at your own pace.

Buy A Monster's Expedition

10. Metroid Prime Remastered

Originally released in 2002 for the GameCube, Metroid Prime is undoubtedly one of the best games of the past two decades, so when it received a remaster for Nintendo Switch in 2023, it's no surprise that it still manages to make the list of the best games currently available.

Unrivalled world-building and exploration makes the sense of discoverability unmatched in this action-adventure game, which has Nintendo icon Samus upgrading her weapons and suit to survive on a hostile planet.

Buy Metroid Prime Remastered

9. Persona 5 Royal

Persona 5 Royal is one of the most memorable and stylish games in recent years. Following a group of vigilante students taking on corrupt individuals, the story runs the whole gamut of emotions and is backed by stunning presentation that captures the rebellious spirit of the Phantom Thieves.

Playing on PC or one of the other consoles may be a slightly better experience when factoring in visual fidelity. But the Nintendo Switch version is a solid port, and being portable is a nice bonus.

Buy Persona 5 Royal

8. Return of the Obra Dinn

Obra Dinn plays out like one huge logic puzzle. Your task is to work out the identities and the fates of 60 dead or missing people who were on board a ship by revisiting the moments of everyone's deaths.

The gameplay loop hooks you in. It's challenging yet fair, with every small mystery and riddle of the Obra Dinn solved peeling back another layer of the overarching narrative.

There aren't many puzzle games as rewarding as Obra Dinn , and it's backed by a fantastic art style that adds to its personality and character.

Buy Return of the Obra Dinn

7. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

As a package, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is one of the finest multiplayer games out there. The track designs are wonderful, with anti-gravity segments adding further variety, and hurling shells is as fun as ever.

The Booster Course Pass DLC doubles the number of tracks you can play, for a total of 96.

Buy Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

6. Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Three Houses is perhaps the best Fire Emblem in the series. The turn-based strategy is strong as expected, but it's the connections that you form with your allies outside of battle that elevate the experience to another level.

The two halves – the battles and the free time – go hand in hand to raise the stakes and make the story personal, as the rivalry between the three house leaders leads to a fierce and brutal war.

Buy Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Addictive roguelike Hades combines hack-and-slash gameplay with brilliantly developed characters to create one of the best-value games available on any system.

However, its replayability and one-more-run mentality makes it particularly suited to the Nintendo Switch and its handheld capabilities.

Celeste is a joy to play, with tight controls, Lena Raine's award-winning soundtrack, and tough yet fair levels that get full mileage out of the game's mechanics. However, it's the way the narrative is folded into the gameplay that makes Celeste an all-timer.

Madeline struggles with anxiety and depression, and the journey that she takes as she climbs the mountain leads to an incredibly cathartic ending.

Buy Celeste

3. Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Practically every Switch owner was playing New Horizons during lockdown in 2020. It became a substitute of sorts for real life – a place that provided escapism and an alternative way to connect with friends.

Filled with lovable villagers and tonnes of customisation options, the game has no shortage of charm and ways for players to express their creativity, and it's still worth playing today if you haven't done so already.

Buy Animal Crossing: New Horizons

2. Super Mario Odyssey

Super Mario Odyssey is pretty much the perfect 3D platformer. The game is one of unadulterated joy from start to finish, as Mario journeys from one colourful world to the next on his quest to once again stop Bowser.

One of the reasons for that is new sidekick Cappy's ability to let Mario possess enemies and objects to your advantage. This satisfying mechanic even makes water levels fun!

Buy Super Mario Odyssey

1. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

In 2023, Nintendo managed to do what seemed impossible at the time: outdo 2017's Breath of the Wild , a game considered an all-time great.

The world-building of Tears of the Kingdom is special, and the ridiculously open-ended crafting tools at Link's disposal add a fresh spin to exploration, puzzle-solving, and everything in between.

There isn't anything else quite like Tears of the Kingdom in the gaming space. It's a one-of-a-kind game and a true achievement.

Buy The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

June 2024 gift ideas and deals

Sign up for Disney+

Apple TV+ 7-day free trial

Watch Power Book II: Ghost season 4 in the UK

Marquee TV streaming service - 3 months for 99p

Amazon Music Unlimited – 30-day free trial

PS5 Slim Consoles

Best cheap headphones under £80 to buy in 2024

Digital Spy Holidays - trips with TV experts

Buy Zendaya's 'I Told Ya' Challengers t-shirt

Buy Alison Hammond's outfits

Buy Cat Deeley's This Morning outfits

Shop Sky TV, broadband and mobile

.css-15yqwdi:before{top:0;width:100%;height:0.25rem;content:'';position:absolute;background-image:linear-gradient(to right,#51b3e0,#51b3e0 2.5rem,#e5adae 2.5rem,#e5adae 5rem,#e5e54f 5rem,#e5e54f 7.5rem,black 7.5rem,black);} nintendo.

The best Mario LEGO sets, and where to buy them

Best gaming deals at Amazon for Prime Day 2024

Paper Mario remake confirms character is trans

Best Nintendo Switch deals – May 2024

LOTR game Tales of the Shire releases trailer

Baldur's Gate 3 wins big at BAFTA Games Awards

Princess Peach: Showtime is a great Mario spin-off

How to get LEGO's three new Super Mario sets

The best Princess Peach Showtime deals

Star Wars Battlefront dev responds to big backlash

Pokémon's next major game announced