Best Upcoming Nintendo Switch Games 2023

The Switch library is about as diverse as it gets, encompassing everything from Nintendo exclusives like Zelda to indie hits like Stardew Valley.

This makes it one of the best platforms for playing party games with friends, challenging puzzle platformers, and lengthy RPGs.

In this list, we’ll highlight the best upcoming Nintendo Switch games, including upcoming Switch exclusives and indie games coming to the Switch platform.

With that out of the way, let’s explore some new Switch games!

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Launching in late January, Fire Emblem Engage is the next installment in the long-running tactical RPG series by Intelligent Systems.

Set in the continent of Elyos, the story sees you teaming up with past Fire Emblem heroes to defeat the powerful Fell Dragon.

This requires your character to gather the Emblem Rings scattered across Elyos while fighting their way through tactical turn-based battles.

The new “Engage” mechanic will let your character merge appearances with heroes to unlock new weapons, skills, and more.

Designed from the ground up for local and online co-op, Blanc is an upcoming adventure game with a heartwarming story about an unlikely duo.

In it, two players take on the roles of a wolf cub and fawn that become lost in a sudden snowstorm and end up relying on each other for survival.

Gameplay sees both players leveraging their animal’s special traits to solve puzzles and follow in their families’ footsteps.

Blanc’s poetic narrative is further complemented by stunningly beautiful black-and-white hand-drawn visuals that make its world come to life.

A follow-up to the hit Square Enix RPG Octopath Traveler is also anticipated to release at the tail end of February.

Centering on a new cast and setting separate from its predecessor, Octopath Traveler II will see players moving between eight separate characters.

Each one has its own storyline, playstyle, and rewards to uncover by completing their respective path action.

This ties in nicely with the sequel’s new day and night segments allowing you to play out each character’s story in different ways.

Each day brings us one step closer to the release date of Nintendo’s follow-up to the unforgettable adventure that was Breath of the Wild.

Officially titled The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the sequel will see Link exploring both land and sky portions of Hyrule with new powers.

This includes expanded object stasis manipulation and teleportation abilities that should make traversal even more delightful.

At one point in the trailer, we can see Link riding on a stone bird and skydiving down to the now-familiar Hyrule open world.

Billed as a prequel to the retro-style sidescroller The Messenger, Sea of Stars shifts genres to deliver a classic turn-based RPG battle experience.

In it, players command a party of powerful characters as they fend off monsters and other dark creations from an evil alchemist known as The Fleshmancer.

Combat puts a real-time twist on traditional RPG battling by letting players time actions to characters’ animations to boost damage and reduce the amount taken.

If that didn’t make it obvious enough, the game is largely inspired by classics like Chrono Trigger, and even includes music by composer Yasunori Mitsuda.

Self-described ‘ratoidvania,’ Curse of the Sea Rats will be making its way to Nintendo Switch sometime in early 2023.

Developed by Petoons Studio, this Metroidvania adventure game sees you guiding a crew of swashbucklin’ pirates after they’re turned into rats by a witch.

To get back to normal, they’ll have to explore a vibrant 2D world filled with platforming environments and challenging boss encounters.

Along the way, they’ll unlock new abilities that can be combined with a friend in local co-op multiplayer.

Switch owners are in for a retro treat as Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection Vol. 1 & 2 have been announced for a 2023 release.

Bundling together every installment of the beloved tactical RPG, the collection sees players jacking into the net once again to face off against Mega Man’s biggest foes.

As you defeat deadly enemy programs in electrifying grid-based battles, you’ll scour the web for rare and powerful BattleChips to enhance and build your deck.

Legacy Collection also includes optional high-resolution filters to update each game’s graphics along with a robust art gallery and music player.

Serving as a follow-up to 2017’s Super Bomberman R, Super Bomberman R 2 offers even more action-maze mayhem based on the iconic Konami franchise.

The sequel is set to feature an expanded story mode alongside a new “Castle” multiplayer battle mode.

Here, players will team up to build castle defenses while opponents strategize to find the best plan of attack.

How much new content is included with SBR2 is yet to be seen but the trailer boasts an incredible amount that’s sure to “blow your mind,” so we’ll have to wait and see.

While it’s hard for us to picture any game dethroning Mario Kart as the best Switch racer, if any company can do it, it’s Disney.

Described as a new arcade combat racing game, Disney Speedstorm puts players in the driver’s seat of high-speed vehicles controlled by popular Disney mascots.

Each racer brings a unique set of skills that can be leveraged during thrilling circuit challenges to race across the finish line and take home the crown.

Considering the game is being made by the creators of the Asphalt series and funded by Disney’s deep pockets, we’re curious to see how it pans out.

Developed by Jeppe Carlsen, the lead designer behind Playdead’s Inside and Limbo, Cocoon is an adventure puzzle-platformer slated for a Switch release.

In it, you play as a small insectoid with the ability to leap between worlds using orbs that can be transported on your back.

The story looks to explore this mechanic in depth while telling a unique story that focuses on unraveling a cosmic mystery.

Factoring in Carlsen’s pedigree, Switch owners have a lot to look forward to when Cocoon releases in 2023.

Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is an upcoming indie adventure puzzle game from Simogo and Annapurna Interactive.

Set in an old baroque manor, the game sees you playing as a wandering woman exploring surreal environments in search of answers.

Players will have to pay close attention to their surroundings in order to solve puzzles, decipher codes, and unravel an intricate mystery.

The game has a delightful noir-inspired look that we can’t wait to see in action on the Switch sometime next year.

Minecraft players will get to explore new lands and gameplay when Minecraft Legends releases next year for the Nintendo Switch.

Billed as a new action strategy game based on the iconic franchise, it sees you venturing to worlds both familiar and mysterious for a brand new adventure.

Legends sets itself apart by introducing new action-driven strategy mechanics in which players issue commands to troops and lead them into battle.

This is further complemented by strategic base-building and resource-gathering that adapts Minecraft’s core principles to a new format.

Despite being one of the more revered Nintendo franchises, there hasn’t been a new Advance Wars game in over a decade.

Thankfully, that’s about to change when Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp releases for the Switch sometime this year.

Touted as a comprehensive remake of the first two games in the series: Advance Wars and AW2: Black Hole Rising, it features updated graphics and refined gameplay.

In it, players will lead the Orange Star Army into battle while leveraging land, air, and naval units in order to capture towns and take down enemy squads.

Team Cherry has been suspiciously quiet about their upcoming follow-up to the beloved Metroidvania Hollow Knight, leading us to believe they’re still hard at work on the sequel.

While we already know Hollow Knight: Silksong will retain many of the original’s core gameplay elements, it will be using them in slightly different ways.

For one, players will be controlling Hornet, a curious bug-like creature who uses a needle to fight, as she gets captured and taken to a new mysterious haunted kingdom.

Players will have to escape the kingdom by making their way upwards instead of downwards like in the first game, encountering over 150 new creatures along the way.

Oxenfree is a phenomenal 2D indie horror game that revels in its story-driven gameplay, so naturally, fans were hoping Night School would eventually release a follow-up.

In Oxenfree II: Lost Signals, players follow Riley as she returns to her hometown of Camena to investigate yet another source of mysterious radio signals.

Anyone who’s played the original can safely predict she’ll end up finding more than she bargained for and have to investigate Camena for clues to explain what’s going on.

The sequel will leverage dialogue-driven choices that shape the story and Riley’s connections with other characters, this time via a walkie-talkie chat system.

The announcement of Metal Slug Tactics caught many by surprise, considering the franchise is exclusively known for its retro run-n-gun games.

However, if the trailer’s any indication, developer Leikir Studio has a bonafide hit on their hands that draws heavy inspiration from games like Final Fantasy Tactics and Fire Emblem.

Additionally, the game will reportedly include some roguelike elements that are sure to keep gameplay and progression feeling fresh and exciting.

While we’ve yet to see just how well Metal Slug meshes with tactical RPG gameplay, we’re willing to take the risk and find out when it releases later this year.

Sporting a similar retro-inspired art style to that of Undertale, She Dreams Elsewhere is a surreal RPG about dreams and their connection to reality.

In it, you play as Thalia, a comatose woman suffering from anxiety as she sets out to confront her demons and awaken once and for all.

Despite being a narrative-driven experience, the game also features a turn-based battling system that pits you against a host of nightmarish monsters.

Thalia can recruit characters to join her party and strengthen her bond with each using a “Connection” system.

Sidebar Games’ Golf Story was one of the best indie sleeper hits of 2017, telling an uplifting story of a down-on-his-luck golfer who manages to turn his life around by going back to his childhood love of golf.

The studio is back with a sequel, this time expanding its efforts to include a wider variety of sports-based activities and mini-games.

Scheduled to release later this year, Sports Story maintains the 2D presentation of its predecessor while introducing new characters and locations.

This includes a renowned tennis academy where your character will train and a prestigious castle where you’ll get to meet the queen.

Mineko’s Night Market is an adorable adventure game inspired by Animal Crossing that features vibrant environments and more cats than one could ever dream of.

You play as a curious girl getting used to her new home on a Japanese-inspired island at the base of Mount Fugu.

With an emphasis on the story and exploration, the game sees you trying to unravel the island’s many mysteries, including a mythological Sun Cat God named “Abe.”

Gameplay revolves around completing daily tasks such as crafting items, breeding cats, and maintaining a shop.

Despite being one of the most anticipated Switch releases, there hasn’t been much news concerning Metroid Prime 4 since it was announced at E3 2017.

However, in a surprising move, the company decided to pull back the curtains to let fans know the game is being delayed as production was shifted to Retro Studios.

Additionally, veteran Metroid Prime producer Kensuke Tanabe is leading the project.

The Prime subseries is known for taking the classic Metroid formula in new directions by shifting to a first-person POV and exploring new forms of gameplay.