Highlights

  • The Legend of Zelda series has been influential in the adventure genre and the Nintendo Switch offers other top adventure games.
  • Telltale's The Walking Dead: The Final Season and Life Is Strange: True Colors are emotional and engaging adventure games.
  • Dragon Quest 11 S, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, and Monster Hunter Rise offer immersive and strategic gameplay experiences.

The adventure genre of gaming, particularly the action-adventure genre, has started to dominate the industry. This is largely thanks to improvements in gaming hardware that have allowed developers to create more immersive experiences than ever before. Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series has been one of, if not the most influential franchise in the history of the adventure genre.

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Unsurprisingly, the iconic The Legend of Zelda series returned on the Nintendo Switch with Breath of the Wild, and the game's sequel set the world on fire once again! With most people already having experienced Tears of the Kingdom in its entirety, anyone who wants to visit somewhere else instead of Hyrule can try out the best adventure games on the Nintendo Switch to fulfill this fantasy.

Updated on January 11, 2024 by Ritwik Mitra: The Nintendo Switch is on its last legs now, and it's only a matter of time before the company reveals a new console that builds upon the strengths of this console. It's easily one of Nintendo's most profitable hardware offerings by a country mile, saving them from obsolescence after the Wii U turned out to be a colossal failure in every regard. Players who want to check out some quality adventure games on the go will find the following Nintendo Switch titles to be right up their alley.

27 The Walking Dead: The Telltale Series - The Final Season

Metascore: 80

Walking Dead The Final Season
Telltale's The Walking Dead: The Final Season

Platform(s)
PS4 , Nintendo Switch , Xbox One , Microsoft Windows , macOS
Released
August 14, 2018
Developer
Telltale Games, Skybound Entertainment, Skybound Games

The first season of Telltale's The Walking Dead was a massive success, pushing the company to the mainstream and opening the floodgates for them to churn out a wealth of adventure games that adapt other IPs. While the first season was an excellent and emotional ride, most people felt like the second and third seasons missed the mark.

Thankfully, Telltale learned from their mistakes for the final season, which wrapped up Clementine's story on a pretty satisfactory note. AJ serves as a great companion whom Clementine has to groom over the course of four lengthy and engaging episodes that are pretty emotional in their own right.

26 Life Is Strange: True Colors

Metascore: 78

Alex, a girl with glasses and a nose stud, looks solemnly forward
Life Is Strange: True Colors

Platform(s)
PS5 , PS4 , Xbox One , Xbox Series S , Xbox Series X , PC , Switch
Released
December 7, 2021
Developer(s)
Deck Nine

Life is Strange is one of Square Enix's most profitable IPs during the time they acquired a wealth of Western IPs. Unlike most other games published by this company, Life is Strange was given the breathing room it needed to become a unique and beloved adventure game series.

Life is Strange: True Colors features a riveting protagonist in the form of Alex Chen, a unique setting that breathes new life into the IP, and excellent writing to make this story-driven title hit home in the best way possible. It's a no-brainer for anyone who remotely enjoyed the narratives of previous Life is Strange games.

25 Sonic Frontiers

Metascore: 69

Sonic Frontiers_ The Final Horizon Update Screenshot
Sonic Frontiers

Platform(s)
PS4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , PC
Released
November 8, 2022
Developer(s)
Sonic Team

Many people were absolutely salivating for a good 3D Sonic game, with the hedgehog's reputation being hacked down with each and every bad Sonic game released in the modern era. While Sonic Frontiers may not be perfect, many people feel like it's a return to form for Sega's beloved mascot.

The open world of this game is pretty fun, and the platforming challenges are a blast... even though these levels feel rather disconnected at times. Regardless, Sonic fans can't get enough of this brilliant game, and it seems that the future of the blue hedgehog is fairly bright for now.

24 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Metascore: 85

A close up of Geralt from the game The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is an open-world RPG that immerses players in a vast and intricate dark fantasy world. Players take on the role of Geralt of Rivia, a skilled monster hunter on a quest to find his adopted daughter, Ciri. Along the way, players will explore sprawling cities, treacherous mountains, and haunted forests, encountering a diverse cast of characters and creatures.

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The Witcher 3's main storyline is supplemented by countless side quests and activities, ensuring that players always have something to do. The game's narrative and characters are expertly crafted, drawing players into the amazing adventure presented by this game and making them feel like they are a part of Geralt's story.

23 Dragon Quest 11 S: Echoes Of An Elusive Age

Metascore: 91

Dragon Quest 11 S: Echoes of an Elusive Age
Dragon Quest 11

Platform(s)
PS4 , PC , Xbox One , Switch , 3DS , Stadia
Released
September 4, 2018
Developer(s)
Square Enix

Dragon Quest 11 S: Echoes Of An Elusive Age is a classic RPG that pays homage to the genre's roots while also introducing modern gameplay mechanics. The game follows a young hero on a quest to save the world from destruction... so basically, it's like most JRPGs when it comes to the stakes.

Players will explore a beautiful world full of memorable characters and charming monsters, which really lends to the sense of adventure in DQ11. The game's turn-based combat system is easy to learn but offers plenty of depth making each encounter in this title worthwhile... especially with the series abandoning random encounters!

22 Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Metascore: 89

xenoblade-chronicles-3-prison-cutscene
Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Released
July 29, 2022
Developer(s)
Monolith
Platform(s)
Switch

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a massive and ambitious RPG that takes players on a journey through massive awe-inspiring worlds. It's easy to see why the developers behind this game's world design helped in the development of Breath of the Wild, so it's pretty clear that the sense of adventure in this game is going to be off the charts.

The game's combat system is fast-paced and engaging, requiring players to think strategically and react quickly to changing circumstances. All of this, coupled with the game's epic narrative, makes for a great JRPG that will take players on the ride of a lifetime.

21 Monster Hunter Rise

Metascore: 88

Monster Hunter Rise-Risen Valstrax Elder Dragon Fight
Monster Hunter Rise

Released
March 26, 2021
Developer(s)
Capcom
Platform(s)
Switch , PC , PS5 , PS4 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , Xbox One

Monster Hunter Rise is an action-packed RPG that tasks players with hunting down massive monsters and using these skills to upgrade their gear. As a hunter, players embark on several quests to become stronger, exploring different unique biomes in the process.

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The game's combat system is deep and rewarding, with players having to carefully choose their weapons and equipment to best take on each monster. Teaming up with friends and exploring the game world while hunting down gigantic monsters is a ton of fun and shows why this series was so successful. That said, Rise does not have expansive areas to explore since the focus is squarely on its combat.

20 Minecraft

Metascore: 86

minecraft java and bedrock edition key art
Minecraft

Released
November 18, 2011
Developer(s)
Mojang
Platform(s)
PS4 , PS3 , PS Vita , Xbox One , Xbox 360 , Switch , 3DS , PC , Android , iOS , Wii U

Minecraft is a sandbox game that gives players the freedom to create, explore, and fight in a vast and procedurally-generated landscape. Players can mine resources, build structures, and interact with a variety of flora & fauna.

The game's endless possibilities and infinite replayability make it a great title to get lost in. Whether players want to build an elaborate castle or explore deep underground caves, Minecraft provides endless opportunities for adventure and creativity.

19 Pokemon Sword & Shield

Metascore: 80

pokemon sword and shield beginning first town
Pokemon Sword and Shield

Released
November 15, 2019
Developer(s)
Game Freak
Platform(s)
Switch

One issue that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has invertedly dealt Nintendo is that fans want a Breath of the Wild-style open world in many of Nintendo's other IPs now, particularly Pokemon. So, when Sword & Shield was released and had a very similar structure to previous games in the series, many fans were disappointed.

Despite this, Sword and Shield still thoroughly deserves a spot on this list as - although it failed to reinvent the series in a way that fans hoped - it still provided a visually stunning modernization of the classic Pokemon formula.

18 Metroid Dread

Metascore: 88

Samus from Metroid Dread
Metroid Dread

Released
October 8, 2021
Developer(s)
MercurySteam
Platform(s)
Switch

Metroid Dread was released in October 2021 and garnered the opposite reaction from fans as the aforementioned Pokémon Sword and Shield, in the sense that Metroid fans were delighted to play a modern entry in the series that stuck to the franchise's roots.

Along with classic side-scrolling gameplay, Metroid Dread also incorporates newer elements of the series, such as the melee attack and free aim that were introduced in 2017's Metroid: Samus Returns.

17 Paper Mario: The Origami King

Metascore: 80

Mario and Professor Toad in a temple in Paper Mario: The Origami King

Paper Mario: The Origami King was developed by Intelligent Systems and released in July 2020 exclusively on the Nintendo Switch. Like every game in the Paper Mario series, fans were hoping that The Origami King would reach the sky-high quality of the franchise's first game and were disappointed that it fell short.

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Still, The Origami King is another solid entry in the long-running Paper Mario franchise and is well worth playing for fans of Mario or the RPG genre in general.

16 Hades

Metascore: 93

Hades Zagreus firing off Chiron's homing special
Hades

Platform(s)
PS4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , Switch , PC
Released
September 17, 2020
Developer(s)
Supergiant Games

Hades was released in September 2020 and immediately turned heads with the way it seamlessly blends multiple genres together, including action-adventure, action-RPG, dungeon crawler, and roguelike. As the name suggests, the game's story and lore are based on Greek mythology, with the protagonist being Zagreus, the son of Hades.

The quality of roguelike games is heavily dependent on their gameplay mechanics, which is what makes Hades one of the genre's very best releases, as the game's excellent combat makes fighting through numerous rooms of enemies and bosses a joy.

15 Death's Door

Metascore: 89

talking to NPCs in Death’s Door
Death's Door

Platform(s)
PC , PS4 , PS5 , Switch , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S
Released
July 20, 2021
Developer(s)
Acid Nerve

Death's Door is an excellent choice for fans of The Legend of Zelda's top-down perspective days, as Acid Nerve's game is clearly inspired by titles like The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds.

Death's Door is simple in terms of gameplay mechanics and combat but thoroughly ambitious in terms of its visuals, level structure, and boss design which collectively helped make the game one of 2021's most memorable adventures.

14 What Remains Of Edith Finch

Metascore: 88

House from What Remains of Edith Finch
What Remains of Edith Finch

Platform(s)
PC , PS4 , PS5 , Switch , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , iOS
Released
April 25, 2017
Developer(s)
Giant Sparrow

What Remains of Edith Finch has become a cornerstone of the so-called "walking simulator" genre, a style of game that tends to feature minimal gameplay mechanics and limited exploration but a rich and fleshed-out story.

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As the title suggests, What Remains of Edith Finch requires players to delve into the history of the Finch family and investigate why the family's members always seem to die in odd ways. The game's narrative received an outpouring of praise from fans and critics, so there was little surprise when the game won the Best Narrative award from The Game Awards 2017.

13 SteamWorld Dig 2

Metascore: 88

SteamWorld Dig 2 promo art
SteamWorld Dig

Platform(s)
3DS , PC , PS4 , PS Vita , Switch , Xbox One , Wii U
Released
August 7, 2013
Developer(s)
Image & Form

SteamWorld Dig 2 was initially released in September 2017 on Switch, PC, PS4, and PS Vita before coming to 3DS, Xbox One, and even Stadia. The game requires players to explore undiscovered mines with the help of numerous abilities, to obtain resources that can be traded in the game's hub world.

SteamWorld Dig 2 opts not to have procedurally generated areas, a bold decision that pays off as the game's levels are wonderfully designed and meticulously crafted in a way that only hand-made areas can be.

12 Astral Chain

Metascore: 87

Astral Chain Marie Wentz Helping
Astral Chain

Platform(s)
Switch
Released
August 30, 2019
Developer(s)
Platinum Games

2019's Astral Chain was developed by PlatinumGames, a studio that is continuously growing in notoriety thanks to continuously high-quality hack-and-slash releases such as Bayonetta, MadWorld, and Nier: Automata. PlatinumGames' track record clearly isn't going noticed, as Astro Chain's director Takahisa Taura thanked fans for the game surpassing 1 million sales.

Astral Chain is set in a dystopian future and puts players in control of a detective from a special police force who is fighting to defend humanity against an invasion.

11 Axiom Verge

Metascore: 84

Axiom Verge promo art
Axiom Verge

Platform(s)
PC , PS4 , PS Vita , Switch , Wii U , Xbox One
Released
March 31, 2015
Developer(s)
Thomas Happ Games

Axiom Verge is a side-scrolling adventure game with a well-crafted Metroidvania structure. The game was initially released on PlayStation 4 in 2015 before coming to almost every modern console under the sun until finally reaching the Nintendo Switch in October 2017, receiving a Metascore of 87 and a User Score of 8.4.

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10 Katamari Damacy REROLL

Metascore: 87

Katamari rolling ball gameplay
Katamari Damacy Reroll

Platform(s)
PC , PS4 , Switch , Xbox One
Released
December 6, 2018
Developer(s)
MONKEYCRAFT Co. Ltd

Katamari Damacy REROLL was initially released in 2018 and is the 18th entry in the long-running Katamari series that began back in 2004 with Katamari Damacy on the PlayStation 2. As the name suggests, Katamari Damacy REROLL is a remake of the original game.

Bandai Namco didn't try to reinvent the wheel and kept the core gameplay of Katamari Damacy REROLL similar to the game that it was based on. Players need to roll a ball of items around each level while collecting progressively larger objects along the way, thanks to a snowball-like effect.

9 Kentucky Route Zero: T.V. Edition

Metascore: 87

Kentucky Route Zero- inside of a house
Kentucky Route Zero

Platform(s)
PC , PS4 , Switch , Xbox One
Released
January 7, 2013
Developer(s)
Cardboard Computer

Kentucky Route Zero: T.V. Edition is a fitting game to kick off this list as it takes players back to the early days of adventure gaming. Point-and-click titles were a dominant force in adventuring gaming during the 90s, led by LucasArts and Sierra.

One issue with the genre that led to its downfall is that the plethora of tough puzzles that would flesh the games out would often break up the story's flow. Grim Fandango, one of the point-and-click genre's most beloved releases, is a prime example of this, as its excellent story was extremely disjointed due to the game having some of the toughest puzzles in the genre's history.

Kentucky Route Zero: T.V. Edition differentiates itself from the 90s titles by simply removing puzzles from the game completely; putting Kentucky Route Zero's story at center stage, and letting it flow naturally.

8 L.A. Noire

Metascore: 79

L.A. Noire - talking at crime scene
LA Noire

Platform(s)
PS4 , PS3 , Xbox One , Xbox 360 , Switch , PC
Developer(s)
Team Bondi
Released
May 17, 2011

Originally released in 2011 on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, L.A. Noire came to the Nintendo Switch six years later. Rockstar's game put players in the shoes of a 1940s detective and tasked them with solving crimes around Los Angeles.

The original release is somewhat divisive today; some see it as being revolutionary in the improvement of facial animations, whereas others dismiss it and believe that it has aged extremely poorly. The enhanced edition that was released on the Switch made significant strides in fixing the game's shortcomings by improving the visuals and changing the fairly ambiguous "Truth," "Doubt," and "Lie" buttons with "Good Cop," "Bad Cop" and "Accuse."