One of the most notable changes in video games over the years is how much bigger they are in scale. Long gone are the days when AAA studios would release linear, 3-5 hour adventures, as most major companies are now releasing vast open-world adventures or RPGs that often provide up to or above 100 hours of content.
Although this continued trend is great for getting value for money, there are times when players just want a quick 15-30 minute gaming session, which can be tough in games that try to take players on epic multi-hour quests. Thankfully, the Nintendo Switch has a handful of excellent games that are ideal for short sessions.
8 Super Meat Boy
Super Meat Boy was developed by Team Meat and first released in October 2010 before releasing on Switch over seven years later. The game helped put indie gaming on the map by continuing the momentum of games like Braid and Spelunky, which showed mainstream audiences just how great games from indie studios could be.
Super Meat Boy's fast pace, short levels, quick restarts, and tough but fair difficulty had players hooked. The game's short levels and quick restarts are what makes it perfect for short sessions, as players don't have to worry about losing any progress and can just focus on trying to beat as many levels as possible.
7 Celeste
Celeste makes this list for similar reasons as Super Meat Boy. The 2018 release drew players in with its wonderfully smooth movement and high level of difficulty that is punishing but fair. Moreover, like Super Meat Boy, the game has almost instantaneous restarts and dying only makes players lose a few seconds of progress.
Celeste puts players in the shoes of a troubled young woman named Madeline and tasks them with climbing the dangerous Mount Celeste. The game was a huge hit with critics, exemplified by its whopping 94 Metascore, which makes it one of the most critically-acclaimed platformers of all time.
6 Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
Following the high praise for the isometric Captain Toad sections from Super Mario 3D World, Nintendo decided to expand them into a full release. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker was released in late-2014 and earned a solid 82 Metascore.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker's near-80 stages are consistently high-quality and intelligently designed. Experienced puzzle players aren't likely to get stuck too often, though the game isn't insultingly easy either. The game's short and sweet stages make it perfect for 15-30 minute gaming sessions.
5 Dead Cells
The roguelike genre has enjoyed a significant spike in popularity in recent years, with numerous indie studios expanding the genre's catalog with excellent releases. Roguelike games are perfect for short play sessions as they're specifically designed to have players constantly losing their progress and starting from the beginning again after just a few minutes.
Dead Cells is a 2D side-scroller that has a Metroidvania structure to its level design. When players kill enemies they obtain Cells, which are a form of in-game currency that work like souls in the Dark Souls series. Cells, items, upgrades, and weapons are all lost upon death, aside from a few permanent items and upgrades that are fundamental to progression in the unforgiving roguelike.
4 Hades
For those who like the sound of the roguelike genre but aren't sold on Dead Cells, then Hades could be the perfect alternative. The game features a fairly standard roguelike structure but stands out with its memorable cast of characters from Greek mythology, smooth combat, and eye-catching visuals that are bursting with color.
Hades was released in September 2020 and was soon regarded as one of the genre's best ever games. Along with a 93 Metascore, Hades picked up numerous awards, including Best Indie at The Game Awards and Game of the Year from IGN.
3 Stardew Valley
Stradew Valley is a great choice for short play sessions provided that the player doesn't get too hooked on the deceivingly addictive game.
Like many games from the farming genre, Stardew Valley begins with players inheriting some land that they are free to cultivate as they wish. Although farming is a core component of the game, Stardew Valley also falls into the life simulator genre, as much of the player's in-game day will involve interacting with the charismatic townsfolk.
Stardew Valley features a day and night cycle that takes about 14 minutes in real-time, making it perfect for short sessions as players know they can fit one or two full days in.
2 Civilization 6
Like Stardew Valley, Civilization 6 is a great choice as long as players don't get too sucked into the addictive gameplay loop.
The Civilization franchise began back in 1991 and has been a pillar of the strategy genre since. Civilization 6, like its predecessors, tasks players with building a thriving empire over many centuries, with the ultimate goal of reaching one of the winning conditions that are categorized into Science, Culture, Domination, Diplomacy (added in the Gathering Storm DLC), Religion, and Score.
In many ways, Civilization 6 is better played in short sessions, as playing for too long can get players in the bad habit of rushing turns as they get tunnel vision for one of the winning conditions. Instead, it's best to take the game slow and try to maximize the civilization's potential in each and every turn, as although players won't make much progress in a short session by doing this, their patience will be rewarded in the end.
1 Super Mario Odyssey
Along with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey is one of the Nintendo Switch's flagship titles. The game continues the Super Mario series' high-quality while also continuing its reputation for innovation thanks to the new capture mechanic that lets players control a huge range of different characters, providing excellent gameplay variety.
Another change to the Super Mario formula is that each level is filled to the brim with Moons, which are the game's equivalent to Stars. The fact that the game saves after a Moon is obtained and players aren't kicked out of the level like in Super Mario 64 makes Odyssey ideal for short sessions, as players can just switch off and explore the wonderfully designed levels at their own pace.