Playing the best Nintendo Switch family games are a great way to have fun with everyone you love. Nintendo have been making family-friendly games packed with fun for years, and they continue to release great titles on the Nintendo Switch perfect for all age groups.
With so many unique games available, it can be hard to pinpoint exactly which is a best fit for you and the family. That's why we've compiled the below list based on personal experience as well as great play value. We've made sure to list features such as number of players, recommended ages and genre. We also link you directly to our favourite retailers with live widgets that automatically pull in any current deals happening on these titles, just in time for the holidays!
On the market for a Nintendo Switch console? We have a regularly updated guide on where to buy the Nintendo Switch online in the lead up to Christmas. For a wider range of games that aren't necessarily multiplayer, we also have a list of the best Nintendo Switch games available right now. For now, let's check out our very favourite games available to enhance your family gaming time!
The best Nintendo Switch family games available now
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You can't talk about excellent Nintendo multiplayer games without mentioning Mario Kart! Mario Kart 8 takes all of the best characters, courses and themes from the previous games and puts them into one action packed racer that is full of exciting courses and fun challenges. as well as brand new content.
With up to eight players, this game is a perfect party piece. Either battle your friends in the themed challenges or race to victory in the Grand Prix: but if you want to work together co-op mode is also available if you want to take the cup as a team!
Kirby and the Forgotten Land is the latest beautiful instalment in the Kirby franchise. Join our small pink hero as he explores a strange new world taken over by nature to save his friends. A new companion also means this game is co-op, so you can team up with another player to get through the puzzles and enemies as you explore this unique adventure.
This game is only two players so isn't the ultimate family game if you want lots of players, but it's so charming it's still worth picking up if you're only looking for a limited co-op adventure.
Another fantastic instalment in the Mario universe is Mario Party Superstars. This game has an impressive collection of 100 excellent party games that feature older games as well as brand new challenges. Either battle or team up with your friends and family to win the most stars and work your way around the board with your favourite Mario characters.
The Mario Party franchise first came to life 24 years ago on the Nintendo 64 console, so if you've played any of the prior instalments you will find familiar games and structure. More than four players would be ideal, but you can always pass controllers around if you have more people involved!
The Overcooked games are a hilarious take on teamwork: work together to run a kitchen and deliver food to hungry customers. Each level has a unique theme with unique recipes, and you must work your way around various challenges in each one to get the food prepped and ready to go before time runs out!
This is (personally) one of my favourite multiplayer games and is hilarious to play as a group, although it will make or break friendships at times...
This is the Nintendo Switch version of the ever-popular Wii Sports. Although it's not quite as fleshed-out as the original game, it's still packed with fun sporting activities and minigames that are best played within a group. Much like the original Wii game, it still uses Motion controls for sports like bowling and badminton so is a great way to get your blood pumping.
For another great movement-based game, Ring Fit Adventure is a great alternative. It's technically only one player, but you could easily pass over the ring and Joy-Cons for a fun (yet sometimes gruelling) workout.
Another classic motion controlled game perfect for parties is Just Dance. The premise is simple: bust out the best moves to popular tunes to get the highest points. This makes it perfect for parties and social gatherings, and each new game introduces brand new tracks that have been popular in the last few years so there's no doubt plenty of song choice that you will be familiar with.
The bright characters and visuals make it incredibly accessible and fun for younger players too, and with up to six players it's a great choice for those looking for an engaging family game.
Mario Maker is a unique take on the Mario franchise where the player has to build their own levels and challenges. Either tackle the story mode to rebuild Peach's castle, or challenge your friends to beat your own custom levels! It's a great way to express your creativity with classic characters in a familiar world.
Mario Maker 2 takes all the best parts of the first game and build upon them to make it the best experience possible with new design elements ready to use. You can even upload your levels online for other players to tackle your challenges!
Jackbox is the ultimate comedy party package featuring multiple minigames to test knowledge, comedy and friendship. You connect through your phone or tablet online using a code to join the fun. It features games like Fibbage, where one player has to enter a fake trivia answer and try to fool the other contestants into choosing that one. Lie Swatter is a fast-paced game of true or false based on weird themes like nursery rhymes and theme parks, and up to 100 people can log in to take part!
Those few examples are just a small example of the wacky games available on Jackbox, and it's a great all-round package for hilarity and fun. Whilst a few games are more challenging and adult themed, there is also a family mode to exclude any risqué content if you're wanting to play with younger players.
Another classic multiplayer from Nintendo comes in the form of Super Smash Bros. In this latest addition, play as your favourite game characters to battle your friends in familiar settings based on game worlds. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has 89 playable characters in total and is great fun if you fancy a brawler.
Super Smash Bros is a fantastic option for a fun beat-'em-up experience that is also tense the further you get into a hard battle. Each character has a unique playstyle that uses different fighting techniques and weapons, so it's worth experimenting!
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