The best Nintendo Switch Lite games in 2023

A shot of the teal Nintendo Switch Lite in a user's hands in front of 3 screenshots from various games against a green background
(Image credit: Future/Nintendo)

If you're looking for a definitive guide to the best Nintendo Switch Lite games, you've come to the right place. The Switch Lite is a brilliant little console as its compact size means it's easy to carry around and is cheaper than the larger consoles, and surprisingly, there are very few games that aren't playable on the Lite...

The following guide contains the very best Nintendo Switch Lite games picked out by our gaming experts. We've featured some older favourite franchises like Zelda, plus games like Celeste, that feels great to play on a handheld console.

Looking to buy the console itself? Check out our guides to both the best Nintendo Switch Lite deals and the best Nintendo Switch deals to help you find the best prices on the popular consoles. We also have a list of the best Nintendo Switch accessories if you're wanting to further upgrade your Nintendo set up.

Best Nintendo Switch Lite games available now

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Horse riders in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, , one of the best Nintendo Switch Lite games

(Image credit: Nintendo)

01. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

The best adventure game for the Nintendo Switch Lite

Reasons to buy

+
Enormous open world
+
Lovely graphics
+
So much to do

Reasons to avoid

-
Eventually it ends

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild remains one of the best adventure games on the Nintendo Switch by a long way. Its vast open world, huge main storyline and enormous assortment of side quests mean that it's one you can play for ages, and still find new things to discover.

Animals gather in front of a house under a sky filled with fireworks, in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, one of the best Nintendo Switch Lite games

(Image credit: Nintendo)

02. Animal Crossing: New Horizons

The best Nintendo Switch Lite game for relaxing

Reasons to buy

+
Fun and chilled gaming
+
Loads to discover
+
Constantly rewarding

Reasons to avoid

-
Short on action

Less a game, more an escape from the everyday horrors of existence, Animal Crossing: New Horizons jets you off to your own personal island paradise to explore, create, customise and simply chill out. There's always something to do, plus there's that rewarding feeling as your island getaway grows and evolves.

Gameplay in Super Mario Maker 2, one of the best Nintendo Switch Lite games

(Image credit: Nintendo)

03. Super Mario Maker 2

The best Mario game for Nintendo Switch Lite

Reasons to buy

+
Lots of levels included
+
Straightforward editor
+
Easy to share creations

Reasons to avoid

-
Building good levels is hard

Super Mario Maker 2 is a great fit for the Nintendo Switch Lite: Quite simply, it offers the kind of classic 2D Mario platforming action that made Nintendo the game developer it is today. Plus you get the added fun of creating and sharing your own levels, as well as downloading and playing other people's creations.

Girl climbs mountain in Celeste, one of the best Nintendo Switch Lite games

(Image credit: Extremely OK Games, Ltd.)

04. Celeste

The best platform game for Nintendo Switch Lite

Reasons to buy

+
Gorgeous levels
+
Incredibly well constructed
+
Fantastic replayability

Reasons to avoid

-
Brutally hard

Celeste is a brilliant platform game that goes perfectly with the Switch Lite. Based around a young girl climbing a mysterious mountain, this is a game that can feel overwhelmingly gruelling at first. Learning its speed-running secrets is part of the fun Celeste offers as you build your skills through the varied levels.

A boy rides a stag in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, one of the best Nintendo Switch Lite games

(Image credit: Nintendo)

05. Pokémon Legends: Arceus

A new take on Pokémon that's perfect for Nintendo Switch Lite

Reasons to buy

+
A new take on Pokémon
+
Open world exploration
+
Fun side quests

Reasons to avoid

-
Visually bland in places

Love Pokémon? Then this open-world RPG might be for you. Your challenge is to explore the world capturing 'wild' Pokémon to collect and register the breeds in the Pokédex, while side quests with non-player characters (NPC) bring some old-fashioned Poké-fights for fans. Overall this a vast and engaging adventure.

Farming environment shown from above in Stardew Valley, one of the best Nintendo Switch Lite games

(Image credit: ConcernedApe)

06. Stardew Valley

The best Nintendo Switch game for farming fans

Reasons to buy

+
Relaxed farming simulation
+
Beautiful pixel art
+
Lots to see and do

Reasons to avoid

-
Not very fast-paced

Stardew Valley is a laid-back farming simulator with lovely pixel-art looks, and it's a perfect fit for the Nintendo Switch Lite. Starting with a field, you plant crops and grow your own farm, and along the way you meet the colourful townspeople. Plus you can invite three friends to farm along with you in multiplayer.

Gameplay in Metroid Dread, one of the best Nintendo Switch Lite games

(Image credit: Nintendo)

07. Metroid Dread

The best Nintendo Switch Lite game for those who like a challenge

Reasons to buy

+
Loads of atmosphere
+
Looks fantastic
+
Familiar gameplay

Reasons to avoid

-
Too old-school for some

Metroid Dread follows the classic Metroid template: a vast 2D world to explore in which you grow Samus Aran's abilities and weaponry. Metroid Dread builds up the tension by throwing in near-indestructible robots that'll hunt you down, plus punishing boss fights. It's got the right mix of exhilaration and frustration.

Fire raged in the underworld of Hades, one of the best Nintendo Switch Lite games

(Image credit: Supergiant Games)

08. Hades

The best Nintendo Switch Lite game for avoiding repetition

Reasons to buy

+
Different every time
+
Simple, with lots of depth
+
Lots to discover

Reasons to avoid

-
Totally unforgiving

Hades is a rogue-like dungeon crawler, which means that it completely randomises every time you play, so you'll never play the same game twice. Gameplay here is all about survival and upgrading your weapons and skills, while smashing demons and attempting to escape from Hell.

A screenshot of Kirby on the Nintendo Switch Lite

(Image credit: Nintendo)

09. Kirby and the Forgotten Land

The best quirky platform game on Nintendo Switch Lite

Specifications

Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Platformer
Players: 1-2
Game file size: 5.8 GB

Reasons to buy

+
Adorable, colourful visuals
+
Creative character design

Reasons to avoid

-
Can feel shallow at times

Kirby and the Forgotten Land is fun, colourful and quite unlike anything else on Nintendo's handheld console, it's also a bit weird! Hero Kirby can consume and absorb the powers of others, which means the he can evolve new abilities to fight and explore. Kirby also has a 'mouthful mode' where he can suck up items.

A screenshot from Lego Star Wars Skywalker Saga

(Image credit: Warner Bros / Disney)

10. Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

The best Nintendo Switch Lite game for Star Wars fans

Reasons to buy

+
Fun and relaxing gameplay
+
Smart scripting and humour
+
New mix of gameplay styles

Reasons to avoid

-
Can be a little simplistic

This is not simply one of the best Lego games, but one of the smartest Star Wars games you can experience. This game has all the stats to grab your attention, including over 300 characters and 100 vehicles to unlock, and 23 planets to explore. The mix of gameplay styles and Lego humour make this a joy.

Mario Party Superstars, one of the best Nintendo Switch Lite games

(Image credit: Nintendo)

11. Mario Party Superstars

The best Nintendo Switch Lite game for family fun

Reasons to buy

+
Fun for all the family
+
Lots of boards and mini-games

Reasons to avoid

-
Needs other players
-
Showing its age

Mario Party Superstars features a big, immersive board game that mixes skill and luck as you make your way around the board via dice rolls, and while you won't really have much fun playing by yourself, it comes alive when you add friends. You can either play by passing the Switch Lite around, or local or online multiplayer.

A character on a horse in the snow in Immortals Fenyx Rising

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

12. Immortals Fenyx Rising

The best Nintendo Switch Lite game for puzzle lovers

Reasons to buy

+
A vast open world to explore
+
Deep and involving puzzle rooms
+
A broad and deep adventure

Reasons to avoid

-
Can feel Zelda-like in places

If you've rinsed Zelda: Breath of the Wild for all its worth and need a fix of similar gameplay while we all wait for a sequel, Immortals Fenyx Rising fits perfectly. The approach to its puzzles is fantastic – these often sprawling puzzles evoke Zelda but have enough scale and invention to feel original.

Girl watches creature power up in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl, one of the best Nintendo Switch Lite games

(Image credit: Nintendo)

13. Pokémon Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl

The best Nintendo Switch Lite game for classic Pokémon fans

Specifications

Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Adventure, Role-Playing
Players: 1
Game file size: 6.7 GB

Reasons to buy

+
Classic Pokémon remaster
+
New features
+
Plenty of creatutes to catch

Reasons to avoid

-
Feels a little dated

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are remakes of Nintendo DS titles given a good polish and extra content. As such, they're a great fit for the Switch Lite. Naturally it's about building your collection and becoming the best trainer. And while it's big on nostalgia there enough new side quests to add extra depth. 

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Ian Dean
Editor, Art & Design

Ian Dean is Editor, Art & Design at Creativebloq, and the former editor of many leading magazines. These titles included ImagineFX, 3D World and leading video game title Official PlayStation Magazine. In his early career he wrote for music and film magazines including Uncut and SFX. Ian launched Xbox magazine X360 and edited PlayStation World. For Creative Bloq, Ian combines his love to bring the latest news on NFTs, video game art and tech, and more to Creative Bloq, and in his spare time he doodles in Corel Painter, ArtRage, and Rebelle while finding time to play Xbox and PS5. He's also a keen Cricut user and laser cutter fan, and is currently crafting on Glowforge and xTools M1.

With contributions from