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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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
Read more:
- The best Nintendo Switch travel case to protect your console
- The best Switch Lite cases available now
- Get nostalgic with the best retro game consoles
