The Lost Child is a JRPG with a number of quirky and interesting elements, not least of which is its Pokémon-like monster capture system. However, its dungeon crawling underpinnings are just too dull and repetitive, and its narrative approach too stilted to draw in anyone but die-hard fans of the genre. Even then, you'll need to come prepared to grit your teeth and grind.
Hollow Knight is a big, beautiful, forbidding Metroidvania that's absolutely thick with detail. From its punchy combat system to its charming art and sound design, this is one of the finest adventures you can have on Nintendo Switch.
Soccer Slammers is a frenetic arcade football game that's extremely light on depth and content but high on immediate thrills. It's the ideal half-time snack, but it won't sate your hunger for a more meaty football experience.
Fallen Legion: Rise to Glory is an action-RPG with a snappy, timing-based combat system and well-written dialogue. However, it's a little messy and repetitive in both gameplay and narrative terms, and the game could do a lot more to explain itself.
Pirate Pop Plus does a fine job of emulating the laser-focused Game Boy games of 25 years ago. It owes a massive debt to Pang and a whole host of other single-screen highscore chasers, but with a couple of subtle twists of its own. For some it will be too brutally straight-forward, and it's arguably a little too in thrall to the past for a modern Switch game. For those after a no-nonsense retro challenge, however, it's a budget-priced treat.
Yoku's Island Express is a genuine breath of fresh air, combining pinball and Metroidvania mechanics in a way that feels truly inspired. Add in one of the most appealing fantasy worlds you'll find on the eShop, and you have yourself an instant left-field classic.
Punch Club is an effective casual management sim with a well-observed 16-bit aesthetic, but its grindy hands-off mechanics soon start to grate. Here on Nintendo's flagship console, it just feels a little too remote and repetitive to be in with a genuine title shout.
Shelter Generations is a thoroughly charming combination of open-world survival and platform-adventure that provides a fresh slant on both. Beneath its adorable skin, however, there simply isn't enough satisfying meat to sustain the experience.
Infernium is a beautiful, strange first-person adventure that draws its inspiration from an eclectic range of sources. It's frequently frustrating and maddeningly vague, but those with the determination to crack its secrets will be richly rewarded.
Urban Trial Playground may not reinvent the stunt bike wheel, but it does provide an extremely fluid and inviting arcade experience for Switch owners. Tactile controls and pacy, highly replayable levels make this an accomplished cut-price racer package.
Outlast 2 ramps up the tension and the technical achievement from the original, with one of the most stunningly atmospheric game worlds around. The level design has expanded along with your stealth options, creating a handful of truly memorable moments. It definitely isn't for everyone, though. Themes of religious perversion and abuse make Outlast 2 (un)comfortably the most horrific experience on Switch, while the limitations of its stealth mechanics can try the patience.
Kona is a walking simulator that makes an admirable attempt to increase the usual level of interactivity and player agency. While not all of those attempts pay off, and it suffers from some disappointing technical issues, it remains a highly absorbing and atmospheric adventure-survival experience.
A quirky 2D adventure with hints of psychological horror and some classic puzzles. Though its gameplay is riddled with glitches and its narrative full of flaws, The Long Reach keeps tempting you to peer around the next murky corner.
Despite appearances, Midnight Deluxe is a completely different game to 36 Fragments of Midnight before it. While it's a solid enough casual golf game, however, it lacks the precise control, generous level design and joyful spirit of the best examples of the genre.
Fear Effect: Sedna is a flawed amalgam of disparate parts. It fails to wholly convince as an action, strategy or stealth game, and the delivery of its story is a little stilted. However, the sheer variety of its mix and its fresh visual style may prove enough to keep you playing through.