Whatever the reason, if you are searching for free games in hopes of saving some money, we have got you covered. Here are the best free games that you can play on your Nintendo Switch right now. After all, the best things in life are always free.
Best Switch Games to Play in 2022
Tetris 99
Battle-royale games have really taken over the world in recent years with their action-packed gameplays where every man is for himself. And as such, it has also found its way to the classic Tetris game where you battle for glory against 98 other players from all over the world. This game is free for all Nintendo Switch Online users. And it is sure to light up your passion for Tetris once again. You compete with 98 other players to be the last one standing. By carefully planning all moves and clearing multiple rows, you can send your garbage blocks over to your opponents. But be careful as they can also send theirs over to your side. As time goes by, the speed of the blocks increases, making the game more challenging and interesting.
Apex Legends
Apex Legends is a popular battle-royale game that was introduced to Switch in 2021. It is a really competitive game that needs some real focus if you want to win a round. Up to 60 players can be at a single match, and the gameplay is filled with action from start to the end, just what everyone likes these days. At the start of each match, you can pick a character known as a legend. All these legends have different skills and abilities that you can use throughout the game. You can play this game in solo, duos, or trios mode, but the objective is the same in every mode; be the last player or team standing at the end. You jump from an aircraft at your desired location, start looting weapons and resources, and start hunting players that you come across. You also have to make sure that you’re always inside the area called ‘Ring.’ It has a simple objective, but mastering your character and learning to win games may take you weeks or even months.
Warframe
It is a fast-paced looter shooter action RPG game that takes you to various nukes and corners of the Solar system, taking down tons of alien species along the way. In the game, you play as Tenno, an ancient warrior who can control the biomechanical unit called ‘Warframes.’ Each Warframe is unique and has different abilities as well. They literally move like a ninja and can reach from one point to another within seconds. You control these Warframes to explore different areas of the Solar system, killing enemy factions along the way. As you progress through the game, you can purchase other Warframes and cosmetics with in-game currencies.
Brawlhalla
If you’re a fan of Super Smash Bros but too broke to purchase the game, Brawlhalla could be the perfect alternative for you. Like Super Smash Bros, it has tons of characters, and the objective is to knock your opponents out of the platform by beating them. It has fast-paced matches, so you don’t have to worry even if you get knocked out first. The characters are all unique, but they don’t really provide that much variety in terms of gameplay itself. You can jump, kick and attack with your weapon to damage your enemy. The more damage you’ve dealt, the farther your opponents get knocked. Brawlhalla supports up to 8 players in a single match, so if you’re into games with lots of mayhem and brawling, this game will provide you with that experience.
Fortnite
Even at this moment, Fortnite is still one of the best battle royale games out there. Not only is it free, but it also has one of the most unique graphics in all battle royale games. It is also a game where you can be very creative. Like all battle royale games, you’re dropped at your desired location along with your friends. And immediately, you start searching nearby buildings for weapons and resources to survive. But unlike in PUBG and Apex Legends, most of the things in Fortnite are destructible. You can collect resources like metals and woods by destroying them and use them to build structures for some clutch moments. It also has a large array of weapons that you can find literally everywhere. Whether you like sniping enemies from miles away or eliminating the whole squad by yourself, it has weapons for all kinds of situations.
Fallout Shelter
Fallout shelter is a resource management simulation game where you play as the vault overseer who is tasked to save survivors from the wasteland and assign them duties to fulfill inside the vault. You can expand your vault by building different rooms as well as assigning your dweller’s new tasks. From time to time, your vault will get attacked by the Raiders of the wasteland, so you’ll have to take care as well. The main challenge in this game is to properly manage your resources like food, water, and power and make everyone happy. As you keep recruiting more survivors from the wasteland, the consumption of food and water also increases. This creates an unbalance of resources in the vault, and your dwellers will start losing unhappiness. So your duty is to fix these issues and also expand your vault to recruit more dwellers.
Roller Champions
If you mix the elements of skateboarding and basketball in one single game, then you’d get Roller Champions. This game will keep you busy for hours with its fast-paced and thrilling gameplays. The rules of the game are quite simple; you play in a 3v3 match and whichever team scores the five points first is the winner. To score a point, you need to skid around the arena and pass through four different gates without losing possession of the ball. You can pass the ball to your teammates if you want to increase your chances of winning. However, in case you lose the ball to the opposing team, you’ll need to pass through the gates again. You can use various maneuvers to snatch the ball away from opponents and avoid getting snatched as well. And the most interesting thing in this game is that the longer you hold the ball and complete more laps, the higher your score will be when you throw the ball to score.
Sky: Children of the Light
Children of the Light is an adventure game where you control a character that has the ability to fly. Combined with your exploration skills, you travel through different areas of the world to collect spirits. It is also one of the most visually aesthetic games you’ll find on the Nintendo Switch. The gameplay mostly consists of exploration through different areas. These areas are affected by different elements, which require you to take different approaches while visiting different areas. When you collect enough spirits, you can buy in-game items as well as upgrade your character so you can stay airborne for a longer period of time. You can also befriend other players you meet in the game. Although you can not directly speak with each other, you can set nicknames for each other and send them gifts over time.
Pokemon Quest
It is an action/adventure game in which you travel to a newly discovered island in hopes of finding new loot and Pokemon to capture. It has unique voxel-based graphics, which give you a similar feeling of playing Minecraft. The game is mainly focused on exploration, which your Pokemon does automatically. You just have to leave them in the open, and they will explore the areas and defeat any enemies they come across. The rest of the gameplay includes training your Pokemon in hopes of acquiring new skills as well as cooking food to catch new Pokemon.
Rogue Company
Rogue Company is pretty similar to Valorant and CS: GO when it comes to gameplay. It is a tactical shooter team-based game in which two teams consisting of four players battle on a map to complete different objectives. Like Valorant, you can choose a different character at the start of each match. Each character has different perks that they can use in battle. And after the round ends, you get rewards based on your performance. It is a pretty straightforward game where you try to complete the objectives while killing the enemy team. The first team to win seven rounds first wins the match, so the matches are very fast-paced as well.
Color Zen
Color Zen is another free-to-play game that is very satisfying to play. If you are searching for a game to just enjoy your time without having to worry about controlling your character or getting kills across the map, this is the one you should try. The goal of the game is quite simple too. You are given various shapes with different colors, and you have to drag them to match up with other colors. As you match more shapes with other colors, the number of colors keeps decreasing, and finally, your screen is filled with a single color. The goal is to match the final color with the color of the border. As you match these colors together, it creates a nice animation and aesthetics, which is very pleasing to watch. The game becomes challenging as you move through levels too.
Cover Fire
This is an action-packed shooting game that drops you right in the middle of the battle to take down the bad guys by using various weapons. It has nice controls, and the gameplay is pretty fun if you like shooting games. The story isn’t the most interesting one, but it does help to build up the character. However, the missions are pretty fun and interesting. You travel to different locations and take control of that area by killing your enemies. You can use different weapons like assault rifles, snipers, or even rocket launchers in some cases. Each mission has different objectives, which you need to complete before the mission ends. The objectives may range anywhere from not hurting civilians to ending the mission with 70% health. You can also gain various perks as you complete more missions.
Realm Royale
If you are playing Realm Royale for the first time, you might confuse it for Fortnite. I’m not gonna lie; this game is inspired heavily by one of the battle-royale pioneers. The graphics emote, and even the UI looks pretty much like that of Fortnite. But there is one thing that separates this game from Fortnite, and that is its class-based characters. After queuing up the game in your desired mode, you can choose a character from four different classes. Each class provides different abilities and perks during the battle, and you can choose the class that is best suited for you. You can even summon a horse out of thin air and ride it if you’re not in the mood to walk. However, it does restrict your ability to attack while riding, so you have to be careful. Because of these new mechanics, this game is very interesting and fun to play.
Arena of Valor
Arena of Valor is a MOBA game like League of Legends and Dota 2. It is a 5V5 tower-defense game where two teams fight on a map with the purpose of destroying their enemy’s base. You start by picking a unique character and go into one of the three lanes. Then you slowly farm gold by killing enemy minions and heroes. Gold can be used to purchase powerful items that give bonus attributes to your hero. Each hero in this game is unique and has different abilities. So you can choose the character that best suits your play style. After gaining levels and purchasing items, you can attack towers on each lane and take them down. Taking down towers will open up the path to the enemy base. And when you destroy the base, your team will win the match. It is a very popular game that requires good skills in addition to good strategy.
Paladins
Paladins is a third-person hero shooting game with fast-paced gameplays. It is a 5v5 team-based match and is similar to Valorant, where you pick different characters with various classes and abilities. Each character you pick will have a different play style so mastering how to use them is the key to victory. Paladins feature different gameplay modes, each with different objectives. You can play the team deathmatch where you fight with the opponent team in a full-out battle to get certain kills and be the champion. Other modes are Ranked, Siege and Onslaught. It has fast-paced matches, and each match only takes about 10 minutes to complete. So even if you lose the match, you can queue immediately and get the win in the next one.
Pokemon Unite
Pokemon Unite is a Pokemon game based in the MOBA genre. It is an online 5v5 game where you can choose a unique Pokemon in each match and play together with your team to get the most number of kills. Each character is associated with a different class, and they all have unique abilities that you can unlock by leveling up. It also has multiple modes with unique gameplay and objectives. Each mode is different from one others and is very entertaining to play. You can pick your favorite Pokemon like Pikachu and Charizard or go with someone you’ve never heard of, like Trevenant and Hoopa. It has tons of characters to choose from, no matter what mode you decide to play.
Super Kirby Clash
It is an action platform game where you control a Kirby with unique powers and skills. You can play this game with up to three of your friends in both online or local multiplayer. The game is basically a series of boss fights where you’re sent to defeat different high-level monsters wreaking havoc in the Dream kingdom. Your Kirby will have different abilities and can wield different weapons. You have to work together with your teammates to take down various monsters that are causing trouble in Dream kingdom. The faster you beat these monsters, the more rewards you can collect. These rewards can be used to upgrade your characters and gears, which makes them a lot stronger.
Rocket League
Rocket League is basically a sports game where you control race cars and play soccer with them. It is a fun game that takes advantage of physics to give you the best possible experience. These cars can perform various skills to hit the ball inside the goal post. They can jump, shoot or even tackle the opponents to take possession of the ball. It has beautiful graphics and animation to keep you charmed for hours. And the sounds are amazing as well. You can choose from different modes to play, with each mode offering different elements. Some modes even allow you to play hockey or basketball, while some feature various power-ups that are dropped randomly throughout the field.
Fantasy Strike
Fantasy Strike is a fighting game in which you fight with another player in a round-based match. It is similar to Street Fighter and Tekken, except it is much simpler and easier. At the start of the match, you can pick a character with unique moves and abilities and fight in the arena in a best-of-seven match. Throughout the game, you can use various skills and special moves to damage your opponents. The health bar is divided into different sections, and landing skills and moves will deplete your opponent’s hp. Once all your hp is depleted, the round is over. The match continues until one of the players wins four rounds.
Dauntless
Dauntless is an action RPG game that is heavily inspired by Monster Hunter: World and other similar games. You take on the role of the Slayer and go on the quests to hunt huge monsters that are terrorizing the world. You can play this game with up to three of your friends and have tons of fun together. Dauntless encourages players to have fun without spending real money. You can hunt pretty much anything with your skills and the weapons you’ve crafted by yourself. By defeating monsters, you can use their parts to craft equipment and upgrade your weapons.
