What are the best indie games on Switch? [Top 20]

Thanks to their creativity, their gameplay and their passionate teams, the independent games have won over the hearts of players.

Whether you're a fan of roguelikes, puzzle games, action RPGs, exploration games, or others, this top 20 list of best indie on Switch will help you find your next favorite.

📌 This list is based on our preferences in terms of indie games on the Switch, but the ranking order follows the ratings on Metacritic.

1. Braid: Anniversary Edition

Originally released in 2008, Braid returns in a reworked visual version, called Anniversary Edition.

In the game, you can go back in time to correct your mistakes. For example, if you fall or do something wrong, you can go back without losing the game.

Time becomes a tool at the service of your choices. The aim of the game is to cross levels, avoid obstacles, solve puzzles and reach the end of each zone.

🌟 Why Braid: Anniversary Edition so popular?

• An ingenious concept that plays with time and logic.
• A profound reflection on time, loss and memory.
• Fluid, accessible gameplay.

2. Hades

Hades is a mixture offrenetic action RPG and a immersive storytelling inspired by Greek mythology.

Zagreus, the son of the god of the underworld, wants to escape from the underworld by fighting hordes of mythological creatures.

You'll discover a real scenario with dialogue and relationships between characters.

🌟 Why Hades so popular?

• Dynamic, stylish combat.
• Funny, well-written dialogues with the gods.
• Real progress with each game.

3. The Case of the Golden Idol

The Case of the Golden Idol is an extraordinary detective game. You find yourself on 12 crime scenes frozen in time.

The goal is to reconstruct the facts, identify suspects and victims, and understand the motive based on clues hidden in each scene.

This game is perfect for fans of puzzle games and dark tales the old-fashioned way.

🌟 Why The Case of the Golden Idol so popular?

• A captivating, non-linear scenario.
• Gameplay based on pure logic and observation.
• A real investigative experience.

4. Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a sequel to Ori and the Blind Forest. This time, Ori must find his friend Kua little owl lost after a terrible storm.

It also has a duty to save the forest dying of Niwen, victim of a mysterious poison and dark forces.

This indie game is a truly interactive work of art, both beautiful and demanding.

🌟 Why Ori and the Will of the Wisps so popular?

• A magical, moving universe.
• A story worthy of an animated film.
• The optimized version for Nintendo Switch.

5. Celeste

If you're looking for a adventure for mental health, pushing oneself beyond one's limits and acceptance, Celeste is the perfect game for you.

You must climb Mount Celeste and confront your own fears through symbolic sequences.

This journey is much more than a physical challenge. Each step reflects the inner struggle by Madeline (you) against anxiety, depression, and self-doubt.

🌟 Why Celeste so popular?

• A human message with a real treatment of malaise.
• An inclusive and respectful game.
• Simple but demanding gameplay.

6. Dead Cells: The Queen and The Sea

Dead Cells: The Queen and the Sea is a action game in 2D. It is very popular thanks to its dynamism and his requirements.

You'll find two new end-game biomes (environment or region): the Infested Shipwreck and the Lighthouse. The traditional boss has also been replaced by The Queen.

The goal of the game is to escape from a cursed island by fighting and progressing with each death.

🌟 Why Dead Cells: The Queen and the Sea so popular?

• A beautiful conclusion to the Dead Cells story with well-designed levels.
• Magnificent scenery.
• New weapons and enemies change the way the game is played (more varied gameplay).

7. Inside

Inside immerses you in a visual adventure, halfway between theinteractive art and the puzzle game.

The story unfolds through the settings, puzzles, and emotions experienced. It is a short (4 to 5 hours) but memorable experience.

In the game, you must escape a dystopian world by solving a series of puzzles. riddles and escape those who want to control you.

🌟 Why Inside so popular?

• It's fluid and rewarding. You think, but never too long.
• Each scene resembles a powerful visual work of art, combining light, shadow and animation.
• An unforgettable ending.

8. Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove

Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove is a retro compilation of several campaigns around the world of Shovel Knight.

In this version, you can play :

• Shovel of Hope
• Plague of Shadows
• Specter of Torment
• King of Cards
• Showdown multiplayer mode

Each campaign has its own play style, levels, and mechanics. You must defeat powerful knights and complete your quest, armed with a shovel.

🌟 Why Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove so popular?

• Several games in one, each with its own story and way of playing.
• A perfect game for old-school gamers.
• Intense battles and memorable bosss.

9. Hollow Knight

In Hollow KnightYou play the role of a silent little knight. He explores an underground kingdom called Hallownest, once prosperous, now in ruins.

This action-adventure game asks you to face creatures and uncover mysteries to understand your role in the kingdom.

🌟 Why Hollow Knight so popular?

• Dozens of hours of gameplay with lots of secrets and hidden areas.
• Every battle is a thrilling ordeal.
• A free and exhilarating exploration.

10. Pentiment

Pentiment is a narrative game set in 16th-century Germany, at the height of the Renaissance.

The game is about hidden truths, layers of history, things that are concealed but eventually resurface.

The hero is a artist-scribe confronted with murders in an abbey. He has to investigate.

🌟 Why Pentiment so popular?

• A game that delves into everyday life, beliefs and tensions.
• The dialogue is finely written.
• A calm but captivating rhythm.

11. Animal Well

In Animal WellYou play as a small creature, alone in an underground world populated by mysterious animals.

It's a metroidvania without a fight : you have no weapons, just strange objects that are used to solve riddles.

You can finish the game once, but you'll still have tons of secrets to discover Then. Some players even think it will take months or years to find everything.

🌟 Why Animal Well so popular?

• A real curiosity game.
• No instructions, no text. You observe, you test, and you learn.
• A game that plunges you into a dense, mysterious world.

12. Death’s Door

In Death’s Dooryou are a corbeau civil servant, in charge of recover the souls of the dead, until the day one of them escapes.

You're propelled out of your dreary daily routine, in a forgotten world where souls refuse to die, where light hides behind ruins, and where every closed door hides a secret.

🌟 Why Death’s Door so popular?

• A game with a charming universe.
• Dynamic, balanced combat.
• Every major battle is striking, both visually and mechanically.

13. Fez

Gomez thought his world was flat. But one day, the sky is torn apart. An ancient cube descends from the stars and reveals a forbidden truth: his three-dimensional world.

Suddenly, reality shifts: walls turn, paths cross, perspectives deceive. Gomez no longer just moves forward. He pivots, unfolds, and decodes.

You play Gomez. Your objective is to fold space by turning the world upside down to discover what lies behind every facet of reality.

🌟 Why Fez so popular?

• A game full of secrets.
• A zen atmosphere with pixel art and soft music.
• Brilliant puzzles.

14. Neon White

You are White, a dead assassin who has returned from the dead. Your mission? Cleansing paradise of demonsDon't worry, you're not alone.

Other killers like you are participating in this strange divine purgeThere will be rankings, secrets, and above all, there will be only one winner.

Neon White is a blend of Ultra-fast SPF, of playing cards and of acrobatic parkour.

🌟 Why Neon White so popular?

• A stylized, mysterious world of angels, rivalries and buried memories.
• Each run is a speed puzzle to be solved in order to reach Gold rank.
• Original gameplay.

15. SteamWorld Dig 2

You are Dorothy, a young robot determined to find her missing friend: Rusty.

This game is a mix ofunderground exploration, ofimprovements chain, from platforms precise andexplosions dynamite.

Each swing of the pickaxe takes you deeper, but also brings you closer to something enormous that lies dormant underground.

🌟 Why SteamWorld Dig 2 so popular?

• Everything is fluid, funny and beautifully animated.
• Addictive gameplay where you dig, upgrade, come back stronger and go even further.
• Brilliant level design.

16. Dave the Diver

Dave is a diver a little round and awkward, but with an unparalleled flair for finding rare fish into the depths of the mysterious Blue Hole. You're going to play his part.

By day, you'll explore, hunt and bring back your catch. By night, you'll manage a wacky sushi restaurant with a not-always-discreet team.

But behind this routine, something's not quite right. The Blue Hole changes every day. So you're going to to unravel the mystery of this ocean.

🌟 Why Dave the Diver so popular?

• A living, surprising world.
• A fun, relaxed atmosphere.
• Two games in one, combining action and management.

17. Iconoclasts

Iconoclasts is a pixel-art action-platform game. It features fast-paced combat, clever puzzles, huge bosses, and a surprisingly deep story about faith, free will, and power.

You play Robin, a young mechanic. You find yourself in a world where unauthorized repair is a crime. Your goal is to save a broken world, while confronting oppressive authority.

🌟 Why Iconoclasts so popular?

• Each boss is unique, impressive and well thought-out.
• The game tackles serious, human themes.
• Varied, intelligent gameplay.

18. Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley, it's much more than a farm gameIt's a world that you will make flourish every day by cultivating the land, fishing, exploring mines, baking cakes, and more. You will weave your new life there.

Here you play your own characterOne day, you've had enough of the routine, the noise, and the neon lights of the office. So you open the inheritance envelope your grandfather left you. Today, you find yourself owner of an old piece of land in Pelican Town.

🌟 Why Stardew Valley so popular?

• Free and relaxing gameplay where you do what you want, at your own pace.
•  A real sense of progression.
• If you want action, there are dungeons to explore, monsters to fight, etc.

19. The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood

Alone on an asteroid for the past two centuries, Fortune, a banished witch, lost her voice in the great magic circle. But boredom has its limits. She decides toinvoke an old entity prohibited. Together, they decided to create a tarot deck.

In the game, you are Fortune. You will then create your own cards, pull the strings of fate and talk to other witches.

🌟 Why The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood so popular?

• Create your own cards.
• A game about power, identity, and destiny.
• A moving visual style.

20. Tunic

You wake up alone on a beachYou have no name, no clues, not even the language to understand your surroundings. Just your courage, and soon a small sword.

In Tunicyou play a little fox in a vast, silent world filled with secrets, shadows, and ancient deities. It's up to you to decipher an ancient language to discover your mission.

🌟 Why Tunic so popular?

• A true game of mental exploration.
• Zelda-style gameplay, but more mysterious, more demanding and more cryptic.
• Sublime art direction.

In conclusion, if you're looking for an original, striking game that's perfectly suited to the nintendo-switchYou're sure to find what you're looking for in this selection. Make your choice now!

The independent games are just a glimpse of what this console has to offer. See also:

• Top 10 best co-op games for Nintendo Switch
• What are the best adventure games on Switch? [Top 20]

And if you're new to the console, check out :

• How to hack a Nintendo Switch?
• How to access the internet with Switch