Looking for something to play on your switch? Here are some cheap options

A few weeks ago, I wrote to explain why I love the Nintendo switch even two years after it was released. Just like Nintendo, there are a lot of Nintendo titles, but these tend to be quite expensive – around $ 60 – since they are AAA titles, so it's a good thing that the Switch has attracted a lot of attention from the smaller developers and it has received a ton of more affordable titles that can still provide a lot of fun.

Since the eShop is flooded with affordable games from independent developers, it can be hard to know what to look for. I wanted to talk about some of my personal favorites. So you may be able to find something you like too. This list is by no means exhaustive, and it is based on the titles I played and I liked, so of course you can not agree with my suggestions or know games that I have not tried yet.

In order for the list to remain manageable and favor the cheapest titles, we will not be interested in titles priced above $ 15, because from that point on, you will start to find a lot of games from large companies. list a little difficult to pass. Games like Resident Evil: Revelations, Rocket League, Nintendo's own Snipperclips are just a few of the many examples you can find for $ 20.

Free to play

When it comes to saving money, nothing is better than free things. In addition, there is already a good selection of free games on Switch, which are supported by microtransactions. Although almost all of them require an Internet connection, games in this category work without a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, so they are really free. I do not think I need to talk to you about Fortniteas his popularity speaks for itself. Everyone has heard about it, and yes, it is available on the switch, if you're still interested.

paladins

paladins is a competitive multiplayer shooter often described as a Overwatch clone, and while this may be true, it has the advantage of being free – and of being on the switch. In paladins, you participate in team battles where each team has five players and you must propose the best strategies to get the best of the opposing team. There are a lot of characters to choose from – although you can only pick a few at a time, unless you pay to unlock the others – and each falls into a different category, such as being offensive, defensive, providing a support, etc. . Combining categories and characters in the most efficient way is essential to win.

There are a handful of different game modes, from simple death fights where you have to get more casualties than the opposing team, to fads where you have to keep control of a specific area of ​​the card longer or push a mineswagon on the side of the enemy. staying close to him while avoiding enemy players. I'm usually a bad loser in video games, but paladins is actually quite fun so losing does not make me want to stop playing. However, the game has many elements and it may take a while to understand everything, but even if you do not know what you are doing, it can be a lot of fun.

While paying is the fastest way to unlock characters, it's not the only way to do it. With enough dedication and time, you can unlock anything that affects gameplay by playing, common theme to many free games.

Brawlhalla

I must be honest and admit that I have not played a lot of Brawlhalla on the switch itself, because I've had a lot of games to play, but I know the title for some time before it comes to the hybrid. It is strongly inspired by the one of Nintendo Super Smash Bros. franchise, and although it's certainly a lot more simplistic, it's also – believe it or not – the main reason why I chose not to buy Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

I discovered Brawlhalla a few years ago on Steam through friends, and this is only when I bought the last entry of the Nintendo franchise (at the time, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS) that I realized how much I preferred Brawlhalla. This is certainly not as complex, but it ends up feeling much faster and easier to handle, while the Nintendo franchise has, in my opinion, more learning curve.

Although I'm not crazy enough to say that Brawlhalla is better than Super Smash Bros., the fact that it's totally free tips the scales in my favor, and if you're as reluctant to buy the Nintendo game, you should definitely give Brawlhalla a glance. The game developer was recently acquired by Ubisoft. You will find a familiar face in the form of Rayman. Just like paladinsNot all characters in the list are immediately available unless you want to pay, but you can unlock specific characters permanently by playing through the game.

Warframe

Let me fix this now: Warframe will make all other games on this list look very bad. Free titles can have a fairly long life span because they are backed up by continuous updates over long periods of time that also keep the stream of income, but few of these games are as good Warframe.

I saw him being compared to destinyand although I can not guarantee this comparison (since I have never played destiny), I can say that this is easily my favorite free game on the switch, and one of my favorite switch games in general. There is so much content in this game, especially when you consider it's free, it's pretty crazy. The game just turned six (obviously, it's not available for a long time on the Switch) and it still receives many updates with new content, gameplay improvements, duration missions limited, and more.

What really sells me Warframe does not that make you depend on other players for anything. The campaign is particularly focused on AI enemies. You do not have to wait until your friends are online to play. You can simply pick them up and play them whenever you want, as long as you want. an Internet connection. And if you want to play with someone, the game is mostly cooperative, which is my favorite type of multiplayer experience. Warframe It's the easiest and easiest way to play games with my girlfriend and it's fantastic.

There is a lot going on with Warframeand you will almost certainly be overwhelmed by the game when you first start it, but you will not have to understand everything right away, and things start to make more sense as you get used to it. You can customize the appearance and weapons of your character, upgrade them with mods, get companion robots or dog-like creatures, forge new weapons, or buy them, etc. Apparently, there is also a PvP mode, but I will be honest enough to admit that I have not even touched it yet. The campaign has a lot to offer and I have no interest in playing against other human players.

As with the other games mentioned here, it's easier to unlock content by spending money, but you can unlock almost anything by playing, and time-limited missions can sometimes give you access to objects that would otherwise be difficult to obtain. The Nintendo Switch Port Warframe has been manipulated phenomenally, it works fine, even in more graphic scenes, and it is updated alongside other versions of the game. This is a game that I must absolutely recommend you to check.

If none of these games are floating on your boat, there are some additional free options, many of which are more geared to mobile devices, such as Pokemon Quest or Anti-atomic shelter. These can be fun too, they do not particularly hold me to heart.

Free (with Nintendo Switch Online)

In addition to the games above, there are some games on the switch that you can technically download for free, but they require a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, which costs $ 20 per year. There are only a few items that fall into this category, but they deserve to be mentioned.

Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Switch Online

One of the benefits that Nintendo has touted with its Nintendo Switch Online subscription is the ability to play classic NES games at no extra charge. I expressed my opinion on this offer in my anniversary article, so I will avoid repeating myself and I will keep it short: I would not buy any of these NES games separately, but the fact that I have access to them without having to pay No matter what allowed me to try a lot of games that I would not have otherwise touched.

Another good thing about the app is that it includes both local and online multiplayer mode. So you can play with your friends even if you're not in the same room, which is a first for this type of Nintendo reissue.

The service debuted with 20 titles, but it is growing on a monthly basis and now has 35 unique games. Three other games are scheduled for April 10. There are also special editions of some of these games, which modify aspects of the game to offer a different experience. In some cases, you start with each power up that you usually find throughout the game. In others, you may have unlocked secret content right out of the gate.

Among the most popular titles available are Super Mario Bros., THE legend of Zelda, etc, Punch-out !!. My personal favorites so far – even though I have not played them all – are Super Mario Bros. 3 and Metroid, and it is mostly because I have the impression that they age better than some other titles. I was not part of the NES generation, and coming back to play some of these titles can be difficult for me, so I have to choose those that seem manageable. This is partly why I hope Nintendo will also be offering more recent console games.

Tetris 99

Tetris 99 was a big surprise for a lot of people during the announcement, and the concept itself is quite interesting. That's pretty much the Tetris experience you know but mixed with the royal battle format that was popularized by Fortnite. You go into a room with 99 players at the same time, and when you make combos and you destroy more lines, obstacles are sent to other players to interfere, while doing the same for you.

Games start fairly easily and easily, but as more and more players are thrown out, more and more attacks are launched. Things are starting to get pretty intense mid-way through. During the game, you can choose who to attack – random people, top performers, etc., so you can try to find the best strategy to stay last. There are also limited time events from time to time, and you can win real prizes. Recently, Nintendo has offered 999 Gold points to My Nintendo (equivalent to $ 9.99 or $ 9.99) in one of these events, and others will happen in the future.

Less than $ 5

Gunman Clive HD Collection ($ 4.99)

I could not do this list without including Gunman Clive, all the more so as Switch ports are bundled into a single $ 5 package. Gunman Clive and Gunman Clive 2 Originally debuted on the Nintendo 3DS, and they were one of the few independent titles to interest me immediately, thanks in large part to their unique artistic style and animations.

You play one of three characters (a fourth is unlocked by beating the game once), each providing different mechanisms and challenging you in different ways, and you are trying to destroy a gang that has kidnapped the game. one of the other playable characters. . The games are relatively short, but it ends up making them easier to replay with each character to challenge you with his different abilities.

Gunman Clive 2 is the most varied of the two, evolving in almost every direction on the original. The color palette is much more varied, there are more enemies, more game styles, including rail shooting sections, and more. For a relatively short game, it offers a lot of variety, and I strongly recommend to consult them. If you are interested in more by the same developer, Mechstermination Obligate came out earlier this week – it's more colorful and modern than the Gunman Clive titles, but it costs $ 12.

Kamiko ($ 4.99)

Kamiko is another short game that I found quite enjoyable. It does not last very long, but it's fun and challenging enough without being frustrating. It's an action-adventure game with a top-down view and a retro-style look where you play as one of three characters, each with a different weapon, to save the world from demons. The plot is not really a selling point for the game, it 's more to be direct and easy to appreciate.

There are four worlds to explore and cross, each with an accompanying boss fight at the end. There are collectible hidden items if you want to unlock everything, but it is true that there is not much reason to buy them unless you really like the soundtrack However, for $ 5, there are certainly worse games.

Less than $ 10

Xeodrifter ($ 9.99)

This is another title that I feel the need to mention because I have been for some time already the development team and that I like most of the titles that come out of it. It was developed by Atooi, a company resulting from the split of Renegade Kid a few years ago. Xeodrifter, like most Atooi games, is a retro-inspired platform game. You explore a variety of planets invaded by enemy creatures, collecting power-ups en route to try to power your spaceship after being hit by a meteor.

J & # 39; Love Xeodrifter a lot because it is not as slow as some other titles of Atooi, and everything works fine. The controls are tight and responsive, the gameplay is fluid and the game is easy to manage, even if it is not particularly long. There is a lot of boss fighting, which can be quite difficult, but not infuriating, and some secrets to discover. You can even find a reference to one of the previous games of the company, Mutant Mudds, which I thought was really cool.

Membrane ($ 9.99)

I briefly mentioned Membrane in my Switch article in March, because I had the chance to buy for only 99 cents, instead of the usual price of $ 9.99. My goal is perhaps a little tinged with this case, but I found the game very enjoyable. It's a puzzle platformer game where your character draws blocks that can be used as bridges and platforms to traverse every step. You can also shoot arrows to destroy them because the number of blocks you can display at a time is limited.

There are actually lots of steps to go through here, and collecting all the elements of each step can be quite difficult as more and more elements continue to be added to get you going. life more difficult. Collecting them is worth it, I would say, because you can unlock bonus mini-games with them, which adds even more value.

I was particularly surprised when I discovered that collecting all the items from each level would open a basketball-style game that could be played by two. Even at the price of $ 10, I think there's a lot of value in Membranebut you may want to be on the lookout for sales, as I have done.

Honorable Mentions in this category go to Nihilumbra ($ 7.99) and GoNNER ($ 9.99) , both of which I liked, but I can not recommend it wholeheartedly. Nihilumbra is a puzzle platformer that is weakening mainly because of its origins in mobile gaming. The game requires the use of the touch screen, so you can not play it in TV mode. GONNER is a platform shooter with a minimalist style and animations that quickly convinced me to buy it, but has now lost its place in my recommendations for the benefit of another title than I will mention in the next category.

Less than $ 15

As you can imagine, once you start climbing the price range, you start to find more interesting titles, so there are many good games in this category.

Graceful Explosion Machine ($ 12.99)

Graceful machine of explosion is the reason why I can not recommend wholeheartedly anymore GONNERand that's because he shares some aspects, but he holds the promise better. This is a scores-based shooter, featuring superb smooth animations, colorful graphics and a very fluid gameplay.

Although combo strings focus their efforts on achieving the highest scores, it has a tiered progression system, with four worlds each with about eight levels. There are also special challenges for which you are tested for long periods of time and, of course, online leaderboards allow you to compare your results with those of other players. Graceful machine of explosion It usually costs $ 12.99, but has been on sale before.

The developer, Vertex Pop, is soon preparing his second title, called Super Crush KO, who applies an artistic style similar to a slightly different type of game.

Mutant Mudds Collection ($ 14.99)

This is another title of Atooi, which I mentioned above in speaking of Xeodrifter. Mudds Mutant Collection actually includes three games originally released on the Nintendo 3DS and other platforms: Mutant Mudds Deluxe, Mutant Mudds Super Challenge, and Mudd Blocks. The last of the three is a groundbreaking title, where you have to group blocks of the same color to destroy them before they fill your screen, but the other two games are, in my opinion, the stars of the series.

On paper, the Mutant Mudds titles seem similar to Xeodrifter – These are retro style platform games in which you control a character with a gun, trying to destroy a horde of alien invaders known as Mudds. The games run more slowly than Xeodrifter, however, and you do not quite have the same fluidity of movement. This does not mean that the quality is lower and that the content of both games is huge, each stage having at least one special stage, the additional challenge being to collect each diamond of each.

Games can be quite difficult too, especially in the aptly named Mutant Mudds Super Challenge. I've recorded more than 600 deaths in the time that it took me to beat the whole match. Atooi has more games on the switch, including Tote the goat, Football slammersand the next Chicken stir-off workshop.

N ++ ($ 14.99)

You may not know the NOT franchise, but it has actually debuted as a Flash game on the Internet, which you can still play and download for free. N ++ is the last iteration of the franchise and follows the same spirit as its predecessors. You play as a thirsty ninja whose life is a matter of seconds. To extend this life, you must collect more gold at each step, so you can live long enough to complete each set of levels.

N ++ has a large number of levels – 4340, depending on the description of the game – so you will probably never run out of steps, and you will have it in your library the time you will have enough time to progress and the rest will last you for years. This entry introduces many possibilities of customization, with a ton of color themes that are unlocked when you beat more levels, so you can give the game the look you prefer. It also offers competitive and cooperative multiplayer modes.

Garage ($ 14.99)

Garage initially caught my attention because the downward perspective reminded me Grand Theft Auto 2, which is, to this day, my favorite GTA Game. Even if it does not play exactly the same, I can say that I was not disappointed at all. Garage is an adventure shooting game in which you control a character in a ruined building and you begin to discover the hidden secrets of the company that owns it.

The game has a rather unique look and feel, and it was surprisingly addictive. It's not a very long adventure, but it was so captivating that I started playing it on a Sunday afternoon and I kept playing it until I finished the evening. Not many games have the ability to keep me hooked for a whole day, so Garage has definitely earned its place on this list.

There is much more to discover on the Nintendo eShop, and we would like to know your preferences if you find what you like. Tell us, in the comments below, if any of the games on this list are of interest to you, and what other recommendations would you recommend to other Switch owners?