The Nintendo Switch is the best place to share some gaming time with your loved ones, thanks to a whole heap of the best Switch party games. There are even some great choices if you want to simply share in the fun, instead of getting competitive. Nobody likes a sore loser anyway. Plus, a lot of the games featured here, as well as hundreds of others, are frequently on sale.
While Nintendo has kept the party going over the years with the friendship-destroying Mario Party series, plenty of smaller developers have created some fantastic titles that use the Nintendo Switch in clever ways. There’s even a huge amount of classic board games available, for those times when you simply have to beat your dad at Trivial Pursuit.
Here are the best Switch party games.
Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics
Talk about value for money, as Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics contains enough parlor games and sports to occupy an entire football team. Containing classics like bowling, darts, chess, and many more. There are even multiplayer games so you can beat your buddies at backgammon anywhere in the world.
With some great motion controls it throws back to some Wii Sports classics, or you can place the Switch down and play games like Four In A Row with friends while sharing the screen. It might not set the world on fire, but there are so many options you’re sure to find a game to share with a friend!
The Jackbox Party Pack 7
The latest in the series, Jackbox Party Pack 7, might be the best thanks to a new version of classic Quiplash and many other amazing games. While the game plays on the television you follow prompts on your smartphone, making this an easy one to play with the whole family. Other games include Talking Points and Blather ‘Round, among others, so grab your phones and get playing.
Snipperclips
Even though it was a Nintendo Switch launch title, Snipperclips might still be one of the very best party games if you want to show off the Joy-Cons and share a game with some friends. Cut each other into shape to solve puzzles with up to four players, in this madcap multiplayer marvel. It’s easy to understand, and the puzzles have several ways of being solved, so it’s a fantastic game to share with children and get them into gaming. Now, where’s the sequel?
Super Mario Party
It wouldn’t be a Nintendo console without Mario Party, and luckily Switch has one of the best in years. Super Mario Party brings great new ideas to the series, with the HD rumble of the Joy-Cons adding some fantastic variety to the new mini-games. There’s even online multiplayer, as well as classic local multiplayer, so you can play some boards with your friends anywhere in the world.
Cake Bash
If you’re tired of Mario Party, there’s another party in the pantry that just might put the filling in your doughnut. Cake Bash brings a bakery to the board game madness, as you play friends in frantic mini-games, while playing as different confectionary-based characters. It’s got plenty of its own ideas, and a great sense of style, plus it’s always funny running away from a giant pigeon. Pick this one up if you want to add some variety to your party!
Nidhogg 2
One of the sillier entries, Nidhogg 2 is a bizarre 1v1 jousting game where you and one other friend will battle to the death, through various rooms and with any weapon you can get your hands on. It plays fairly loosely, but there’s still method to the madness, and beating your friends is immensely satisfying after a particularly long battle. There are also countless ways to customize your character and make them your own.
Worms W.M.D.
The classic worm-based warfare game is present and ready for duty on Nintendo Switch. Worms W.M.D. adds some spectacular new weapons to the classic formula, and with randomly generated levels, no two fights are exactly the same. The gameplay is incredibly easy to pick up and play, with only a few buttons to worry about, so this is a perfect match for the Joy-Cons. Now go and turn your friends into worm food!
Mario Party Superstars
Alright, we’re cheating slightly by putting another Mario Party game on here, but frankly, this is a much better game. Mario Party Superstars features five classic boards from older Mario Party titles, as well as 100 minigames that long-time fans will be thrilled to relive. All games are also mapped to traditional controls, so Switch Lite owners won’t feel left out. In our Mario Party Superstars review, we praised the collection of minigames as well as the fantastic online features, so this is definitely one to pick up this Christmas.
Hopefully, a few of these recommendations help you to keep the party going, but just in case why not check out our lists of the best Switch multiplayer games and the best party games on mobile for when you want to take things up a notch?