Our list of the best new Nintendo Switch games is here to cover the amazing titles you can expect in 2024, so you can learn all about the biggest and best names coming to the portable console over the coming months. It’s not all blockbusters though, as the Switch is a bit of an indie machine at the moment, and it’s only going to get better.
While a few of the upcoming Nintendo Switch games only have a vague release window at the moment, we’re sure an absolute truckload of cracking new games will reach the console by the end of 2024. Who knows, we may even finally get a Nintendo Switch 2 release date? If you need a little something to play right now, you can also take a look at our list of the best Nintendo Switch games.
Here are our picks for the biggest new Nintendo Switch games coming in 2024:
Another Crab’s Treasure – April 25, 2024
As soon as I saw the first glimpse of gameplay from Another Crab’s Treasure during the May 2022 Nintendo Direct, I knew this was one for me. It’s got soulslike combat, underwater exploration, and yes, it’s got crabs. Crabs aplenty. Dueling crustaceans equipped with straws, chopsticks, forks, and whatever else ends up in the ocean. It’s time to forget everything you think you know about life under the sea – sorry, Sebastian – and prepare to showdown with some crawling critters.
As ever, the big deal with a soulslike, or as developer Aggro Crab likes to call this game, a shellslike, is the bosses, and from what we’ve seen so far, Another Crab’s Treasure has some brilliant big bads ready for battle. These enemies include the Polluted Platoon Pathfinder, Diseased Lichenthrope, and Heikea Intimidation Crab, and I, for one, am more than ready to get my shell handed to me by them one by one. Bring on the pain.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door – May 23, 2024
This is the one that Mario fanatics, myself included, have been begging Nintendo for throughout the Switch’s lifetime, and it’s finally coming. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, baby. The second installment in the Paper Mario series is the most critically lauded of Mario’s RPG outings, and in 2024, we’re getting the opportunity to relive it and accompany the mustachioed plumber on one of his more outlandish adventures. I seriously can’t wait.
After having a great time with our Super Mario RPG review this year, I’m fully prepared to pour more hours into another turn-based Mario adventure, especially one held in as high regard as this is. We don’t have an exact Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door release date just yet, but when it arrives, don’t expect to hear much from me for a week or so. I’ve got an appointment with the Shadow Queen about a missing princess.
Little Kitty, Big City – early 2024
Now, I may be a little biased about this one, as the little kitty in said big city bears a striking resemblance to my own little kitty, Xiao (for comparison’s sake, you can find a photo of Xiao in our list of the best cat games, under the ‘best games for cats’ section). Either way, the moment I saw the trailer for Little Kitty, Big City, I fell head over paws. The premise is simple, and the title tells you pretty much all you need to know – you play as a little kitty lost in the big city, and you need to find your way home.
From what we’ve seen so far, it appears to have a similar gameplay loop to the iconic Untitled Goose Game. You play as a cute black cat as you explore an urban cityscape, causing mischief, making new friends, stealing knick-knacks from unsuspecting humans, trying on hats, and leaving more than a little chaos in your wake. Yep, this game is definitely about Xiao – I wonder when he managed to sneak off to star in a videogame? I guess I’ll never know. But one thing I do know is that I’ll be counting down the toe beans until the Little Kitty, Big City release date.
Deltarune Chapter 3 & 4 – TBC, 2024
Deltarune Chapter 2 feels like a distant memory right now, and I’ve been desperate for more since the second I finished it. Well, it now seems like we may not be too far off from the Deltarune Chapter 3 release date and it’s set to release alongside Chapter 4 as well! If you’re new to this series, Deltarune sees you take control of Kris, a young human who is destined to save the world along with a monster named Susie, and Ralsei, a prince from the Dark World.
It has a gorgeous, vibrant pixel world, an enthralling story, and some hilarious dialogue that makes you forget you’re not playing a AAA game with a massive team behind it. I highly recommend you try out the first two chapters for free in the lead-up to the new installments later this year.
Decapolice – TBC, 2024
I’m a big Master Detective Archives: Rain Code fan and it even made it onto my list of Switch games of the year, so it only feels natural I’d be interested in the next detective JRPG on the scene. In Decapolice you play as a rookie detective who hunts down criminals in an open-world city while traveling back and forth between physical and virtual reality.
Decapolice was due to come out in 2023, but Level-5 delayed the game to 2024 during its Vision showcase. We hope to see it hit shelves in the not-too-distant future with the extra polish it deserves. Check out our Decapolice release date guide for more info.
Moonlight Peaks – TBC, 2024?
A farming game where you’re a vampire? Enough said, I’m sold. But seriously, Moonlight Peaks looks delightful. Developer Little Chicken has a decoration demo on Steam that I’ve spent far too long on already, and the game is scheduled for release on Switch next year.
Farming and life sim games are a staple of the Switch’s library, and this will fit in perfectly with its tried and true formula with a twist. You farm at night on your gloomy land, aided by a three-eyed cat and a living chest. You can enchant tools to do your work for you as you head out and meet the locals like the werewolf mayor, and a giant toad that sells you seeds. I love gothic aesthetics, and whimsical creatures of the night, and can already see this becoming one of my favorite games. Our Moonlight Peaks release date guide can fill you in on even more details.
Genshin Impact – TBC, 2024?
I swear, the trailer for Genshin Impact Switch exists, it wasn’t just a collective fever dream. Once again this year I am hoping for a release of Hoyoverse’s smash hit on Nintendo’s console. My phone isn’t good enough for big games and I want to explore Teyvat all tucked up in bed, thanks.
Genshin Impact is one of the best games on mobile and console, and its reputation is well deserved. The story is engrossing, set in a fantastical world with so many different biomes and cultures to explore, where a vibrant and ever-growing cast of characters waits to meet you. Don’t let the gacha system put you off, this game is a wonderful open-world adventure with some of the most interesting combat out there, and a whimsical story sure to delight.
The amount of content you get in this game for free with no real need to spend any money at all is astounding, and after sinking about 700 hours into it on PC and PlayStation, I wish to continue it on my handheld. Please, Hoyoverse.
Professor Layton and the New World of Steam – 2025
I’ll admit, it’s been a while since I last played a Professor Layton game, but I have incredibly fond memories of the first two titles in the franchise on the DS. What’s more, my partner is a massive Professor Layton enthusiast, so I cannot wait for us to play Professor Layton and the New World of Steam together on the Nintendo Switch.
This new entry in the ever-expanding Laytonverse returns to our titular professor and his assistant Luke, following their journey one year after Professor Layton and the Unwound (Lost) Future. The game takes place in Steam Bison, America, where “the power of highly advanced steam engines has ushered in a new world.” You can expect the usual mind-bending puzzles, old-timey aesthetics, and gripping storytelling of the series, I’m sure. Currently, Level 5 has this game slated for a 2025 release, but I’m hoping that we’ll get it before 2024 is over – I’d settle for just a demo!
Wowee, what a year! If you’re more of a mobile fan, we recommend you go check out our list of the best new mobile games to increase your 2024 hype even further.