Best free Nintendo Switch games: The Nintendo Switch provides an unrivaled gaming experience, allowing you to enjoy games large and small, whether you’re sitting on the sofa or on the road. Even if you are continually looking for the finest Nintendo Switch bargains, Switch games seldom receive a discount. We have compiled a list of the top free Nintendo Switch games to assist you.
We have compiled a list of the best free-to-play games on the Nintendo Switch, including Switch Online exclusives like Tetris 99 and Pac-Man 99 as well as third-party successes like Fortnite and Rocket League.
Keep in mind that, while all of the games listed here are free, to begin with, they all contain microtransactions in some form or another. However, we limited our selections to games with ethical microtransactions.
Pac-Man 99
Pac-Man 99 is the latest classic-turned-battle-royale game. Pac-Man 99, like Tetris 99 and, formerly, Super Mario 35, is a battle royale game based on the classic Pac-Man experience. You and 98 other gamers are simply playing Pac-Man. But instead of competing for the highest score, you’re just attempting to stay alive. When you consume a Ghost, you send phantom Pac-Men to other players, who will slow down for the rest of the game if they run into them. On the other hand, if they consume one while searching for a Ghost, they will gain speed. Although it can become tedious after a while, Pac-Man 99 is a fun game to play when you have some downtime. Even better, the free mode is the highlight of the game. Pac-Man 99 shines with 98 other players on screen, and you can spend $30 for some extra skins and a handful of kinds of scoring attack modes.
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Knockout City
It’s amazing that it took until 2021 to get a solid dodgeball video game, but Knockout City is exactly that. Except for some crazy hops and dives, it’s just virtual dodgeball. Two teams compete to knock each other out. A basic ball requires two hits to knock out a player, but Knockout City also features balls with extraordinary effects. After being hurled, the Bomb Ball, for example, will explode on impact. It’s a simple notion, but once you’ve mastered evading, catching, throwing, and passing, the possibilities are unlimited. Knockout City is available for free download and plays on the Nintendo Switch. You may level up your Street Rank to level 25, which is similar to a combat pass in Knockout City, but the complete progression will soon be free as well.
Tetris 99
Tetris 99 is a free Nintendo Switch game (now that Super Mario 35 is gone, at least). Although a Nintendo Switch Online membership is required to play, the game itself is free to download. 99, unlike classic Tetris games, pits you against 99 other players in a battle royale. If you obtain a double, triple, or Tetris, you send some rubbish — incomplete lines — to your opponent, which fills their board and perhaps sends them back to the main menu to start a new game. There’s something primal and frenzied about competing against other Tetris players. Thankfully, if you want a more leisurely experience, the Big Block DLC is also available. It’ll set you back $10, but considering the base game is free, it’s a no-brainer.
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Apex Legends
Apex Legends is a game that needs no introduction. It’s the larger-than-life battle royale FPS game that has enthralled the world since its release in 2019. However, it is now accessible on the Nintendo Switch. Although Apex Legends doesn’t look its finest on Nintendo’s handheld, it’s still the full, meaty experience accessible on consoles and PC, and it’s free to download and play.
If you haven’t played Apex Legends, the Apex Games allow you to control one of several legendary heroes. It’s 60-player combat to the death in which you must use your specific character powers as well as whatever weaponry you may locate to survive. Unfortunately, the Switch version lacks cross-save and cross-progression, but you can still utilize all of the game’s characters and weaponry.
Fortnite
Fortnite is the most popular shooter game in the world, and it’s accessible on nearly every platform, including the Nintendo Switch. You can easily link your accounts in-game, allowing you to carry over your progress from PC, PS4, or Xbox One (and even mobile if you’re a Fortnite fan on Android). Save the World is not accessible on Switch, although Battle Royale and Creative modes are. Although you will need an internet connection to play Fortnite, Nintendo Switch Online is not required. One of the few exceptions to Nintendo’s paid internet subscription is Fortnite.
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Rocket League
It’s not often that a premium game transitions to a free-to-play format, but that’s exactly what Rocket League did in 2020. It used to be one of the greatest cheap Switch games, costing roughly $20, but it’s now free to play. However, the same free-to-play commercialization techniques apply. Rocket League sells a battle pass, as well as a variety of other skins. However, the shift to a free-to-play model offers some advantages as well. Rocket League now offers complete cross-platform support, allowing you to team up with gamers on different consoles and continue progressing regardless of the system.
Fortunately, the shift in monetization had no effect on this. Rocket League is still the same exhilarating, tiresome sports game it was before. And it works flawlessly with the Switch. It’s a lot of fun to jump in and out of games, especially in portable mode. Rocket League is the free Nintendo Switch game you should have.
Warframe
Warframe is not just one of the best free Nintendo Switch games, but it is also one of the best free games in general. This third-person shooter/slasher demonstrated on its own that free-to-play games can have AAA quality and a plethora of free content, establishing the same economic model as the other entries on this list. The gameplay is similar to that of Destiny 2.
In Warframe, you control one of more than 30 Warframes, armor units with unique abilities and customization options. You can then embark on a variety of brief quests with your customized character, either alone or with up to three other people. You’ll be able to unlock new weapons, items, and worlds as you progress, each of which offers dozens of hours of gameplay.
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Fallout Shelter
Fallout Shelter appeared out of nowhere in 2015, being revealed and launched during a Bethesda E3 press conference. The game was originally only available on iOS devices, but it has subsequently been ported to Android, Windows, PS4, Xbox One, and, most crucially, Switch. You can build and manage your Fallout vault whether you’re at home or on the go.
Fallout Shelter focuses on what happens inside the vault rather than the deadly nuclear wasteland outside. You play as the overseer of a vault, entrusted with maintaining your population, constructing new rooms, and ensuring you have enough resources to survive. Despite having a similar concept to “idle” games like AdVenture Capitalist, Fallout Shelter features a surprising amount of depth.
Brawlhalla
Brawlhalla is a fighting game similar to Smash Bros., but it’s a lot worse and a lot cheaper. It has the same eight-player arena battles as Smash Bros., but no nostalgic Nintendo characters. Brawlhalla, on the other hand, has a huge list of Legends, with eight free ones rotating through your roster each week. You can buy all of the Legends, but since they’ll all be free at some time, it won’t provide you an advantage in-game. That’s what makes Brawlhalla so great — it contains microtransactions, but not to the point where it feels pay-to-win. Because all of the characters are well-balanced, you could easily spend hundreds of hours in Brawlhalla without buying a single penny.
Furthermore, the game supports cross-play between PC, Xbox One, PS4, and Switch, ensuring that you can always find a game to play.
Super Kirby Clash
Super Kirby Clash is an extended version of Team Kirby Clash Deluxe, a free-to-play Nintendo 3DS fighting game. Super Kirby Clash is a drastic departure from the Kirby formula, focusing solely on boss encounters. You can select your hero Kirby, team up with up to three other buddies, and defeat a slew of bosses. Nintendo, on the other hand, makes no apologies for calling Super Kirby Clash a “free-to-play” game. Unlike Tetris 99, you’ll need to invest money in Super Kirby Clash if you want to get the most out of it. However, if you’re looking for a quick time killer, Super Kirby Clash is an excellent choice.
Paladins
Many free-to-play games follow the same formula as popular premium titles (we’ll come to another one in a second). Paladins fall into this category, taking Overwatch’s MOBA-inspired shooter gameplay and putting it in a free-to-play context. There are 44 champions, and they, like Brawlhalla, are rotated into a free roster every month. Of course, you may buy access to all of the champions. Paladins, like other MOBA games, requires a well-balanced lineup.
Champions are divided into four classes: front lines, damage dealers, support characters, and flankers. Having each champion fulfill their ideal role ensures victory, necessitating a level of coordination that would make even the most competitive shooters blush.
Dauntless
Dauntless is a game that is extremely similar to Monster Hunter. In it, you play as a Slayer, a group of humans that survived after Behemoths were released on Earth. You start out through the bleak countryside, either alone or with a group of pals, to hunt Behemoths, gathering materials to create weapons and armor along the way. It’s not just another free-to-play game cloning the formula of a well-known property, though.
Dauntless was created by a team of designers from Riot Games, BioWare, Blizzard, and Capcom, and their brilliance shines through in the finished game. Dauntless is completely free, but it feels like a full AAA experience, which is even more stunning on Switch.
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Asphalt 9: Legends
Gameloft is a prolific mobile game company, having created games for Disney, Lego, Sega, and others. Asphalt, a series of realistic racing games that have been running since 2004, is one of its original IPs. Asphalt 9, the most recent release, is one of the most visually appealing mobile games available. The Switch’s hardware allows the graphics to shine even more. Aside from the stunning graphics, Asphalt 9 is merely a racing game, albeit a respectable one.
There are 84 vehicles available, each of which belongs to a separate class. Players begin with a low-level Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X and can unlock new blueprints as they progress through the game. If you wish to invest some money in the game, you may also improve the stats of your car. Despite the fact that it appears to be little more than a smartphone version, Asphalt 9 is one of the finest free Nintendo Switch games.
Pokémon Quest
Pokémon Quest, like Super Kirby Clash, is a Nintendo “free-to-play” game. The game is set on Tumblecube Island, where all Pokémon have been transformed into cubed replicas of themselves. You can bring up to three Pokémon on your journey across Tumblecube Island, accumulating riches and Power Stones to level up your Pokémon. Quest, in contrast to the mainline Pokémon games, is an action RPG.
Battles take place in real-time, and there is a stronger emphasis on looting. Quest is an engaging action RPG with loads of grindy replayability while being a far cry from the JRPG paradigm established by prior Pokémon titles.
Smite
Smite is a game developed by Hi-Rez Studios, the same company that created Paladins. Smite is a straight-up MOBA, as opposed to Paladins, which is a MOBA-shooter. Smite, like other similar games, includes five-versus-five online fights on a vast map in which you must push past your opponent’s defenses to slay the Titan.
Smite, on the other hand, is extremely competitive. Hi-Rez Studios has been hosting the Smite World Championship since 2015, awarding over $1 million in prizes each year.
DC Universe Online
DC Universe Online has been around for a long time, having first been released in 2011 for Windows and PlayStation 3. It has now been ported to the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and, of course, the Nintendo Switch. It’s a free-to-play MMO action game in which you control heroes and villains from the DC world. However, we do not believe that referring to this game as “free” is totally truthful. Despite the fact that you may download and open moments for free, DC Universe Online constantly bombards you with various paid promotions and upsells.
With over nine years in operation, this game has a plethora of content. Having said that, you’ll still need to buy the content separately or sign up for a subscription plan to fully enjoy everything DC Universe Online has to offer.
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