Many of us at GameSpot have logged hundreds of hours into Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the island simulation game that released last year. The beauty of Animal Crossing is that its tranquil setting and rather relaxed activities–fishing, bug-catching, chatting with fellow residents–appeal to players of all ages. Only one island can be created on a single Nintendo Switch, though, so your household might need multiple Switch consoles so everyone can play in harmony. Part of the joy of Animal Crossing is visiting your friends’ (and kids’!) islands, sharing resources, and hanging out in a calming, pleasant setting.

See our Animal Crossing: New Horizons review.

Dragon Quest Builders 2 was one of the more surprising games of 2019. While the original was good, Dragon Quest Builders 2 refined the formula to create one of the best action-RPGs for Switch. The adventure takes place across a large open world and combines a variety of ideas to create an engrossing experience. You spend a fair amount of your time building a village from the ground up, Minecraft-style, but you also embark on adventures, slaying monsters and warding off invaders while gathering resources. It’s bright and colorful and would appeal to kids who like Minecraft but want some more traditional questing to balance out the experience.

See our Dragon Quest Builders 2 review.

Inspired by classic role-playing sports games like Mario Golf for Game Boy Color, Golf Story is one of the best indie games on Nintendo Switch. You play as a golfer trying to resurrect his love for the game after decades away, leading you to seek out golf lessons from a rather inattentive instructor at a local club. From there, Golf Story becomes a mix of traditional golf, scavenger hunts, and absurd challenges that keep the gameplay fresh throughout. The writing is hilarious, the story is surprisingly heartwarming, and the top-down golf gameplay that’s injected with role-playing elements is thoroughly nostalgic. It’s also a solid, if quirky, introduction to the game of golf for kids and sports games in general.

See our Golf Story review.

In Good Job, you play as a kid who has become the CEO of a large corporation. Naturally, this is ridiculous, and Good Job knows it by encouraging you to cause mayhem as you work your way up a skyscraper, completing tasks on each floor. It’s a physics-based puzzler at heart, with every shelf, object, and unassuming worker reacting to your actions. It’s incredibly easy to be in the middle of a task only to accidentally destroy the work space with one clumsy move. Thankfully, Good Job doesn’t scold you for wreaking havoc; it lets you run free en route to becoming the most unfit (yet enthusiastic) kid CEO around. Two-player local co-op is supported, and Good Job is even more zany when playing with a partner.

See our Good Job review.

Kirby Star Allies is one of the rare Nintendo platformers that really begs to be played cooperatively. Yes, Yoshi’s Crafted World, which is also on this list, has cooperative play, but Star Allies is truly designed with it in mind. Thanks to Kirby’s new ability to befriend enemies, you can have up to three followers trail behind you, and one of them can be controlled by another player. Star Allies has some clever puzzles that require teamwork to solve them, and the side-scrolling action combat gets particularly frenzied when a real playing partner is tagging along for the adventure. Like most Kirby games, Star Allies is extremely forgiving, making it a stellar side-scroller on Nintendo Switch for even the youngest of players.

See our Kirby Star Allies review.

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is a traditional Zelda adventure reborn with colorful, cutesy graphics. It’s the third time Link’s Awakening has been released, and it remains as charming as ever. Unlike most Zelda games, Link’s Awakening isn’t set in Hyrule. It takes place on the bizarre Koholint Island, which is filled with plenty of interesting characters. Link’s Awakening is a top-down Zelda with a conventional dungeon structure that is more approachable to youngsters than Breath of the Wild.

Luigi’s Mansion 3 is the only pseudo-horror game on this list, and in reality, the only person that will be genuinely frightened by the game’s haunted hotel is Luigi himself. Luigi’s Mansion 3 is a 3D adventure game filled with puzzles, none of which are too terribly challenging. It also has a ton of charm and humor thanks to the fun vacuum mechanics to suck up ghosts and Luigi’s ability to create a second, gooey version of himself–appropriately named Googi–to help him solve puzzles.

See our Luigi’s Mansion 3 review.

Mario Golf: Super Rush is the latest Mario sports game, and once again it features a unique spin on the leisurely sport. As the name suggests, Mario Golf: Super Rush largely revolves around speed. The new Speed Golf mode tasks golfers with running across obstacle-ridden courses to finish holes as quickly as possible. It still features easy-to-grasp swing mechanics, whether you’re using button or motion controls, and a lighthearted tone that makes it a welcoming experience for newcomers and veterans alike. Super Rush also has an excellent Battle Golf mode and standard golf, too. Between the single-player campaign, online multiplayer, and solo challenges, Super Rush has a lot of content to enjoy.

The best racing game on Nintendo Switch, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is an enhanced version of the standout Wii U game. Considered by many to be the best Mario Kart game ever made, it has some serious replay value thanks to a wide variety of tracks both new and old and an engaging battle mode. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a wonderful cart racer that is ideal for both kids and adults. It’s an enjoyable experience whether you’re playing solo or against family and friends.

See our Mario Kart 8 Deluxe review.

Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is an inventive new way to experience Nintendo’s flagship cart racing series. Obviously designed with kids in mind, Home Circuit comes with a remote-control car–either Mario or Luigi–and gates that are used to create a track in your living room. Your course setup is shown on screen, with added obstacles and flourishes created to make for a livelier atmosphere. The RC car responds to what happens in the game, too, speeding up when hitting boosts and stalling when struck by items.

See our Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit review.

The Mushroom Kingdom meets Ubisoft’s zany party franchise in Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, one of the most bizarre mashups in recent memory. This Nintendo Switch exclusive pulls off the collaboration in style by offering a humorous story with great writing and XCOM-style tactics gameplay that is approachable for younger players. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle offers a great introduction to turn-based strategy games and includes multiple difficult levels to match your skill level. In addition to the delightful solo campaign, Mario + Rabbids has a two-player co-op mode and local multiplayer.

See our Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle review.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order‘s general premise will be familiar to anyone who has followed the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Thanos is on the prowl for the six Infinity Stones, and it’s your job to stop him. Best played alongside other players, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 is essentially a button masher, but each of the dozens of playable characters have their own unique moves and plenty of stylistic flair. In a sense, Ultimate Alliance 3 feels closer to a game that would have released a generation or two ago, but it still offers tons of excitement. Critically, co-op can be played with up to four players and the approachable combat system means that kids of all ages can play as their favorite hero and take down baddies.

See our Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order review.

To preface, Metroid Dread is rated Teen by the ESRB for animated blood, fantasy violence, and mild suggestive themes, so you’ll have to decide if you’re okay with your kid(s) playing it. Overall, though, it’s fairly tame when it comes to games that are rated Teen. Metroid Dread offers a return to the iconic franchise’s side-scrolling roots. With an eerie atmosphere, a sprawling map to explore, and a bunch of challenging boss fights, Metroid Dread is probably the most demanding game on this list from a gameplay perspective. We wouldn’t recommend it to those who don’t have much action game experience, but it’s a great choice if you have kids who want more of a challenging experience.

Minecraft, the most popular game of all time based on sales, really needs no introduction. The sandbox game has captivated millions of players young and old across the world. It’s a game that will appeal to kids who love building and tinkering with things. With Minecraft, your imagination is everything. You make your own rules and run with it, which is a premise plenty of kids thoroughly appreciate.

See our Minecraft review.

Minecraft Dungeons takes the pixelated world of the sandbox staple and merges it with Diablo-style gameplay. Played from an isometric perspective, Minecraft Dungeons has easy-to-learn action combat, a fairly deep loot system, and varied level design that makes for a constantly interesting dungeon-crawling experience. Most importantly, it’s kid-friendly and extremely accessible to players of all skill levels. It also has four player co-op both online and locally. Think of it as a charming introduction to action-RPGs.

See our Minecraft Dungeons review.

New Pokemon Snap is one of the more surprising sequels in recent memory. The fan-favorite originally released on Nintendo 64, and Nintendo finally released a sequel for Switch. New Pokemon Snap is an on-rails shooter where you take pictures of Pokemon in their natural habitat. With a lovely presentation, plenty of Pokemon to observe, and a charming loop that rewards those who keep trying for that perfect photo, New Pokemon Snap is a positively relaxing experience that will appeal to kids who love Pokemon.

New Super Lucky’s Tale is a colorful 3D platformer starring an adorable fox. It harkens back to early 3D platformers like Spyro, offering simplistic gameplay that can be enjoyed by kids of all ages, regardless of skill level. Like the games it pays homage to, New Super Lucky’s Tale has heaps of collectibles that emphasize exploring every nook and cranny of each level. To spice things up, there are also 2D levels thrown into the mix, which complement the more open 3D areas quite well. For kids who love Mario, New Super Lucky’s Tale is a good bet.

Not to sound like a broken record here, but basically any Mario game is great for kids, including the fantastic New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, which compiles two Wii U games in one delightful package. Featuring a stellar collection of inventive side-scrolling levels, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is classic Mario reborn with HD visuals. It also adds two new playable characters, Toadette and Nabbit, who are particularly great for inexperienced players. Toadette bounces back up when falling into pits, while Nabbit cannot be hurt by enemies, which makes them ideal for young kids learning the ropes of Mario platforming.

See our New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe review.

Word of warning here: Overcooked may cause family arguments, but it also might foster better communication skills between parents and kids. In all seriousness, the cooking simulator, which is more of a party game, is hilariously hectic fun for up to four players. Each player takes the role of a chef tasked with serving food to some very hungry though invisible customers. In a few short minutes, you’ll have to prepare dishes by retrieving meats, veggies, toppings, and more from designated bins. The challenge comes from the fact that the levels are dynamic, shifting throughout, forcing players to work in unison to find a speedy, efficient rhythm. It’s very simplistic from a control perspective, though its fast pace may make it a better fit for older kids and teens. Overcooked! All You Can Eat comes with both Overcooked games as well as every piece of DLC. It’s a fantastic package loaded with content.

See our Overcooked and Overcooked 2 reviews.

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are a pair of adorable remakes of the standout Generation 4 era. These games follow the traditional Pokemon formula, sending players on an adventure to catch ’em all, acquire eight gym badges, and become the Pokemon League champion by making it through the Elite Four. You can sink dozens upon dozens of hours into Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl if you want to complete your Pokedex.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus is quite different from the other Pokemon games on this list. The loop still involves catching ’em all, but this time you’re exploring wide open areas and simply tossing Poke Balls at the many different types of Pokemon you’ll find roaming the diverse biomes. Arceus has a Breath of the Wild vibe to it when it comes to exploration, but it still retains the turn-based Pokemon battles found in the mainline games. For fans who want a more open-ended Pokemon experience that encourages you to explore, Pokemon Legends: Arceus is a fantastic choice. It’s one of the best Switch games of 2022 so far.

Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu and Let’s Go, Eevee meld mainline Pokemon adventures with the simplistic catch mechanic of Pokemon Go. Distinguished mainly by the option to have either Pikachu or Eevee as your starter, the pair of Let’s Go games are remakes of Pokemon Yellow, taking you back to the Kanto region to catch the original 151 Pokemon and become a champion. The Let’s Go titles are a great way to introduce your kids to the world of Pokemon, especially if you played Yellow (or Red/Blue) as a child. Where Let’s Go differs is that random battles are replaced by visible Pokemon wandering in the grass. Once a battle is initiated, you merely try to catch the Pokemon in a straightforward minigame that resembles the technique of Pokemon Go. This streamlines Pokemon: Let’s Go in a big way, making it a worthy starter title to the ever-growing Pokemon universe. Plus, you can have any Pokemon follow you around and even travel on Charizard’s back–what more could you ask for?

See our Pokemon: Let’s Go review.

For a more traditional Pokemon experience, Pokemon Sword and Shield are the latest games in the mainline franchise for Nintendo Switch. Though they have a familiar loop, Sword and Shield introduce a large open-world type area known as the Wild Area where you can discover and catch new Pokemon and explore diverse environments. Sword and Shield adopted Let’s Go’s feature of showing Pokemon on the map, but you still have to battle them like normal. With new raid events added regularly and a pair of expansions out now, it’s always a great time to jump in. Pokemon games don’t require extensive role-playing game knowledge to enjoy, though you can really get into the details if you want. Regardless, Sword and Shield are must-plays for young Pokemon fans and serve as great primers for JRPGs.

See our Pokemon Sword and Shield review.

Scibblenauts Mega Pack contains two great games that are both fun and educational for school-age children: Scribblenauts Unlimited and Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure. At their core, both titles are puzzle games, but they are novel in that they bring imaginative solutions to life. Problems need to be solved by typing out adjectives and objects, and Unlimited introduces compound ideas, letting you join two distinct words together to create a more elaborate object. Unmasked, meanwhile, melds the Scribblenauts fundamentals with a comic book adventure featuring DC superheroes and locations. Both
games can be played solo or with another player. Scribblenauts Mega Pack is great for kids who know how to read but are still getting the hang of putting sentences together–these games let kids turn fragmented ideas into solutions in a fun way.

A Nintendo Switch launch title, Snipperclips is a cutesy and quite funny puzzle game that’s best played cooperatively. Two players can jump into the campaign as Snip and Clip, two sentient pieces of paper. The main conceit of Snipperclips is in the title–you have to snip and clip your way to success by literally cutting up your playing partner to solve puzzles and move onto the next puzzle. Additionally, up to four players can partake in a collection of puzzles and competitive games. These include unique takes on sports like basketball, but yes, you can also compete to see if you can snip your opponents to shreds before they get you. Snipperclips has the aesthetic of a childhood notebook filled with doodles, and it’s a lot of fun for both parents and kids.

Splatoon 2 is one of the most popular multiplayer games on Nintendo Switch. There are numerous online modes across more than 20 maps, with the general premise revolving around covering the map with paint from paint guns, rollers, and other unique “weapons.” Splatoon 2 also has a co-op mode dubbed Salmon Run and a solo campaign. The Octo Expansion adds a more robust single-player campaign with more than 80 new levels. The only downside to Splatoon 2 is that it doesn’t support split-screen multiplayer. Otherwise, Splatoon 2 is the best game starring squid ever made.

See our Splatoon 2 review.

Compiling the first three 3D Mario games, Super Mario 3D All-Stars is a delightful collection that would appeal to kids of all ages. Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy each have touched-up visuals, but they largely remain stringently faithful to the original releases. For parents, Super Mario 3D All-Stars presents an opportunity to introduce Mario’s first few adventures in 3D to their kids. All three games are excellent and have aged pretty well, though Super Mario 64 is a tad rough around the edges. Unlike most games on this list, you really need to pick it up sooner rather than later. Super Mario 3D All-Stars will only be sold through March 31, 2021, and physical copies may sell out even sooner.

See our Super Mario 3D All-Stars review.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is two delightful 3D platformers in one package. First, you get the excellent Wii U platformer Super Mario 3D World, which features the format of 2D Mario with 3D levels. It also supports up to four-player local co-op, so it’s great fun for the whole family. New to the Switch version is Bowser’s Fury, a small-scale open-world adventure starring Mario and Bowser Jr. It’s a big change of pace from Super Mario 3D World, but

Super Mario Maker 2 is the perfect Switch game for kids to let their imaginations run wild. The drag-and-drop creator mode lets you easily build your own side-scrolling levels. It’s a ton of fun to take turns creating levels for each other to play. Mario Maker 2 also has an engaging story mode with more than 100 Nintendo-designed levels and a seemingly endless pool of user-created levels to enjoy. Fair warning, there are some extremely challenging user-created levels out there, but filtering allows you to find courses that fit your skill level.

See our Super Mario Maker 2 review.

Super Mario Odyssey is arguably the best 3D platformer on Switch. Featuring a more open design, a ton of new tricks thanks to Mario’s sentient hat Cappy, and vibrant, colorful visuals, Odyssey is an absolute delight. It even has a welcome Assist mode that makes it more inviting to younger players and newcomers. For those with kids who aren’t quite ready to play entirely solo, the co-op mode lets one player control an invulnerable Cappy.

See our Super Mario Odyssey review.

Ideal for family game nights, Super Mario Party is the millionth (just kidding) entry in Nintendo’s long-running party game series. For anyone who has ever played Mario Party, the loop will be familiar. The title mode takes place on a game board, where each player rolls the dice and moves the number of spaces, collecting coins and securing stars. Between each round of turns, you play minigames to compete for coins. By design, every minigame is fast-paced and easy to grasp. Super Mario Party also adds a more strategic co-op mode that will likely appeal to older kids as well as a musical minigame and cooperative river rafting mode. If you’ve
already played Super Mario Party, check out Mario Party Superstars, which released in 2021.

See our Super Mario Party review.

Untitled Goose Game is a game about pestering people as the very worst bird to ever live: the goose. In each section, you guide the aggravating goose through a series of vague objectives that require you to mess with the property of unassuming humans. Part sandbox, part stealth, part puzzle–Untitled Goose Game has an engaging gameplay loop. It’s more than just an incredibly meme-able experience. That said, it’s consistently hilarious.

See our Untitled Goose Game review.

Quite possibly the cutest game on Nintendo Switch, Yoshi’s Crafted World is a breezy side-scroller with charmingly inventive level design. The world Yoshi explores is primarily made of cardboard, which actually makes it look like a kid constructed it. It’s a familiar experience for anyone who has played a Yoshi platformer. Our dinosaur pal can turn enemies into eggs with his insatiable appetite and then fling them at other enemies, use them to solve puzzles, or sling them at collectibles. Crafted World has a pair of difficulty levels and two-player drop-in, drop-out co-op, so you can tag along with your youngster on their adventure and experience the joyous platforming and genuinely inventive boss battles alongside them.

See our Yoshi’s Crafted World review.