Best free games on Nintendo Switch iMore 2021
The best Nintendo Switch games typically cost $50 or more, meaning it can be pricey to build up a good collection. While you’re saving up for more, you can check out some of the best free games on Nintendo Switch. Many of these are family-friendly titles that include microtransactions, so you might want to check out our guide on how to set up parental controls on Nintendo Switch to keep your kids from making unwanted purchases.
- Featured favorite: Fortnite – Nintendo Switch
- Puzzling play: Gems of War
- New type: Pokémon Unite
- Happy anniversary: Super Mario Bros. 35
- Take out the trash: Tetris 99 – Nintendo Switch
- Stylish shooter: Rogue Company
- Battle magic: Spellbreak
- Puzzle therapy: Color Zen
- Fight club: Fantasy Strike by Sirlin Games – Nintendo Switch
- Play god: SMITE – Nintendo Switch
- Teambuilding tactics: Arena of Valor
- Full tilt: The Pinball Arcade
Featured favorite: Fortnite – Nintendo Switch
This super popular battle royale game lets up to 100 people fight to be the last one standing while teaming up with friends locally and online. Build forts, destroy your opponents’ protection, and gather resources throughout the vast world used to build weapons. The game is constantly releasing new content, including big crossover events with the MCU and Star Wars.
Free at Nintendo
Puzzling play: Gems of War
Staff Pick
The makers of the Puzzle Quest games are behind this gem-matching RPG, where you’ll collect hundreds of troops with their own spells that you can use in PvP matches and weekly events. Complete hundreds of quests spread across 30 zones to earn rewards and new heroes.
Free at Nintendo
New type: Pokémon Unite
Build your team for battle
Pokémon Unite eschews the traditional formula of the franchise for a MOBA. Here, you’ll directly control a Pokémon on a team and engage in 5v5 battles, using unique abilities and strategy to overcome the enemy team. Best of all, you don’t have to pay to collect and have fun.
Free at Nintendo
Happy anniversary: Super Mario Bros. 35
Launched to celebrate Mario’s 35th anniversary, the battle royale game lets you compete against 34 other players by racing through classic levels and defeating enemies. Your success gives you more time while sending enemies to your opponents’ maps until they’re overwhelmed. The game is only available through March 31, so check it out soon!
Free at Nintendo
Take out the trash: Tetris 99 – Nintendo Switch
Join 99-player battles where your reflexes and strategy will be put to the test as you try to clear blocks from your screen and send Garbage Blocks to clog up your opponents’ boards. Completing daily missions will unlock themes to personalize your game’s look. You can also play offline to sharpen your skills or team up with a friend against the computer.
Free at Nintendo
Stylish shooter: Rogue Company
Join the elite agents of Rogue Company in this 4v4 tactical third-person shooter, where you’ll complete objectives like extraction or demolition in various game modes. Each agent has their own skills and a variety of weapons and gadgets they can use to save the day and get paid.
Free at Nintendo
Battle magic: Spellbreak
Choose from one of six classes of battlemage with their own playstyles and talents as you battle across floating islands and explore the world looking for a way to defeat those who have forbidden magic. Form a party to compete in battle royale, searching the map to find hidden equipment and runes that will give you an edge.
Free at Nintendo
Puzzle therapy: Color Zen
Put on your headphones and listen to the immersive soundtrack from electronic musician Steve Woodzell as you use the game’s intuitive controls to match colors and win the game’s 460 levels. There are no points to earn or penalties for failure, so you can just relax and play at your own pace.
Free at Nintendo
Fight club: Fantasy Strike by Sirlin Games – Nintendo Switch
Fantasy Strike is focused more on strategy than on hard-to-execute combo attacks, so it’s a great gateway to fighting games. Fight a series of AI opponents in arcade mode, test your skills in a daily endless survival challenge, or compete in eight-person tournaments to improve your rank. All of the characters are free to play, so you won’t need to pay or grind to unlock new ones.
Free at Nintendo
Play god: SMITE – Nintendo Switch
Mythology fans can choose to play one of more than 100 gods, including Zeus, Loki, and Sun Wukong in this MOBA, where you’ll use your divine abilities to compete in close-quarters combat. Auto-buy and auto-level tools make the game easy to get into if you don’t have much experience with the genre, while serious competitors can strive for a spot at the top of the game’s more than 35 million players.
Free at Nintendo
Teambuilding tactics: Arena of Valor
Choose from a roster of nearly 40 heroes representing several roles and compete in a variety of game modes, including 1v1 and 5v5. The arena battler will let you test your skills across a wide variety of maps with fast-paced, intense matches. Join a guild so you can play with your friends and players around the world.
Free at Nintendo
Full tilt: The Pinball Arcade
You won’t need a pocket full of quarters to play this game, which offers a digital version of more than 35 real pinball tables with themes including Ghostbusters, Star Trek, and Doctor Who. Complete locally or online using the Switch in handheld mode, tabletop, or docked with a controller
Free at Nintendo
Start your engines: Rocket League – Nintendo Switch
Up to eight players can compete in this car-based soccer game. Hone your skills to improve your rank and earn titles. You’ll also want to collect vehicles that range from the Ford F-150 to the DeLorean from Back to the Future. The game can be played across platforms, so you can challenge friends no matter what console they have.
Free at Nintendo
The sweetest deal is free
You don’t have to pay a lot of money to get a new game for your Nintendo Switch. Fortnite tops our list of best free games on Nintendo Switch because it offers so much flexibility to show off your creativity while also giving you the chance to encounter some of your favorite characters from movies and games.
If you want something new compared to the traditional formula of Pokémon games, then Pokémon Unite is a great option, bringing all the classic Pokémon to an entirely new genre, with five players on each team in a multiplayer online battle arena, or MOBA.
If you prefer RPGs to battle royale, Gems of War is a great option. Its depth of strategic gameplay and constant release of new content will keep you coming back every day to puzzle out new ways to achieve victory. Tetris 99 is another great pick, spicing up the classic puzzle game to let you compete against others while sharpening your own skills. Since all these games are free, you can always try something else on this list if you don’t like one!
Keyword: Best free games on Nintendo Switch 2021