Updated with Balatro. Enjoy (responsibly)!
Video games. They can transport you to other worlds, put you in someone else's shoes, and artfully illuminate and educate while engaging your grey matter with entertainment of astonishing variety. There's no end to the incredible, life-affirming experiences on offer: from thought-provoking, narrative deep-dives to blasting through zombie hordes with a double-barrelled shotty; from quiet card games to surreal, technicolor kingdoms of floating platforms and mushrooms. Video games!
They're so great that (as with anything) it's possible to get a little obsessive, to the point where playing your favourite game can start to impact other areas of your life. Today we're looking at Switch games with the dangerous power to devour your every waking moment, if you let them: The most addictive games on Nintendo Switch.
To be clear, all of these games are very good. Some might say too good, in fact, due to their ability to hook you and keep you playing, and playing, and playing to the detriment of all other concerns. If you've got a backlog, a job, or loved ones you enjoy spending time with, you might want to avoid these exceedingly addictive, day-devouring, rabbit-hole games. These gameslaugh in the face of healthy sleep patterns. They'll have you sitting down for a quick blast of an evening and...geez, it's 2:41am!? Okay, let's stop at 3...Oh my, 4:16am. Work in the morning...
Ready for lots of roguelikes? Let's run down — in no particular order — our picks for the most addictive Switch games. Be warned: approach with extreme caution!
Sid Meier's Civilization VI (Switch)
This is the OG 'one more turn' game.
If you think Civilization peaked at IV, the sixth entry won’t change your mind, but we envy anyone who’s never played the series, as Civilization VI on Switch is a brilliant introduction. Watching — and influencing — how the world unfolds is as addictive as ever, and the boon of portability makes this a great way to play. Lack of online play is an obvious disappointment, but the core game works fantastically well on the handheld and we had an absolute blast; take our advice and get stuck in. If you've got no plans for tomorrow, or the rest of the week. Month.
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Fortnite (Switch eShop)
Chasing that chicken dinner is so addictive that Epic has fought off lawsuits on those grounds.
This has probably adorned your Switch dashboard at some point already, and with good reason. Epic delivered the full-fat Fortnite experience on Nintendo's ‘homeheld.’ You’re sure to notice the frame rate and fidelity difference if you’re coming from other consoles, but performance-wise it’s steady and perfectly playable on Switch. Ultimately, that just-one-more-round feeling survives the transition intact — before you know it you’ll be eyeing the clock at 3:56am thinking, ‘Hmm, that’s not a round number.’ The heart-pounding suspense of making it to the final two may not be healthy, but it sure is addictive.
On the subject of Battle Royales, shoutout to Apex Legends. We've never been enamoured with the Switch port, but the game itself is caffeine-fueled catnip.
Vampire Survivors (Switch eShop)
Vampire Survivors skyrocketed in popularity in 2022 for good reason. It's one of the best roguelites in recent memory thanks to its gripping gameplay loop and metagame that hijacks your mind. The Switch port only adds more to love with local co-op and updated content. It's so easy to slip into a blissful sense of flow in Vampire Survivors' Castlevania-inspired, comically named levels as its ripping soundtrack and satisfying sound design propel you into the horde that you'll surely lose track of time playing it. It's a good thing that rounds don't usually last more than half an hour. With the addition of free Adventures and a host of DLC, this undead master is teeming with life and ready to wreak havoc with your sleep patterns.
Rocket League (Switch eShop)
One of modern gaming's true online multiplayer success stories, Rocket League was an essential addition to the Switch's striking library even before it went free-to-play in September 2020; now there's absolutely no reason it shouldn't be your system. The spirit of the game has been transferred perfectly, with the added benefit of portable play which opens up the chance to host local matches with your Switch-owning mates wherever and whenever you fancy. Developer Panic Button did an utterly fantastic job with this port, but technical wizardry aside, what really matters is that the core game is so addictive, so compelling, so enjoyable, and — perhaps above all else — so deep. It rewards skilful play and perseverance, and new tactics and strategies seem to flow from each and every match. Only the occasional network niggle throws shade on this otherwise sublime release, but it's still an essential online experience.
Dead Cells (Switch)
Dead Cells is a masterclass in excellent roguelite design, mixing together nonstop intense action sequences, gorgeous vistas, and an addictive loop of unlocks and rewards into a beautiful experience that no Switch owner will want to go without. There’s dozens, if not hundreds, of hours of content available here, and though some sense of repetition can creep in every now and then, it’s remarkable how fresh Dead Cells can stay through all those hours. This game is a blast to play, full of visual splendor, and packed with things to do; don’t miss out on this one, it’s a must-buy.
Just make sure you've got a clear schedule.
Stardew Valley (Switch eShop)
Stardew Valley offers a chance to live a second life – one where you can forget the troubles of the real world and get excited over finding a particularly rare carrot. It is a truly magical experience; games can often be enjoyable but they don’t all manage to be as captivating as this. This is the sort of game that ideally requires a significant amount of time to be invested; the enjoyment doesn’t necessarily come from the day-to-day actions you perform, but rather from the general growth of pride, satisfaction, and sense of security as the days go by. Fans of Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing will be right at home here and, for those who aren’t, there is a decent chance Stardew might just surprise you.
Overwatch 2 (Switch eShop)
Overwatch 2 is a lot of things, but a proper sequel to the original (now unavailable) Overwatch is not one of them. Although a few new maps and heroes are welcome, and the gameplay itself remains just as enjoyably intense as it always was, there is nothing here that feels innovative or notable enough to justify that ‘2’ in the title. Overwatch 2 feels more like a few updates Blizzard could have pushed to the original release. Couple this with the heightened focus on monetization and, despite its positives, you’re left with an experience that feels like it falls short of the potential it had.
However, as a free-to-play game, it costs you nothing but time to try, and matches are just about as fun and addictive as they always have been.
Suika Game (Switch eShop)
Suika Game is a competent and addictive little puzzler that does a great job of executing a very simple concept. There’s not a whole lot to it, but considering it's roughly the same price as a pack of gum, Suika Game is definitely worth the cost of admission. If you’re looking for a quick time waster to add to your Switch library, we’d recommend you pick it up with some Gold Points. If it grabs you, there's a good chance it'll end up rivalling BOTW in your Hours Played rankings.
Any of the '99 games
These free-to-play (if you have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription) Battle Royale-style games hook you with a basic premise and won't let you go. Whether its the thrill of dumping tetromino-trash in your opponents' wells in Tetris 99 or blasting to the podium in F-Zero 99, constant failure serves only as motivation to make it to #1, if only once.
Splatoon 3 (Switch)
Splatoon 3 is more of the same, but refined to borderline mechanical perfection. It's the most fun we’ve had with an online shooter in years, and for series veterans it makes Splatoon 2 feel entirely redundant for all but its unique single-player content. It feels like the development team solved every problem the Splatoon community was bleating on about, and then fixed some more that we didn’t even realise were problems until they were fixed. There's nothing revolutionary about it compared to its predecessors, and it's perhaps missing a Big New Idea™ that you might have expected, but Splatoon 3 is the pinnacle of the series, and the pinnacle of shooters on Switch.
The Side Order DLC introduces roguelite gameplay, too. Potent, dangerous stuff if you've got an early start in the morning.
![Splatoon 3 [Download Code - UK/EU]](https://images.nintendolife.com/products/21243/100x100.png)
Hades (Switch eShop)
Hades is a sublime mix of satisfyingly gritty and flexible combat, a wonderfully vibrant art style, and genuinely fun and engaging narrative. Supergiant Games has an excellent track record with games like Bastion and Transistor, but this really does feel like its finest hour — a rip-roaring rampage through the underworld that arrived on Switch with a port that's nigh-on perfect. Even if you're yet to be swayed by the admittedly repetitive ebb and flow of roguelikes, we passionately urge you to at least give this roguelite a try; for fans of the genre or anyone even remotely interested, this is one heavenly vision of hell that we highly recommend you sacrifice yourself to.
Comments 51
For me it's Crimsonland or any twinstick shooter.
Pocket Card Jockey belongs on this list, surely. I also found Mr Sun's Hat Box to be utterly compulsive. I would probably add The Binding Of Isaac too, seeing as I have over a thousand hours on it. 🤭 I definitely agree with Dead Cells... I couldn't put that one down for a while.
How is Animal Crossing: New Horizons not on this list?
While I'm loving the Survivor roguelikes - Vampire / Twilight / Geometry Survivor(s) - there is one such title that I cannot recommend anyone touches with a ten yard bargepole.
Seriously - GO NOT WITHIN A NORWEGIAN MILE OF MIGHT'N MOW'EM ON THE SWITCH. IT IS ABSOLUTELY CHRONIC.
It takes the sprawling, gargantuan maps of its genre-mates and shrinks them down to a few screens'-worth of real estate. And then it starts t o s l o w d o w n to an absolute crawl. You might not believe it to look at YouTube or Twitch, where it zips along at a speed such a game would be expected to on a PC, but you get a decent way through a run and you will wind up looking at - and I am NOT kidding here - five frames a second. F I V E .
It does not help that the publisher, Eleet Games, are fully Kool-aided passengers on the Blockchain/Crypto/NFT train. They barely look at their online presences, never mind update them - some have gone years without new content - and their Discord link has just been left to die.
I am not hopeful that this game's - I would say issues, but the damn thing has subscriptions - will get addressed any time soon, if ever; as such, I'm telling you now. DON'T.
I started vampire survivors last night and ngl I don’t see what all the hype is about and I don’t find it addicting
@NintendoLife where’s Balatro on this list… and your review of it?!? It’s an instant GOTY contender!!
@Kekshook What if the switch successor is backward compatible and you can play them with higher FPS? That would make the current one obsolete no?
@RunGMhx that’s a big IF. Most Switch games have their FPS locked and have to be updated one by one to remove the limiter, like what happened with xbox and their FPS boost thingy
Seems like a hodgepodge of games, and I reckon most long/replayable games could go on this list. I’d be interested in which staff writers picked which games.
Arena of Valor was my most “addictive” game, so much so I had to take a break from it because I was wasting sleep to play it. “So Addictive You Develop Unhealthy Habits” probably isn’t the cheeriest list, but it would be a unique one.
My choice is Animal Crossing New Horizons.
Already accumulated more than 970+ hours gameplay.
I did download fortnite when it first came to the switch but I never actually launched it. It's in the dredges of the redownload list and it's staying there. F-Zero 99 is my top most addictive game at the moment. A good JRPG has that effect on me, too. I'll put 12+ hours a day on weekends into final fantasy or fire emblem.
Stardew Valley instead of Story of Seasons Friends of Mineral Town is a bold choice indeed
Both have excellent farming mechanics, but SOSFOMT also has brilliantly written characters
Super Mario Odyssey (when I first played it) Wario Ware: Get It Together and all the Tetris games for me!
Pocket Jockey for sure. Having that and Battle Cats on Switch reminds me of my 2016 with my 3ds. Good times.
Now that Pocket Card Jockey is out on Switch, add that one to the list.
Rocket League and Tetris Effect? Those games are not addictive.
What About Binding of Issac, Mr Driller, Pocket Dungeon, Shovel Knight Dig? Cult of the Freaking Lamb? I've sat down and played that game for 8 hours without even realizing
@Tyranexx That is a very good question.
Pocket Card Jockey definitely should be on this list. I'm so happy to have it on the switch now!!
If you like Solitaire games, I would like to recommend Dreamland Solitaire.
It's Solitaire taken several steps beyond the usual stuff.
And though it's not totally unique it just does what it does so very well, with very appealing graphics and music (all medieval themed - think of it as Solitaire meets Skyrim).
A very addictive and fun game that's well worth the 6 € it costs imo.
As others have said, I'm surprised Animal Crossing New Horizons isn't on the list. However, even though that's my most played game I did stop playing eventually so my addiction was mostly confined to 2020/early 2021. My second most played game which I have played almost every week for 5 years is Mario Maker 2. Like several other games in this article, it has infinite content and is easy to be addicted because of the ability to play in bite-sized sessions.
Another game not on this list is Pokemon - not any particular game, but the amount of time I've spent on the series in general is ridiculous even by JRPG standards.
I've also had some addiction to several games in this article:
Expected Diablo to be part of the list as well, the whole gameplay loop is designed with releasing endorphine in mind
I’m finding Forager pretty addicting. A little surprised, but apparently my brain likes to get into a slightly mindless groove once in a while.
Balatro needs to be on this list. The game is crack.
Forager really hooked me for like 35 hours in a week ...not much in the endgame but the constant managing and growing and a buncha a little tasks that worked well with my ADD ... palworld is currently filling that weird hole where its not so tedious but relaxing some how... Also Hades is great and I love Katana Zero as far as addictive games that aren't on this list...and mario Odyssey isn't bad to go hunting for moons every now and again
@Nancyboy came to mention forager too haha
@Poodlestargenerica i would agree with cult of the lamb however once i unlocked the whole camp i couldn't find myself to finish the 4th boss...been wanting to go back now there's more dlc... I also felt that way with Pokemon sword...i played it like all day one day... put it 50 hours I think i beat it and then just sold it haha
Wildflowers should be on this list for me anyway lol 😁
I would add Spelunky to this list and maybe it's sequel. As a Toad who likes to track some treasure, this one is my jam.
Fire Emblem Three Houses and Three Hopes were very addicting to me with the different gameplay loopes hooking into each other.
TotK was also way more addictive then BotW
Inversus Deluxe is a brilliant hidden gem on Switch. Very addicting especially if you can get a few friends to play and gun for high scores amongst each other
Glad to see Slay the Spire on this list - the most addictive game I’ve ever played.
This list is null and void without Balatro.
@shgamer thanks for the recommendation, looks good - popped it on the wishlist
@toadfishman You're welcome. I've put 10 hours into it now and it's still fun (though it's getting tougher to proceed now).
Balatro is the Vampire Survivors of 2024
Binding Of Isaac not being on this list is a crime.
I really wish Skyrim would stick with me. I always get 10-20 hours in and lose interest. Not even sure how many times I've tried by now.
When I was younger, 4x turn-based strategy games often had me playing until I saw the sun coming up through the window.
Just got so wrapped up in the tactical analysis that the whole night just flew right by.
Cobalt Core deserves a mention
Slay the spire and loop hero are only topped by the Picross a series for me
If you like Vampire Survivors, download VOID SCRAPPERS now! It’s like VS in outer space. Very addictive! Super cheap, too! It’s my favorite game right now.
I'd put Shiren the Wanderer 5 on this list. It has a disgusting amount of content, and you can easily lose hours to it without even noticing. I've played around 60 hours, and I have a strong feeling that if I were to conquer everything the game has to offer, I would continue playing it for about 10 times this amount. But you know, there are other games that need to be played...
Switch Sports (285 hours played) always has me wanting just one more match. Especially Soccer. Either I'm on a winning streak, or I blame my teammates for messing up, and I want to play again with a different group. But Tennis and Volleyball are also totally addicting when you're winning. And playing in Pro mode, since you see the bar rising each time you win, and gaining ranks is a great motivator to keep playing.
Clubhouse Games has so much content there and online it's easy to spend a lot of time there as well.
Dicey Dungeons is great, and the way the gameplay changes so much based on character or chapter always makes it feel fresh.
Enter the Gungeon (470 hours played) is just amazing, so many guns and passive and active items, and ammo types, and synergies, every run is completely different and there's so much to unlock, and the Smash TV like gameplay with the dodgeroll is just tops.
Neon Abyss is a great rogue-like, every run you lose and you just want to play again unlocking cool new stuff each time. Funny thing about this one is, at least for my pc (which is a beast), it runs better on the Switch than it does on Steam.
And Blazing Beaks is really good too, and Space Dave you always want to play again after you lose. Same with Heavy Burger, and Super Crate Box.
@StefanN Many years ago it was first roguelike. It's still my favourite.
Man I wish I could enjoy Hades. The moment to moment game play was so fun! but the rouge-like structure it was built around absolutely killed it for me.
Quest of Dungeons is also very addictive. When I noticed, I was already with more than 40 hours.
I only wonder what Upfall can make with a proper budget.
The most addicting game for me is F-Zero 99 my god I play that game going into it im gonna play like 3 rounds I end up playing like 30 lol I cant stop its such a good game.
Vampire Survivor is legit awesome! I can't put it down and I've been playing since December. At the same time, I can't explain why. It's really a simple game....you don't even push a button!
At $4.99, it's a steal though. Heck, even with all the DLC its cheaper than most games.
I strongly recommend it even if for a weekend of play.
@Boopero I will check it out for sure! Thanks for the heads-up
Dead By Daylight and Fortnite are definitely the most addictive games on Switch that I've played. I have hundreds of hours in both LOL
A lot of the cozy games are totally addictive. Skyrim, A Wonderful Life, Animal Crossing, Stardew, Rune Factory, etc. The Switch has so many of those games on it! I definitely also find myself addicted on rotation to different SNES or N64 games I'm dedicated to play or get further in after failing miserably as a child.
Seriously, where is The Binding of Isaac in this list? It's been my most played game ever since its been released.
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