11 New Nintendo Switch Games Under $20 to Put on Your Holiday Wish List
With the holidays right around the corner, it's the perfect time to start thinking about the Nintendo Switch games you want to add to your library before the end of the year.
Luckily for you, 2019 has been a big year for wonderful (and inexpensive) titles on the Switch. Here are 11 of our faves from this year under $20.
BOXBOY! + BOXGIRL!: $9.99
On the surface, BOXBOY + BOXGIRL! looks incredibly simple. You play as either of the titular characters and duplicate your box-shaped body in order to progress through a series of hundreds of levels. But soon, it's not just about creating steps and bridges, but also turning your blocks into hooks to get up on ledges, or transforming yourself into a protective barrier for yourself. This game gets a lot out of one simple mechanic, and the two-player mode utilizes them in brand new ways. If you love braintease-y puzzles, it's a must-play.
(BOXBOY! + BOXGIRL! via Nintendo)
Cuphead: $19.99
We thought we'd never get the chance to play Cuphead because it was an Xbox and PC exclusive, but the port of the notoriously challenging game to the Nintendo Switch changed everything. The game stars Cuphead and his twin brother, Mugman, who make a deal with the devil and must fight to earn back their souls after they lose them in a bet. Known for its hand-drawn, '30s-inspired art and tricky run 'n' gun gameplay, it's an instant classic and a necessity on the Switch.
(Cuphead via Studio MDHR)
Gato Roboto: $7.99
If you love Metroidvanias, but don't have days and days to dedicate to finding every little secret, Gato Roboto—a game starring an adorable kitty who pilots an awesome mech suit—is the perfect game for you. It's fast-paced and completely packed with action and humor, with enough hidden secrets to be incredibly satisfying, but not enough to make you pull your hair out. While some truly tough boss fights might stop you along the way, even a completionist can beat it in a few hours, making it just the thing if you want to beat a game before the new year.
(Gato Roboto via Devolver Digital)
Nintendo Switch Online: $20 per year
Technically Nintendo Switch Online isn't a game, but the fact that it gives players access to dozens of classic games makes it worth purchasing every year. Not only does it grant access to many classic NES and SNES games (plus our favorite, Tetris 99), it also allows you to use the online features of other great Switch games. If you're not completely sold yet, you can also try a demo before you commit.
(Super Mario World via Nintendo)
Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition: $19.99
Until recently, you could only play the gorgeous Ori and the Blind Forest on Xbox and PC, and we're thrilled that this epic game is finally on the Switch. It tells the tale of an orphaned woodland spirit named Ori who must traverse the forest in order to restore balance there. The result is a Metroidvania that manages to be serene yet intense, packed with secrets for enhancing your abilities and platforming challenges that'll make you sweat. Not only is it really pretty, but it's one of the toughest and most memorable 2D platformers in years.
(Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition via Xbox Game Studios)
Sayonara Wild Hearts: $12.99
Sayonara Wild Hearts has been perfectly described as a "pop album video game." Set to a fantastic soundtrack of original electro-pop songs, the game takes us through the journey of The Fool after she experiences a painful heartbreak, sending her on an adventure facing off against other major arcana from the tarot. As she finds herself along the way, players get to experience a vibrant neon rhythm game to catchy tracks. And believe us—you'll definitely want to be adding some of these songs to your Spotify playlists by the end of the game.
(Sayonara Wild Hearts via Annapurna Interactive)
She Remembered Caterpillars: $11.99
She Remembered Caterpillars is a dark yet colorful puzzle game, and even though we're not entirely sure we fully understand the story behind it, it was one of our favorite brain-bending experiences of the year. The game is all about getting each of a level's vibrant characters to a flower-shaped resting place. They can cross bridges of their own color, but can't pass through similarly colored gates. That might sound simple enough, but things get complicated fast. All the while, a curious narrative about loss and grief unfolds. Even if the story doesn't wind up being your cup of tea, it's worth trying for the puzzling alone.
(She Remembered Caterpillars via Ysbryd Games)
Unravel Two: $19.99
Unravel Two is as pretty as it is fun to play. After a couple of knitted Yarny creatures wash up on shore after a shipwreck, the two team up to make their way back home together. That means swapping back and forth between the two critters to navigate the land using a number of yarn-based platforming abilities, from swinging like Tarzan across gaps to making pulleys and stringing up two points to create bridges. The game is even better with a friend, turning it into one irresistible collaborative mission.
(Unravel 2 via Electronic Arts)
Untitled Goose Game: $19.99
Basically everyone was playing Untitled Goose Game this year, and for good reason. While the game's entire premise revolves around being a cute, obnoxious goose and making trouble, it's one that never gets old. The game's cartoony aesthetic perfectly matches its tone, and the classical music soundtrack goes from delicate to devious when you make the goose get into trouble. It's a delight, and it's worth every penny.
(Untitled Goose Game via Panic Inc.)
What Remains of Edith Finch: $19.99
What Remains of Edith Finch is the most beautiful and devastating of walking simulators, taking the titular Edith Finch back to her "cursed" family home once she inherits it after her mother's death. Her family history is marred with bizarre and unnerving deaths, and as she explores the house for the first time since childhood, she rediscovers its secrets and finds out how each member of her family reached their untimely end. We don't want to say too much because the game is all about the discovery, but we love every second of it.
(What Remains of Edith Finch via Annapurna Interactive)
The World Next Door: $9.99
The World Next Door is part fantasy, part RPG and part puzzler, and its parts meld fabulously into one great game. It follows a human girl named Jun, who wins a lottery to travel to a parallel (and magical) world called Emrys for a day. Thanks to the internet, she already has a few pals there, and when something goes wrong and she's trapped in Emrys, she has some loyal friends who'll guide her along to figure out what happened. To do so, she'll have to explore strange dungeons and learn the magic of the runes within them to fight baddies and set things right so she can finally get home.
(The World Next Door via Viz Media)
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