Fortnite to Fall Guys: The 10 Best Multiplayer Switch Games
Oct 31, 2023
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The Nintendo Switch is one of the most popular consoles ever made. When you get your friends together, you know you’ll have a fun time playing on this platform. The Switch has over 4,500 games, so choosing your favorite may be difficult. If you want to play with others, which titles do you gravitate toward? Here are our picks for the best multiplayer Switch games based on online play and gaming with your family.
What Are the Best Multiplayer Switch Games for Online Play?
When you think of the Switch, you might not think of massively multiplayer online games (MMORPG) or first-person shooter (FPS) titles. However, these six games stand out as the best if you put your headset on and want to play with strangers or your best friends.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Animal Crossing isn’t your typical massively multiplayer online (MMO) title, but it’s become a staple for Nintendo Switch players. This game is among the most relaxing video game series because there aren’t necessarily villains or objectives. The most antagonistic behavior you see is from Tom Nook, who may or may not charge you excessive money to live in your town. On the bright side, you can use Tom Nook’s lessons to dominate Animal Crossing Monopoly by charging your friends high rent.
Apex Legends
It took two years of waiting, but Apex Legends finally made its way to the Nintendo Switch in 2019. The Nintendo console might not be as powerful as your Xbox Series X or the PlayStation 5. Still, Apex Legends remains among the best multiplayer switch games if you like battle royales. This title rivals Fortnite, but some fans argue it’s better because of the gun mechanics, the absence of building and a better loot system.
Fall Guys
If an FPS isn’t your thing, take it easy with Fall Guys. This Epic Games title brings a battle royale feel while making you think you’re on the TV show “Wipeout.” In fact, the game’s developers used the show and Takeshi’s Castle as inspiration for the title. In Fall Guys, you’ll play mini-games like Slime Climb, Hex-A-Gone and Hit Parade. Can you outlast 39 other people and take the victory?
Fortnite
Making a list of online games wouldn’t feel right if we didn’t include Fortnite. Love it or hate it, this game has been among the world’s most popular titles since 2017. According to Active Player, Fortnite has about 223 million active players and peaked at nearly 31 million daily in June 2022.
The game’s objective is simple: be the last one standing by eliminating other players. You’ll accumulate resources along the way, build shelters and save survivors. Have you ever won a battle royale? Winning one feels like you’ve just received an Olympic gold medal.
Rocket League
Imagine being one of the producers for Rocket League. You pitch the idea of playing international football using cars instead of humans. Who would want to play that? As it turns out, Rocket League has over 90 million players even in 2023 — eight years after the game’s release.
What started as an indie game is still a fan favorite. Rocket League is popular because of the customization you get with the cars. The developers will periodically release different skins paying homage to famous pop culture figures. For example, past designs have let you use designs with Mario and Luigi, the NFL and NASCAR skins.
What Are the Best Multiplayer Switch Games for Families?
While online games are fun, what’s better than gathering your friends and family for a good, old-fashioned game night? Luckily, Switch games aren’t hard to explain, so you can introduce them to kids, partners and friends alike.
Heave Ho
If you want a lighthearted party game, look no further than Heave Ho. The Switch is the only mainstream console carrying this game, making it even more special. In Heave Ho, you and your friends must cross a ravine together and reach the end of the course. You need to work together to get everybody across the platforms (while swinging like monkeys) without falling to the ground. If someone falls, you must start over!
Overcooked
Do you like to cook? What about cooking under pressure? If you want to work in a kitchen without Gordon Ramsay, try Overcooked on the Nintendo Switch. This game requires you and your teammates to prepare meals for your customers while navigating all the obstacles in the kitchen. Unfortunately, you’re not in a conventional kitchen. You must deal with sliding pirate ships, cooking on a moving truck and other factors impacting your efficiency.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Is this one a surprise? Mario Kart is one of the most popular video games ever — not just for Nintendo. For the Switch specifically, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe takes the cake with over 55 million copies sold — 13 million more than Animal Crossing: New Horizons in second place. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a fantastic game for the family because it keeps the same formula: pick your favorite Nintendo character and race around four circuits. Be careful with the blue turtle shells!
Super Bomberman R
The only game nearly as old as the Mario franchise is Super Bomberman. The first title debuted all the way back in 1983 with Bomberman, which Hudson Soft released on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) among other platforms.
Nowadays, you can play Super Bomberman R on the Nintendo Switch. This 2017 title is a simple maze game where you must plant bombs to trap and defeat your opponents. It sounds like a game meant for Wario and Waluigi, right? There is a story mode you can play with two people, and the multiplayer mode lets you compete with up to eight opponents! Super Bomberman R is among the best multiplayer switch games if you have a large friend group.
Super Mario Party
Mario makes a second appearance on this list through Super Mario Party — the 11th installment of this famous franchise. Nintendo has made this game since 1998 and has arguably bettered it with each title. Super Mario Party takes the franchise back to its roots with a game board, allowing each player to move around individually. The goal is to have the most stars at the end, so be careful when stealing someone else’s. The last thing you need is to start a living room brawl over your theft!
Ranking the Best Multiplayer Switch Games
Soon will come a day when Nintendo will name its successor to the Switch. We’re not ready to move on from this great console yet, so we’ve listed the best multiplayer Switch games for online and family play. Did we miss any games?
