The best free Nintendo Switch games

By Jesse Lennox Updated February 23, 2025

The Nintendo Switch offers an unparalleled gaming experience, allowing you to enjoy games big and small, no matter whether you’re on the couch or on the go. That said, the best Switch games rarely receive a discount. Thankfully, plenty of other developers have made some amazing single-player and multiplayer games on Switch that you can play absolutely free. That can make the wait for all the upcoming Switch games easier, but only if you know which ones to pick. Plenty of free games out there aren’t worth your time and are better left alone.

Keep in mind that although all of the games below are free to start, they all feature microtransactions in one form or another. However, we restricted our picks only to games that have ethical microtransactions (no pay-gating or anything like that). We’ve also included a range of genres, from the best party games for Nintendo Switch, to shooters, puzzle games, and more.

There’s no free version of Animal Crossing, but you can get your life simulation fix with Palia. This game is still technically in beta but is fully featured enough to sink dozens of hours into. Besides being a massive farming and crafting game, it is also meant to have some MMO elements where you inhabit the world with other players to work together. Currently, the game allows for cooking, fishing, crafting, farming, mining, hunting, and more. World events can happen at random, and there is a small story to work through that will no doubt be expanded upon as the game gets updated. We wouldn’t suggest investing in any of the microtransactions, but it could be a solid game to follow if you love these types of experiences.

If regular Fortnite is a bit too complex or violent for you, give Lego Fortnite a shot. This game is more of just a pure Lego survival game than a Lego version of the battle royale. While there are a bunch of new cosmetics to work with, it does sync up with the skins you have in Fortnite to give you a ton of Lego personalities to start with if you’ve amassed a collection already. It might not be as deep as Minecraft, but there’s still plenty to do, craft, and build. It’s a fun and bright world to explore either alone or with up to seven of your friends.

Following Rocket League‘s footsteps almost exactly, Fall Guys originally was a paid release before going free-to-play and launching on all systems. That, of course, includes the Nintendo Switch, where this colorful and wacky battle royale feels most at home. This game has you compete in various obstacle courses in various rounds until only one victor reaches the crown. The physics are loose and unpredictable in all the best ways, making it fun even when you lose due to the sheer absurdity of what’s going on.