Marvel Snap is an elegantly simple and inventive approach to digital CCGs that emphasizes adaptation and creativity.
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is an improvement over its predecessor in every way, and one of the best modern Mario spin-offs.
Lego Bricktales is a remarkable approximation of actually playing with Lego bricks, thanks to a variety of clever physics-based building challenges.
Shovel Knight Dig takes everything that was fantastic about the retro platformer and recontextualizes it into a roguelike that's hard to put down.
Splatoon 3 isn't quite as novel the third time around, but a great campaign, tons of multiplayer options, and a few new surprises make it much more of a good thing.
River City Saga: Three Kingdoms blends modern sensibilities into a decidedly old-school brawler style.
PowerWash Simulator is a novel and soothing chore-core game that only occasionally breaks up its own relaxing flow.
Mario Strikers: Battle League has all the makings of a great sports game, but there's not much there right now.
Triangle Strategy strips away some classic genre norms while adding extra nuances of its own and a stellar, if sometimes indulgent, story.
Grapple Dog is a light, breezy mascot platformer that hooks you with precise, simple controls.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus is a significant reimagining of what makes a Pokemon game, with an exciting level of flexibility that's only slightly hampered by a slow early-game grind.
Nobody Saves The World is a fiendishly compelling action-RPG with creative ideas that all fit together for frictionless fun.
Shovel Knight: Pocket Dungeon combines familiar tile-matching puzzle mechanics with rogue-lite elements to make one of the best puzzlers in years.
Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain is a solid collection of mental exercises, but the focus on competition loses the game some of its friendly, self-improvement vibe.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are comfortably nostalgic, with just enough modern tweaks to smooth over the rough edges.
A charming little photo adventure all about leaving home and discovering beauty.
Wario goes back to his roots with a great character platforming-inspired take on the microgames concept.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart looks and plays better than ever thanks to new-generation hardware, but it's still the same lovable, goofy series at heart.
Bravely Default 2 brings the throwback RPG series to Nintendo Switch, but the loss of modern quality-of-life features make this a decidedly grindy experience.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury packages one of the best recent Mario games with a delightfully odd new experience.