The Nintendo Switch has long been a reliable home for indie games. From Hades and Slay the Spire to Journey and Gris, there are plenty of amazing indie games available on the Nintendo Switch, some even snatching end-of-the-year accolades.
But if you’ve already made your way through those staples and want something new, you may be on the lookout for new indie games to play on the Nintendo Switch. As we move further into 2025, the landscape has started to shift. The original Switch is nearing the end of its run, and the Switch 2 became the fastest-selling console with over five million units sold in its first month.
Below, I’ve rounded up the best indie titles on the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 for 2025, complete with quick summaries, key details, and a few notes on why they deserve a spot in your collection.
9. Herdling
- Developer: Okomotive
- Publisher: Panic
- Release date: August 21, 2025
- Metacritic score: 77/100
The creators of FAR: Lone Sails, one of the best adventure games of 2018, are back with a new game called Herdling. Your goal is to guide a herd of adorable beasts across a mountain path, protecting them from dangers and crossing obstacles on your way.
If you liked games like Journey or Pikmin, give Herdling a try. You may find yourself falling in love with its calm pace and the adorable creatures you have to guide through the mountain.
8. Tiny Bookshop
- Developer: Neoludic Games
- Publisher: Skystone Games
- Release date: August 7, 2025
- Metacritic score: 81/100
Tiny Bookshop might not sound like the kind of game that grabs attention right away. After all, it’s about running a small, traveling bookshop in a quiet seaside town. But once the van is parked and the shelves are stocked, something clicks.
Each day brings new faces, new stories, and small choices that slowly shape the bookshop’s identity. It’s less about profit and more about connection, matching the right book with the right person and watching how that tiny moment changes both lives.
7. Rift of the NecroDancer
- Developers: Brace Yourself Games, Tic Toc Games
- Publisher: Klei Publishing
- Release date: March 27, 2025
- Metacritic score: 79/100
Rift of the NecroDancer is the sequel to 2015’s Crypt of the NecroDancer. It picks up the beat where its predecessor left off, but takes things in a new direction. Instead of exploring dungeons, battles play out in rhythmic lanes where every move has to land on the beat.
The mix of music and combat creates a rhythm that’s hard to break away from, especially when the tempo rises and you have to focus not to miss a beat. Everything is about rhythm, and there’s something compelling about the music that makes you keep on playing again and again.
6. Strange Antiquities
- Developer: Bad Viking
- Publisher: Iceberg Interactive
- Release date: September 17, 2025
- Metacritic score: 82/100
Sometimes all I want is to sip tea while examining cursed artifacts from creepy townsfolk. Strange Antiquities casts you as the keeper of a mysterious store in the gloomy town of Undermere, and there might be even more secrets inside the store than outside of it.
In Strange Antiquities, your goal is to identify strange objects, solve puzzles, and help the townsfolk with their occult problems, while not forgetting to pet the adorable cat next to you. There’s a sickness infecting the inhabitants of Undermere, and it’s up to you to help them–or watch them suffer while sipping tea.
5. Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo
- Developer: Pocket Trap
- Publisher: PM Studios
- Release date: May 28, 2025
- Metacritic score: 87/100
The thing I love the most about indie games is how developers aren’t afraid of serving us weird, unconventional stories that somehow work no matter what. And it’s exactly the case with Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo, a retro 2D top-down adventure following the story of a bat fighting rival crime bosses thanks to yoyo tricks.
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo feels like an old-school Zelda game where you can beat up enemies using a yoyo. That should be enough of a promise to add it to any retro adventure fan’s wish list.
4. Shujinkou
- Developer/Publisher: Rice Games Inc.
- Release date: February 7, 2025
- Metacritic score: 90/100
Part language lesson, part classic JRPG, Shujinkou is a turn-based dungeon crawler that features both a world-saving adventure and a unique way to learn Japanese. Shujinkou incorporates Japanese language instruction directly into its systems, presenting hiragana, katakana, and kanji characters with in-game context and explanations.
The language elements are entirely optional: you can dive into the story and its turn‑based battles without feeling like you’re in school. For those who do want to learn Japanese thanks to the game, the integration is seamless and rewarding, making you learn a new language without really thinking about it.
3. Despelote
- Developer: Julián Cordero, Sebastián Valbuena
- Publisher: Panic
- Release date: May 1, 2025
- Metacritic score: 89/100
Few games capture the joy of kicking a ball around the neighbourhood like Despeleto does. This first‑person slice‑of‑life adventure is set in Quito, Ecuador, as the country comes closer than ever to qualifying for the 2002 World Cup. Despelote lets us live this major moment for the entire country through the eyes of Julian, an eight-year-old boy who spends his free time passing and shooting his ball across town, meeting people along the way.
With its unique graphics and gameplay, despelote feels like a shot of nostalgia, unlike any other sports game. If you love narrative‑driven indies with a strong sense of place, put this one on your watchlist.
2. Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Developer/Publisher: Team Cherry
- Release date (Switch): September 4, 2025
- Metacritic score: 91/100
After years of waiting, Hollow Knight: Silksong is finally landing on the Nintendo Switch. The hero of Silksong is Hornet, one of the side characters from the original game, who embarks on a journey up through the kingdom of Pharloom. She’s faster and more acrobatic than the Knight, and the game’s combat and movement systems have been re‑worked to match her style.
Just like its predecessor, Silksong isn’t for those who give up easily. Hollow Knight: Silksong is brutal and unforgiving, despite its cute graphics. But the headache is worth it, as Hollow Knight: Silksong is one of the best Metroidvanias released in recent years on the Nintendo Switch.
1. Hades II
- Developer/Publisher: Supergiant Games
- Release date (digital): September 25, 2025
- Metacritic score: 94/100
Hades II continues the tale of the Underworld but shifts the focus to Melinoe, the princess of the underworld and sister of the original Hades’ main character, Zagreus. Her goal is to defeat the Titan of Time, Chronos, who captured her family.
Just like its predecessor, Hades II is a real gem. The graphics, sound design, gameplay, story: everything is on point, and offers an experience you can’t forget. Even if rogue-like dungeon crawlers aren’t your thing, you should give Hades II a try. And if you’re a fan of the genre, chances are Hades II is already in your collection.
Upcoming indie games on Switch 2
Undusted: Letters from the Past
- Developer: 5minlab Corp.
- Publisher: Toge Productions
- Release Date: October 16, 2025
On paper, Undusted: Letters from the Past is just a cleaning game: you tidy up a house, dust off furniture, and organize a few items. But as you work, the story of the home and the family who lived there slowly unfolds, and suddenly every little action feels meaningful.
The main character, Adora, returns home after her mother’s passing. As she cleans the long-ignored items within the house, memories unfold, retracing the reasons why Adora’s relationship with her mother fell apart. Undusted: Letters from the Past combines a relaxing and satisfying gameplay with a heartfelt and emotional story, the kind of game you can sink hours into without realizing how much time has passed.
Winter Burrow
- Developer: Pine Creek Games
- Publisher: Noodlecake Studios
- Release date: November 12, 2025
There’s something irresistibly cozy about Winter Burrow, a survival sim where you play a small mouse returning from the big city to find their childhood home in ruins and their aunt missing. You’ll need to collect resources, craft furniture, and find new friends to restore your burrow to its former glory and find out what happened to your aunt.
While it remains a survival game, Winter Burrow brings the cozy vibe that makes it perfect to play while it’s cold outside. Sure, you’ll have to face the wildlife and figure out a way to survive the winter. But you’ll also be able to knit warm sweaters and bake pies, and that’s adorable enough for me to give Winter Burrow a try.
Morsels
- Developer: Furcula
- Publisher: Annapurna Interactive
- Release date: November 18, 2025
If Cult of the Lamb and Binding of Isaac had a baby, it might look like Morsels. This top‑down roguelite sees you play a mouse who teams up with a magical sentient fatberg to battle a feline regime. Not your usual cat-and-mouse game, but an intriguing one for sure.
To defeat the big bad cats, you can transform into Morsels, creatures you capture during your adventure. Each Morsel has its own abilities and strengths, making it crucial to swap to the right Morsel at the right time. Morsels seems like the kind of crazy game that somehow works, and I’m eager to try it out upon its release.
The Switch 2 deserves more indie games
Something special about the Nintendo Switch is how easily it fits different moods. It’s the console that lets players unwind with a cozy game after a long day, or dive straight into a tough boss fight when the energy’s there. Indie games have always thrived in that space, giving players new stories and ideas that feel right at home on a handheld.
However, some studios struggled to find a way to develop for the Nintendo Switch 2. Now that the Nintendo Switch 2 is a massive commercial success, let’s just hope Nintendo opens up more dev kits for studios so developers can keep building those one-of-a-kind experiences.
The creativity of indie studios deserves room to grow. Hopefully Nintendo will keep on allowing smaller creators to reach wide audiences, even if third-party numbers aren’t where they used to be.
