The Nintendo Switch has an amazing library, but the hybrid console’s massive catalog of RPGs is truly staggering. There are loot-packed dungeon crawlers, JRPGs with turn-based battles and epic stories, expansive open-world games where you can create your own unique character, and everything in between. So, to help you find your next RPG, we put together this list of the 40 best Switch RPGs (in alphabetical order).
There are so many excellent RPGs on Switch already that even our whopping list of 40 games can’t encapsulate the genre’s towering presence on the system, so it’s likely we missed at least a few gems here. But there’s no doubt that the genre is well-represented on Nintendo Switch. From console exclusives such as Shin Megami Tensei V and Fire Emblem: Three Houses to brilliant third-party games such as Dragon Quest 11 and Trails of Cold Steel, RPG fans have a ridiculous treasure trove to uncover on Switch. It’s not just big AAA games either; the Switch is home to some stellar indie RPGs such as Golf Story, Eastward, Super Daryl Deluxe, and plenty more.
Bug Fables features a striking art style and varied battle system inspired by Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. You control a party of three insectoid adventurers, exploring a 2.5D world filled with other buggy buddies. The engaging turn-based battles feature precise button timing that boosts your attacks and defense, and exploiting your enemies’ weaknesses grants you advantages in combat. Battle isn’t everything, however. There’s also a cooking minigame, tons of side quests, and a lovely story carried by the main trio’s witty banter.
Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition is an HD remaster of the cult-classic PlayStation RPG and follow-up to the beloved Chrono Trigger. While Chrono Cross does continue some plot threads from Chrono Trigger, it’s a very different game with a unique storyline, an all-new battle system, and 45 playable characters to find and recruit. The Radical Dreamers Edition also includes an officially-localized version of Radical Dreamers: a Satellaview-exclusive visual novel that Chrono Cross is based on, and now playable in English for the first time.
Cosmic Star Heroine is a sci-fi RPG influenced by classic 16-bit JRPGs like Chrono Trigger and Phantasy Star 4. The plot follows Alyssa L’Salle, an agent of the Agency of Peace & Intelligence tracking down a deadly terrorist group. Players team up with 10 other unique characters, explore three planets, and even build their own home base. Despite its ambitious design, Cosmic Star Heroine only lasts about 15 hours, making it great for anyone that wants a short-and-sweet roleplaying excursion on Switch.
CrossCode is an action RPG set in a fictional MMO called “Cross Worlds.” Players control Lea, a mute Cross Worlds player with a mysterious past. While CrossCode incorporates MMO elements like tons of side quests, expansive skill trees, and even other “players” running around the world, it plays more like classic SNES RPGs and adventure games like Secret of Mana, Ys, or The Legend of Zelda: A Link to The Past.
There are several souls-like RPGs available on Nintendo Switch, but Dark Souls Remastered is (unsurprisingly) the best. As the Chosen Undead you’ll explore the ruined kingdom of Lordran, battle fearsome creatures and massive bosses, and collect souls used to upgrade your character and craft new equipment. You’ll also die. A lot. But don’t be discouraged; Dark Souls is challenging, but it’s also one of the most rewarding RPGs you can play in Switch.
Darkest Dungeon is a brutal dungeon crawler heavily inspired by Lovecraftian horror. Like other dungeon RPGs, you control a party of adventurers exploring dangerous crypts and ruins in search of riches to use on upgrading your home village. However, Darkest Dungeon adds an interesting gameplay wrinkle where you must maintain your party’s physical and mental well-being against the grotesque monsters, vicious traps, and otherworldly dangers they encounter along the way.
Dragon Quest 11 S Definitive Edition is the best version of one of the best traditional JRPGs ever made. This version has a superior soundtrack, bonus story content, and helpful settings like adjustable battle speeds that make the already well-paced JRPG even more player-friendly. Fans of classic JRPGs really have no excuse to skip this one; it’s a true modern classic.
If you’re in the mood for loot-driven romps through the depths of Hell, then you’re in luck: two of the best action RPGs of all time–Diablo 2 Resurrected and Diablo 3: Eternal Collection–are available on Switch. Both games play excellently on controller and are especially great portable hack-and-slash adventures. There are also online multiplayer modes, loads of difficulty options to try, randomized dungeons to conquer, and endless piles of awesome gear to collect.
Disco Elysium is one of those rare roleplaying video games that nails the sense of player agency normally only possible in tabletop RPGs thanks to its expansive dialogue and character customization systems. You control an amnesiac detective investigating a strange murder that slowly unravels into a surrealist adventure. While there is no combat in Disco Elysium, per se, your choices in the world are reflected in the character’s personality, and affect the dialogue options available to the player, the skills they can use to navigate the world, and even the main character’s inner monologue narrations.
The fifth game in Nippon Ichi Software’s demon-themed strategy RPG series is perfect for tactics enthusiasts that want to sink dozens–even hundreds–of hours into a game. You don’t have to spend that much time, of course, but it’s easy to lose yourself in Disgaea 5’s charming characters, deep tactical combat, and troves of optional content. And if you need more Disgaea, Disgaea 1, 4, and 6 are also on Switch.
The fifth game in Nippon Ichi Software’s demon-themed strategy RPG series is perfect for tactics enthusiasts that want to sink dozens–even hundreds–of hours into a game. You don’t have to spend that much time, of course, but it’s easy to lose yourself in Disgaea 5’s charming characters, deep tactical combat, and troves of optional content. And if you need more Disgaea, Disgaea 1, 4, and 6 are also on Switch.
Capcom’s open-world high fantasy action RPG is the perfect game for those who like mechanically-rich RPGs. The game combines the challenge and freedom of old-school PC RPGs with the rich world building of more modern console RPGs and deep real-time combat that only action game masters like Capcom could achieve. It’s also a great game to soothe the post-Elden Ring funk.
Don’t be fooled by Dungeon Encounters’ minimalist presentation; this game is brimming with mechanical depth. Helmed by veteran Final Fantasy developer Hiroyuki Ito with music arranged by Nobuo Uematsu, Dungeon Encounters is a hardcore dungeon crawler that rewards thorough exploration, and iterates on Ito’s classic ATB combat system with new ideas that make battles more like puzzles that keep you on your toes, rather than just fodder for the grind.
Post-apocalyptic settings are rarely as bright and welcoming as Eastward’s. This game features two playable characters, John and Sam, who join up in a quest to escape the underground settlement they live in and experience the world above. While Eastward’s core gameplay is closer to The Legend of Zelda, JRPG fans will appreciate the quirky characters and surprisingly poignant moments in Eastward’s story. Oh, and there’s even a complete turn-based RPG side game hidden within Eastward that evokes classic titles like Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy.
Like all Fire Emblem games, Fire Emblem: Three Houses pits you as the commander of a medieval army. You control knights, mages, and other fantasy combatants in large-scale tactical warfare–but in Three Houses, your soldiers are also students. Between battles, you’ll spend time exploring the Officer’s Academy and chatting with your students and other characters. Not only are these story segments well-written, strengthening your bonds with characters also improves their skills, but there are important choices that will change the storyline in important ways.
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