There are a lot of great RPGs for Nintendo Switch so where do you begin? Well in this post we’ll cover 5 Must Play Nintendo Switch RPGs.
Dragon Quest Builders
Dragon Quest Builders takes many of the core elements of the Dragon Quest series and combines them with a Minecraft-like experience. Now, I’ve never been a huge Minecraft player so I initially was hesitant about getting this game. At the same time, the Dragon Quest series has been one of my favorite RPG franchises for years so I had to give this game a try.
Dragon Quest Builders takes place in sort of an alternate universe in that at the end of the first Dragon Quest game the hero accepts the evil Dragonlord’s offer to join him and to rule half of the world. The hero is betrayed by the Dragonlord and the world is plunged into darkness and that is the universe Dragon Quest Builders takes place in.
One thing that makes Dragon Quest Builders one of the most addicting Nintendo Switch RPGs is the ability to level up both your character and your town. There are various chapters in the game and each one you start off with a blank slate to try and rebuild a city and defeat some kind of monster threat.
It takes the Minecraft elements of building and the RPG elements of Dragon Quest, so you’ll be building inns, weapon and armor shops, and more. Each chapter can be a totally new building experience as there are many ways to reach your goals.
On top of that, you also battle classic Dragon Quest monsters and get to play to the amazing Dragon Quest music. This game is both relaxing and addicting and I highly recommend playing this Nintendo Switch RPG. Pick up Dragon Quest Builders on Amazon here.
Dark Souls Remastered
If you are looking for a challenging action RPG for Nintendo Switch, look no further than Dark Souls Remastered. One of the biggest things you hear about this game is the difficulty level.
While that is true, for the most part, I felt the difficulty was related to the frequent cheapness related to dying. For example, you might often accidentally step off the edge of a path and tumble to instant death, or walk into an area you aren’t prepared for and get killed in one hit.
However, once you look past this part of the game, Dark Souls Remastered becomes a lot of fun despite its hard difficulty level. This action RPG allows you to build a character from scratch among a few different base character classes. When you kill enemies you’ll recover souls which you can then use to level up your character, enhance abilities, and more.
Another great aspect of this game that makes it one of the best Nintendo Switch RPGs is the epic boss fights. Throughout the game, you’ll encounter massive bosses that almost take up the entire screen in most cases. These bosses can do massive damage, but once you figure out their patterns, it gets easier, but also is extremely satisfying when you defeat them.
I also feel that this action RPG for Nintendo Switch has a lot of replay value. Once you beat the game for the first time, you can start a new game plus, but you’ll also be much more familiar with the game. This can help you avoid many of the “cheap deaths” you’ll experience the first playthrough and it makes the game more fun.
Pick up Dark Souls Remastered for Nintendo Switch on Amazon here.
Fire Emblem Three Houses
Fire Emblem Three Houses is a tactical RPG for Nintendo Switch. In Fire Emblem Three Houses you take on the role of a mercenary turned professor, and the plot centers around training various students from three surrounding kingdoms. It is almost as if they crossed Harry Potter with Game of Thrones and combined it with a tactical RPG.
This tactical RPG for Nintendo Switch introduces an entirely new game mechanic and hub world in the form of the school. You’ll interact with students and build relationships with each one while also taking on various short quests. You can also lecture students to help them develop their abilities outside of battle.
At the start of the game, you will choose to align with one of the three houses and this will give you a group of starting students. As you play through the game you also can recruit students from other houses based on your relationships with them.
Another unique element to this Nintendo Switch RPG is that it has multiple endings and branching storylines depending on the characters you recruit and the choices you make. This aspect significantly increases the replay value and once you beat the game for the first time you will likely want to start the game over to experience all the story options.
One of my favorite aspects of this game is the level-up and class system. Your characters can develop proficiencies with various weapons, spells, classes, and more. Each character can also transform into any class you choose, which really allows you to build an ultimate team from your favorite characters.
Pick up Fire Emblem Three Houses for Nintendo Switch on Amazon here.
Moonlighter
Moonlighter is a unique roguelike action RPG with a store management aspect as well. This combination makes it one of the most fun and addicting Nintendo Switch RPGs.
In Moonlighter you take on the role of a young merchant in a dying town, and your goal is to become the best merchant and to restore your town to its former glory. In order to do this, you must grow your store, recruit new shopkeepers and find the best loot from the dungeons just outside of town.
By day you run your store and by night you pillage the dungeons for the best gear. As you build up gold and supplies you’ll be able to improve your gear, upgrade your store, and even hire an assistant to help run your store.
You’ll choose what items to list for sale and for what price all in real-time as villagers visit your store. The store building mechanic allows you to sell off your unwanted items to build up more gold to purchase better equipment and improve the town. This feedback loop is super addicting and that combined with the Legend of Zelda-like dungeon diving make this game incredibly fun.
On top of that, the game features roguelike elements so each time you enter the dungeon it is a fresh experience. The game also features intense boss encounters to put your skills to the test.
Moonlighter is one of my favorite Nintendo Switch RPGs and I recommend checking it out! Pick up Moonlighter for Nintendo Switch on Amazon here.
Star Renegades
Star Renegades is another roguelike RPG for Nintendo Switch, but it is a turn-based RPG as well. In this Nintendo Switch RPG, you take on the role of a rag-tag bunch of rebels that are trying to prevent the destruction of the dimension.
This storyline also works well into the roguelike element of the game because after each defeat you simply hop to the next dimension in the multi-verse to try and defeat the evil imperium again. You’ll recruit a varied cast of characters each with their own unique fighting style and abilities.
The combat is one area this game truly shines, and you’ll fight enemies in conjunction with the ability to push their turns back on the timeline. When you push enemies back enough, you can break them, and this causes them to skip a turn and allows you to do additional damage.
You’ll need to be highly strategic in your battles because of this breaking mechanic if you hope to progress. Another feature of this game is extremely grueling boss fights. You’ll really need to master each boss’s strengths and weaknesses if you hope to survive.
Another unique feature in this game is camping. In between battles you’ll be able to camp to power-up characters, restore health, but also build relationships between characters. When your relationship improves enough it unlocks new skills and abilities between characters making them stronger.
I recommend checking out this unique RPG on Nintendo Switch! Pick up Star Renegades on Nintendo Switch on Amazon here.
Conclusion
The Nintendo Switch is one of the best systems in recent years for RPGs. With so many to choose from it can be hard to know which RPGs are worth your time.
Whether you are looking for a turn-based RPG, action RPG, tactical RPG, or roguelike RPG, the Nintendo Switch has them all. Hopefully, you enjoyed our list of 5 Must Play Nintendo Switch RPGs, but let us know in the comments below if we missed some! There are many great RPGs for Nintendo Switch out there and we would love to hear about them.
By the way, if you liked this post you might enjoy our video on 7 Nintendo Switch Eshop RPGs Worth Buying.
