Not every Nintendo Switch game is suitable for kids of course and many of those that are, aren’t challenging or engaging enough for adults to fully enjoy. It’s a fine line for developers to walk, but several of them have managed to create the perfect product that parents and their children can both enjoy when playing together.
10 Animal Crossing: New Horizons
The Animal Crossing series has been a fan-favorite for generations and the latest entry is another stellar example of wholesome gaming. It’s a popular choice among kids because the gameplay loop is relatively simple, but surprisingly addictive at the same time. It’s easy to understand and with a little guidance from parents, kids can easily build the island of their dreams.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons has events at different points of the year too, so even if it’s put down for a few months it can be picked back up again during the holidays or Easter for a new experience.
9 Luigi’s Mansion 3
Luigi’s Mansion 3 is easily one of the best family games ever made, with battle that is simple enough for even the youngest gamers to understand and succeed at. The puzzle element of the game is where it really shines, hitting the ideal point where a child could complete it but might need help with the more difficult bosses.
The downside is that couch co-op only becomes available part-way through the game, but this is also when the puzzles become more difficult and kids could easily get that far without a parent available in-game.
8 Lego City Undercover
There a ton of different Lego games available on Nintendo Switch but most of them are connected to popular franchises like Batman, Harry Potter, or Star Wars. They’re almost all fantastic games, but they do require a knowledge of the universe they’re set in to appreciate some of the humor involved.
Lego City Undercover is a great open world game in a fresh setting that allows anyone to fully enjoy the quirks of the Lego franchise, it’s genuinely one of the best Lego games ever made too.
7 Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition
Rayman is one of the classic platformers and the franchise has been incredibly popular since it began in 1995 with one of the hardest children’s games ever. Rayman Legends was the fifth mainline entry to the series that was first released on the Wii U, but was ported over to the Nintendo Switch due to its popularity.
Rayman Legends allows up to four players at a time, and the amount of content is truly astounding. With different characters to choose from and well over a hundred different levels available, there’s a lot to do together in Rayman Legends.
6 Kirby And The Forgotten Land
Kirby is one of the most iconic characters in Nintendo history and the franchise has delivered some fantastic games over the years. Kirby and the Forgotten Land has breathed new life into the series, becoming the best-selling entry and one of the highest-rated of all time.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a great platform game with a lot of variation in gameplay thanks to Kirby’s classic copy ability. A second player can join after the initial tutorial is completed, although they will not have access to the copy ability.
5 Pokemon Let’s Go: Eevee And Pikachu
The Pokemon franchise has been beloved by kids since the 1990s and a great number of its early players are parents today. Some of them might have had their first introduction to the series with the original Pokemon Yellow, which have been remade for Nintendo Switch as Pokemon Let’s Go: Eevee and Pikachu.
Pokemon Let’s Go also allows multiplayer and while the second player can’t do much, they can still assist in battling and the use of the Pokeball Plus is something that plenty of kids loved when the game was released.
4 Mario Golf: Super Rush
Mario Golf: Super Rush is one of the best sports games available on Nintendo Switch and the ability to use motion controls is something kids often enjoy. While kids might end up losing interest in a traditional golf game, Mario Golf: Super Rush encourages players to run from shot to shot and drastically increases the pace of gameplay.
Mario sports games are fun for the whole family and even though they are inherently competitive, the cartoonish atmosphere and non-combative nature of golf takes a lot of the edge off that for kids.
3 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is often ranked by fans as the best first-party sports game available on Nintendo Switch, and for good reason. It has a ton of different characters, tracks, and seemingly endless combinations of kart set-ups that can make every session feel wildly different.
With racing and different battling options available, Mario Kart 8 pits everyone head-to-head in chaotic sessions. With more damaging items going to players further behind, the game helps to level the playing field by making things harder for whoever is in the lead.
2 Overcooked 1 & 2
Overcooked is a fantastic indie game with a simple gameplay loop that gets progressively more difficult as the game progresses, and the Overcooked 2 offers more of the same. It’s worth noting though that both of the Overcooked games are among the hardest co-op games ever, not because of the complexity but because of the amount of frustration it can cause.
Overcooked is a fun choice for parents and their kids to play together, but the adult will need extreme patience when things start to go wrong; and they definitely will.
1 Super Mario Odyssey
Super Mario Odyssey is often regarded by fans as one the best games available on Nintendo Switch, and it offers a great way to get kids involved without them feeling stress from losing. While the first player takes charge of Mario, the second will play as Cappy; the sentient and invulnerable hat that accompanies him throughout the game.
Super Mario Odyssey makes good use of HD Rumble and allows gamers of all ages to fight their way through plenty of exciting and challenging levels, just like any classic Super Mario game would.
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