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The Nintendo Switch is one of the current generation portable consoles from Nintendo, which can process some heavy-duty games, considering its size. With the capacity to smoothly run The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and all its DLC, this is one handheld device that is the best in its field, only challenged recently by the arrival of the Steam Deck.
The list of games available in the Nintendo Switch’s library is vast, including a large number of Nintendo exclusives as well as many third-party games. Along with these, the library also includes more than a handful of free titles available to the users, which they can currently access without costing them a single penny.
The following is a list of best free games available on the Nintendo Switch in 2022. Players should explore them all. This article reflects the writer's opinion
1) Apex Legends
The most popular battle royale game available on the market, Apex Legends, was released for the Nintendo Switch in 2019. Developed by Respawn Entertainment, this video game is set in the same universe as their previous single-player game series Titanfall. Thus the game’s weaponry, setting, and many characters are directly or indirectly related to the series.
Players may choose from a number of available playable characters, each with their own set of passive, active, and ultimate abilities to play in every match. Unlike other Battle Royale games, Apex has a max team capacity of three players, with a Duos and Solo mode available. A 3v3 arena battle mode is also present, which sees two teams fight to be the winner.
Showcasing many different maps and constantly adding new characters to its game every season, Apex Legends has 21 playable characters, mostly unique abilities. New guns and weapon types are occasionally added to change things up, while the game also features a host of customization options for every character and weapon.
2) Fortnite
And the second most popular battle royale game, Fortnite, was released on the Nintendo Switch in 2018. While Battle Royale is just one mode in this game, Fortnite also comes bundled with Save The World, a co-op multiplayer survival game, and Fortnite Creative, a sandbox mode that allows players to create and build things on their private island.
The Battle Royale mode, inspired by the original Battle Royale Mod for DayZ, shares many elements with other popular games, with players being dropped on a large open island map. Here, they are required to stay within the constantly shrinking play area and be on the lookout for opponent players to avoid or kill.
Fortnite has become quite popular with its inclusion of playable characters from pop culture, with comic book superheroes like Spider-Man, Iron-Man, Wonder Woman, and Batman being included in the game. Characters from Star Wars, such as Darth Vader and the Mandalorian, have also been pulled into this game, while other video game characters like the Master Chief also made an appearance.
3) SMITE
SMITE is a free-to-play video game developed by Hi-Rez Studios. It is available on Windows PC, Xbox One, PS4, and the Nintendo Switch. First released in 2014 for PCs, this game was later made available for other consoles over the years, and finally for the Nintendo Switch in 2019. This multiplayer online battle arena or MOBA game with multiple PvP modes and a good esports presence.
Players may take control of a god or monster from a variety of mythical pantheons from different religions, such as Babylonian, Greek, Norse and Hinduism, to name a few.
Characters are classified into different classes: Assassin, Guardian, Hunter, Mage, or Warrior, with successful team combinations being those with a good balance of a variety of skill sets.
Shown from a third-person perspective, as players control their characters across the arena and take on the enemy forces. As they perform kills and other tasks, the player’s chosen character levels up and upgrades their abilities. Gold gained in each match is used to buy items and gear, giving players various stat boosts.
4) Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms
Developed by Codename Entertainment, Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms is a free-to-play game based on the popular tabletop game, Dungeons, and Dragons. It was released in 2018 for iOS, Android, PS4, and Xbox One and later received a Microsoft Windows and a Nintendo Switch release.
Players take on waves of enemies, which can be attacked by clicking on them or properly managing a group of champions that can automatically take on foes. Currency is dropped per enemy kill, which can be accumulated by the player and used to unlock new champions available in-game.
This game constantly adds new champions, with some of the latest additions being characters from the Oxventurers’ Guild, a D&D group composed of popular YouTube channels Outsidexbox and Outside Xtra. Iconic characters from the original 80s D&D cartoon are also set to be introduced soon.
5) Pokemon Unite
This is a free-to-play MOBA game that is perfect for Pokemon fans, which is available for free on the Nintendo Switch. The game lets players choose a rather weak Pokemon at the beginning of each match, which they can make stronger by capturing wild Pokemon and hitting wild Pokemon that their teammates have captured, as well as knocking out enemy player Pokemon.
In Pokemon Unite, the multiplayer matches consist of two teams of five players going up against each other. These matches are timed, with the winner being the team with the most points by the end of the game. Points are scored by players capturing non-player wild Pokemon, which appear across the map, and moving closer to various control points.
The map is separated into halves, each assigned to one team with various ‘goal zones’ present where players can score points. Tougher wild Pokemon appear at certain points in a match, defeating which grants bonus points and items for the respective team.
6) Control: Ultimate Edition
Control: Ultimate Edition comes bundled in with all its DLCs and expansions and was released for the Nintendo Switch in October 2020. From developer Remedy Entertainment, this video game sees protagonist Jesse Faden stumble across a strange organization known as the Federal Bureau of Control in their headquarters in Manhattan as she searches for her missing brother.
Taking place entirely in the aforementioned headquarter, a large industrial-looking building known as the Oldest House, Jesse suddenly finds herself in the role of the Director of the FBC. She must then stop a paranormal extra-dimensional entity known as the HISS from entering their reality via a breach in the Oldest House.
Wielding various powers at their disposal, players will travel to different planes of existence, meet more extra-dimensional entities, some relatively peaceful, others hostile, and feel like a super-powered heroine like no other. This game is available for free on the Nintendo Switch.
7) DELTARUNE Chapter 1
The spiritual successor to Undertale, DELTARUNE, is a role-playing game developed by Toby Fox, beginning in 2012, three years before the release of Undertale. The first chapter of this game was released on October 31st, 2018, for Microsoft Windows and macOS, while a Nintendo Switch and PS4 version was made available in February of 2019.
The game follows the character Kris and their group project partner Sussies as they are pulled into the mysterious realm of the Dark World. Here they meet Ralsei, the prince of Dark Work, and state that the three are the heroes destined to bring balance to the world. They embark on an adventure to find and close the Dark Fountains while meeting and battling many foes.
Like Undertale, this game's combat takes place in a bullet-hell-like setting for each encounter. Shown from a top-down perspective, players are generally in control of Kris but can assign actions to members of their party. Unlike undertale, players can see enemies in the open world, which they can choose to avoid if they do not wish to fight them. DELTARUNE Chapter 1 is available for free on the Nintendo Switch.
8) Fall Guys
Fall Guys is a multiplayer-only game where players take on the avatar of a bean-person-like creature as they compete in various activities to try and come out on top and be given the glorious crown of the winner.
Termed as a platform Battle Royale, this game was developed by Mediatonic and was very recently made free-to-play as well as released on additional platforms, including the Nintendo Switch.
Players can compete in numerous events, which are determined randomly once a match starts. About 60 people participate in the beginning, with each match or round reducing the number by little until the final round, which pits only a handful of contestants left. Out of these, only one can remain and be crowned the winner.
Different playable events can range from various obstacle courses to point-scoring games, team events, and survival games. Players can jump, lunge (while in the air) and grab (items or other players), as well as move in any direction in terms of controls they can use to play.
Aside from random matchmaking, players may create custom lobbies to invite only those they wish to play with.
9) Rocket League
Best described as football with cars, Rocket League is a competitive video game where two teams of up to eight players each attempt to score goals by ramming or tossing a giant ball into the opponent’s goal post using their cars. Developed by Psyonix, this game was released for the Nintendo Switch in June 2016.
This game fuses elements of delotiontion derby and giant football to provide a fun, enjoyable experience where players drive around the large arena with different rocket-propelled cars. Using the boost feature, jumping, and aerial maneuvers, they must strike a large football into the opponent’s goal to score points.
As matches are timed, the highest scorer wins at the end of the time limit. Rocket League includes various customization options for the player’s vehicle, with different paint jobs, model decals, etc. Some paid skins from popular culture are also available for the player to unlock if they wish. Rocket League was a paid experience once but has since become free-to-play as of September 2020.
10) Tetris 99
This is Tetris for the people who enjoy competing in online matches, such as Tetris 99, which is best described as Tetris battle royale. Released in 2019 for the Nintendo Switch, this online multiplayer sees 99 people battle it out in a Tetris Multiplayer event, striving to be the last one standing and doing their best to eliminate other players.
This game works by having each plate partake in their own game of Tetris, while small grids in the periphery represent other players and their games.
As players quickly clear tiles or clear a set of tiles at once, these can be sent as garbage to another player (random or chosen). Garbage can be cleared by quickly clearing more tiles in response.
The player can set the assigning of garbage to the target randomly or according to certain criteria, such as other players targeting them, players close to losing, or players with the most badges.
Badges or badge pieces are earned by successfully defeating or kicking other players out of the game. This is a free game but available to the Nintendo Switch Online plan subscribers.
