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    17 Games To Try If You Just Bought A Nintendo Switch

    Just got a Switch? Try these games out.

    Andy Golder
    by Andy Golder

    BuzzFeed Staff

    The Nintendo Switch is sold out at basically every major US retailer, most likely because everyone's stuck at home and looking for something fun to do. So if you're one of the lucky ones who just bought one for yourself or your family, here are some of the console's best games to play during the pandemic:

    Nintendo / Via youtube.com

    1. Animal Crossing: New Horizons

    Nintendo

    If you just bought a Switch, you may have done so specifically because you wanted to play this game. It's super fun and relaxing: Basically, you're on an island where you clean the place up, decorate and expand your home, build a little village, buy new outfits, collect specimens for a museum, and much more. It's like a little life simulator, only all of your mortgage debt is interest-free and you can take as long as you want to pay it back. Here are some tips for playing if you already have this game!

    Get it from Nintendo or Target for $59.99.

    Psst: you can learn even more about Animal Crossing New Horizons here!

    2. Jackbox Games Party Packs

    Jackbox Games

    Basically, if you buy a Party Pack from Jackbox Games, you're going to get an assortment of fun party games that can be played using your Switch plus a phone or tablet for each player. The games are similar to board games you might have played before (Drawful, for example, is a lot like Pictionary, and Fibbage is similar to Balderdash), and they're all pretty easy to pick up and play. Plus, since each player uses a phone, browser, or tablet to play, you can often play these games remotely with friends over something like Zoom or Google Hangouts. I recommend the Jackbox Party Pack 3, which has a fun trivia game, a variation on Cards Against Humanity that can be played remotely, and a game called Fakin' It that's a blast to play with people who are in the same room as you.

    Get it from Nintendo for $24.99.

    3. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

    Nintendo

    If you've played a Smash Bros. game before, you know the drill: Pick a Nintendo character and smack the heck out of your opponents before tossing them out of bounds to win the match. It's chaotic fun, and you can play local multiplayer (with people in the same room as you) or online multiplayer. There are also a lot of solo play options in this one.

    Get it from Nintendo or Target for $59.99.

    4. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

    Nintendo

    Nintendo released a truly stunning game in Breath of the Wild, which offers open-world exploration along with the familiar elements of Zelda games. You can approach this game pretty much however you want, making it surprisingly relaxing for an action-based game. This one is single-player only, so you won't be entertaining the whole family...at least not at the same time, anyway.

    Get it from Nintendo or Target for $59.99.

    5. Overcooked! 2

    Nintendo

    This fast-paced multiplayer game is cooperative in nature — up to four players are in a kitchen together trying to prepare and serve dishes — but you might find yourself yelling at your teammates more than you ever would at an opponent. How else are you supposed to get those tomatoes sliced for the hamburger you're trying to make?

    Get it from Nintendo $24.99 or Target for $34.49.

    6. Any Final Fantasy game

    Square Enix

    Sure, Final Fantasy VII Remake is available on PS4 right now, but the classics are all available for download on Switch as well! You can get the original Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII Remastered, Final Fantasy IX, or a bundle that includes Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2, each of which will provide hours of engaging, story-based play. These ones aren't multiplayer, but they are classics!

    Get them from Nintendo: Final Fantasy VII for $15.99, Final Fantasy VIII Remastered for $19.99, Final Fantasy IX for $20.99, or the Final Fantasy X/X-2 bundle for $49.99.

    7. Dragon Ball FighterZ

    Bandai Namco

    This one is a traditional fighter game in the vein of Street Fighter or Marvel vs. Capcom, only with Dragon Ball characters! It's flashy, it's fun, you can play against someone sitting next to you or you can play online, and there's a big single-player story mode too.

    Get it from Nintendo for $14.99.

    8. Stardew Valley

    ConcernedApe

    If you like Animal Crossing, you might also enjoy Stardew Valley. It's a true indie game modeled after Harvest Moon and other homestead RPGs, wherein you inherit a farm and work to restore it and the surrounding town to its former glory. There was a multiplayer update to the game, however each player will need their own Switch to play as it's only over LAN or online.

    Get it from Nintendo for $14.99 or Target for $14.49.

    9. Untitled Goose Game

    House House

    There are few games as beautifully simple and delightful as this one. Basically, you're a bastard of a goose, and your mission is to annoy everyone in your quiet little village. You steal their stuff, scare them with a surprise honk, and just generally act like a nuisance. It's a single-player puzzle game, so only one goose can play at a time, but you can definitely try to figure out how to solve the puzzles with the help of a friend.

    Get it from Nintendo for $19.99.

    10. Just Dance 2020

    Ubisoft

    If you want to use your Switch to move around, you can try out some dance moves with Just Dance 2020. As the game plays songs new and old (including "Old Town Road"), it'll display dance moves for you to copy, which the game will sense through the Joy-Con you're holding. If you don't have Joy-Cons for everyone, you can also use your phone! The game comes with about 40 songs, but you can get access to hundreds more through a subscription (about $25/year).

    Get it from Nintendo for $19.99 or Target for $39.99.

    11. Mario Kart 8

    Nintendo

    It's Mario Kart. What else do you need to know, really? There are a whole bunch of characters, cars, and tracks to choose from this time around, and this is the most fast-paced and chaotic entry in the series yet. It's perfect for playing around the TV.

    Get it from Nintendo for $59.99 or Target for $55.99.

    12. Unravel 2

    EA

    If you're looking for a charming puzzle platformer with local co-op, then give Unravel 2 a try. Graphically it's gorgeous, and it'll give you some Little Big Planet or Portal 2 vibes in terms of gameplay.

    Get it from Nintendo for $4.99.

    13. Luigi's Mansion 3

    Nintendo

    If you want even more co-op fun — or if you have kids in the house who loved Mario games — Luigi's Mansion 3 offers fun puzzles in single player or two-player local co-op! This is the third entry in the popular series, in which you play through a haunted mansion as a ghost-busting Luigi, attempting to save your brother Mario.

    Get it from Nintendo or Target for $59.99.

    14. Diablo 3

    Blizzard

    If you're looking for something darker (and bloodier) that you can still play with couch co-op, you can always give Diablo 3 a shot. You'll definitely be missing out on some of the lore if you haven't played previous Diablo games, but all you really need to know is there are a bunch of demons out there, and you gotta hunt 'em. There's tons of customization thanks to the wide variety of loot and skills in the game, but it's still pretty easy to play, even for those who don't play video games often.

    Get it from Nintendo for $29.99.

    15. The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim

    Bethesda

    Did you know that Skyrim is available on Switch? You won't have access to mods like you would on PC, but you'll still get to play one of the best RPGs of the last decade on a handheld device, which is pretty cool.

    Get it from Nintendo for $59.99.

    16. Bastion

    Supergiant

    Bastion isn't a game that you'll likely spend 100 hours on, since it's a shorter single-player game that takes you through a story. But there are different choices to make that affect the story, so there is some replayability. Either way, it's a great story with fun gameplay and a narrator that you'll want to listen to all day.

    Get it from Nintendo for $2.99.

    17. NES Classics and Super NES Classics

    Nintendo

    If you subscribe to Switch Online, you'll have access to a library of 60 NES and SNES games, including Super Mario World, Dr. Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and many others. You can play the two-player ones locally, and trust me when I say that nothing takes you back to your youth quite like playing Mario 3 on your couch with pizza and snacks.

    Get them from Nintendo with a Nintendo Online Subscription for $3.99 a month.