The best family games are those that don’t push the difficulty to its limit and keep things easily accessible while still providing unique and fun gameplay.
If a game seeks to appeal to both young children, teens, and grandparents, it needs to keep things simple but enjoyable.
Here, we’ll be taking a look at some of the best family games you can enjoy with everyone in your household, regardless of their age.
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the best family games on Switch.
11. Super Mario 3D All-Stars
Super Mario 3D All-Stars marries three separate generations of Mario. Super Mario 64 laid the foundation for 3D platformers and inspired countless other developers to create their own masterpieces.
Super Mario Sunshine perfected Mario’s movement. Never before has Mario felt so freely controllable, and FLUDD makes traversing levels quick and easy.
Super Mario Galaxy traded in the freedom found in the other two games to take players on a guided tour filled with spectacle and bombastic orchestral background music.
Each one of these games defined a generation of 3D platforming and a generation of players along with it.
If your family loves games and has been doing so their whole lives, it will be great for the older members to revisit Super Mario 64.
Those in their mid-twenties will likely feel just as nostalgic for Super Mario Sunshine. While the youngest members of your family will likely have grown up playing Super Mario Galaxy.
All three of these games will evoke nostalgia for different reasons, and it can be fun seeing each generation well up as they are met with the physical manifestation of their childhood.
Alternatively, if you have never played a Mario game before, this is a great place to start with three of the best Mario games ever made.
If your parents or siblings aren’t much for gaming, Mario is a great place to start due to his instant recognizability and easy-to-understand games.
Super Mario 3D All-Stars might just be the key to unlocking the hidden gamer in your family.
All in all, Super Mario 3D All-Stars is a must-have for Nintendo Switch owners. Unfortunately, all physical copies of the game have ceased production, but the title can still be downloaded from the online shop.
10. Luigi’s Mansion 3
Luigi’s Mansion 3 is a decent return to form for the Luigi’s Mansion franchise. While no game could possibly hope to match the initial surprise and charm of the original Luigi’s Mansion on the Nintendo Gamecube, each subsequent release has done a decent job of keeping the franchise alive.
Luigi’s Mansion 3 is a great game for local co-op, allowing one player to take control of Luigi while the other plays as Gooigi.
There are plenty of things to do in Luigi’s Mansion if you are interested in playing co-op. You and a friend can team up for a 2-player co-op and take on the story mode together.
Additionally, up to 8 players can work together to ascend the Scarescraper. This game mode can be played either locally or online via wireless connections.
Finally, the ScreamPark is a collection of mini-game battles that can be tackled by up to 8 players. You will need to work together in order to come out on top.
9. Mario Tennis Aces / Mario Golf Super Rush
Mario sports games are always great when played locally or via online multiplayer. There are two traditional Mario sports titles on the Nintendo Switch worth mentioning, and due to the similar gameplay between them, we decided to include them both. Which game you decide to pick up will likely come down to which sport you like more.
Let’s kick things off with Mario Tennis Aces. This is yet another Mario tennis game in which you can select from a large cast of characters and participate in standard tennis games.
What makes Mario Tennis so great is that the unique powerups that fall onto the court keep the gameplay from becoming too repetitive.
There is always much more chaotic fun to be had in a Mario Tennis game as opposed to a regular tennis game.
Similarly, Mario Golf Super Rush features its own unique elements. The standard Mario Golf controls and formula still remain here, but new modes seek to spice up the gameplay even more.
Hitting one’s golf ball now kicks off a frenzied dash where you have to rush to your ball against other players and attempt to sink the ball as quickly as possible.
Both of these games can be enjoyed solo, with local co-op, or online with players around the world. Definitely be sure to check out both these games if you haven’t done so already.
8. New Pokémon Snap
Many people thought a sequel to the original Pokémon Snap on the Nintendo 64 would never see the light of day.
After all, the Wii U, which seemed tailor-made for a Pokémon Snap game, managed to pass the franchise by.
However, the Nintendo Switch continues to deliver quality games to its audience, and after two decades, we finally received the long-anticipated sequel to the Nintendo 64 cult classic.
The game seems very simple for those unaware of its charm, but there is something so relaxing and downright addictive in watching Pokémon in their natural habitat.
New Pokémon Snap includes far more courses than its predecessor despite these including night and day sections of already existing courses.
Still, the routes you can take, the variety of Pokémon to capture, and the new boss battles give New Pokémon Snap its own identity. This is a fully realized sequel and not cash-grab nostalgia bait.
On the surface, New Pokémon Snap is a purely single-player game. You travel through various locations, taking scenic pictures of Pokémon, and try to get a higher score by capturing each species doing unique poses.
However, you will soon learn that having another pair of eyes on the lookout for hiding Pokémon, secret paths, and camouflaged runes will come in handy very quickly,
At any one time, there are so many Pokémon on the screen, and it won’t be until you’ve missed that missing creature from your catalog that you notice it.
New Pokémon Snap is made for repeat play-throughs as you grind for higher and higher scores. Why not get the whole family involved by having everyone keep their eyes peeled for the perfect shot?
7. Super Mario Maker 2
Super Mario Maker 2 was a game made for family fun. The game itself allows you to utilize a huge arrange of in-game tools in order to construct your very own Mario levels.
You can choose between retro or new-age aesthetics, select the type and placement of all Mario’s standard enemies, and even adjust the flow of time as well.
Super Mario Maker 2 expands on everything found in the original game. There are tons more customization options and lots of quality of life improvements to streamline the creation process.
Super Mario Maker 2 is great as it doubles as a pseudo-introduction to game design. You will quickly learn the basics of how levels are designed in games, what makes them fun or challenging, and what not to do to avoid frustration on behalf of your players.
Super Mario Maker 2 encourages you to try out new and exciting ideas before testing out your newest creation on a friend or family member. See if they can beat the hellish gauntlet of obstacles you have in store for them with your latest level.
Or, if you aren’t necessarily the creative type, you can download hundreds upon thousands of user-created levels, some of which have only been cleared by less than ten people on the planet.
There are hours to be spent in Super Mario Maker 2 creating your own levels or taking on some of the most brutal Mario levels ever created by man.
6. Overcooked! All You Can Eat
Overcooked is a chaotic game in which you must work alone or with a partner to create a range of dishes under a certain time limit.
This newest installment has hundreds of levels set about several uniquely themed and increasingly dangerous kitchens.
Until now, this game could only be played locally with regard to its multiplayer. Now, the game supports full online service, meaning you can cook away with people across the world.
Overcooked! All You Can Eat includes new levels, new chefs, and new game modes.
The standard campaign still remains, but now you can test your endurance in the survival mode or get to grips with the controls in practice mode.
Additionally, the new Assist mode slows down gameplay for those struggling to keep up with frantic orders.
Overcooked! All You Can Eat is designed to be accessible to as many people as possible. It boasts a scalable UI, dyslexia-friendly text options, and several other quality of life options to make this game able to be played by anyone and everyone.
Surely, there is no one in your family that won’t enjoy their time spent playing Overcooked! All You Can Eat.
5. Mario Strikers: Battle League Football
Mario Strikers is a cult classic and a title that many thought would be lost to the void of really great ideas that Nintendo choose never to revisit (we’re looking at you, Pokémon Colosseum).
Luckily, this did not turn out to be the case as Mario Strikers: Battle League Football delivers exactly what fans have been asking for.
Mario Strikers combines the usually standard and arguably tedious football game genre and livens things up with the usual wackiness Mario and pals are known for. The game is also surprisingly deep, with a lot of complex decisions. We’ve got a variety of Mario Strikers guides if you need help with improving!
Rules are an afterthought in this game, as powerups can be used to not only disrupt those around you but also deliver unblockable strikes.
Mario Strikers: Battle League Football also sees the return of the much edgier designs for each of the Mario cast members.
Characters like Yoshi and Peach, who were once relegated to being only cute, now sport cool sportswear. Furthermore, characters known for their lethality, like Bowser, have their designs amped up to eleven.
In a world where Fifa continues to release the same exact game, year after year, only updating player rosters to mirror the present day, Mario Strikers: Battle League Football is a much-needed breath of fresh air.
4. Nintendo Switch Sports
Wii Sports is still heralded as one of the best Wii games on the entire system. Standing alongside mainstays like The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Super Mario Galaxy, and Mario Kart Wii, Wii Sports was both the perfect tech demo for the Wii’s capabilities and a thoroughly fun game.
Wii Sports was super easy to understand, pick up, and play. Each sport also had its own charms, with several still being played today by dedicated speedrunners (namely, Wii Sports Golf).
For these reasons, the announcement of Nintendo Switch Sports had many fans of the original game jumping for joy.
Unfortunately, Nintendo Switch Sports cuts out a lot of the original sports featured in the Wii game, much to the dismay of old-school fans.
That being said, if you have never played Wii Sports or simply don’t mind that the original roster of game modes is different here, Nintendo Switch Sports is still a very enjoyable game and a great tech demo for the Nintendo Switch.
The sports available this time around include:
- Chambara
- Tennis
- Football
- Bowling
- Badminton
- Volleyball
Each of these game modes utilizes the Nintendo Switch joy-cons’ motion capabilities to their full extent and feels really satisfying while playing.
Furthermore, the leg strap is a new accessory that is attached to your leg and holsters a single joy-con. This allows you to use your leg when kicking a ball in the football game mode.
3. Mario Party Superstars
Mario Party is always a fun game to play with friends and family. Just make sure you remember that everything that happens in Mario Party stays in Mario Party.
This game can bring out people’s true colors. You never know how someone truly feels until you steal every single last one of their stars!
Mario Party Superstars is a great return to form after the disappointment of Super Mario Party. The developers quickly realized that, without the boards to go along with them, the minigames on their own just aren’t as fun.
Mario Party Superstars brings back several classic boards from the Nintendo 64 era of Mario Party and reimagines them with a modern twist. The graphics have also received a fresh coat of paint and look great in revitalized HD.
Mario Party is all-around chaotic fun, and battling it out as you navigate through the randomness can be greatly enjoyable when doing so with a larger group.
Additionally, you can also split up into separate teams in order to try to work together to achieve joint victory.
Mario Party Superstars is a great game to play with your family, but it can also be enjoyed online with people across the world.
Regardless, there is always plenty of fun, laughter, and rage to be had with any Mario Party game.
2. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
When it comes to cart racers, none quite manage to hit the same magical quality as Mario Kart. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is perhaps the pinnacle of all things Mario Kart, including more tracks, more characters, and more customization than ever before.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is fun for the whole family as you engage in chaotic races as part of a team or solo.
Thanks to the multiple difficulty settings, you never have to feel like you’re being outmatched by more powerful NPCs.
Similarly, there are tons of other content modes to try out. Not only can you take part in the traditional Grand Prix, but also the Battle Mode.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, as mentioned, comes with a huge number of tracks. Several of these courses are ripped straight from past Mario Kart titles.
If your family grew up playing Mario Kart 64 or Mario Kart Double Dash, the nostalgia from playing through these tracks again is palpable!
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is doing everything it can to be the definitive cart racer.
Crossovers with other Nintendo IPs such as Splatoon and Zelda give way to fantastic new courses and playable characters. DLC that is still being released, which includes even more maps for you to try out.
And, if you get tired of coming in first against your friends and family, there is an entire online mode in which you can compete against players from all over the world.
You will quickly discover that the true test of Mario Kart comes when trying to acquire points in the online ranked mode.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is fun for all the family and can be enjoyed both as a solo experience and with a large group.
1. Super Smash Brothers Ultimate
There aren’t too many titles that feature gameplay like Smash Bros.
Super Smash Brothers Ultimate is the pinnacle of fast-paced family fun. Ever since the original game’s debut on the Nintendo 64, Super Smash Brothers has been a console seller and the reason many people continue to purchase Nintendo consoles each generation.
With the release of Sora’s DLC, there are over 80 playable characters for you to choose from. Not only this, but almost every character is completely unique, making it very easy to find at least one character you enjoy playing with.
What’s great about Super Smash Brothers Ultimate is that the roster includes incredibly popular characters.
Even if one’s parents aren’t particularly interested in video games, everyone knows who Mario, Donkey Kong, and Pikachu are.
This roster that spans more than two decades makes it easy for every generation to connect with a character and enjoy their time in the game.
However, what makes Super Smash Brothers Ultimate so great is that it doubles as both a party game and a competitive title.
Since the dawn of time, Super Smash Brothers has had a huge competitive scene, with titles like Super Smash Brothers Melee still going strong today.
Super Smash Brothers Ultimate is no exception and hosts a wide range of tournaments yearly. The game is easy to pick up but near impossible to master, with only a select group of people on the planet being able to reach the very top of the leaderboards.
Super Smash Brothers Ultimate is enjoyable with tons of items, smash balls, and four players fighting simultaneously. That said, it is just as fun to play one-on-one on Final Destination with no items.
Super Smash Brothers Ultimate is the, pardon the pun, ultimate family game that can be enjoyed by anyone of all ages.
