Nintendo eShop Selects - November 2023
Image: Nintendo Life

2023 is almost over, and it's time to start talking about "that" season. Although lots of us have already been doing that...

More importantly, it's eShop Selects time here at Nintendo Life, and before the Holidays approach, we want to give you some ideas on some of the hidden gems that arrived on the eShop this November. What better gift than the joy of a hidden gem, right?

Let's not waste any time, here — we've got lots to get through.

Honourable Mentions

Roguelikes and RPGs are the names of the game this month, and we have plenty of them here, along with the latest Football Manager installment and your very own bath house sim. All of the games included this month earned at least a 7/10 from us.

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3. Thirsty Suitors (Switch eShop)

Annapurna never fails to publish games that catch the eye and Thirsty Suitors is yet another feather in the publisher's eclectically decorated hat. Outerloop's hugely ambitious turn-based adventure RPG can sometimes feel a bit muddled — there's skateboarding, QTEs, cooking minigames, and more — but everything just comes together thanks to the game's audacious style, heartfelt narrative, and relatable characters.

We stand by our statement that Thirsty Suitors has "one of the best stories we’ve seen all year". It's about heartbreak, identity, family, and relationships. Steeped in South Asian-American culture, there's nothing else quite as beautiful and messy as Thirsty Suitors, and we scored it a 7/10 here at Nintendo Life.

2. Worldless (Switch eShop)

A Metroidvania with turn-based combat? Sign us up. Worldless comes with dreamy visuals and a unique twist on the beloved indie genre. While the platforming and movement is smooth and familiar, the game's RPG-style combat adds a new wrinkle that forces you to pay attention to your enemies and change up your own attacks and skills.

Even with some difficulty spikes and some echoes of Hollow Knight in its gameplay, the combat does more than enough to make Worldless stand out from the crowd. We gave this one an 8/10 in our Nintendo Life review.

1. Astral Ascent (Switch eShop)

Well, this one took us by surprise. Astral Ascent has always looked gorgeous, but it's also absolutely brilliant to play. The gameplay is refined perfectly: combat is snappy, boss encounters are fun, and even though it blends together many reoccurring elements from the genre, it executes everything so well.

All four characters have extremely different playstyles, and you can experiment with different spell load-outs to change up combat. This really is the most fun we've had with a combat roguelike since Hades, and we gave it a 9/10 in our review. Truly a standout of the genre.

< Nintendo eShop Selects - October 2023

What was your favourite eShop game of November 2023?

How we decide our eShop Selects top three: As we reach the end of every month, the Nintendo Life staff vote on their favourite titles from a list of games selected by the editorial team. To qualify for this list, these games must have been released as a digital-only Nintendo Switch eShop title in that particular month, and must have been reviewed on Nintendo Life; we select the qualifying games based on their review scores.

Staff are then asked to vote for three games that they think deserve to sit right at the very top of that list; first choice gets 3 points, second choice gets 2 points, and third choice gets 1 point. These votes are then tallied to create a top-three list, with the overall winner taking that month's top prize.