As we've said, these games are listed according to their RRP . So, let's take a look at 30 of the best cheap Nintendo Switch games ...
On this page: Best Cheap Nintendo Switch Games
1. Downwell (Switch eShop) 2. Lunistice (Switch eShop) 3. A Short Hike (Switch eShop) 4. Stardew Valley (Switch eShop) 5. Rogue Legacy (Switch eShop) 6. Into The Breach (Switch eShop) 7. Undertale (Switch eShop) 8. Golf Story (Switch eShop) 9. Hollow Knight (Switch eShop) 10. Dicey Dungeons (Switch eShop) 11. Everhood (Switch eShop) 12. FAR: Lone Sails (Switch eShop) 13. GRIS (Switch eShop) 14. Portal: Companion Collection (Switch eShop) 15. Ori And The Blind Forest: Definitive Edition (Switch eShop) 16. Yoku's Island Express (Switch eShop) 17. Just Shapes & Beats (Switch eShop) 18. Radiant Silvergun (Switch eShop) 19. Sonic Mania (Switch eShop) 20. Signalis (Switch eShop) 21. Celeste (Switch eShop) 22. Cuphead (Switch eShop) 23. Unpacking (Switch eShop) 24. Hyper Light Drifter: Special Edition (Switch eShop) 25. Inside (Switch eShop) 26. The Touryst (Switch eShop) 27. Huntdown (Switch eShop) 28. Death's Door (Switch eShop) 29. The Messenger (Switch eShop) 30. Spelunky 2 (Switch eShop) 31. Frequently Asked Questions 31.1. Why are Nintendo games still $60? 31.2. Are Switch games cheaper on the eShop? 31.3. Can you play DS games on Switch?
Switch eShop Price: $2.99 / £2.69
This is an excellent port of a game that feels like it’s found a natural home on Switch thanks to a plethora of control options and the console’s natural facility with vertical orientation. Short of popping your 4K TV on its side, Switch offers the very best way to play Downwell . Its roguelike structure and twitch platforming might not be for everyone, but you should really give it a chance. For our money, it’s a modern classic that should be in everyone’s collection.
Switch eShop Price: $4.99 / £4.99
Lunistice takes us back to the joys of mid-90s platforming in all of the right ways. Combining some fantastic level design with a low-poly visual style that appears to have been taken straight from a classic PS1 title, this is a game that is so dripping in nostalgia it becomes difficult to put down. An initial playthrough isn't going to require the longest of gaming sessions, but repeated runs are a must for all of the completionists out there. If 3D platforming is your vibe, this is amongst the top indie titles in the genre.
Switch eShop Price: $7.99 / £6.29
A Short Hike is a fat-free experience from top to bottom – or should we say bottom to top? It's the kind of game that makes us just sigh with happiness when we recall our time with it, and even having played it through to its ostensible conclusion multiple times, we know for a fact there are still things to see and do on that mountain. What we have here is something of an apotheosis – a milestone in indie games akin to Cave Story , or Spelunky . The very best bits of multiple game genres, stripped of all padding and bloat, mixed perfectly into a delicious video game stew that only gets richer and richer the more you play. An exploration in every sense of the word, A Short Hike is cute without being twee, challenging without being obnoxious, and emotional without being cloying. A landmark game for all ages. Don't miss this one.
Switch eShop Price: $14.99 / £10.99
Stardew Valley offers its players a chance to live a second life – one where you can forget the troubles of the real world and get excited over finding a particularly rare carrot. It is a truly magical experience; games can often be enjoyable but they don’t all manage to be as captivating as this. This is the sort of game that ideally requires a significant amount of time to be invested; the enjoyment doesn’t necessarily come from the day-to-day actions you perform, but rather from the general growth of pride, satisfaction, and sense of security as the days go by. Fans of games such as Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing will be right at home here and, for those who aren’t, there is a decent chance this game might just surprise you.
Switch eShop Price: $14.99 / £10.99
If you were to take everything that makes a good roguelike title (interesting level design, worthwhile replay loop, strong combat system) and mix it up with some writing which is big on laughs, then you might just end up with something like Rogue Legacy (or it's successor Rogue Legacy 2 , though that's a bit too expensive for this list). This is a game that is well aware of its genre's fans and what makes them tick. Combining the high points of Castlevania , Dead Cells and the long line of 2D sidescrolling roguelike adventures, Rogue Legacy is strong enough to stand amongst the best of them.
Switch eShop Price: $14.99 / £11.39
Into The Breach is a brutal, uncompromising game of making hard decisions and living with your mistakes, but the short length of battles and endless variety of playthroughs makes for an extremely addictive experience. Though the graphics are nothing special, the gameplay is some of the very best you’ll find in the strategy genre on Switch , and we can easily recommend this to anybody who’s looking for an in-depth game that’ll make you think. Into The Breach feels right at home on the Switch, and whether you play more at home or on the go, you’re more than likely to get plenty of value out of this release.
Switch eShop Price: $14.99 / £11.99
It is difficult to talk about Undertale and still be taken seriously at the end of it. If the term "RPG" sends a shiver down your spine but you remain interested in the genre nonetheless, then this could be the one for you. The game borrows all of the tried and tested tropes of the genre before dialling it up to 11 on the weirdness scale with some excellent writing, a fantastic combat system and a series of different ways that the story can go. This isn't all sword waving and stabbing, there is a lot more to Undertale than meets the eye.
Switch eShop Price: $14.99 / £13.49
Golf Story is a Switch exclusive RPG that borrows liberally from Mario Golf on the Game Boy Color. It's absolutely bonkers and you should be prepared to put your golf skills to use in a variety of contexts, including feeding hungry alligators and knocking things off high surfaces, plus winning the occasional round of pitch 'n' putt.
With a hilarious script and a wide variety of activities, it remains fresh throughout and will have you coming back for many hours in the Story mode alone; the multiplayer offers decent replayability, too. Golf Story is for anyone looking for something a little different; there’s a whole lot to love here, and if you’re a fan of RPGs or golf games, this is a must buy.
Switch eShop Price: $15.00 / £10.99
Hollow Knight feels like it found its natural home on Switch. The game's beautiful 2D world, tactile combat and impressive bevy of secrets constantly drag you in for more, and it proves to be as strong an experience on the move as it is on your TV. On an eShop that's already filled with top quality indie games, Hollow Knight is one of the very best; a big, beautiful, foreboding Metroidvania that's absolutely thick with detail. From its punchy combat system to its charming art and sound design, this is one of the finest adventures you can have on Nintendo Switch.
Switch eShop Price: $14.99 / £13.49
Terry Cavanagh's Dicey Dungeons is easily one of the best roguelike titles you can play on Switch. Loads of gameplay variety, fantastic music, a high skill ceiling and friendly visuals make this a thoroughly gripping and fun experience you won’t want to miss out on. If you like roguelikes or card games, we’d highly recommend you pick this up as soon as you can – and even if you don’t, we’d still encourage you to check it out regardless.
Switch eShop Price: $14.99 / £13.49
Everhood is one of the most memorable games we’ve played in recent years. A mad mix of RPG, rhythm action, kart racing and bullet-hell shmup, its utterly bonkers plot and weird cast of characters is reason enough to check it out, but the instantly accessible rhythmic combat will keep you hooked from the very first battle to the epic final boss encounter. Some may be put off by the minimal visual design and deliberately vague sequence of events, but for those after something a bit different, Everhood delivers originality and unique gameplay in spades and absolutely deserves a place in your Switch library.
Switch eShop Price: $14.99 / £13.49
Without saying a word, FAR: Lone Sails conveys a poignant tale of hope and perseverance, masterfully balancing style with substance for an experience that feels every bit as sublime as it looks. Sure, you could grumble about the its relative shortness, the occasionally obtuse puzzles and the very, very minor control issues, but these problems dissolve away once you're invested in the journey. We highly recommend that you give this a spin.
Switch eShop Price: $16.99 / £14.49
We’re very careful when we use this word, but Gris is a masterpiece. Its jaw-dropping visual style and heart-wrenching score combine for one of the most emotional pieces of interactive art you’ll ever play. It may be too short for some, its puzzles may be on the simple side and the lack of any real challenge may not be to everyone’s taste, but this is a game focused more on fragility than ability and as long as you’re willing to go along for the ride, it’s one that will stick with you for a very long time indeed.
Switch eShop Price: $19.99 / £13.49
Both Portal and Portal 2 were received as some of the best first-person puzzlers out there when they were released in 2007 and 2011 respectively, but how would they match up when played on Switch all these years later? Very well indeed, it turns out. There was always bound to be a certain level of apprehension when such beloved 'classics' made the jump over to the Nintendo console, but with a strong performance across the two games and very few dips in frame rate, this is a port for the books. Those who have never had the pleasure of taking a portal gun for a spin should dive right in, and those who have should be rest assured that the Switch version is nothing to turn one's nose up at.
Switch eShop Price: $19.99 / £14.99
We never expected to see Ori and the Blind Forest make the leap over from Xbox to Switch, but boy are we glad that it made the journey. This non-linear platformer (or Metroidvania, if you will) is truly a sight to behold, combining some refreshingly tight game mechanics with a stunning art style, this was a win with Microsoft fans and a win all over again on Nintendo. Of course, this is not just a pretty picture as the Blind Forest also has all the hallmarks of top-notch world building with a storyline that we can guarantee you will want to see all the way through until the end.
Switch eShop Price: $17.99 / £15.99
Yoku's Island Express is a genuine breath of fresh air, combining pinball and Metroidvania mechanics in a way that feels truly inspired. Add in a calming soundtrack and one of the most appealing fantasy worlds you'll find on the eShop, and you have yourself an instant left-field classic.
Switch eShop Price: $19.99 / £15.09
The energy and verve of Just Shapes & Beats is utterly infectious. True to its name, the elements are simple, but Berzerk Studio explores and executes on its modest premise with an exceptional level of polish in this self-described ‘musical bullet hell’. Bullets are the least of your worries – objects to evade range from simple Euclidean shapes to laser beams, spinning saws, spiralling tentacles and ocean waves made from EQ bars. It injects pure joy into the oppressive, pulsing panic of Terry Cavanagh’s mobile hit Super Hexagon and creates a celebratory explosion of the audio-visual in video games, showcasing chiptunes in their natural habitat. Grab some decent headphones or, better still, some friends and hook your Switch up to the hi-fi. The neighbours will love you.
Switch eShop Price: $19.99 / £15.29
From Sega Saturn to Xbox 360 to Switch, Radiant Silvergun continues to provide a classic shmup with a good level of bang for your buck. While this may be one of the more difficult games on this list to really get to grips with, it can also be one of the most rewarding. It is true, the path to actually playing Radiant Silvergun is a frustrating one (if you don't count consistent death as playing, that is), but once you master the incredibly deep controls and methods, you will truly feel like you are blasting with the best of them.
Switch eShop Price: $19.99 / £15.99
Sonic Mania is a true return to form for the mascot, in his 2D 'Classic' guise at least, and celebrates the glory days of the original games while also enhancing their qualities and taking on new ideas. From new areas, imaginative second acts and some delightful boss encounters, the development team poured a lot of passion and talent into the project. With new characters and modes added in the 'Plus' retail version (also available as DLC), some neat tweaks iron out some of the kinks present in the original release, but regardless of the version you pick up, it's one of the best 2D platformers in recent memory.
Switch eShop Price: $19.99 / £15.99
Stalking down dimly-lit corridors while the sweat grows on your palms is what a great survival horror is all about, and while Signalis wears more than a little Resident Evil on its sleeve, it is all the better for it. There is a great mix of puzzles and story in this title which is more about stealth than it is about bullets (though the number of bullets used will be a stat that you won't be able to shake) which sees you traversing planets, bunkers and ships while remaining painfully aware of every creak and footstep around you. Fans of horror should come this way, and those who are a little more scaredy should give it a go too - just be sure to bring a pillow to hide behind at some points!
Switch eShop Price: $19.99 / £17.99
There are very few platformers that can live up to the rush of Celeste . One of the genre's biggest perks is that feeling of euphoria when you hit a perfectly-executed arial move, dodging attacks and getting from point A to B in style, and Celeste is full of them. The mechanics feel familiar enough that you are never going to feel lost on your journey, but the visual style and storytelling is bound to keep you coming back for more. There is little to fault here, and for a very reasonable price too.
Switch eShop Price: $19.99 / £16.99
Cuphead was an absolute masterpiece when it originally launched on Xbox One and nothing has been sacrificed in its move to the Switch. A run-and-gun boss battler dressed up like a 1930s Fleischer or Disney animated short, it’s the same visually jaw-dropping, aurally delightful, knuckle-whiteningly difficult game it was on Microsoft’s console and the Switch’s library is all the better for its presence. Its focus on intense boss battles won’t be to everyone’s tastes, but as long as you know what you’re getting yourself into we can’t recommend it enough. Just look at it!
Switch eShop Price: $19.99 / £17.99
Unpacking manages to do several things very well, all at the same time. It’s a touching story told through interaction, it provides the creative play space of a great dollhouse game, and it deftly applies established game design ideas from completely different genres. Its only real shortcoming is the repetition that is a necessary byproduct of landing its message. Effort has gone into making the controls satisfying on Switch, and the visual and sound design are delightful throughout, making Unpacking, like any sane person’s cutlery, absolutely top-drawer.
Switch eShop Price: $19.99 / £17.99
Hyper Light Drifter: Special Edition puts Heart Machine’s obtuse yet engaging throwback where it belongs — in portable Nintendo form — and it makes for the definitive version. With a handful of exclusive features, the game suddenly feels new and fresh - and with a silky smooth frame rate and every boss, secret and upgrade from the original here for you to experience, this is a wonderful addition to the Nintendo Switch’s bulging indie library.
Switch eShop Price: $19.99 / £17.99
Inside is the spiritual successor to Limbo and it builds on its predecessor in every imaginable way. A grimly beautiful platform-puzzler that, while brief, is packed full of jaw-dropping highlights, its dark tone won't be for everyone, but it's been executed brilliantly, with gently taxing physics-based conundrums woven into a haunting wordless narrative. It's a very similar game to its predecessor in many ways, with side-scrolling elements, a gorgeous, moody art style, and a vulnerable protagonist at the heart of it. Everything's just bigger, better, and more affecting.
Switch eShop Price: $19.99 / £17.99
The Touryst is a joyous little adventure that sinks its blocky hooks into you and doesn't let go until it's done. It's got a perfect balance of atmospheric puzzling, leisurely exploring and minigame madness that'll keep you thoroughly entertained from start to finish, and its collection of tiny little voxel islands are a joy to discover, bursting with surprises to uncover and presented in a truly dazzling art-style that's achieved whilst performing flawlessly on Nintendo's console. The puzzles might not be the most taxing you'll ever come across and you'll blow through the whole thing pretty quickly, but overall this is a top-notch – and perfectly priced – little gem.
Switch eShop Price: $19.99 / £17.99
Huntdown is a delightfully detailed and expertly crafted throwback to old-school run 'n' gun arcade shooters. The 16-bit graphical style is immaculately recreated whilst adding lots of modern bells and whistles to proceedings, including a fantastic soundtrack and audio design, optional CRT filter and an arsenal of heavy-duty weapons that chew scenery and enemies to pieces as your bounty hunter makes their way from boss fight to excellent boss fight. The flow of levels may be quite repetitive but the moment-to-moment gameplay, overall sense of fun that comes from the level of carnage you can dish out, surprising amount of hammy spoken dialogue and constant pop-culture references all combine to make this one an easy recommendation, and another excellent addition to the Switch's action catalogue.
Switch eShop Price: $19.99 / £17.99
Death's Door is a modern classic, utilizing old gameplay ideas in a new setting to make for a short and sweet experience you won’t want to miss. The snappy combat, rewarding exploration, and relaxing music will stick with you once you've finished, and while it may not have anything 'new' to offer, Death’s Door is so high quality that you’ll hardly have time to think about it's lack of innovation. We’d give this one a very high recommendation, especially to any fans of Zelda or Soulslike games — Acid Nerve has crafted an experience that’s absolutely worth your time and money.
Switch eShop Price: $19.99 / £17.99
Tight level design and a good challenge for even the biggest fans of platformers, The Messenger is a prime example of borrowing from the classics while keeping it fresh. This is a game packed with references to titles past (Ninja Gaiden much?) but what The Messenger does so well is that it never feels like you are doing the same thing over and over again. Instead, the developer, Sabotage, has put together a genre game in which you feel instantly at home but with enough challenge to keep those palms a-sweating.
Switch eShop Price: $19.99 / £17.99
Fans of roguelites, platformers and a hefty dose of challenge need look no further. Spelunky 2 might be one of the genre's more frustrating titles to get your head around, but the level of reward means that there is a good amount of payoff to be had here. Much like its predecessor, Spelunky , there are lots of secrets to be found in the intricate level design which mean that the replayability is a huge plus here. It might be at the higher end of our cheap games list, but this is still some top-notch value for money.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are Nintendo games still $60?
Historically, Nintendo rarely discounts its first-party software, but many people still ask the question: Why are Switch games still so expensive?
Generally, Nintendo prefers to maintain the value of its products over the long term rather than tempting player with deep discounts. If a Nintendo game launches at $60, you can be confident that it will remain that price for a considerable length of time — you don't have to worry about seeing it 50% cheaper if you waited a month or two.
However, periodically on Switch eShop, you can find many of the company's biggest Switch games discounted by up to 33% in sales throughout the year, including Black Friday, Christmas, and Summer sales.
Beyond that, you'll be lucky to find Nintendo games with a deep discount at retailers.
Are Switch games cheaper on the eShop?
Nintendo itself maintains price parity between its digital-only and physical releases.
However, you'll find many other publishers that sell the Switch eShop version of the game at a cheaper price than the physical cartridge. This is usually due to the increased costs associated with creating and distributing a physical product versus a digital download.
Can you play DS games on Switch?
No, the cartridge slot on a Nintendo Switch will accept Switch cartridges only — Nintendo DS and 3DS cartridges won't fit or function with a Switch.
Those are our picks of the very best cheap games on Switch — the 'evergreen' great value games. Remember, you can make them even better value by picking up Switch eShop credit from our code store:
This article is one of our Switch Essentials guides which cover a wide variety of genres, including the Best Switch FPS Games , the Best Switch RPGs , the Best Switch Games For Kids , the Best Switch Couch Co-Op Games and the Best Switch Fitness and Exercise Games . We can also help out hunting down the Best Switch Horror Games , the Best Switch Racing Games , the Best Switch Action-RPGs , the Best Nintendo Switch Roguelikes, Roguelites and Run-Based Games , the Best Free Switch Games , the Best Remakes And Remasters , the Best Switch Music And Rhythm Games , Best Feel-Good Switch Games , Best Switch Open-World Games , Best Switch Soulslike Games , Best LGBTQ+ Switch Games , and even Games to Play After You've Finished Zelda: Breath of the Wild .
Whatever your favourite genre, we've got you covered: Strategy Games , Metroidvanias , Puzzle Games , Party Games , Online Multiplayer Games , Local Wireless Multiplayer Games , Shmups , Twin-Stick Shooters , Visual Novels , Kart Racers , Fighting Games , Football Games , Funny Games , Golf Games , 'Walking Sims' And Narrative Games , Switch Games For Lovers And Lonely Hearts , Detective Games , Hidden Gems , 2D Platformers , 3D Platformers , Puzzle Platformers , Tabletop Mode Games , Run and Gun Games , LEGO Games , Sports Games , Survival Games , Beat 'Em Ups , Camera Games , Chill Games , Family Games , Retro-Inspired Games , Short Games , Card Games and Deck-Builders , and Life Sims And Farming Games .
Still hungry for more? Elsewhere we look at Wholesome Games , TATE Mode Games , Flight Sim and Space Combat , Point and Click Adventure Games , and the Best Switch Exclusives , as well as Every Arcade Archives Game , Every ACA Neo Geo Game , Every SEGA AGES Game On Switch , plus the Best Switch Ports , Best Wii U-To-Switch Ports , Best Switch Collections And Compilations , Best Cheap Switch Games , Best Switch Demos , Games That Are Better On Switch OLED , Switch Games Under $10, $20, $50 , and Switch games with the Best Soundtracks and the Best Graphics . Phew!
If you're looking for the best Switch games regardless of genre, our reader-voted selection of the Best Nintendo Switch Games To Play In 2023 should help you out, and you can also find the Best Nintendo Switch Games of 2017 , 2018 , 2019 , 2020 , 2021 , and 2022 . And finally, if you're interested in other Nintendo consoles and retro games, check out the Best Game Boy Games , Best GBC Games , Best GBA Games , Best Nintendo DS Games , Best Nintendo 3DS Games , Best NES Games , Best SNES Games , Best N64 Games , Best GameCube Games , and Best Wii Games , and Best Wii U Games , as well as Every Available Nintendo Switch Online Retro Game , and ranked lists of Every Nintendo Switch Online NES , SNES , N64 and Sega Genesis / Mega Drive Game .
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