15 Best Free Switch Games 2023

Since the NSO service launched, most Switch games require a subscription to be played online with other players. While this is true for certain online-enabled Switch games, it is only the case for some. While a Nintendo Switch Online subscription is required to play multiplayer or competitively online, free Switch games may still be played online with or against other players.

This article is for Nintendo Switch owners interested in learning about some great free games for their systems. Here, we’ll discuss and hopefully persuade you to try a few of the best free Nintendo Switch games currently available.

1. Fortnite

Fortnite

Fortnite is the most popular shooter game in the world, and it can be played on almost every device, including the Switch. The Switch version of Fortnite supports Battle Royale and Creative but not Save the World. Fortnite requires an online connection, but Nintendo Switch Online isn’t necessary to play. Your gaming data may be transferred from your computer, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and mobile device (if you’re an Android Fortnite fanatic). Very few games do not need a paid online membership on a Nintendo system, and Fortnite is one of them.

2. Paladins

Paladins

Like Overwatch, Paladins is a shooter that draws inspiration from multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs) but offers its gameplay in a free-to-play format. Like Brawlhalla, the 44 champions are given out for free every month. All the champions are available for purchase, of course. Paladins need a well-rounded roster, much like any other multiplayer online battle arena. Champions fall into four types: Front Lines, Damages, Supports, and Flanks. Each hero fulfilling their optimal role is a definite way to win, necessitating a degree of collaboration that would make even the most competitive shooters blush.

3. Rocket League

Rocket League

Rocket League, a smash hit for Nintendo Switch, combines two of the most popular sports genres in the world: racing cars and football. If you want to smash the ball into your opponent’s goal, you may drive your car up the edge of the arena, then continue to boost and race around the arena! As a result, we get a very engaging and exciting arena game.

In this game for three, the victorious trio racks up the most points. Extremely strenuous, it raises the bar for competitive play. Once you taste victory, it might be hard to stop.

4. Warframe

Warframe

Developed by Digital Extremes, Warframe is a third-person action shooter. Warframe was first released in 2013 on PC; in November of 2018, a version was released for the Nintendo Switch. Digital Extremes has put in a lot of effort since then to make the Switch version of Warframe feature-complete with the others.

One of the more liberal free-to-play models on our list is Warframe, which allows players to unlock the whole game’s content at no cost, provided they are prepared to put in the necessary grind time. A player’s premium money may be traded with other players, and the grind might change depending on the equipment used. If you like playing third-person action games, check out Warframe. It’s a cooperative game where you and your other players work together to eliminate various alien enemies while learning a compelling backstory.

5. Brawlhalla

Brawlhalla

If you prefer fighting games like Smash Bros., but want to spend less money, try Brawlhalla instead. It’s an eight-player fighting game like Smash Bros., but without the quaint Nintendo characters. Although it is possible to buy every Legend, doing so will not give you any kind of advantage in the game since they will be freely accessible to everyone at some time. Instead, you may choose from a large pool of Legends in Brawlhalla, with eight rotating through your roster for free weekly. 

Brawlhalla’s most notable feature is its use of microtransactions, which do not make the game seem pay-to-win. Given how well-balanced the characters are, you can waste hundreds of hours in Brawlhalla without spending a dollar. Plus, you can play with anyone worldwide thanks to the game’s cross-play with PC, Xbox One, PS4, and Switch.

6. Apex Legends

Apex Legends

Everyone is familiar with Apex Legends. The massively multiplayer online battle royale game has been rocking the gaming industry since its 2019 release. But you can get it on the Switch now. Although the Nintendo Switch portable version of Apex Legends might not seem as polished as the console or PC versions, it nevertheless provides the same complete and satisfying experience. In case you have yet to hear, in Apex Legends, you can play as one of a handful of legendary heroes in the Apex Games. 

It’s a fight to the death with sixty other players, so bring your A-game and arm yourself with any weapons you can find! Neither cross-save nor cross-progress is supported in the Switch version, although all playable characters and weapons exist.

7. Pokémon Unite

Pokémon Unite

Nintendo’s Pokémon Unite is another “free-to-start” game, following Super Kirby Clash’s footsteps. This spin-off marks Nintendo’s (and the series) first step into the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) market. League of Legends and Dota 2 are the undisputed kings of this genre, which is often exceedingly complex and scary. But Pokémon Unite makes it easy for newbies to get in and have fun. You begin the game with a Pokémon at its lowest possible level, but as you battle the other side and the map’s wild species, you’ll level up and upgrade your Pokémon, learning new moves and purchasing items to boost its attributes. Players compete in 10-minute matches as teams of five using any of the 36 available pocket monsters; the team with the most points at the end of the round wins.

8. Pac-Man 99

Pac-Man 99

Taking inspiration from previous battle royale games like Tetris 99 and Super Mario 35, Pac-Man 99 pits players against each other in a round of iconic gameplay. In this game, you and ninety-eight other players take turns playing Pac-Man. Instead of vying for the highest score, your goal here is to stay alive. When you consume a Ghost, your ghostly energy is transferred to other players in the form of ghostly Pac-Men; if any other players run across these ghosts, they will be forced to move more slowly for the duration of the game.

 However, they’ll get extra speed if they consume one while hunting a Ghost. Despite its short attention span, Pac-Man 99 is fun for a few games anytime you have some free time. And the free mode is where it’s at, hands down. Pac-Man 99 comes into its own when there are ninety-nine other players on the screen, and you can upgrade to a few more scoring attack modes for an additional thirty dollars.

9. Knockout City

Knockout City

Despite the long wait, 2021 finally saw the release of a good dodgeball video game with Knockout City. It’s a digital version of dodgeball without the craziness of the actual game. The teams square off against one another to eliminate the other. With a regular ball, it takes two hits to knock out a player in Knockout City, but other balls with special effects are available. For instance, when the Bomb Ball is tossed, it will detonate upon contact with the ground. 

Although the basic idea is simple, the options are almost limitless after you learn how to dodge, catch, throw, and pass. Knockout City may be downloaded and played immediately at no cost on the Switch. You may level up your Street Rank to 25, essentially Knockout City’s equivalent of a battle pass, but the process will soon be available at no cost.

10. Smite

Smite

When you think of Hi-Rez Studios, you probably think of Paladins, but they also invented Smite. In contrast to Paladins, which combines elements of a MOBA with a shooter, Smite is purely a MOBA. Like many other MOBAs, Smite offers online fights between five players on a vast battlefield, with the objective being to destroy the other team’s Titan. Smite, on the other hand, has a fierce level of competition. Since 2015, Hi-Rez Studios has been conducting the annual Smite World Championship, which awards roughly $1 million in prize money to the winners.

11. Tetris 99

Tetris 99

Free to play, Tetris 99 can easily be found on Nintendo Switch. The game may be downloaded at no cost; however, playing it requires a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. 99 is a battle royale version of Tetris in which you compete against 99 other players. Head-to-head competition in Tetris is a hectic and exciting experience. With a double, triple, or Tetris, you give your opponent incomplete lines, which may fill up their gaming board and force them to quit and restart. Thanks to the Big Block DLC, you can also have a more relaxed time. The game costs $10, but buying this upgrade is a no-brainer because the basic version is free.

12. Super Kirby Clash 

Super Kirby Clash

Super Kirby Clash expands on the 3DS game Team Kirby Clash Deluxe and is available for no initial cost. This game has several boss fights in which you and up to three other players assume the roles of different Kirbys to defeat the game’s various enemies.

You may need to buy more items. Despite this, there is no reason you shouldn’t make the most of the free parts—taking them out one by one to move ahead. You get the cutest, most entertaining alien experience possible.

13. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe- Booster Coarse Deluxe 

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe- Booster Coarse Deluxe

Nintendo Switch Online subscribers have free access to some DLC for games they currently own in addition to full games via the Expansion Pack.

This includes add-ons like the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass, which adds a total of forty-eight remastered courses throughout the series’ history. Beginning on March 18, 2022, and continuing through the end of 2023, new courses will be made available in waves.

14. The Pinball Arcade 

The Pinball Arcade

The Pinball Arcade is a fantastic free game for traditional pinball fun on the Switch. The video game promises to be the most accurate pinball simulation ever made and has digital versions of more than 35 licensed tables from the history of pinball.

Some features include pinball machines themed on popular brands like Star Trek, Doctor Who, and Ghostbusters. Last but not least, Pinball Arcade works with the Switch in portable, tabletop, or docked modes and supports both local and online multiplayer.

15. Color Zen

Color Zen

The objective of the calming puzzle game Color Zen is to fill the full screen with a particular color by matching corresponding colors in the right order.

Other than having to restart a level, of which there are 460, there are no actual consequences for failing to solve a puzzle. The immersive sound design of Color Zen, which combines soothing instrumental background music with player-input sound effects, enhances the game’s bright visuals.

The game’s easy-to-use controls let you play handheld with the touch screen or docked with Joy-Con. This makes it convenient to play both at home and while traveling.

In Short

Now use the list of the top 15 switch games that ensure you will have a good time! All of these games are free and accessible to all users. Now play multiplayer or by yourself; some of these games can be played with both friends and family, while the others you can enjoy with multiple Nintendo users. Let the fun never die so you can make the most of your Nintendo Switches. 

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By Abdul Wahab

Abdul Wahab is a Software Engineer by profession and a Tech geek by nature. Having been associated with the tech industry for the last five years, he has covered a wide range of Tech topics and produced well-researched and engaging content. You will mostly find him reviewing tech products and writing blog posts. Binge-watching tech reviews and endlessly reading tech blogs are his favorite hobbies.

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