I've played my Nintendo Switch for over 1,000 hours, and these are the 15 games I can't live without

The Nintendo Switch 2 propped up on a kitchen table — (Image credit: Stephen Lambrechts / Tom's Guide)

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My top 15 games

I’ve played my Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 consoles for well over 1,000 hours in total. (By my latest count, I have over 855 hours in Animal Crossing: New Horizons alone). It’s definitely the console I’ve spent the most amount of time playing in my life, and there are a ton of games that have made their mark on me one way or another.

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But what are the most special games on the list? I’ve gone back through my library and I’m going to share the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 games I simply couldn’t go without. Get ready to add some new games to your wishlist!

My top 15 games

Rhythm Heaven Groove (Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2)

Rhythm Heaven Groove only just came out, but I already know I never want to be without it. It’s from one of my favorite game series of all time, after all, and it may just be the best game in the series yet. I absolutely love rhythm games, and this one is so much fun that I physically can’t keep a smile off my face while I play.

You need to keep to the beat in dozens of different rhythm-based minigames. Every new minigame brings something unique, with a ton of visual and musical variety. One minute you’ll be chopping vegetables to a laid-back beat, and the next you’ll be hopping hurdles to the sounds of heavy metal.

It’s a great one to pick up and play — and get your non-gaming friends and family involved with couch co-op multiplayer. There are 30 minigames dedicated just to multiplayer sessions.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2)

I’ve already mentioned that I’ve played Animal Crossing: New Horizons for over 850 hours. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I’d struggle to go without it in my game collection. It’s pretty much the ultimate cozy game, setting you free on an island inhabited by cute critters, and giving you the tools to customize and decorate it exactly how you please.

The recent free 2.0 content update finally brought a lot of features I’d been hoping for, like bulk crafting and more decorating space with dream islands. That as well as the other new features sucked me right back into Animal Crossing New Horizons, even though the game is over six years old. Now, if only you could place rugs outdoors… I’d probably be looking at 1,600 hours of gameplay or more if they made that change.

Mario Kart World (Nintendo Switch 2)

Mario Kart World is an easy choice to add to any gamer’s Nintendo Switch 2 library. I’ll admit it, I don’t play this one all the time — I’m not the biggest fan of racing games. But it’s a game that just about anyone can enjoy and it’s one of the first titles I reach for when I have friends or family around to play with me.

It’s also one of the best showcases of the Nintendo Switch 2’s improved graphical and technical performance — everything in Mario Kart World looks incredible, and the fact you can drive around anywhere you want in the open world is very impressive.

Super Mario Party Jamboree (Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2)

Super Mario Party Jamboree is a virtual board game that’s an absolute must when I’m gathering around the TV with my family and friends. Whenever Mario Kart World is off the table, that is.

In Super Mario Party Jamboree, you need to roll the dice, fight the other players to take the top spot in minigames, and earn the most stars! The random element with dice rolls means the pecking order can turn upside-down at any time, which makes every moment of the gameplay exciting. There’s no bigger feeling of betrayal in gaming than someone taking one of your stars away in Mario Party, but that’s all just part of the fun.

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream (Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2)

Another recent release that instantly captured my heart! Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is possibly the funniest game on either the Nintendo Switch or the Nintendo Switch 2. You’re placed in charge of an island and are free to populate it with Mii characters — avatars you can customize to look like just about anyone. Then, you just need to sit back and watch the all the weirdness that the Miis get up to.

The Mii characters can make friends, fight with each other, or even get married and have kids. I love this game because it’s basically like my own personal soap opera that I can tune into whenever I want. Who knew that Viper from Gladiators and my real-life best friend would make a perfect couple?

Stardew Valley (Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2)

If you haven’t played Stardew Valley yet, I don’t know what you’re doing reading this article. It’s one of the most popular indie games ever, selling a massive 50 million copies. And its popularity is well deserved, since it’s just about the best a game in its genre can possibly be.

Stardew Valley is a farming sim where you’ll need to tend crops and sell them for a profit. You’ll also get to know the inhabitants of the titular valley — which is extremely rewarding to do, since each character has a truly rich backstory and inner (digital) life. The simulation gameplay is some of the best and most addictive I’ve ever played (and I’ve played a lot of farming sims,) and the characters are some of the most memorable I’ve ever experienced. Best of all, the game is still being updated with new free content and features, even ten years after its original release date.

Pokémon Pokopia (Nintendo Switch 2)

Another titan of the cozy gaming genre. Pokémon Pokopia is pretty much the reason to upgrade to a Nintendo Switch 2, in my opinion — it’s a game I just couldn’t put down, and it offers dozens of hours of content.

In this game, the world is dry and barren, with almost no life to be found anywhere. You play as a Ditto, a shape-shifting Pokémon who can transform to use different abilities — and you need to rebuild the world and bring the Pokémon back. It’s one of my favorite games, since seeing Pokémon thriving in nature that you’ve worked so hard to restore yourself just gives a warm and fuzzy feeling that is so hard to replicate.

Fitness Boxing (Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2)

If you play video games as much as I do, it’s a good idea to mix things up and get some exercise while you play. Luckily, I found Fitness Boxing, and it got me to do just that. You need to hold the Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons and punch panels to the left and right while staying in time with the music. And it’s not just for your arms — squats and step-ins are mixed in, so your whole body gets a workout.

I love this game because it mixes fitness and rhythm gameplay, and the on-screen trainer’s instructions and encouragement actually keep me motivated to work out. You get a stamp on the calendar every time you come back, and seeing it filled out for a whole month is a great feeling.

Out of the series, I’ve only played Fitness Boxing 2. But from my research, all three games in the series offer solid gameplay and features.

Hatsune Miku: Project Diva Mega Mix (Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2)

I’ve already mentioned that I love rhythm games — and the one I’ve spent the most time with on Switch is Hatsune Miku: Project Diva Mega Mix. Project Diva is a long-running game series that features some of the most popular Hatsune Miku music. And Mega Mix brings the best of that series onto Nintendo Switch.

(In case you haven’t heard of her before, Hatsune Miku is a virtual singer — composers can download and use her voice as a digital instrument.)

The gameplay starts off easy, but gets brutally tough if you crank up the difficulty levels. I’ve played for hundreds of hours trying to complete all the songs at the highest difficulties, and still haven’t managed it. But I’ve had a whole lot of fun in the process, and experienced almost countless amazing tunes. For Miku fans like me, the soundtrack is just banger after banger.

Pokémon Sword and Shield (Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2)

I’ll admit, I’m behind on Pokémon games. But Pokémon Shield (and its twin, Pokémon Sword) is my favorite of the Pokémon games I’ve played on the Switch so far. It delivers the series’ standard monster-catching and battling gameplay, which is always a ton of fun. And I have a soft spot for Sword and Shield since its creatures and region are inspired by the U.K. — my homeland.

It has its ups and downs — the graphics look beautiful in some areas, but terrible in others (yeah, those trees in the Wild Area still look like cardboard.) The storyline is just about serviceable, but the characters are great. I especially loved battling alongside Hop, who gets an excellent character arc.

I’ve also replayed it more times than any other Pokémon game. Since the Wild Area gets you access to so many different Pokémon early on, you can completely change up your team every time. I like to do themed runs, like keeping all my team reduced to just three members instead of the usual six, or sticking to using only one type.

Dragon Quest XI S (Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2)

While I was researching for this article, I found out that Dragon Quest XI is getting a Nintendo Switch 2 edition. I’m super excited to see one of my favorite RPGs come to the Switch 2! The original version already looked great on Nintendo Switch, so I’m hyped to see any improvements that come with the Switch 2 version.

This game has a long title — Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age Definitive Edition — but its name befits its epic gameplay. It’s a classic JRPG, with engaging turn-based battles and some of the best characters I’ve ever met in a Nintendo Switch game. The in-game world is huge and packed with monsters to fight, side quests to complete and secrets to find. I picked it up on a whim one day while shopping, and it’s one of the best decisions I ever made. It really got me back into gaming after a long slump, and reminded me why I love video games so much in the first place.

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma (Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2)

Stardew Valley is definitely the highest quality farming sim game on Nintendo Switch. But if you can’t get enough, there are plenty more options out there. One of my favorites is Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma — it delivers extremely addicting farming gameplay with the bonus of action RPG combat and boss battles. You also get to build and design the layouts of your town, too.

I also love Rune Factory 4 Special on Switch. Comparatively, Guardians of Azuma feels slightly more shallow. It took me less time to finish, and from what I’ve heard, the post-game content isn’t as meaty as Rune Factory 4 Special’s. But it also has modernised gameplay with improved quality of life features, better graphics, and its story and characters are just as good.

Hello Kitty Island Adventure (Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2)

I see Hello Kitty Island Adventure a bit like an unofficial sequel to Animal Crossing: New Horizons. While I haven’t played it for as long, it’s an excellent game that’s perfect for cozy gaming fans — and Hello Kitty lovers. Like Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the game is set on an island populated by cute critters, and you can decorate houses, catch fish and bugs, and customize your own character.

It has plenty of its own strengths that set it apart, too. The gameplay revolves around completing requests for Hello Kitty and friends, which gives you more to do than just decorating and redecorating. Plus, the game is well-written and very funny. Most events have custom dialogue, which is wonderful — I hate it when my Animal Crossing islanders spout the same lines every time I talk to them.

Fashion Dreamer (Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2)

Fashion Dreamer has its critics — perhaps fairly so. It’s a dress-up simulator priced at $49.99, which is a lot more expensive than the free flash-based dress up games I played online as a young’un. These days, its main competition is mobile games like Shining Nikki or Dress to Impress, that make money by selling premium clothing items through micro transactions.

I find Fashion Dreamer extremely relaxing to play — it’s a dress-up game through and through, with no frills (other than the ones on the clothes.) You start by creating your own avatar, then wander through a handful of well-decorated locations to find other characters that want you to choose outfits for them too. The clothing options are pretty much endless, since you can customize the in-game pieces by choosing your own color palettes.

I especially enjoyed creating outfits for other real-life players and seeing the outfits other people made for my avatar. That feature has sadly been lost with the closure of the game’s online servers. But I’ll still boot up Fashion Dreamer every now and then to flex my creative muscles by putting together an outfit or two. If the high price tag is scary, I still recommend grabbing a used copy or waiting for it to go on sale.

Samba de Amigo: Party Central (Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2)

Yes, I love rhythm games! Samba De Amigo: Party Central’s gameplay involves shaking your Joy-Con controllers like maracas to the beat. (You can also use button controls if you prefer.)

I think Samba De Amigo: Party Central is one of the best because I just love its licensed soundtrack. It includes some of the absolute best cheesy party hits you could ever ask for, from Macarena by Los Del Rio to Junior Senior’s Move Your Feet. I also got majorly addicted to the online multiplayer mode, World Party — it’s a knockout mode that gives you great motivation to keep coming back to try and take first place.

I always see great sales on Samba de Amigo Party Central, too. It’s so cheap that you have pretty much no reason not to grab a copy.

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Millie is a Deals Editor at Tom's Guide specializing in deals content. She also covers the latest tech news and and creates how-to articles about everything from phones, streaming devices, and headphones to apps and video games. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, gaming on her Nintendo Switch and creating digital art.