The Best Nintendo Switch Multiplayer Games

Nintendo consoles have a reputation for being excellent multiplayer machines, and the Switch just might be the Big N's best multiplayer system yet. Nintendo's hybrid console is loaded with fantastic multiplayer titles that you can enjoy just about anywhere, whether you want to dive into some Fortnite or Diablo online or get an impromptu Super Smash Bros. Ultimate session going in the middle of a picnic. From couch co-op essentials to competitive sports and fighting games, here are the best Switch games for your next big get-together.

Credit: Nintendo

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the pinnacle of Nintendo’s beloved all-star fighting franchise, with 74 characters and 100 stages that allow you and your friends to create the chaotic brawls of your dreams. The game’s massive roster is a love letter to all things video games, with newcomers like Simon Belmont, Ken Masters and Incineroar mixing it up with mainstays like Mario and Link and returning favorites like Solid Snake and Ice Climbers.

Ultimate is brimming with ways to play with friends, whether you want to have crazy 8-player brawls with items galore or get competitive with 1-on-1 matches. And with local and wireless support for up to 8 players, compatibility with everything from single Joy-Cons to Pro Controllers, and a bevy of online options, you’ll be able to settle those Smash grudge matches anytime, anywhere. – Mike Andronico

Credit: Nintendo

Diablo III: Eternal Collection

One of the most legendary action-RPGs of this generation feels more at home than ever on Nintendo Switch. Diablo III: Eternal Collection packs in all previously released content for Blizzard’s addicting loot-collecting slash-em up, allowing you and up to three friends to slay your way through both the core game and Reaper of Souls collection as one of 7 different classes. Speaking of teaming up, there’s no shortage of ways to play Diablo III with friends, whether you’re playing locally on the same TV, over local wireless with up to four Switches, or online with fellow demon hunters all over the globe. You even get some sweet Switch-exclusive gear inspired by The Legend of Zelda's Ganondorf. – Mike Andronico

Credit: Blizzard

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the biggest installment in the series yet, with tons of characters, dynamic track design, customizable vehicles and, best of all, Battle Mode. The fan-favorite game type that had all of us pulling all-nighters at our middle school sleepovers returns in Deluxe, after a brief absence in the original Mario Kart 8 on the Wii U — and it's a much better party game for it. — Adam Ismail

Credit: Nintendo

Capcom Beat 'Em Up Bundle

If you and your friends have fond memories of mindlessly mashing away at hordes of bad guys at your local arcade, the Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle is a must-have. This collection packages together seven Capcom arcade classics, from staples like Final Fight and Captain Commando to more obscure cuts such as The King of Dragons, Armored Warriors and Battle Circuit. The Beat ‘Em Up Bundle features save states, an art gallery and both online and local multiplayer support for every game, allowing you to relive the arcade experience both on your couch and on the road. – Mike Andronico

Resident Evil Revelations 2

Resident Evil Revelations 2 is built from the ground up for two-player co-op, putting you in control of characters who have to rely on one another's abilities to survive. Series veterans Claire Redfield and Barry Burton are teamed up with newcomers Moira Burton and Natalia Korda, respectively, meaning you'll have to use a mix of firepower, stealth and clever tactics to make it out of this episodic horror adventure. And once you do, you can still chase high scores in the endlessly replayable Raid Mode, in which you and a pal mow down hordes of undead either locally or online. — Mike Andronico

Credit: Capcom

Arms

You need two sets of Joy-Cons to get the most out of Arms, a bizarre fighting game that incorporates motion controls. In this competitive title, you'll take control of a warrior with inexplicably stretchy arms (no, it doesn't make any more sense in context). As you punch, dodge and block by actually moving your own (hopefully) nonspringy arms all around, you'll notice that the game packs a surprising amount of depth. Will you play defensively or go for broke with long combos and dangerous grapples? Either way, Arms is decent enough to play alone but an absolute blast with a partner. — Marshall Honorof

Credit: Nintendo

Mario Tennis Aces

If you like how Nintendo serves up its tennis games, you'll like Mario Tennis Aces. It has Joy-Con motion control support so you and up to three friends can go at it just like you did back when Wii Sports was hot to trot. It has a roster that includes Boo, also known as the best character in the Mario franchise. And, most importantly, it's a blast to play. Mario Tennis Aces is a fun, simple tennis game with a few neat mechanical gimmicks, such as trick shots and final-smash-esque special shots, thrown in to set it apart from the usual tennis game riffraff. But don't think that's a backhanded compliment: Aces' simplicity is its biggest strength, hence why it's so easy to lob this game into a party setting and get right to volleying. — Robert Carnevale

Credit: Nintendo

Overcooked

One of the most popular local multiplayer games on any platform, Overcooked is a co-op kitchen simulator in which you and up to three friends work frantically to prepare dishes in a busy kitchen. With tons of tasks to juggle at once, Overcooked sessions often fail in grand, hilarious fashion — but that's part of the fun. — Mike Andronico

Credit: Team17

Super Mario Party

You can’t have a Nintendo console without Mario Party, and Super Mario Party is one of the best entries yet in the iconic friendship-ruining multiplayer series. Super Mario Party mixes up the classic four-player Mario Party experience with character-specific dice, freely explorable boards and all kinds of wacky new rules. The game’s 80 mini-games use the Joy-Con’s HD rumble and motion controls in wildly inventive ways, whether you’re flipping steak on a pan or shaking candy out of a virtual jar. Factor in an online mini-game marathon mode and a special set of games that you can play across two separate Switch screens, and you’ve got the ultimate package for a long night of raucous, controller-throwing fun. – Mike Andronico

Rocket League

Three words: soccer with cars. The Switch is home to one of the craziest multiplayer sensations in gaming, which has two teams of cars pushing a massive ball toward each others' goals. The automotive thunderdome leads to crazy stunts, near misses and adrenaline rushes. While the concept is simple, the game takes a while to master, making each goal feel like a true achievement. When you take your skills online, you'll face challengers of all skill levels, making each match memorable.— Andrew E. Freedman

Credit: Psyonix

Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime

One of the finest couch co-op games out there, Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is a gorgeous and charming 2D space shoot-'em-up in which communication is key. You and up to three pals control various parts of a spherical spaceship, managing things such as weapons, shields and engines as you try to traverse the game's entrancingly colorful but increasingly deadly levels — Mike Andronico

Credit: Asteroid Base

Puyo Puyo Tetris

You hear the phrase "perfect for the Switch" bandied about a lot, but if it's actually true of any genre, it's true of puzzle games. These titles have relatively simple gameplay, so splitting up a couple pairs of Joy-Cons among four players is no big deal. Plus, Nintendo's hybrid system lets you take the fun on the road with you. Fortunately, the two most timeless puzzle games ever aren't just available for the Switch; they're also on the same cartridge. Puyo Puyo Tetris offers a plethora of game modes that mash up the two series in a variety of clever ways, where mastery of both blobs and bricks is equally crucial to success. Of course, you could play the two titles independently, but where's the Joy-Con-throwing fun in that? — Adam Ismail

Credit: SEGA

Splatoon 2

Splatoon 2 is Nintendo multiplayer at its finest: easy to pick up and surprisingly hard to master. This vibrant online shooter is all about covering the battlefield with colorful ink, putting a refreshingly accessible spin on the genre and packing in plenty of hidden depth as you work your way up the ranks. Splatoon 2 also introduces an excellent four-player, co-op, horde mode called Salmon Run, which you can enjoy both online and over local wireless when you have multiple Switches. — Mike Andronico

Credit: Nintendo

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle

Although the main campaign in Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is a single-player affair, you can still get in some co-op action. The game's cooperative missions become available early on, so you and one of your friends can collaborate to take on the tactical challenges within the Buddydome. Each player grabs two characters — choose from among Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi and all of their Rabbid counterparts — and then you set forth to tackle increasingly difficult maps, full of foes from the campaign. The only downside is that you won't earn anything that carries over into the single-player game — but the game did recently receive a multiplayer battle mode for more local fun. — Marshall Honorof

Credit: Ubisoft

Snipperclips

A couch co-op game all about communication, Snipperclips challenges you and a friend to cut each other's characters into unique shapes in order to solve puzzles. Between the core two-player game and its four-player party mode, Snipperclips is a perfect fit for puzzle fans craving something quirky and multiplayer-friendly. — Mike Andronico

Credit: Nintendo

Fortnite

If you want to be one of the cool kids who wears bulbous tomato masks while shooting strangers and constructing walls a la Minecraft, Fortnite is the free-to-play 100-person battle royale game for you. It's got everything: easy to play, hard to master shooting-building hybrid gameplay, a wealth of unlockable content (don't forget to buy some V-bucks with real-world money if you want the best costumes) and a wacky color palette so scattered and intoxicating that it's basically a living Jackson Pollock painting. Though it's a bit of a niche indie title at the moment, it's steadily accruing quite the playerbase on Switch and should keep any young'uns happy well into their early teens, likely around the same time this game becomes obsolete in 2023. Between now and then, download Fortnite for free and get gunning for that chicken dinner!... Wait… — Robert Carnevale

Credit: Epic Games

Lego Marvel Superheroes 2

Lego Marvel Superheroes 2 is one of the most charming and robust Lego games yet, and it has no shortage of local multiplayer options. Up to two players can enjoy the main game, whether you and a friend want to breeze through the story or freely explore the massive world of Chronopolis as the likes of Iron Man, Star-Lord and Spider-Man. There's also a four-player battle-arena mode — perfect for settling those debates over which of the game's 200-plus superheroes is best. — Mike Andronico

Credit: Warner Bros