8 Best Family Switch Games That You Should Know Update 04/2024

Best Family Switch Games

Co-op multiplayer games are a lot of fun on Nintendo’s Switch, but if you want to play games with your kids and grandma and grandpa, it can be hard to find games that everyone will enjoy. We know from personal experience how hard it is to keep a child’s attention without sacrificing your own. Let them win so they don’t cry or say “I’m bored,” but it would be nice if we could have fun, too.

But there’s a better way with Switch. When it comes to family games, there isn’t a better console than the Nintendo Switch. Here, we’ve chosen the best family games for the Nintendo Switch. These are games that everyone can enjoy, not just kids. They have a good mix of fun and accessibility, so everyone can have a good time.

People of all ages should enjoy these Switch games, whether they have handicap systems and accessibility features that let you tailor the experience to each player’s abilities, or they’re simple enough for everyone to learn quickly. These games should keep both adults and kids happy. The winner is everyone!

So, let’s take a look at some of the best family games on Nintendo Switch.

1. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch)

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has a lot of optional helpers, like motion-control steering, Smart Steering, and auto-acceleration, that make it great for everyone in the room (up to four people on one Switch), no matter what their skill level is at the wheel. The race might take a little time to make sure everyone has the right aids turned on or off before the race starts, and more than once we’ve sneakily turned on one or more aids without telling a proud 5-year-old. But once it’s set up, everyone has a good time, no matter what their age or ability is. Few games are able to do that well.

2. Luigi’s Mansion 3 (Switch)

If you want to play Luigi’s Mansion 3 alone, it’s a great game. You can also play the whole game with a friend or loved one in co-op mode. Player One controls Luigi, and Player Two controls Gooigi. This makes for a mostly symmetrical experience. The person at the helm of OG Luigi is in charge of most of the time, but Gooigi’s inability to get hit by spikes and other obstacles makes this a great game to play with kids or a less skilled gamer. The co-op mode isn’t available right away. You’ll have to progress through the story a little to get it. Co-op mode is great for exploring the hilariously different floors of the hotel while collecting comical ghosts and money. There are a lot of multiplayer minigames for up to eight people that finish off this pretty, spooky package.

3. Overcooked! All You Can Eat (Switch)

Overcooked! All You Can Eat

One of the best co-op games ever made. It includes both games in the series, Overcooked! All You Can Eat is a time management game set in a kitchen. If you and up to three other people don’t work together quickly enough, your customers will leave the restaurant angry. There are simple recipes at the start, but soon you’ll be chopping and mixing ingredients and making things like fried, steaming, boiling, and baking things. The Overcooked 2: Gourmet Edition comes with seasonal DLC and cute characters that you can play with your friends. It’s a co-op treat that the whole family will enjoy.

Here, you can play the original game Overcooked: Special Edition. If you want a more limited co-op experience, this is the game for you. Things can get pretty hectic as the game progresses. It’s important to keep your tempers in check because this is all about teamwork and communication. Even the smallest amount of competitiveness will make its way to the surface, so you should be careful not to get angry. It might be too much for very young kids, but the sense of collective victory when you win makes this a great team-building game. Remember that there is no “I” in “family.”

Oh, hold on.

4. Super Mario Maker 2 (Switch)

At the touch of a button, you can make your own 2D Mario courses and switch between the styles of classic games and newer ones. The game is full of enemies, themes, game styles, gizmos, and powerups. There is also a co-op builder mode that lets two people work together to build a level at the same time. In truth, this may be a little too much work (too many cooks and all that).

Mario Maker 2 is best when it’s played as a “handover” game. Little Timmy takes the Switch and builds his course, then gives it to you to try and beat. If you’re not a Mario fan, you can learn together with the game’s tutorials. You can make levels that are just right for your child’s abilities, or you can learn together as the game shows you what makes a good level. And thanks to an update, you can now make Worlds and link your levels together to make a bigger experience. If you have the patience and skill to play Mario Maker, it can be a great game to play with your whole family.

5. 1-2-Switch (Switch)

1-2-Switch

Even though it didn’t set the world on fire when it first came out, 1-2-Switch is an absolute blast when played with friends or family. It should have been a game that came with your Switch to show off its unique features. It’s made up of a lot of little two-player games. What it lacks in length, it makes up for with the kind of social appeal that made Wii Sports a favourite in so many homes around the world.

When you play, you have to look at your opponent’s eyes instead of their TV screen. Instructions show up on the screen, but the lighthearted competitive activities like counting vibrations, drawing with your Joy-Con, and trying to balance the other player don’t use the TV at all, so they don’t need to be on the TV at all. If you can find 1-2-Switch for a good price, you should try it. It’s great when you’re in a group.

6. Kirby and the Forgotten Land

A puffball who can absorb power is one of the most upbeat game characters out there. Kirby has been a bright spot in Nintendo’s multiverse for a long time. If you like Kirby, you’ll love Nintendo’s new game. It’s a 3D platformer with lots of secrets, fun powers, and a level of difficulty that’s not too hard for young kids. Two great Kirby games are on the Switch, but Forgotten Land should be at the top of your list. Check out our review.

7. Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain

Big Brain Academy Brain vs. Brain

Years ago, Nintendo had the Brain Age series that was full of math and logic quick-reaction puzzles to “train your brain.” One of those games was called Big Brain Academy. If you have a Nintendo Switch, this version of the game is all about two- to four-player games of math, logic, and analysis games. It rewards quick thinking. A “test” of your speedy skills is done every day, and there are also chances to try to beat the ghosts of people who have died. If there were more games like this on the Switch, I’d be happy. You can use touchscreens instead of controllers to play some games, like two-player games where you play against each other. People can try out a free game on the Nintendo eShop before they buy it to see if they like it. Find out if you like it.

8. WarioWare: Get It Together

WarioWare games, if you’ve never played them, involve surviving rapid waves of strange arcade-like quick-reaction minigames. Get It Together is a game for two people to play together and compete against each other. It has a lot of different game modes and arcade-style challenges. If it’s on sale, it’s a good idea. Check out our review of WarioWare to learn more about the game.