I’ve been a huge Nintendo fan for as long as I can remember – and for most of my life my one true gaming love has been Pokémon. I’ve journeyed through Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh and more – and I’ve loved every single second. With my trusty Oddish’s by my side I’ve stopped bad guys, beaten rivals and become the Champion countless times. It still is my favourite thing to play…but you won’t see it on this list.

I’ve been lucky enough in my life to have owned a version of pretty much every Nintendo console and now that I’m lucky enough to have a job, I can carry on spending extortionate amounts of my income on Nintendo consoles and Pokémon games. So when the Switch was announced I was understandably very excited. I was also in the middle of my MA.

I knew that if I bought the Switch there was no way I would concentrate on work. And so, I put away money each month to save up for the day I finished my MA and could go out and buy it – my own Nintendo Switch. And let me tell you…it was beautiful.

I’m a huge fan of the design, the ergonomics, and most of all the impressive games library.

So, why no Pokémon? They’ve been some of the most successful games on Switch, and yes, I love them a lot. But for me the Switch signalled a new era in my gaming life. I wanted to branch out and try new things – indie games, other people’s favourites, and of course, some classics.

So here are my top 5 Switch games. They have each brought me tremendous amounts of joy and I will likely continue to love the Switch until its dying day. I highly recommend checking these out if you haven’t already.

5. Fortnite

This free to play game boggled my mind with how quickly it became popular, and just how bad I was at it. I’ve managed to improve over the years – and whilst the concept is simple, it’s highly effective and immensely fun. Fortnite is on this list for one main reason though, and that’s the multiplayer option.

My brother and I have spent countless hours playing duos and it is some of the most fun I’ve had in a game with him for a while. Purely for the memories, Fortnite is at number 5.

4. Hollow Knight

I was pretty late to the party with Hollow Knight, I also had no idea what ‘metroidvania’ meant. However, I was looking for something fun, not too expensive, with a big world to explore. I was not disappointed.

Hollow Knight is a beautiful game. The art style alone should be enough to sell you on it, but Team Cherry have done an amazing job with characterisation, art styles, combat, mechanics and music!

Hollow Knight is atmospheric, a little frustrating (in a good way) and can provide hours of entertainment. I love this little game so much, and can’t wait to see what else Team Cherry will produce.

3. Super Mario Odyssey

Next to Pokémon, Super Mario is my most played game franchise, I have travelled across literal galaxies just to save Peach from Bowser only for her to be snatched up again. Honestly I’m beginning to think she actually just likes Bowser.

Super Mario Odyssey was the first game I picked up for the Switch, and when I went to buy it the guy behind the counter looked at me wistfully and said ‘You are going to have so much fun with that’ – he wasn’t wrong. Super Mario Odyssey is an excellent addition to the Mario family. Its huge storyline, imaginative level design and just downright playability means I have sunk hours into it, and still have a fair way to go – those moons just keep eluding me.

You can never go wrong with a classic Mario game. And you can’t get much more right than Super Mario Odyssey.

2. Witcher III: Wild Hunt

I have never played a big, open-world fantasy game. As far as I knew all the good ones were on PC and I have only ever had a laptop and certainly not a strong enough one to play games like this. Having never been into Xbox or PlayStation either, it was with delight that I saw reviews of Witcher III:Wild Hunt praising the Switch port.

I was recommended this by a friend of mine who has spent well over 200 hours in game, we’ve really enjoyed chatting about the world, the characters and discovering the book series!

It’s by far my most expensive game purchase ever, but hands down worth it. The world is HUGE, detailed and vibrant. The story is nuanced and impactful and the gameplay altogether is an absolute masterpiece. I’m glad this was my introduction to large RPG fantasy games because oh boy is it fantastic. I honestly can’t believe the size of the game every time I turn it on, and the reviews are right- we are so lucky to have it on Switch. Never have I been so absorbed, so completely in a gaming world – I nearly cried the first time I failed a challenge because I hadn’t learnt about time based ones yet, so badly did I want that perfect score sheet.

I can tell I’m going to be playing this one for YEARS to come, the difficulty levels mean that there’s so much replay-ability potential. Not only that but I’ve made friends because of it and have explored the world of The Witcher to my heart’s content. I’ve also played too much Gwent. I see those cards in my sleep now.

I love everything about this world, and really I’m only just beginning. You can expect much more raving about The Witcher from me in the future. I can’t wait.

1. Stardew Valley

Back in the days of Facebook gaming, I was a bit of a FarmVille fiend. I was obsessed with it.

Then I grew up and discovered Stardew Valley on my laptop. I played over 150 hours and had never before lost track of time in the way that I did when playing Stardew. The meticulous detail and impressive gameplay was my go-to for relaxation. The music lulled me and slowly, I lost my heart to this gentle farming simulator, in a way that I never could with the likes of Animal Crossing.

It continued onto the Nintendo Switch, only now it was portable. No longer stuck for something to do on the train to work, I set about catching fish, chopping trees and generally building an amazing life – whilst simultaneously escaping my actual life. It’s ideal.

I’m joking of course, I actually do love my job, but there is something inordinately charming about this game which makes it difficult to put down. In addition, when I learnt it was all done by one person, from the art style, to the music to the gameplay – I was gobsmacked. This game is a huge achievement, and I look forward to the future of the game – Concerned Ape is already teasing loads of new features in the next update so you can bet I’ve got many more hours to put in on Stardew Valley.

That’s it! I hope you like my list, and if you haven’t tried any of these games I hope I’ve inspired you to at least take a look at them.

Have you played any of these? What are your favourites? Do you have any favourites that aren’t on this list? Let me know!

Disclaimer: All images used in this post are property of Nintendo, I am merely using them for illustrative purposes.