The Nintendo Switch: a fascinating console that provides a platform for Nintendo's biggest successes, beloved indie games, and games that aren't afraid to break the boundaries and try something new. One aspect of gaming that has largely been relegated to cellphones is touchscreen capability, which had its heyday with the Nintendo DS and 3Ds.
Because the Switch is both the successor to the Wii U and the 3DS, it allows for all kinds of games to be played in whatever way the player wants, which includes the touchscreen. This list will showcase 10 great games on the Switch that actually take advantage of the touchscreen.
10 Dandara
Based on the Afro-Brazilian warrior Dandara from Brazil's colonial period, this 2D platformer and Metroidvania sees the player control Dandara, who can travel throughout the game's worlds using warping powers. It features vibrant pixel graphics along with an atmospheric soundtrack composed by Thommaz Kauffmann. This game has made it onto a variety of platforms, including iOS, Xbox One, and, of course, Nintendo Switch. Another positive aspect of Dandara is its emphasis on touchscreen controls, which help the game flow effortlessly and make the game thrive on the Switch during handheld mode.
9 The Darkside Detective
A genre like point-and-click adventure games may have once been thought obsolete in our current age of gaming, but The Darkside Detective proves that point-and-click is alive and well, and is a genre that can adapt and thrive.
Developed by Spooky Doorway, this supernatural detective game features a classic cop duo who keep Twin Lakes City safe from evil forces. This game benefits from being fully playable with the Switch tablet alone, thanks to its touchscreen controls. The game had a limited release of 5,000 physical copies for the Nintendo Switch, and a sequel (or Season 2) is currently in the works.
8 Bridge Constructor Portal
Bridge Constructor Portal is a unique gem of a game that some fans of the Portal series might not be aware of. Like any bridge constructor game, the goal is to build a bridge (or two) to help the required vehicles reach the goal. This game adds the extra challenge of having Portals (along with Aperture Science's many scientific inventions) be a crucial part of puzzle-solving.
Bridge Constructor Portal is improved by its touchscreen controls, possibly making it the superior version of the game. If you missed out on this, consider grabbing it from the eShop.
7 Golf Peaks
In life, there are many mountains to climb; this applies to video games as well. In Golf Peaks, the player can climb a mountain while simultaneously playing golf, which sounds like the most exhilarating (and dangerous) game of golf.
Golf Peaks is a unique sports-themed puzzle game that has over 120 levels to solve, and uses a card system to dictate which movements the player can make. This touchscreen-friendly title is affordable and requires no prior knowledge of golf as a sport.
6 Bayonetta 1 & 2
Hack and slash action-adventure games may not be the first genre one thinks of when it comes to touchscreen capability, but the Bayonetta series delivers that niche with help from the Switch.
The player controls Bayonetta, a witch who awakens from a 500-year sleep with total amnesia and in an unfamiliar city. With access to shapeshifting, firearms, and demonic summoning power, the Bayonetta series has amassed a large fanbase who eagerly await its third game.
5 SteamWorld Heist
SteamWorld Heist is another successful entry in the SteamWorld series developed by Image & Form. It was released on an abundance of consoles, including the Nintendo 3DS, Playstation 4, iOS, Wii U, and eventually the Nintendo Switch. Both a turn-based strategy game and action-adventure, the player controls Captain Piper Faraday as she puts on heists across space with her team of robots, looting and shooting through enemy spaceships. With procedurally-generated levels and over 100 weapons to collect, SteamWorld Heist offers epic action with a welcome side of touch controls.
4 Thimbleweed Park
Thimbleweed Park is another example of how point-and-click games flock to the Nintendo Switch thanks to its versatility in gameplay. Designed by Ron Gilbert and Gary Winnick, the story features two federal agents who are ordered to investigate a murder in the town of Thimbleweed Park.
The game plays in the style of early graphic adventure games such as The Secret of Monkey Island, in which Gilbert was also the designer and director of back in 1990. Many consider Thimbleweed Park to be a mastering of the formula, made to emulate a lost LucasArts game from 1987.
3 7 Billion Years
Many Nintendo fans love puzzle games, and there are plenty of great titles to go around on the Nintendo eShop. One such game is 7 Billion Humans, developed by studio Tomorrow Corporation. The game gives players over 60 programming puzzles to solve, which all must be written in advance and reworked until perfected.
The game was released on iOS and Switch within two months of each other, and offer excellent touch controls to make the programming easier to manage.
2 L.A. Noire
One of the most well-known mystery games out there, L.A. Noire was originally released in 2011 on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, but has endured long enough to see a release on the Nintendo Switch in 2017. The game is a neo-noir detective game that follows recent World War II Veteran Cole Phelps, a detective who begins to rise the ranks of the LAPD. The game is developed by Rockstar and has a similar engine and play-style to Grand Theft Auto, but can be played largely with the Switch's touch controls.
1 Burly Men at Sea
Burly Men at Sea refers to itself as a "folktale," pulling from Scandanavian folklore in the form of sea creatures and other dangers these burly men may face.
It's is a blend of visual novel and point-and-click adventure games, making it the perfect candidate for touchscreen controls. The game features a unique aesthetic and style, as well as a branching story that can be shaped by the player.