The puzzle genre has adapted incredibly well to the Nintendo Switch as a platform. Because of its unique gameplay mechanics, industry-changing controller, and impressive capabilities, the console has become home to a wide range of puzzle games. Titles like Puyo Puyo, Moving Out, or Carto flip the genre on its head and provide whimsical family fun.
These titles all approach the puzzle genre itself cleverly. Playing off of well-known Nintendo characters, morphing what audiences have come to know about the traditional side-scroller, and even introducing battle royale modes to famous games like Tetris; the Nintendo console has certainly made waves in this gaming category. There are many alternative puzzling adventures on offer on Switch.
15 LEGO Titles
TT Games and Warner Bros. Entertainment Interactive have worked with some of the biggest titles and franchises in the world to create LEGO games on the Switch. All the releases from this line have been extraordinary, with brilliant animation, gameplay mechanics, and excellent comedy moments. While they might be adventure titles, often with open worlds, LEGO-style puzzle-solving is a huge aspect of these games. Ultimately, they are more fun when played in co-op, meaning players can work together, as a number of familiar characters, to solve some of the riddles and physical challenges.
14 Moving Out (2020)
Moving Out from SMG Studio, Devm Games, and Team17 is a modern classic within the puzzle genre. Co-op play is available on the Nintendo Switch, as the players team up to try and move all the items out of a designated house. It's not as easy as it sounds though, with other challenges popping up to complete.
The fun cartoon nature of the visuals adds something to this hyperactive puzzle experience, which can turn chaotic extremely quickly. What's so tricky about the game is that players will have to work out the best route for larger objects, how to pick up heavy items, and how to dodge the many challenging obstacles. Moving Out makes chores fun on the Nintendo Switch.
13 Picross S6 (2021)
Sometimes a puzzle game needs to take it back to basics, and that's exactly what the Picross series has been doing since its initial release in 2007. Always popular, Jupiter Corporation might have put out the best variation of this title yet on Switch. It's incredibly simple in its concept, with a grid-like design and number puzzles forming the basis of the idea. However, it's highly addictive and satisfying to complete, with an intuitive interface and perfect sound design. There's something very calming about the title.
12 Snipperclips Plus (2017)
From SFB Games and Nintendo comes the absolutely ridiculous puzzle game, Snipperclips Plus which builds on the Snipperclips brand by adding additional levels and lots more fun. The stationary-themed title is packed full of humor-filled situations to unravel. As a hilarious couch co-op, it really has thought of it all, crafting puzzles that involve interactivity above everything else. It's whimsical and fast-paced, with the worlds that the player travels through showcasing all of their imaginative detail. It's never too frustrating either.
11 Yoshi's Crafted World (2019)
Good-Feel and Nintendo went to work on one of the most unique Mario world titles, Yoshi's Crafted World. The beautifully designed levels take players across multiple different settings, as they hunt down the gems that have been stolen. In the process, they go along a platformer style of game with a difference. While it might feel a bit like a traditional side-scroller, this isn't a simple beat-em-up. Instead, players can work together or independently, to solve the different physical puzzles that await Yoshi in his cardboard-crafted world while collecting all the hidden coins and daisies along the way.
10 Untitled Goose Game (2019)
The Untitled Goose Game really took the industry by storm. As an independent title with a strange premise, it was always possible that the game could have lived in obscurity. But developer House House ensured it would be memorable, challenging, fun, and visually stimulating despite its length.
Available on other consoles, there's nothing like picking up the Switch to try and solve some of these complex puzzles. Figuring out how to attempt to carry a bell across the entirety of a town, breaking into a pub, and tricking the neighbors into thinking the goose is a statue are all fun experiences. There are so many activities to tick off on this seemingly never-ending list of tasks in Untitled Goose Game.
9 Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires' Conspiracy (2017)
The Professor Layton franchise has been a staple of Nintendo for some time, but the Switch has continued to reinvent the title for old and new fans alike. The game series has often been the measuring stick of the puzzle genre, with players acting as detectives trying to solve many complicated mysteries. From mini-games to wordplay, riddles, and physical challenges, one of the games, Layton's Mystery Journey, focuses on the Professor's daughter and sees players interact with all of these sorts of puzzles. Level-5 made a smart move in making Katrielle the protagonist for the seventh installment.
8 Human Fall Flat (2017)
Human Fall Flat is an independent title, developed by No Brakes Games and Codeglue. Its gameplay is certainly unique enough to make for some hilarious moments and because of this, it is one of the most light-hearted additions to the genre and acts as one of the best co-op games. Players have to solve a number of tricky puzzles to try and get their character to the next level, but the problem is that the protagonists of Human Fall Flat are incredibly difficult to control and move. It's available on a variety of platforms, from consoles like the Xbox One to mobile devices and of course, the Nintendo Switch.
7 Tetris 99 (2019)/Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 (2020)
Tetris is an absolutely classic title, so those who want to experience the arcade puzzle game in some of its original glory will likely enjoy Tetris 99, which feels like a real throwback brought to modern consoles. However, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 is also worth a mention. A modern take on the puzzle game, it combines a couple of different Nintendo brands, with appearances from even the likes of Sonic the Hedgehog. It's fast-paced and exciting, and while it might not appeal to Tetris purists, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 on Nintendo Switch is certainly a welcome step for the franchise.
6 Pokémon Café Mix (2020)
The Pokémon franchise has stepped into a variety of genres. Inspired partially by mobile platform puzzle games, PokémonCafé Mix is compatible with smartphone devices as well. In this fun little game, players build their own café where they can expand and customize their space, and bring in new Pokémon staff and customers while solving unique puzzles that play into the franchise's strengths.
