Updated with removals and new entries for the final half of 2023. So much for Switch owners still to look forward to this year. Enjoy!
2023 is turning out to be a year full of games, to no one’s real surprise, but which ones are the most exciting? Which ones have us saving up our Nintendo eShop Gold Points? And which one was a Zelda sequel that had us foaming at the mouth? The answers may (not) surprise you.
We’re over halfway through the year now, and although Tears of the Kingdom has come and gone, but Switch has plenty more left in the 2023 tank. Below we’ve rounded up 30 of the biggest Switch games we’re looking forward to. They run the gamut from AAA first-party offerings to promising-looking indies. We’ll no doubt be adding to (and subtracting from) this list as the remaining months go by.
Switch’s 2023 got off to a good start with Fire Emblem Engage, a pair of Persona ports, Theatrhythm Final Bar Line, Octopath Traveler II, a Metroid Prime Remastered shadow-drop, a Deluxe edition of a Kirby classic, and the long-awaited arrival of Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, but there’s plenty more in the pipeline over the coming months.
Updated with removals and new entries for the final half of 2023. So much for Switch owners still to look forward to this year. Enjoy!
2023 is turning out to be a year full of games, to no one’s real surprise, but which ones are the most exciting? Which ones have us saving up our Nintendo eShop Gold Points? And which one was a Zelda sequel that had us foaming at the mouth? The answers may (not) surprise you.
We’re over halfway through the year now, and although Tears of the Kingdom has come and gone, but Switch has plenty more left in the 2023 tank. Below we’ve rounded up 30 of the biggest Switch games we’re looking forward to. They run the gamut from AAA first-party offerings to promising-looking indies. We’ll no doubt be adding to (and subtracting from) this list as the remaining months go by.
Switch’s 2023 got off to a good start with Fire Emblem Engage, a pair of Persona ports, Theatrhythm Final Bar Line, Octopath Traveler II, a Metroid Prime Remastered shadow-drop, a Deluxe edition of a Kirby classic, and the long-awaited arrival of Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, but there’s plenty more in the pipeline over the coming months.
Let’s take a look at our most anticipated Switch games for the months ahead…
Publisher: Koei Tecmo / Developer: Kou Shibusawa
In celebration of the Nobunaga series’ 40th anniversary, Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening aims to bring together classic characters, music, and events from previous games. Plus, this is the first entry in the series we’ve seen in the West for a while. This series is a big deal, and those who have played the games love them, so we’re excited to see where this one stands when it drops on 20th July.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo EPD
As revealed (finally!) in the September 2022 Nintendo Direct, Pikmin 4 is a thing, a real video game with a 21st July 2023 release window that’s definitely not a figment of Shigeru Miyamoto’s fevered imagination.
Its announcement ended many years of speculation as to its status, and we’re anxious to catch up with Olimar and the crew to see what’s new in the world of those plant-y little guys.
Please note that some external links on this page are affiliate links, which means if you click them and make a purchase we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Please read our FTC Disclosure for more information.
Publisher: Maximum Games / Developer: Secret Base
After a six-year-long absence, classic beat ’em up Double Dragon returns with a brand new entry. Developed by the team behind Streets of Red – Devil’s Dare Deluxe, Billy and Jimmy Lee are back in Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons on 27th July along with 13 playable characters and a co-op update coming after release.
Publisher: Disney Games / Developer: Dlala Studios
Although the title sounds like a mash-up of previous Disney games, Disney Illusion Island offers a gorgeously animated co-op Cuphead-meets-Mickey Mouse adventure platformer that actually seems pretty darn great. Is it even fair to compare it to Cuphead when the House of Mouse helped to popularise the rubber hose animation style in the first place?! It’s coming to Switch on 28th July 2023.
Publisher: Poncle / Developer: Poncle
Destroyed your thumbs playing this mobile phenomenon one-handed? Thank goodness for this Switch port coming on 17th August 2023! We’ve been wanting this for a long time — if only to give our RSIs a rest. Good game, this, and likely to be equally good on Switch. We’ll see in August.
Publisher: Team Reptile / Developer: Team Reptile
We are psyched for this funky Jet Set Radio-for-the-modern-era game to come out. We’re had our eye on this bombastic colour-fest with funky music and skating action for a while, and we can finally take to the streets in Bomb Rush Cyberfunk on 18th August 2023.
Publisher: Team17 / Developer: The Game Kitchen
Revealed in the most tight-lipped way back in 2021, Blasphemous II will be bringing is gory slasher action back to Switch on 24th August 2023. Bringing three brand new weapons to the table and plenty more stunning pixel art, we’ll be receiving our judgement later this year on Switch all over again.
Publisher: Sabotage / Developer: Sabotage
From what we’ve seen so far, Sea of Stars is off to a fabulous start, as we said in our 2020 preview, but release plans were scuppered thanks to a certain little pandemic. It was supposed to launch in 2022 but got pushed into 2023 and is now scheduled for launch on 29th Aug 2023.
Sabotage Studio — known for their first game, The Messenger — seems committed to respecting not only the traditions of classic 16-bit RPGs but also the modern gamer’s time. It appears to be a true and exciting fusion of past and present; we just hope the long wait was worth it.
Publisher: Marvelous (XSEED) / Developer: Neverland
Another remake of a beloved farming game from days of yore, Rune Factory 3 Special follows warm on the heels of the excellent Rune Factory 4 remake for Switch. Sure, it’s no Elden Ring, but on 5th September, we’ll be diving back into the world of Rune Factory once more.
Publisher: Phoenix Labs
Fae Farm promises the depth of Stardew Valley and the charm of Fantasy Life in its gorgeous co-op farming sim, which is scheduled for release on 8th September 2023. It’s incredibly pretty, and even though this list has a fair few farmy games on it already, we think Fae Farm looks like it’ll bring something new and magical to the genre.
Publisher: Aspyr / Developer: Beamdog
Inspired by Saturday morning cartoons, MythForce is a first-person roguelike combining lots of melee-style and sword-based combat with archery in a fantasy world that will appeal to anyone with a fondness for ’80s TV animation. It’s coming on 12th September 2023.
Publisher: Bandai Namco / Developer: Logicalbeat
After months of rumours, Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster was finally revealed during the February 2023 Nintendo Direct. Originally developed by one Monolith Soft, this collection contains two cult classic card-based RPGs released on the GameCube, with a story penned by Masato Kato (Chrono Cross), these are relics that deserve a second shuffle, and we’re excited to grab our decks on 14th September 2023 (or 15th September for those of you in Europe).
Publisher: PM Studios / Developer: Pathea Games
My Time at Sandrock leaves early access and comes to Switch on 26th September. The follow-up to My Time at Portia is looking to improve on the sequel in every way, including the performance woes from the original’s Switch port. Multiplayer is coming to Switch post-launch, otherwise, the move to the desert can’t come soon enough.