The Best Adventure exploration Games for Nintendo Switch

Update : Open Roads added at rank #25.
1

Alba: a Wildlife Adventure (2020)

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90
Review score
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IOS iPhone Nintendo Switch PC Windows Xbox One

Alba: A Wildlife Adventure takes you to a beautiful Mediterranean island to save endangered animals and clean up litter. With over 60 species to document, using your phone app, you'll go on an adventure to make a difference in the world around us. Enjoy a relaxing and feel-good experience with a great soundtrack and stunning visuals. Join Alba and her friend Ines and help them on their mission to save the island and the world!

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What we like:
  • Cute and wholesome with calming music and nice art
  • Addictive gameplay focused on exploring and photographing wildlife
  • Strong sub-theme of photography
  • Fun story with a good message
  • Bug-free and runs smoothly
What could be improved:
  • Limited achievements
  • Traversal can be boring towards the end of the game
  • Game could have been longer with more content

  • exploration
  • open-world
  • adventure
  • relaxing
  • cartoony
  • nature
  • collector
  • creature
  • cute
  • colourful
  • family-friendly
  • construction
  • economy
  • 3d
  • table

2

A Short Hike (2019)

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99
Review score
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PC Windows Mac OS Nintendo Switch Playstation 4 Xbox One Linux

Join Claire on her vacation and take a hike to the top of Hawk Peak in A Short Hike. Meet quirky characters, gather collectibles and uncover secrets across the charming island park. Enjoy the original soundtrack that perfectly captures the game's atmosphere. Don't let the game's title fool you, there's plenty of adventure waiting for you on this short hike.


What we like:
  • Immersive gameplay with a captivating story and charming characters
  • Beautiful pixel art and evocative soundtrack that complement the game's atmosphere perfectly
  • Rich and detailed world with lots of secrets to uncover
  • Short and concise game that provides an enjoyable and fulfilling experience
  • Great value for money
What could be improved:
  • Cumbersome inventory system
  • No map

  • park
  • relaxing
  • exploration
  • cute
  • adventure
  • flight
  • open-world
  • walking-simulator
  • inventory
  • parkour
  • funny
  • nature
  • platform
  • vertical
  • short

3

Outer Wilds (2019)

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94
Review score
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Xbox One Android Nintendo Switch Playstation 5 Xbox Series X PC Windows Playstation 4

Unravel the mysteries of the universe in Outer Wilds, an award-winning open world game. Explore an ever-evolving solar system, uncover alien secrets, and enjoy a thought-provoking narrative. With no enemies to fight, you're free to discover at your own pace. Get ready for an unforgettable adventure in space!

Buy

What we like:
  • Unique and immersive gameplay experience
  • Beautiful and intricate world-building
  • Thought-provoking narrative
  • Encourages fearless discovery
  • Captures the mysteries of the universe
What could be improved:
  • May cause motion sickness
  • Game's physics can lead to unexpected deaths

  • exploration
  • mystery
  • discovery
  • puzzle
  • open-world
  • space
  • sci-fi
  • endless
  • adventure
  • story
  • first-person
  • day
  • narrative

4

TOEM (2021)

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90
Review score
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PC Windows Linux Mac OS Xbox Series X/s Playstation 5 Nintendo Switch Xbox One

Embark on a heartwarming journey in TOEM, a delightful photography game set in a magical black-and-white world. Help quirky characters, solve puzzles, and capture the beauty of your surroundings with your camera. Enjoy the relaxing landscape, chill beats, and the freedom to explore at your own pace. Despite its short length, TOEM's charming and pressure-free gameplay will leave you wanting more.

Buy

What we like:
  • Sweet art style
  • Cute music
  • Engaging and addictive gameplay
  • Freedom to complete quests at own pace
  • Dense and filled with opportunities for photography
What could be improved:
  • Relatively short game
  • Limited camera movement
  • Absence of a fast travel system
  • Almost entirely in black and white

  • editing
  • hand-drawn
  • photo
  • relaxing
  • cute
  • exploration
  • puzzle
  • adventure
  • soundtrack
  • photography
  • cozy
  • wholesome
  • music
  • funny
  • nature

5

Axiom Verge 2 (2021)

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83
Review score
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Playstation 4 Nintendo Switch wii u vita PC Windows Mac OS Linux

Dive into Axiom Verge 2, an epic adventure that takes you into a mysterious parallel universe. As Indra, unravel the secrets of this world, battling monsters, hacking machines, and exploring ancient ruins. With intriguing gameplay, unique combat mechanics, and a refreshing protagonist, this game offers an immersive, fast-paced, and thrilling experience.

Buy

What we like:
  • Excellent game design with a lot to discover
  • Unique combat mechanics that encourage stealth and hacking
  • Refreshing protagonist that breaks stereotypes
  • Improved aesthetic with varied pixel art and haunting music
  • Gameplay is fast-paced and responsive with a diverse array of weapons
What could be improved:
  • Level tree imbalance and unclear progression at times
  • Combat feels optional and some weapons are underutilized
  • Occasional confusion in navigating the open world
  • Less emphasis on bosses and limited weapon options

  • boss
  • exploration
  • platform
  • metroid
  • retro
  • boss-fight
  • classic
  • sci-fi
  • alternate
  • pixel
  • combat
  • metroidvania
  • narrative
  • adventure
  • fight

6

Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story (2022)

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77
Review score
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Nintendo Switch Xbox Series X/s PC Windows Playstation 4 Playstation 5 Xbox One Xbox Series X j

Two best friends, one wild adventure. Join best friends Nunu and Willump on an adventure across the frozen wilds of the Freljord. Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story is a single-player story adventure developed by Tequila Works.

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  • puzzle
  • story
  • adventure
  • platform
  • narrative
  • fight
  • exploration
  • combat
  • rpg
  • single-player
  • action
  • battle
  • boss-fight
  • moba
  • -combat

7

Beacon Pines (2022)

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87
Review score
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Xbox Series X Nintendo Switch PC Windows Xbox One

Dive into the mysteries of Beacon Pines, a charming yet eerie adventure where you control the fate of the story. As Luka, you'll uncover hidden truths, meet memorable characters, and explore stunning hand-drawn landscapes. With multiple endings to discover, you'll be captivated by this immersive tale filled with surprising twists.


What we like:
  • Intriguing and creative story
  • Well-developed, memorable characters
  • Multiple endings based on your choices
  • Stunning hand-drawn art
  • Engaging gameplay mechanics
What could be improved:
  • The large number of characters can be overwhelming

  • choices
  • narrative
  • visual-novel
  • mystery
  • cute
  • cozy
  • adventure
  • narration
  • exploration
  • story
  • emotional
  • colourful
  • interactive
  • horror
  • conspiracy

8

The Wild at Heart (2021)

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84
Review score
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Xbox One Xbox Series X Playstation 4 Nintendo Switch PC Windows Mac OS

The Wild at Heart is a beautiful and joyous tale of discovery, full of quirky characters, exploration and puzzles. You play as Wake, a young scallywag searching for excitement who stumbles upon an adventure to save the world and reunite the Greenshields. With its hand-drawn art style, mysterious creatures and day-night cycle adding tension to the gameplay, you'll be sure to have some exciting escapades!

Buy

What we like:
  • Quirky characters with unique traits
  • Beautiful artstyle
  • Light combat & puzzles that increase in difficulty
  • Day-night cycle adding tension to the gameplay
What could be improved:
  • The standard loop:go here - do that
  • Parts of the narrative are well-honed

  • puzzle
  • hand-drawn
  • crafting
  • story
  • action-adventure
  • fantasy
  • emotional
  • time-management
  • 2d
  • atmospheric
  • colourful
  • resource-management
  • survival
  • exploration
  • adventure

9

Submerged: Hidden Depths (2020)

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84
Review score
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Nintendo Switch Playstation 4 PC Windows stadia Playstation 5 Xbox Series X/s Xbox One Xbox Series X

Explore a sunken world in Submerged: Hidden Depths as you navigate through a non-combat third-person 'relaxploration' adventure. Immerse yourself in this beautiful and haunting world while collecting relics and searching for the seeds of salvation. Enjoy the beautiful graphics, atmosphere and music that make for an awesome gameplay experience.


What we like:
  • Beautiful graphics and atmosphere
  • Interesting way of storytelling through drawings and actions
  • Awesome music
  • Improved gameplay from the previous game
  • Relaxing game with no combat
What could be improved:
  • Laid-back gameplay may be too chill for some
  • Minimal parkour and platforming
  • The boat can be frustrating and ruins immersion

  • exploration
  • relaxing
  • open-world
  • walking-simulator
  • sailing
  • adventure
  • collectible
  • narrative
  • emotional
  • puzzle
  • post-apocalyptic
  • combat

10

Death's Door (2021)

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90
Review score
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Xbox One PC Windows Nintendo Switch

Death's Door is an action-adventure game that follows a crow reaping souls. You must explore the world of doors, find each one and battle enemies while unlocking new skills and magic powers. The game features smooth controls, great aesthetics and an in-depth story that will keep you engaged for hours.

Buy

What we like:
  • Challenging boss battles
  • Meaningful dialogue about life and death
  • Excellent exploration and hidden areas
  • Fluid and accessible combat
  • Beautiful art style and graphics
What could be improved:
  • Lack of a map can be frustrating
  • Can rely too much on obnoxious enemy waves
  • Linear

  • dungeon
  • boss
  • isometric
  • zelda
  • action-adventure
  • boss-fight
  • combat
  • exploration
  • souls
  • puzzle
  • adventure
  • platform
  • battle
  • challenging
  • fight

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