11 Must-Play Nintendo Switch RPG Games in 2025

RPGs have always been at the heart of the Switch experience, and that hasn’t changed with the Switch 2. The library’s already packed with games that eat up hours, from sprawling adventures like Xenoblade Chronicles 3 to smaller ones that hit harder than they look.

The difference now is in how they run. The new hardware cuts those long load times, keeps frame rates steady, and makes older favorites feel smoother and more alive. For now, The Duskbloods is the only confirmed RPG built purely for the Switch 2, set to launch in 2026, but it’s a strong sign of what’s coming.

So if you’re figuring out what to play next, this list breaks down the best Nintendo Switch RPG games worth sinking time into in 2025: the ones that remind you why Nintendo’s hybrid still owns handheld role-playing, and probably will for a while.

1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

• Price: $59.99
• Compatible with: Nintendo Switch & Switch 2
• Metacritic score: 92

When The Witcher 3 arrived on Switch, fans were stunned that this gigantic open-world RPG could run on a handheld at all. Indeed, Geralt of Rivia’s final adventure comes to Nintendo’s console with some visual compromises, but the entirety of this 95+ hour epic is here. 

You’ll hunt monsters across war-torn kingdoms, make morally grey choices in richly written quests, and unravel a sweeping story about your surrogate daughter Ciri and an ominous prophecy. Performance is solid with a few framerate dips, yet the sheer freedom to slay griffins or play Gwent on the go overshadows any nitpicks. Wild Hunt remains “among the best role-playing games ever made,” and even on Switch it manages to be one of the best RPG experiences you can have. 

On Switch 2 hardware, those framerate hiccups virtually vanish, making for an even prettier and smoother ride through Temeria. If you want a mature, choice-driven RPG on your Switch, it’s tough to top The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

2. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

• Price: 
  • Nintendo Switch 2 Version: $79.99
  • Nintendo Switch Version: $69.99
  • Upgrade Pack: $9.99
• Metacritic Score: 96

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is an action-RPG masterpiece that lets you truly “choose your own adventure.” As Link, you roam a vast open Hyrule, plus floating sky isles to solve physics-based puzzles like building a bridge out of fallen logs with Ultrahand and battling evil with creative freedom at every turn. 

The game constantly rewards experimentation. You can stick a boulder to a stick for a hammer, fuse a Keese eyeball to an arrow for homing shots, or attach a Puffshroom to your shield so enemies get blinded when they hit you. And if you ever want to show off a crazy Ultrahand build or just play on a bigger display, the ShadowCast 2 Pro capture card plugs straight into the Switch 2 and lets you stream or record gameplay in sharp 4K with almost no setup.

 

3. Xenoblade Chronicles 3

(Image credit: Nintendo)

• Price (Digital/Physical): $59.99; (+ Extension Pass: $89.98)
• Compatible with: Nintendo Switch & Switch 2
• Metacritic score: 89

Monolith Soft’s Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a JRPG tour de force that pushes the Switch to its limits through its enormous open zones, detailed character models, and the way fights begin right where exploration ends, no loading screens in sight. This sprawling saga follows a group of soldiers from rival nations who band together in a fight against fate. The world of Aionios is jaw-droppingly large, loaded with quests, secrets, and gigantic monsters roaming freely. 

Combat is real-time with tactical pausing, where your party members can interlink into powerful Ouroboros forms during intense boss battles. It’s an emotional story that grabs you by the heartstrings and doesn’t let go for ~150 hours. 

After a few hours, your hands start to feel it. Xenoblade’s constant camera control and menu juggling aren’t exactly thumb-friendly. A modular grip case with three swappable grips and wide, curved handles fixes the hand strain that kicks in during long handheld sessions on the Switch 2. Your palms get real support, and the extra weight balance keeps the console steady during long handheld stretches. It feels closer to holding a proper controller, which makes marathon RPG sessions a lot easier to push through.

4. Persona 5 Royal

(Image credit: Nintendo)

• Price: $59.99
• Compatible with: Nintendo Switch & Switch 2
• Metacritic score: 95

Style, swagger, and hundreds of hours of gameplay. This definitive edition of Atlus’s hit JRPG finally brings the Phantom Thieves to Switch, complete with all DLC and extra content. By day, you’re a high school student boosting your Knowledge and Charm stats at the batting cages and cafe; By night, you’re breaking into surreal “Palaces,” massive dreamlike dungeons that appear inside the minds of corrupt adults. Each Palace mirrors its owner’s distorted view of power, like a king’s castle or a mob boss’s bank, and your goal is to steal the treasure hidden at its core to make them face what they’ve done in the real world.

The turn-based combat is slick and strategic, as you collect Persona creatures and exploit enemy weaknesses for an “All-Out Attack.” But it’s the story and characters that steal the show; P5R delivers an emotional coming-of-age tale wrapped in an ultra-stylish presentation (jazz-infused soundtrack included!). On Switch, it’s surreal to have this formerly PlayStation-exclusive RPG portable, and it runs great. 

 

5. Diablo III: Eternal Collection

(Image credit: Nintendo)

• Price: $59.99
• Compatible with: Nintendo Switch & Switch 2
• Metacritic score: 88

Sometimes you just want to slay monsters with friends and watch the loot explode. Diablo III: Eternal Collection brings Blizzard’s beloved action-RPG to Switch in fine form, including all expansions and updates. You choose from seven classes (Wizard, Barbarian, Necromancer, etc.) and carve your way through hordes of demons across Sanctuary. 

The gameplay loop is addictively simple: kill, loot, upgrade, repeat – but with so many skills and builds to experiment with, it never gets old. The Switch version even has exclusive Ganondorf armor for Zelda fans, a fun Nintendo touch. Best of all, Diablo III supports local co-op for up to 4 players on one console, which is perfect for couch gaming sessions. And If you plan on hosting dungeon crawls, just make sure all your Joy-Cons are charged up. The Dual Wield stand is an all-in-one charging base for the Switch 2 that magnetically juices up four Joy-Con controllers at once, so you’ll never have a night cut short by dead batteries.

 

6. Pokémon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet Double Pack

(Image credit: Nintendo)

• Price (Digital/Physical): $119.99
• Compatible with: Nintendo Switch & Switch 2
• Metacritic score: 71

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is the series’ first true open-world leap; and despite some bumps, they deliver pure creature-collecting joy. Set in the Paldea region, these twin titles let you wander freely between gyms, so you tackle challenges in any order. The game has three storylines (Gym challenge, Team Star bases, and Titan Pokémon hunts), and there’s always an objective to chase or a new Pokémon species to catch in the wild. 

You can even join up with friends online to explore co-op, picnic with your monsters or team up for Tera Raids. Admittedly, the original Switch release suffered frame drops and rough edges. But with a free Switch 2 upgrade on the new hardware, the visuals and frame rates have improved optimized visuals and greatly improved frame rate for Scarlet/Violet.

7. Fire Emblem: Three Houses

(Image credit: Nintendo)

• Price (Digital/Physical): $59.99; + Expansion Pass: $84.98
• Compatible with: Nintendo Switch & Switch 2
• Metacritic score: 89

This tactical RPG blew fans away and even converted many newcomers. This one was a bona fide hit upon release. You play as a professor at Garreg Mach Monastery, tasked with training one of three houses of students.

By day, you build relationships with your students, teach them new skills, and by night, and field trip days, you lead them in deep, strategic turn-based battles. Each battle plays out on a grid-based map where movement, positioning, and weapon choice decide who lives and who doesn’t. Every student you teach becomes a soldier under your command: archers, mages, sword fighters, and mounted knights. 

And when someone falls in combat, they’re gone for good in classic mode. The decisions you make in the classroom directly shape their performance in battle, which turns lessons and training into literal life-or-death preparation. 

 

8. Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age

(Image credit: Nintendo)

• Price: $39.99
• Compatible with: Nintendo Switch & Switch 2
• Metacritic score: 91

Classic JRPG comfort food at its finest, Dragon Quest XI S delivers a grand 100+ hour adventure that feels both nostalgically familiar and impressively modern. You are the Luminary, a chosen hero reborn, and you’ll assemble a lovable party of companions on a quest to save the world of Erdrea. 

Turn-based battles, a colorful anime art style, and a sweeping orchestral score give this game a timeless charm. The Switch “S” version not only includes all the content from the original, but also extra side stories and even a 16-bit retro mode if you want to play in old-school graphics. 

For players who love that retro feel, the Pocket Pro fits right in. Its precise D-pad and hall-effect joysticks make classic turn-based battles feel tight and responsive, and the controller’s compact shape keeps long sessions comfortable.

9. Octopath Traveler II

(Image credit: Nintendo)

• Price (Digital): $59.99
• Compatible with: Nintendo Switch & Switch 2
• Metacritic score: 85

Octopath Traveler II follows eight different characters, each with their own story, abilities, and starting point on the world map. You can pick any of them to begin with, and as you explore, their paths start crossing in unexpected ways. Eventually you’ll see these storylines weave together in surprising ways. 

The HD-2D graphics are simply stunning: gorgeous pixel art characters against diorama-like 3D environments with dynamic lighting. But this game isn’t just a pretty face; its combat system will hook any turn-based fan. Each hero has unique job abilities, and the Boost/Break mechanics demand strategic planning to exploit enemy weaknesses. You don’t even need to have played the first Octopath. It’s perfect for Switch owners who want the feel of a classic Squaresoft RPG with a fresh, contemporary twist.

 

10. Shin Megami Tensei V

• Price: $59.99; Deluxe Edition: $69.99
• Compatible with: Nintendo Switch & Switch 2
• Metacritic score: 84

For those craving a challenging, mature RPG, Shin Megami Tensei V is waiting for you with open jaws. This Switch-exclusive entry in the SMT series drops you into a post-apocalyptic Tokyo overrun by demons. As a high-schooler fused with a mysterious being, you become a Nahobino, able to wield forbidden powers and recruit demons to your side. 

Combat is turn-based but unforgiving; exploiting elemental weaknesses gives you extra turns, and failing to do so lets enemies ruthlessly wipe your party. There are hundreds of demons to recruit via negotiation; and, yes, you have to bargain or answer their quirky questions to get them to join, which is always entertaining and tense.

 

11. Undertale

(Image credit: Nintendo)

• Price: $14.99
• Compatible with: Nintendo Switch & Switch 2
• Metacritic score: 92

Closing out our list is an RPG that’s very different from the rest—and that’s exactly why it belongs here. Undertale became an indie legend by twisting RPG conventions in the most delightful ways. This unassuming retro-styled game puts you, a child, into the Underground: a realm of quirky monsters.

The usual RPG trope would be to fight everything, but Undertale encourages you to find non-violent ways to resolve conflicts. In fact, you can complete the whole game without killing a single enemy, if you figure out how to ACT and show mercy. The result is a game that can be hilariously funny one minute and heartbreakingly poignant the next. The writing is top-notch, full of humor and heart. 

And the soundtrack is an absolute earworm of chiptune and piano melodies that enhance every moment. Clocking in at around 6-8 hours for a playthrough, Undertale isn’t long, but it practically begs for multiple runs to see its different endings . On Switch it runs perfectly, and there’s even a little Joy-Con specific surprise in one of the boss fights! If you appreciate games that break the fourth wall and play with your expectations, Undertale is a must-play. 

 

Conclusion

The Switch has quietly built the best portable RPG lineup in gaming history. You can lose yourself in The Witcher 3’s sprawling Continent, fall into Undertale’s weird Underground, map out Fire Emblem’s tactical battlefields, or drift through Persona 5’s neon Tokyo. With the Switch 2, those worlds finally run the way they were meant to from the very beginning. Big titles that once stuttered now hold steady at 30 fps, load screens fly by in seconds, and even particle-heavy fights stay smooth.