13.Among Us
Among Ushas taken over all kinds of online communities, and for good reason: it’s simple, it’s thrilling, and it’s addictive. You run around completing tasks on your spaceship, while trying to identify which crewmate is the impostor (and ejecting them before they kill everyone).
You can play for free on Android and iPhone, but the experience is cleaner on Nintendo Switch. It only costs a few dollars and you get all the skins (which are DLCs for mobile). Worth it!
Related:The Best Pick-Up-and-Play Nintendo Switch Games
12.Mario Tennis Aces
Mario Tennis Acesis the best iteration of theMario Tennisfranchise, with its refined gameplay and new mechanics like “zone shots” (where time slows down and you aim a powerful shot) and “zone speed” (where time slows down for everyone but you move at normal speed).
But my favorite way to playMario Tennis Acesis in Simple mode, which excludes all the extra features and sticks to the basic topspins, slices, and lobs. I find that it’s the most exciting way to play, especially online.
Related:The Best Sports Games on Nintendo Switch, Ranked
11.Tetris 99
Tetris 99is what happens whenTetrismeets battle royale gameplay. This online-only version ofTetrisputs 99 players together in a fight for survival, where clearing lines sends garbage to other players, making it harder for them to survive. Last one standing wins!
The battle royale gameplay works surprisingly well, and if you likeTetris, you’ll find thatTetris 99can be quite addicting. You may get into the Top 10 often, but being the winner is tough—and exhilarating every time.
10.Fortnite
Fortnitepopularized the battle royale game genre, and it still remains one of the most popular online multiplayer games with an active playerbase all over the world. The Nintendo Switch experience isn’t perfect, but it’s more than fine for anyone but the most hardcore of players.
Airdrop onto an island with 99 other players, scavenge for weapons and items, and eliminate everyone else until you’re the last one standing. It’s tons of fun, especially when played in duo mode and squad mode!
9.Overwatch 2
Overwatch 2is a 5v5 team-based hero shooter where everyone plays as a unique character from a large roster. Complete map objectives while staying alive and eliminating opponents, and make sure your team comes out on top before time runs out.
We recommend grabbing theComplete Hero Collectionright off the bat, which includes all of the originalOverwatchheroes plus all of the new ones introduced inOverwatch 2. You’ll also get 3 Epic skins, 3 Legendary skins, and 1,000 coins.
Related:The Best Nintendo Switch Shooter Games, Ranked
8.Dragon Quest Builders 2
Dragon Quest Builders 2is an action-RPG with sandbox crafting elements. Explore the world, collect resources, design towns and construct buildings, and defend against monsters in a fun and frantic hack-and-slash combat system.
Up to 4 players can play together as a cooperative squad, either via online multiplayer or local wireless multiplayer. You can also visit the worlds of other players, although you can’t alter them.
Related:The Best Nintendo Switch Crafting Games (That Aren’t Animal Crossing)
7.Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Animal Crossing: New Horizonsis the second best-selling game on the Nintendo Switch. Most players are content with single-player mode and don’t care to visit anyone else’s island. But with online multiplayer, up to 8 players can play together on one island.
WhileAnimal Crossing: New Horizonsis popular, it’s not the kind of game that appeals to everyone. But if you have friends who play it, and if those friends have Nintendo Switch Online, then you might find it a lot more fun to play with them instead of tending to your own, isolated island.
Related:The Longest Nintendo Switch Games That’ll Last 50+ Hours
6.Diablo III: Eternal Collection
Diablo IIIis best played on a PC, but the Nintendo Switch experience isn’t too far off. We thought it was perfectly fine and liked it well enough when we went from PC to the Nintendo Switch.
Blizzard Entertainment did a wonderful job porting it to the hybrid handheld console. Just note that the core game is pretty much exactly the same, so if you already haveDiablo IIIon another platform, you can safely skip this and not miss out.
That said, theEternal Collectiongrants someZelda-related Nintendo Switch exclusives: a Cucco companion pet, a Triforce portrait frame, an exclusive transmogrification set for Ganondorf’s iconic armor, and a set of unique cosmetic wings.
Related:The Best Nintendo Switch Games Ported From Other Consoles
5.Monster Hunter Rise
WhenMonster Hunter Worldreleased in 2018, Nintendo Switch users were left out. Their only option to enjoyMonster Huntergameplay was the older and less refinedMonster Hunter Generations Ultimate.
But in 2021, the script flipped and Nintendo Switch users gained exclusive access toMonster Hunter Rise. This latest entry in theMonster Hunterseries feels a lot likeMonster Hunter World, but with several enhancements and new features of its own.
Not only does it support online multiplayer with up to 4 players in a party,Monster Hunter Riseeven introduces a new survival mode where players defend the base village against monsters using siege weaponry.
4.Warframe
Warframeis a shining example of free-to-play microtransactions done well. This online multiplayer third-person loot shooter includes procedurally-generated missions, open-world exploration, and deep RPG elements with satisfying character growth over time.
Today,Warframeis one of the most-played online multiplayer games on any platform, and continues to grow. Whether you play alone or squad up with up to 3 other players,Warframeis one of the best free games you can play on the Nintendo Switch.
Related:The Best Nintendo Switch Games for Grinding
3.Minecraft
You knewMinecraftwould have to be on this list, right? While the Nintendo Switch version ofMinecraftoriginally only supported online multiplayer with other Nintendo Switch players, the Bedrock edition ofMinecraftin 2018 introduced cross-play with other platforms.
Meaning theMinecraftexperience on Nintendo Switch is now what it should’ve been from the start: fun and enjoyable with any otherMinecraftplayer, whether you play cooperatively or competitively.
2.Splatoon 2
Splatoon 2is an online multiplayer 4v4 territory-control game where players use colored ink to mark the ground and object surfaces in their team’s color. The winning team is the one who marked more territory by the time the clock runs down.
There are other game modes as well, including a single-player Hero Mode and a new Salmon Run Mode where a team of 4 players play cooperatively to defeat waves of enemies.
Splatoon 3is set to be released in 2022. Depending on when you read this, you may or may not want to wait until that comes out.
1.Rocket League
Rocket Leagueis an strong contender for best online multiplayer game on the Nintendo Switch—especially now that it’s free-to-play. With an active global playerbase that sees anywhere from 500,000 to over 1 million concurrent online players, it’s certainly popular.
You drive a rocket-powered car in teams of 3v3 and try to get the ball into the other team’s goal. It’s really that simple, but there’s a lot of depth to it depending on how deeply you want to learn the game mechanics. Just want mindless fun? That’s fine, too!
Rocket Leaguematches are only 5 minutes long (maybe a few extra minutes if you go into overtime), so it’s a great game to play in short bursts. But if you’re addicted like I am, you can play for an hour at a time or more and not realize where the time flew.
Read next:The Best Nintendo Switch Party Games
