It’s summer break, and Nintendo Switch just launched its seasonal sale, the “Big Ol’ Super Sale”. Plenty of fantastic titles are offering steep discounts at the moment, and that includes many of the best games that Nintendo designed to be played as a party rather than in solo mode.
Their party games both come from Nintendo and from third parties, as lots of publishers find the Switch offers a good port for these titles. With such a glut of multiplayer games to choose from, it’s hard to narrow down the best. Luckily, fans on Ranker have come through with their top choices.
Note: Please note that due to the Ranker voting system, these positions are subject to change. At the time of publication, this is the most accurate Ranker listing.
Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania
Last year’s Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania was a welcome surprise. It was a remake of the first two titles in one of SEGA’s most neglected franchises, and it sees the monkey protagonists roll through a number of tough courses. That’s just it’s single-player mode though; it also contains tons of multiplayer party modes.
The multiplayer modes contain several options from throughout the franchise. There are racetracks, boxing matches, tennis, and more. Some fans were disappointed in the Monkey Target mode, though, which controlled better in previous games. Regardless of the flaws, it’s still a great value to anyone looking for a fun time on Switch.
Tricky Towers
Tricky Towers is available on all platforms, but its Nintendo Switch version received the most praise. One look at this independent block stacking game should remind players of something. It’s clearly inspired by the iconic and deceptively difficult Tetris series, but puts a new physics engine-themed twist on it. The game focuses on stacking rather than clearing lines.
The grid is also divided into half-square increments to make stacking more dynamic. Players can also use seventeen different magic spells to help or hinder other players, and there are three modes to choose from; race, survival, and puzzle. It’s a remarkably fresh take on a classic game trope.
Ultimate Chicken Horse
Blending genres can make for excellent party games, and Ultimate Chicken Horse combines platforming, racing, and party styles for one of the best experiences on Switch. Many players take the role of various animals who have to race across obstacle courses, but the fun twist comes in the fact that players design these courses.
Players have the opportunity to place traps that they think will screw up their opponents. Given that the races are timed, players can also thwart themselves with traps. This leads to a chaotic mess of levels that’s great for having fun with friends, and it also has online and crossplay support.
Mario Tennis Aces
Super Mario-themed sports titles are a hallmark of any Nintendo system. Mario Tennis Aces delivers a fast-paced Tennis experience with lots of Nintendo charm. The game’s aesthetic redesigns all the characters to wear tennis outfits, and players can battle on courts based on Mushroom Kingdom locales.
Some fans felt the game was lacking in wackiness compared to previous entries. Where this aspect shines though is in the super moves, which build up over the match for a crazy animation of the character hitting the ball in some odd way. This back-and-forth actually makes the gameplay quite tense, making it one of the better skill-based party games on Switch.
TowerFall Ascension
TowerFall was originally developed for the Ouya but was ported to Switch under the title TowerFall Ascension. The game was developed by Maddie Thorson, who also developed the great Nintendo Switch platformer Celeste. This game is also a platformer, centered on knocking opponents off a tower. While all players have bows, head-stomping like Mario is also fair game.
The game is fast-paced, and the various stages have plenty of hazards. Given the focus on platforming and verticality, it has a lot in common with Super Smash Bros. Players can also find treasure that gives them an upgrade in matches. If they get bored of multiplayer, they can always play the single-player target practice modes to train up.
Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum ‘n’ Fun!
One of the best rhythm games for beginners, Taiko no Tatsujin started as a series of arcade games. The series stars the anthropomorphic drum Don-chan in his quest to teach everyone about taiko drumming. Drum ‘n’ Fun, its Switch version, brings the Japanese-flavored series to its biggest audience yet, and the joycons make fun replacements for drumsticks.
The game features multiplayer modes where players can play songs together, and it has multi difficulties so rhythm-game beginners can play at their own pace. It also features songs from a variety of songs from many genres like pop and classical, and it’s even home to familiar video game songs like MEGALOVANIA from UNDERTALE.
Overcooked! 2
Overcooked! 2 is a co-op party game where at least two players must team up to make food. It’s similar to games like Diner Dash but has chaos all its own. The levels are often quite chaotic to navigate and players must cooperate to even achieve a passing score. Unusually for party games, players will need to strategize.
O2 can be just as wild as a real kitchen at times. Dishes must be washed and ingredients must be prepared before cooking can begin. The adorable characters and bizarre levels help keep that stress down, though, and with two or more players, the game can be an exciting race to the finish with friends.
Super Mario Party
It’s Nintendo’s premiere party game series that loves to make friends hate each other; Mario Party. There are two games in the series on Switch; the recent Mario Party Superstars and the older Super Mario Party. Both are great, but Super is the standout.
Every character has a unique dice block that gives them certain advantages. This makes character choice actually matter for the first time in the series. Additionally, it also brought on lots of new ways to play mini-games like the new River Survival mode. Combine that with characters like Bowser becoming playable for the first time, and Super is one of the more unique Mario Party games.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is one of the biggest fighting games of all time with a seemingly endless variety of options for awesome playable Smash Bros. characters. With a massive grassroots competitive scene, it’s easy to forget about its casual merits.
There are plenty of stages with goofy gimmicks that barely get used in competitive play but that make for a fantastic party game. It also features tons of fun random elements like items that can be toggled off, which can help or hinder players in fun ways that also serve as references to the crossover games. At least in the eyes of fans, Smash Ultimate is the ultimate party game; second to only one other.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was originally released as a Wii U title but was released in an enhanced format on Switch. This Switch version amps up the chaotic party energy of the series to a fever pitch. The battle mode returned in full glory after being absent in the original, and the number of racers in a race has increased.
The game has 48 courses to race on; the largest number in any Mario Kart game., With the Booster Course Pass, that number is set to double. All of these tracks are laden with Mario Kart‘s iconic items like the blue shell, super mushrooms, and banana peels. Despite all the chaos, it never feels like racing is out of the player’s control, leading to a fun party experience that is still possible to master.
