So you’ve got a Nintendo eShop Gift Card burning a hole in your pocket. Or you really needed a Switch game and turning over the couch cushions coughed up something around $9.99. The bad news: you won’t be buying Breath of the Wild. The good news: there’s a bunch of great games you can get for under ten dollars. In fact, here are ten games for ten dollars or less that you can download and play on your Switch right now!
Doom 64
- Released: 31 March 1997
- Developer: Midway Games
- Platform: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
- Price: $4.99
Doom 64 is… well, Doom 64, the classic sequel to Doom II that did its best to sear lasting nightmares into the minds of Nintendo 64 players back in 1997. After our nameless hero, the ineffable Doom Guy, put a stop to Hell’s invasion in the previous game, the martian facility that served as ground zero for the nightmare-fest was locked down and submerged in enough radiation to kill the very idea of life to prevent it from ever happening again.
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But, you know Hell, and it turns out the Mother Demon wasn’t having any of that “being forever thwarted” nonsense and decides to do the most terrifying flex of all by setting up shop inside the radiation field. Thus, players once again don the clunking metal greaves of Doom Guy and head into the thick of the irradiated hellscape to put down the twisted matriarch of Hell once and for all. The game is the original Doom formula, beautifully preserved, and is a must-play for any fan of the franchise.
Download Doom 64: Steam | PS4 | Xbox One | Switch
Remnants of Naezith
- Released: 5 February 2018
- Developer: Tolga Ay
- Platform: Windows, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch
- Price: $9.99
Something like speedrunners meets spiderman meets a shot of adrenaline straight to the heart, Remnants of Naezith is a glorious celebration of speed and momentum. The game follows the hero Kayra as he, using powers granted to him by the dragon Naezith, goes on a quest to destroy the remaining remnants of the dragon to prevent their powers from being used by evil forces.
Because sharing is for dweebs. Kayra uses beautiful energy-ropes to swing through dozens of complex platform levels, progressively gathering speed and increasing the thrill and sense of danger to scouter-shattering levels. One of the best things about Remnants of Naezith is the fact that it comes with no speed cap, and has tight controls to let skilled players really shine. A must-play for fans of speedrunners.
Download Remnants of Naezith: Steam | Switch
Lost Wing
- Released: 14 November 2017
- Developer: BoxFrog Games, 2Awesome Studio
- Platform: Windows, macOS, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
- Price: $7.99
Blinking is not recommended. Lost Wing feels like a mashup of arcade space shooters, fast-paced racing games, and a gallon of flaming, neon-lit gasoline. Players find themselves behind the wheel of an absurdly fast spaceship and tasked with white-knuckling their way through multiple worlds and track types, dodging obstacles and blasting away everything in their path.
The game is hyper-intense, and on top of its frantic test of your reflexes features humongous boss battles at the end of each world to crank up the craziness to 11. The game is technically short, but true to its arcade roots, is made to be played over and over. Lost Wing comes with a leaderboard and different speed settings to adjust the difficulty, and is a great choice for arcade fans.
Download Lost Wing: Steam | PS4 | Xbox One | Switch
Evan’s Remains
- Released: 17 March 2020
- Developer: Matias Schmied
- Platform: Windows, macOS, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
- Price: $6.99
Evan’s Remains is a 2D adventure-platformer that wears its inspirations on its sleeve. The game combines increasingly complex platform mechanics to create a progressively more difficult series of logic puzzles that feed into a mystery-thriller narrative at the game’s core.
Players step into the shoes of a girl named Daysis who has been recruited to search for Evan, a boy genius who has, at the start of the game, been missing for a few years. The game draws heavily from Japanese graphic novels and the pixel-art is top-notch. Evan’s Remains is perfect for manga fans who like a good mystery and gamers who can appreciate a well-executed platformer.
Download Evan’s Remains: Steam | PS4 | Xbox One | Switch
Exit the Gungeon
- Released: 17 March 2020
- Developer: Dodgeroll, Singlecore
- Platform: Windows, Nintendo Switch
- Price: $9.99
Exit the Gungeon is a delightfully compact arcade-style bullet-hell dungeon “climber” that pits players against an onslaught of enemies while riding an elevator the hell out of the subterranean Gungeon. A spinoff of the original Enter the Gungeon, the game follows the Gungeoneers as they try to get out of dodge via a fabulously unsafe elevator as it is assaulted by wave after wave of the Gundead (yeah, the game is all about Gun-puns if you haven’t noticed).
The game has a varied arsenal of odd weaponry and a frantic pace that keeps things fresh and new even on multiple play-throughs — highly recommended for gamers who want something quick, simple, and satisfying.
Download Exit the Gungeon: Steam | Switch
Steam Tactics
- Released: 12 September 2017
- Developer: Igor Rashkuev
- Platform: Windows, macOS, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
- Price: $7.99
Steam Tactics is an homage to the classic top-down turn-based RPG games like Advance Wars, Fire Emblem, or Final Fantasy Tactics. Players assume the role of a master tactician charged with protecting a kingdom consumed by chaos in anticipation of the ailing king’s imminent death. Players direct an army of airships and other steampunk units across tiled battlefields, progressively upgrading and purchasing new units.
The gameplay is turn-based and places an emphasis on deep tactics with a clear, unconvoluted ruleset that keeps things simple and direct. Anybody who likes the old-school strategy games of the past will certainly be enthused by Steam Tactics.
Download Steam Tactics: Steam | PS4 | Xbox One | Switch
Wenjia
- Released: 21 September 2018
- Developer: Luoriver studio-洛神游戏工作室
- Platform: Windows, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Android
- Price: $7.99
Wenjia is what we assume every cat gets up to when they manage to sneak outside the house for a day. By that, we mean freely traveling between the material realm and the domain of energy spirits, of course. Wenjia puts you in the shoes of an “energy-entity” in the shape of a kitten, traveling through a dangerous forest full of platforming goodness.
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The game finds innovation in its unique realm-switching mechanic that lets players instantaneously shift between the material and energy realm to help solve the problems they encounter along the way. The game’s supergraphics are hand-drawn and help showcase the game’s unique tone with a distinctive aesthetic to each of the realms. A great game for those who gravitate towards interesting art styles and a Ghibli-esque motif.
Download Wenjia: Steam | Xbox One | Switch | Android
Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
- Released: 26 March 2002
- Developer: Raven Software, Lucasarts
- Platform: Windows, macOS, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch
- Price: $9.99
A game is so good it had to be re-released three times. Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast feels something like retro Star Wars meets Skyrim and was way ahead of its time when it was originally released back in 2002, and its fluid combat system and straightforward RPG goodness holds up incredibly well — even today. The game follows Kyle Katarn as he does battle with the followers of the sith jedi Desann using both the powers of the light and the dark side of the force.
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Like good old Skyrim, players can choose to play in either first person or third person and select from a variety of weapons and force powers, each with their own distinct playstyles. Most likely, however, you’ll be using the lightsaber of course, and enjoying the buttery smooth combat system that makes Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast one of the best multiplayer games ever made.
Download Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast: Steam | Origin | PS4 | Switch
Ninjala
- Released: 24 June 2020
- Developer: GungHo Online
- Platform: Nintendo Switch
- Price: Free-to-Play
Ninjala is…. Splatoon. Let’s be real, it’s just a Splatoon clone that uses bubble gum instead of paint. It might not be the most original idea in the world, but it is fun, boasts a dedicated community, and is completely free-to-play? What are you complaining about?
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The game is essentially an arena brawler that pits players against each other with a variety of bubble-gum based ninjutsu, making for gargantuan hijinks and rewarding combat that feels exactly how it looks. Ninjala is an excellent choice for anybody who wants to try Splatoon or Splatoon 2 without paying for it — though you might just fall in love with Ninjala itself.
Download Ninjala: Switch
Dodo Peak
- Released: 8 October 2019
- Developer: Moving Pieces Interactive
- Platform: macOS, Nintendo Switch, iOS
- Price: $9.99
Dodo peak is a well-crafted love letter to old arcade platformers of the past that gives more casual gamers an opportunity for some rewarding gameplay. The game is centered around a mother dodo, doing her best to keep the species from its inevitable extinction by piloting her kids home across dangerous, enemy, and obstacle plagued levels.
The game has a mobile port with a cross-save and is perfect for short and sweet doses of light gameplay with a light, humorous tone.
Download Dodo Peak: Switch | iOS
Any other great games for under ten bucks? What’s your favorite, budget-friendly Switch game? Let us know so we can explain why it’s not as good as Jedi Knight II.
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