Here’s the games I have reviewed so far on the Nintendo Switch in this genre, from best to worst. Note: If multiple games have the same score, they will be sorted alphabetically.

Party Game

Game	Genre	Grade
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate	Fighting Game / Platformer / Party Game	A++
tl;dr Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the latest in the series of Fighting Game / Platformer / Party Game titles, and it is in my mind the greatest, with absolutely tons of content, characters, stages, settings, and more, all built on a foundation of absolutely fun gameplay. A must-own game for the Switch.
Overcooked Special Edition	Arcade / Party	A
tl;dr Overcooked is an Arcade/Party game where up to four players cooperate to try to prep and cook dishes to order in increasingly crazy kitchens. It’s a fast, frenzied experience that makes for one of the finest co-op experiences available on the Switch.
Overcooked! 2	Arcade / Party	A
tl;dr Overcooked 2, like the first game, is an Arcade/Party game where up to four players cooperate to try to prep and cook dishes to order in increasingly crazy kitchens. And like the first game, it’s a fast, frenzied experience that makes for one of the finest co-op experiences available on the Switch, with subtle improvements throughout that give it a slight edge over the original.
Overcooked! All You Can Eat	Compilation / Arcade / Party Game	A
tl;dr Overcooked! All You Can Eat is a Compilation containing enhanced versions of the first two Overcooked games, both family-friendly Arcade-style Party Games with a strong focus on co-op play. While I don’t think the Overcooked games have quite managed to maintain their legendary status as the years have passed, these are still two of the best co-op games ever made, and this package adds multiple features, enhancements, and new content to ensure that this is the definitive version of both games, all at a very reasonable price. I wouldn’t recommend this for players who already own both Overcooked games, but for anyone else who enjoys co-op gameplay, this is absolutely worth getting.
Among Us	Party Game	A-
tl;dr Among Us is a Party game similar to classic social games like Werewolf and Mafia, where players try to figure out which of the others among them are murderous impostors before it’s too late. The port to Nintendo Switch is quite good, includes cross-play, and has controls I strongly prefer over other versions. The barrier for entry here is still a bit high thanks to the sort of conditions you need to get a proper game going, but the small $5 price tag and the massive amount of fun on offer here when this game really gets going make it more than worth the trouble to round up enough friends to play it properly. If you can manage to do that, this game is an absolute must-play.
Drawful 2	Party Game	A-
tl;dr Drawful 2 is a Party Game that players play using their Smartphone instead of a controller. This game challenges players to use their touchscreens to sketch out various prompts and then vote on what other players’ prompts are depicting. This game is a noteworthy improvement over the original, but it’s debatable whether the $10 for this one game is a better value than the $25 for The Jackbox Party Pack containing the first Drawful. Regardless, this is an excellent Party Game, and fans of the genre should certainly get at least one of the games in this series.
Fibbage XL	Party Game (Trivia)	A-
tl;dr Fibbage XL is a Party Game where players are given an obscure question and prompted to create their own fake answer. Then players try to guess the correct answer from within all of the fake ones. It’s a hilarious spin on the trivia game that means that even if you’re not a trivia master you can still score big by fooling others. This is an all-around fantastic game, and it touts an additional 50% more questions than the original Fibbage. Having said that, this game is already included in the first of the Jackbox Party Pack series on the Nintendo Switch, so players might want to weigh the value of this game against that package.
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes	Puzzle / Party Game	A-
tl;dr Keep Talking and No One Explodes is a cooperative puzzle game where one player is defusing a bomb that others can’t see, and the others are relaying instructions from a manual that the bomb defuser can’t see. It’s a really inventive, fun, and unique game that’s sure to be a blast at parties.
Super Mario Party Jamboree	Party Game / Minigame Collection	A-
tl;dr Super Mario Party Jamboree is, in my opinion, the absolute best that the Mario Party series of family-friendly Party Game and Minigame Collection titles has ever had to offer. This game has an absolute wealth of varied content, gives players the option to cut down on the series’ infamous randomness, and has some delightfully inspired game modes, including some excellent online-focused multiplayer play. Apart from underwhelming single-player (never this series’ focus), there’s little to complain about here, and so very much to love. Going forward, I believe this will be the Mario Party game all future titles in the series will be measured against.
The Jackbox Party Pack 3	Compilation / Party Games	A-
tl;dr The Jackbox Party Pack 3 is a Collection of Party Games that includes five games that players play using their Smartphone instead of a controller. Of all the Jackbox collections so far, this is my favorite, with three of the games here being absolutely fantastic, and even the worst game here still has some excellent qualities. On top of that, there’s a lot of variety in this package, and some truly great presentation in some of the games here. In short, this is a must-have collection for fans of Party Games.
Ultimate Chicken Horse	Platformer / Party Game	A-
tl;dr Ultimate Chicken Horse is a family-friendly Platformer with a robust creation tool set and a focus on multiplayer gameplay that challenges players to create levels that they can beat but the other players can’t. It’s a tremendously good time, and while the presentation and core gameplay aren’t on par with Super Mario Maker 2, the multiplayer in this game is clearly superior, making this a fantastic party game. If you’re looking for a good supplement Mario Maker or a fun game to bring out at a party, Ultimate Chicken Horse is a must-have.
Astro Bears	Party Game	B+
tl;dr Astro Bears is a family-friendly Party game that expands on the earlier game Astro Bears Party, with the same core gameplay – it plays like a 3D version of Snake and Tron Bikes, with players leaving trails to try to snag others while avoiding trails themselves. It’s a fast-paced, fun, accessible Party game, but even with additional content over its predecessor, the game feels a bit… well, bare. Still loads of fun in short bursts, but not likely to be a game you play for hours.
Boomerang Fu	Top-Down Arcade / Party Game	B+
tl;dr Boomerang Fu is a family-friendly Top-Down Arcade-style Party Game where players play as anthropomorphized food items trying to off one another with boomerangs. The core mechanics here are excellent, giving players a lot of nuance and variety while maintaining simple controls that are easy for anyone to pick up. It could use more content, but overall this is an excellent Party Game well worth adding to your collection.
Get Packed: Couch Chaos	Top-Down Arcade / Party Game	B+
tl;dr Get Packed is a family-friendly Top-Down Arcade / Party Game that has players scrambling to remove items from a property and toss them into a moving truck. The co-op gameplay here is good, but lacking content in a way that ensures it won’t last long. The competitive gameplay, on the other hand, is delightful enough to earn this game a proper spot in your Party Game rotation.
Crawl	Top-Down Action-RPG / Party Game	B+
tl;dr Crawl blends a Top-Down Action-RPG and a Party Game into a brilliant, original asymmetrical party game that makes for a fun and unique competition that has a clever approach to game balance. The game could have used a traditional campaign mode, and some of the bosses don’t feel as nicely balanced as the rest of the game, but overall this is a fantastic game that should make for a great time at parties.
Hidden in Plain Sight	Stealth / Party Game	B+
tl;dr Hidden in Plain Sight is a Stealth-focused Party Game where players try to figure out which character in a crowd they and their opponents are before everyone else does while performing a simple task. This game doesn’t look like much, but it’s extremely accessible and loads of fun for both veteran gamers and casual gamers alike. If you want a fun, unique Party game to add to your collection, consider this game a must-have.
Home Sheep Home: Farmageddon Party Edition	Puzzle-Platformer / Platformer / Party Game	B+
tl;dr Home Sheep Home is a family-friendly co-op Puzzle-Platformer and Party Game based on the Shaun the Sheep animated series and films. This game manages to do a great job with all of its disparate elements – the license is scaled-down somewhat, but what’s here does justice to the franchise. The Puzzle-Platformer content is smartly well-crafted, and the Party Game content is fun and varied enough to keep players entertained for a good while. I have some issues with the core Platformer mechanics here, but overall this is an excellent package that does its best to please everyone, and largely succeeds.
Lethal League Blaze	Sports (Dodgeball) / Fighting Game / Party Game	B+
tl;dr Lethal League Blaze is a mishmash of genres that combines dodge ball with Fighting Game and Party Game elements to craft something truly unique, with a stylish cel-shaded presentation. It could do with more content, and I really wish the online servers weren’t deserted, but if you have a group of players on your couch to share this with, you’ll be in for a great time.
Nintendo LABO Toy-Con 03: Vehicle Kit	Accessory / Minigame Collection / Party Game / Racing / Open World / Misc.	B+
tl;dr Nintendo LABO Toy-Con 03: Vehicle Kit is a really unique hybrid of a Minigame Collection, an Open-World Exploration game, a Party game, a series of Accessories you create yourself using the included pieces of custom-made cardboard, and a misc. tool you can use to explore the features of the Nintendo Joy-Con controllers. Furthermore, this game is much better than the previous two in terms of the actual gameplay content it offers, thanks to its Open-World Adventure mode and its overall more cohesive theme. This is definitely one of the better Nintendo LABO kits.
PlateUp!	Party Game / Roguelike	B+
tl;dr PlateUp! is a family-friendly Arcade-style Party Game with Roguelike elements that is basically an off-brand Overcooked Roguelike. However, while it’s a bit repetitive and its online lobbies are empty, this is still a phenomenal local co-op game, and one that gives players opportunities the Overcooked games lack, like designing your restaurant’s layout. In the end, if you’re looking for a great game to play with friends, this is an outstanding choice.
Super Mario Party	Party Game / Minigame Collection	B+
tl;dr Super Mario Party is the eleventh game in Nintendo’s family-friendly Party Game Minigame Collection series. This game has a ton of different game modes, and while some aren’t so great, others are fantastic. The minigames themselves are fun, varied, and make some clever use of the Joy-Con controller. On that note, you will need Joy-Cons to play this game, and don’t bother with the online play (it’s horrible). Likewise, this isn’t a game you’ll want to play in single-player. However, if you’re looking for a fun time in a party setting, this game does a fantastic job and is a must-have for casual multiplayer fans on the switch.
Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania	Compilation / Arcade / Party game	B+
tl;dr Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania is an Arcade-style game that compiles all of the content of Super Monkey Ball 1, 2, and Deluxe into one cohesive package with remastered visuals, a new soundtrack, new features, and all of the great multiplayer Party games that were in the original releases. It doesn’t do anything especially new or transformative, but it does an excellent job of recapturing the magic that made people fall in love with this series in the first place two decades ago.
Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble	Arcade / 3D Platformer / Party Game	B+
tl;dr Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is a fantastic entry in this family-friendly franchise of Arcade-style 3D Platformers about rolling monkeys in balls toward a goal. This release struggles with some performance issues, but its superb level design and excellent multiplayer both online and offline make for an absolutely delightful game well worth getting, and a must-have for fans of the series.
Runbow	Platformer / Party Game	B+
tl;dr Runbow is a Platformer with Party Game sensibilities, where as many as 8 or 9 players are racing to a goal or duking it out to remain king of the hill, and it makes for some good frantic fun. It’s not especially deep and is missing a few features you’d want in this sort of thing, but on the whole this is a great game to bust out at a party.
SpeedRunners	Platformer / Party Game	B+
tl;dr SpeedRunners is a multiplayer-focused Platformer that has up to four players racing through levels and trying to outpace the others. The gameplay here is well-designed and fun to play, and although I wish the game had more features and a more significant single-player mode, it’s overall an excellent entry in the genre.
The Jackbox Party Pack	Compilation / Party Games	B+
tl;dr The Jackbox Party Pack is a Collection of mostly Trivia-focused Party Games that includes five games that players play using their Smartphone instead of a controller. Two of the games in this collection are phenomenal, and only one of the games here isn’t worth trying. Plus, many of the games included here represent some of Jackbox’s most iconic series, making this first collection one of the best packages they’ve released. All in all, this is a fantastic Party game well worth getting.
The Jackbox Party Pack 2	Compilation / Party Games	B+
tl;dr The Jackbox Party Pack 2 is a Collection of Party Games that includes five games that players play using their Smartphone instead of a controller. Two of the games in this collection are fantastic, and only one of the games here isn’t worth trying. Overall, the games in this collection aren’t quite as good as what was in the first Party Pack, but there’s more variety here and this is still a superb collection of Party Games.
WarioWare: Get It Together!	Arcade / Party Game	B+
tl;dr WarioWare: Get It Together! Is the Nintendo Switch entry in the family-friendly Arcade-style Party game that has players trying to complete over 200 “microgames” played in rapid-fire sequences. This game’s take on the formula has players interacting with the games using the varied cast of characters, and while not as ambitious as some entries in the series, it’s still a wonderfully fun time, especially when playing the game’s multiplayer features (most of which need to be unlocked through play). If you’re looking for a fun game to add to your Party Game rotation, WarioWare: Get It Together is an excellent choice.
WarioWare: Move It!	Arcade / Party Game	B+
tl;dr WarioWare: Move It! Is the second game in Nintendo’s silly family-friendly WarioWare Arcade / Party Game franchise to hit the Nintendo Switch, and this is a much more traditional entry in the series than the first game was. In fact, it was clearly directly inspired by the Wii entry in the franchise, Smooth Moves. While I don’t think it quite measures up to that game, WarioWare: Move It! is still an incredibly creative, enjoyable, uproariously funny, and extremely accessible entry in the franchise, with some solid multiplayer potential. This game doesn’t do anything truly groundbreaking for this series, but fans of the franchise will find it to be an excellent game well worth picking up.
BurgerTime Party!	Arcade / Party Game	B
tl;dr BurgerTime Party! is a family-friendly reimagining of the classic arcade game that updates the visuals and adds some new stage mechanics, while keeping the core gameplay intact. However, the real joy here are the new multiplayer modes this game adds, that should make this a blast as both a co-op and competitive Party game. Either way, this is a wonderful new take on the original.
Catching Spirits	Platformer / Party Game	B
tl;dr Catching Spirits is a Platformer and Arena-based Party Game that has three players partaking in a game of elemental-based three-way tag. It’s a clever concept that’s done well, and while you won’t find a variety of game modes here, the core gameplay is solid, easy to pick up, and has some good depth, making this a great addition to your Party Game collection.
Conga Master Party!	Arcade / Party Game	B
tl;dr Conga Master Party is a family-friendly Arcade-style game that has you moving through partygoers trying to attract people to your conga line. Its simple gameplay and fun presentation hides a surprising amount of strategy in its gameplay, as well as a wealth of multiplayer content, including some exclusive to the Switch version. I wish there were a bit more depth, and the game’s random elements can be a bit frustrating, but overall this is a superb game to pick up if you’re looking for something simple and fun, especially if you want to play with a group.
Hyper Jam	Top-Down Action / Party Game	B
tl;dr Hyper Jam is a multiplayer-focused arena-based Top-Down Action Game that has up to four players fighting it out in a cyberpunk setting. The action here is excellent, and although the game is lacking somewhat in options and weapon variety, it makes up for it by handing out random upgrades between matches that ensure each match is different. I would love to see this game expanded upon, but as-is this is a fantastic action-packed Party Game well worth adding to your collection.
Move or Die: Unleashed	Platformer / Party Game	B
tl;dr Move or Die: Unleashed is a Platformer and Party Game built around a simple concept – your character must constantly keep moving along the ground or lose health. However, what makes this really special is the huge wealth of fun game modes and unlockables, the wonderfully fast pace, the killer soundtrack and the hilarious announcer. It has a few issues with its online, but overall, if you’re looking to add a game to your Party Game list, definitely give this one a look.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl	Fighting Game / Platformer / Party Game	B
tl;dr Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is a game that combines Fighting Game, Platformer, and Party Game elements much like the Super Smash Bros. series, but featuring Nickelodeon characters like SpongeBob SquarePants, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and the Ninja Turtles. The gameplay and presentation is overall decent, but also feels lacking in some areas, has nasty loading times, and some odd choices have been made with the art direction. Overall this is still a solid entry in the genre, and well worth picking up when the game goes on sale for $5.
Quiplash	Party Game	B
tl;dr Quiplash is a Party Game where players try to create a funny answer in response to a prompt, with the other players voting on the answer they like best. This is a pretty fun game that makes for a lot of amusing answers, well worth bringing out at parties, especially for Cards Against Humanity fans. Having said that, a better version of this game is already included in the second of the Jackbox Party Pack series on the Nintendo Switch, so players might want to weigh the value of this game against that package.
RiffTrax: The Game	Party Game	B
tl;dr RiffTrax: The Game is a sequel to What the Dub?!, a Party Game that has players using smartphones or other web-enabled devices to submit lines to be read via voiceover over old video clips, and then voting on which line was their favorite. This game adds to the formula a new game mode, computer-controlled bots, and online play, and while all of these new features are something of a mixed bag, they’re all optional and it’s still nice to have them here. Ultimately this is still an improvement on the previous game, and well worth adding to your Party Game list.
Rubber Bandits	Top-Down Arcade / Party Game	B
tl;dr Rubber Bandits is a family-friendly Top-Down Arcade / Party Game that has players fighting one another as goofy bandits with rubbery appendages. The sloppy gameplay is both good and bad, but the excellent variety in levels and game modes make this a great game to bring out at parties. Just don’t expect to get the same experience from the game’s online play.
Sea King	Arcade / Party Game	B
tl;dr Sea King is an Arcade-style Party Game where players pilot ships trying to blast each other away with canon fire. While it’s not especially deep and the pirate-y announcer can be a bit overbearing, the visuals are excellent, the gameplay is good and there’s a healthy variety of game modes. For $5, this is a game well worth adding to your Party Game lineup.
Stick Fight: The Game	Action-Platformer / Party Game	B
tl;dr Stick Fight is an arena-based multiplayer-focused Action-Platformer Party game where players fight as stick figures, trying to survive the longest. It’s an extremely janky game, but that jankiness actually works in the game’s favor, giving it a sloppy sort of charm. Add in a good variety of levels and weapons and you have a game that’s sure to make for a lot of fun at parties. It’s just a shame it’s so feature-poor and the online play is so unreliable – those are problems that do not add to this game’s charm.
The Jackbox Party Pack 5	Compilation / Party Games	B
tl;dr The Jackbox Party Pack 5 is a Collection of Party Games that includes five games that players play using their Smartphone instead of a controller. This is probably the most average collection Jackbox has produced, with five games that are all good but not great, or else games that could have been great, but are held back by a flaw that renders them “decent but could have been better”. Even so, if you’re looking for a good Party Game collection, this package is all around well worth playing.
Worms W.M.D.	Strategy / Party Game	B
tl;dr Worms W.M.D. brings a slew of new features to the series, but for the most part this is more of the same classic multiplayer-focused Strategy gameplay that the series has been known for. Just be warned if you’re getting this in digital format – this game is an absurd 4.9GB big.
Wrestledunk Sports	Sports (Various) / Platformer / Party Game	B
tl;dr Wrestledunk Sports is a family-friendly Sports-themed multiplayer-focused Platformer and Party Game with five simplified “sports” (both real and fictional): Wrestling, fencing, volleyball, “smashball”, and “megatonk”. These are all fairly simple, yet a surprising amount of fun. This collection could have used even more games, and it has less potential now that the online lobbies are empty, but this is still an excellent Party Game worth adding to your party game playlist.
Kirby’s Dream Buffet	Party Game	B-
tl;dr Kirby’s Dream Buffet is a family-friendly Party Game where players compete as tiny Kirbys trying to eat the most berries in giant-sized, food-themed areas. The presentation here is absolutely delicious, and the core gameplay is fun, although it’s a bit light on content and the lack of 4-player local play is disappointing. Still, if you’re looking for some simple fun online or via local wireless, this game should be well worth the $15 price tag.
Knock ‘Em Down! Bowling	Sports (Bowling) / Party Game	B-
tl;dr Knock ‘Em Down Bowling is family-friendly Party-style bowling that channels the spirit of the Wii Sports bowling game surprisingly well, with some really solid party game modes and pretty good motion-control gameplay. The controls take a bit of getting used to, but on the whole this should make a fine addition to a party.
Kraken Smash: Volleyball	Sports (Volleyball) / Platformer / Party Game	B-
tl;dr Kraken Smash: Volleyball is a family-friendly side-view Volleyball game that’s simple and fun in multiplayer. It’s sorely lacking in game modes and options, but for only $5 that’s somewhat forgivable. This is a good addition to your Party Game rotation, though you might want to consider spending more to get the similar and much more varied Wrestledunk Sports.
MageQuit	Arcade / Party	B-
tl;dr MageQuit is an arena-based Arcade-style Party Game where players take the role of wizards blasting each other with spells in an enclosed arena. There are some frustrating design and technical issues here, unimpressive visuals, and some hideously bad slowdown on Nintendo Switch. Yet despite these issues, MageQuit is still a delight to play, and Party Game fans looking for another game to throw down in should definitely consider this one, though you may be off getting this game on another platform if you can.
Moving Out	Arcade / Party Game	B-
tl;dr Moving Out is an Overcooked-style Party game that has up to four players coordinate to move furniture from a house to a moving van. It’s got a great concept and an excellent presentation, but the game’s controls and physics often make for a game that doesn’t seem to respond properly to your inputs, which can interrupt the fun with frustration. It’s still worth a look, but don’t expect a game anywhere near as fun as Overcooked.
No Heroes Here	Platformer / Tower Defense / Party Game	B-
tl;dr No Heroes Here is a Platformer Tower Defense game with strong Party Game elements with a focus on co-op as you and your friends work to defend a castle by crafting the ammunition needed to supply the cannons defending the structure. The co-op play here is solid, but the single-player play really leaves something to be desired. So long as it’s the co-op you’re looking for, I think you’ll be satisfied.
Servonauts	Arcade / Party Game	B-
tl;dr Servonauts, is a co-op-focused Arcade-style Party Game vaguely similar to Overcooked, where players are robots trying to get the right kind of gas to vehicles in a gas station by connecting hoses to various machines. The core concept here is great, making for some really good co-op play. Unfortunately, this is undermined somewhat by imprecise controls at times. However, even with these issues, co-op fans may still want to give this one a look.
Snake vs Snake	Arcade / Party Game	B-
tl;dr Snake vs Snake is an Arcade-style Party game that takes the classic gameplay of Snake and places a focus on multiplayer play. It absolutely has its flaws, and it’s not doing anything that truly revolutionizes the old-as-dirt gameplay, but its varied game modes and support for up to six players makes it a nice addition to your Party game rotation.
Vivitter	Party Game	B-
tl;dr Vivitter is a family-friendly free-to-play Party Game that has players competing in minigames that are all a spin on the “get close but don’t go over” concept of “chicken”. Despite the simple concept and some issues with repetitive games and pacing, this is nevertheless a great choice for a game to add to your Party Game list due to its fun and accessible minigames, great sense of humor, and lack of pushy monetization.
What the Dub?!	Party Game	B-
tl;dr What the Dub?! Is a Party Game that has players using smartphones or other web-enabled devices to submit lines to be read via voiceover over old video clips, and then voting on which line was their favorite. It’s a bit repetitive, and the text-to-speech algorithm naturally lacks comedic tone and timing, but this is otherwise a solid Party Game.
Battery Jam	Arcade / Party Game	C+
tl;dr Battery Jam is an arena-based Arcade-style Party Game where players are trying to cover the arena with their own color by taking out enemy players via mostly indirect means. This game is fun, but it’s overly-complicated and sorely lacking in options and features. If you can learn its ins and outs you’ll probably enjoy it, but it definitely feels like an acquired taste.
Battlesloths	2-Stick Shooter / Party Game	C+
tl;dr Battlesloths is a multiplayer-focused 2-Stick Shooter with a Party Game atmosphere where players take the role of pizza-loving sloths fighting in various arenas with an assortment of weaponry. The core gameplay here is good, but the constant stop-go pattern of action and waiting is frustrating and makes it hard to enjoy that fun gameplay.
Brick Breaker	Arcade Brick Breaker / Party Game	C+
tl;dr Brick Breaker (not to be confused with Amazing Brick Breaker) is, as the name implies, an Arcade-style Brick Breaker, and a visually good-looking one at that. Unfortunately, the controls are lacking and the physics are wonky. On the bright side though, this game’s multiplayer modes, while feature-poor, are a lot of fun, and while this may be a mediocre Arcade-style Brick Breaker, it’s actually a pretty decent Party Game.
Chickenoidz Super Party	Party Game / Arcade	C+
tl;dr Chickenoidz Super Party is a family-friendly top-down Arcade-style arena-based Party Game. The action here is fun but a bit too frenetic, with balancing issues and pacing issues with weapons that constantly run dry and giant power-ups that seem to go on far too long. There’s still multiplayer fun to be had here, but you have better options for that on Nintendo Switch.
Circle of Sumo: Online Rumble!	Arcade / Party Game	C+
tl;dr Circle of Sumo: Online Rumble is a free-to-play online version of 2018’s Circle of Sumo. It’s a decent competitive Party Game, but the simplicity of the gameplay, lack of built-in local multiplayer, and heavy-handed monetization make it a game you’re not likely to play too long before moving on.
Collidalot	Arcade / Party Game	C+
tl;dr Collidalot is a game that has players competing to bump each other off of rails in an arena. It’s a really original concept for a game, but unfortunately I felt that the game’s fast-paced nature and frustrating controls kept it from really resonating with me.
EleMetals: Death Metal Death Match!	Action-Platformer / Party Game	C+
tl;dr EleMetals is an arena-based Action-Platformer that has players duking it out in deathtrap-filled arenas with a heavy metal theme. The action here is great… until you start to feel your hands suffering because of all the button-mashing the game requires. There are other good multiplayer Action-Platformers that don’t put you through this ordeal, you should probably play one of those instead.
Light Fingers	Board Game / Party Game / 3D Platformer	C+
tl;dr Light Fingers is a game that combines elements of Board Games, Party Games, and Platformers, with players taking the role of a thief trying to prove his skills in a clockwork simulation. Unfortunately, while the Board Game and Party Game elements are solid (if a bit slow-paced), the Platforming is pretty bad. On balance, those looking for a unique Party Game may still want to give this a try, though.
Mario Party Superstars	Party Game / Minigame Collection	C+
tl;dr Mario Party Superstars is a Party game that revisits past boards and minigames from throughout the franchise, with modernized visuals and online play. It’s a pretty game, and the minigames here are mostly quite fun, but this game overall feels largely uninspired and lacks features added to the series over the years. If you’re looking for a retro-style Mario Party game, this is definitely that – both the good and the bad.
Monster Bugs Eat People	Arcade / Party Game	C+
tl;dr Monster Bugs Eat People is an Arcade-style Party game where you play as giant segmented worms eating different parts of the environment, as well as each other. The game has a terrible lack of content and options, and the presentation is pretty bad as well, but there’s some surprising nuance in the gameplay, and for $2 this can be a fun little Party game that’s worth the price tag.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2	Fighting Game / Platformer / Party Game	C+
tl;dr Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 is a game which, much like its predecessor, combines Fighting Game, Platformer, and Party Game elements much like the Super Smash Bros. series, but featuring Nickelodeon characters like SpongeBob SquarePants, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and the Ninja Turtles. This game addresses many of the issues the first game had, and presents exciting new gameplay elements… but at the same time, it doesn’t expand the roster and instead cuts half of the first game’s characters to make room for new ones, drastically changes characters that are still here, and on Nintendo Switch has performance issues and massive loading times. For all this game gets right, it fails in ways that make it really difficult to recommend on Nintendo Switch.
Paperbound Brawlers	Arcade / Action-Platformer / Party Game	C+
tl;dr Paperbound Brawlers is a multiplayer-focused arena-based Arcade-style Action-Platformer and Party game where players attack each other while shifting gravity to move around the arena. There’s some fun and original gameplay here, but it feels rough and lacks some polish that could have greatly improved it. Overall it’s a worthwhile entry into its genre, but one with a lot of room for improvement.
Sausage Sports Club	Party Game	C+
tl;dr Sausage Sports Club is a Party Game where players take the role of floppy animals in one of five types of competitions. The action is shallow and chaotic, but seems like it’d be perfect for young kids, and the characters and writing are absolutely adorable and funny. This is absolutely not a game for serious gamers, but those looking for a light fun silly time in multiplayer might find it entertaining.
Sausage Wars	Arcade / Party Game	C+
tl;dr Sausage Wars is an Arcade-style Party game where players take the role of anthropomorphic sausages trying to whack each other off the stage or into hazards. There’s some good visceral fun to be had here, but the gameplay is too repetitive and has far too many issues to make this last long before your party wants to move on to other things.
ScreenCheat: Unplugged	First-Person Shooter / Party Game	C+
tl;dr ScreenCheat is a FPS where players cannot see enemies and must “cheat” by looking at other players’ screens on the splitscreen to figure out their position. It’s a clever concept that’s executed well enough, but it gets old pretty quickly. An interesting distraction, but not much more than that.
Toridama: Brave Challenge	Party Game	C+
tl;dr Toridama is a Party Game where players take on minigames that are essentially different takes on the game of Chicken. While there’s a fun quirky WarioWare-style presentation here, these games are too repetitive, the multiplayer support is too limited, and it’s hard to recommend this when Vivitter does pretty much the same thing and is free. While I don’t think this is a bad game, you have better options on Nintendo Switch.
Urban Flow	Arcade / Party Game	C+
tl;dr Urban Flow is a game that has one to four players controlling traffic by turning on and off traffic lights. This is a decent simple game with a lot of potential for hectic hijinks, and while there are areas it could have done with some improvement, overall this is a game well worth trying if that sounds interesting to you.
Big Brain Academy: Brain Vs. Brain	Party Game / Minigame Collection	C
tl;dr Big Brain Academy: Brain Vs. Brain is a Minigame Collection and Party game with numerous extremely simple games with a vaguely educational theme. However, the educational value of this game is dubious, and its enjoyment as a game is extremely limited by its simplicity. You may have some fun with this one for a short while, but you’ll get bored with it quickly.
Crashnauts	Action-Platformer / 2-Stick Shooter / Party Game	C
tl;dr Crashnauts is an arena-based Action-Platformer Party Game. While it works and there’s nothing especially wrong with it, it’s pretty forgettable and what few unique elements it has just serve to make it chaotic and lacking any real depth.
D-Corp	Tower Defense / Party Game	C
tl;dr D-Corp is a game that combines Tower Defense and Party Game elements, and it would be a decent meshing of the two genres if the game’s visuals didn’t make it far too difficult to discern important gameplay elements. As a result, there is some fun to be had here, but overall you’re better off sticking with other entries in the genre.
ExitMan Deluxe	Arcade / Party Game	C
tl;dr ExitMan is a family-friendly Arcade-style Party game where players must run left and right to get under gaps in the ceiling before it comes crashing down to squash those underneath it. There’s a good variety of game modes here, and the gameplay is accessible enough that anyone can play it, but it’s so simple and repetitive that it’s not likely to hold your interest for very long. I suppose for $5, it might make for a mildly amusing distraction, but it’s not a distraction you’re likely to enjoy for long before moving on to something else. And in the meantime, the 888MB file size is going to be hogging space on your Nintendo Switch despite the game having an extremely simple and unimpressive presentation that absolutely does not justify that bloated file size.
Hot Shot Burn	Top-Down Arcade / Party Game	C
tl;dr Hot Shot Burn is a Top-Down Arcade-style Party Game where players try to shoot each other in an arena. There’s a good mix of fairly balanced characters here, but the game is dragged down by a laundry list of flaws ranging from unskippable between-match menus slowing things down, a lack of second-stick aiming, and empty online lobbies. If it weren’t for the flaws, this would be a great simple multiplayer Party Game, but as it is, it’s hard to recommend this game over the many other better options on the Nintendo Switch.
Kirby Fighters 2	Fighting Game / Platformer / Party Game	C
tl;dr Kirby Fighters 2 is a family-friendly game that combines Fighting Game, Platformer and Party Game elements much in the same way the Super Smash Bros. series does. The gameplay here is good albeit more shallow than Super Smash Bros. In fact, overall Kirby Fighters 2 doesn’t hold a candle to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in pretty much every area, and even its low $20 price tag can only do so much to make up for this game’s severe lack of variety. This is a decent game, but anyone interested in this game is much, much better off spending more to get Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Muddledash	Platformer / Party Game	C
tl;dr Muddledash is a Platformer/Party game where 2-4 players race to be the first to reach the finish line while holding a gift they’re all squabbling over. It’s a decent idea, but multiple serious flaws really limit the fun you can have with this game.
Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition	Arcade / Party Game	C
tl;dr Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition presents classic Nintendo Entertainment System games cut up into smaller competitions and challenging players to compete in them for the best times. Unfortunately, the lack of variety in goal types, the inability to compete with others online in real-time, and some control issues really hobble this one out of the gate. There’s still some enjoyment to be found here, but it’s sadly not what it could have been.
Party Golf	Arcade / Party Game	C
tl;dr Golf Party is an Arcade/Party game where up to 8 players all compete in real-time to get their ball to the hole on a 2D course, bumping into one another and making use of all sorts of different game modes and options. The gameplay can at times be frustrating, but players may find some appeal in the chaotic action.
Press “A” to Party	Arcade / Party Game	C
tl;dr Press “A” to Party is a One-Button Arcade-style Party game where players try to see how long they can last in one of six simple one-button minigames. Only two of the included minigames here are particularly fun, and while those two games make for a decent but brief distraction, two worthwhile minigames doesn’t make for a very compelling minigame collection.
The Jackbox Party Pack 6	Compilation / Party Games	C
tl;dr The Jackbox Party Pack 6 is a Collection of Party Games that includes five games that players play using their Smartphone instead of a controller. While this isn’t the worst collection of games Jackbox has put out, it is still a pretty terrible selection of games with little that stands out. I recommend you get one of the other Jackbox collections instead.
Timberman VS	Arcade / Party Game	C
tl;dr Timberman VS is an Arcade/Party Game where you’re using two buttons to chop at the left or right side of a tree while avoiding falling branches. It’s an okay multiplayer time waster, but not much more than that.
Aeolis Tournament	Top-Down Arcade / Party Game	C-
tl;dr Aeolis Tournament is a family-friendly Top-Down Arcade-style Party Game where players use vacuum guns for various events. Unfortunately, the events are far too few in number, are too shallow, and the vacuum mechanic has problems of its own. The result is a good idea that’s ultimately done poorly, and not worth your time.
Color Breakers	Arcade / Party Game	C-
tl;dr Color Breakers is an Arcade / Party Game where players move around characters who use giant colored pencils to recreate a painting. Unfortunately, movement is awkward and the game does too poor a job indicating where your marks will be made, leading to an experience that’s frustrating more often than it is fun.
Gurgamoth	Arcade / Party Game	C-
tl;dr Gurgamoth is an Arcade-Style Party Game that has players as cultists bumping each other into hazards to please a grotesque elder god. It’s a simple game that could have been a fun take on a “bumper cars”-style formula, but loose and unwieldy controls make it hard to enjoy.
Heads Up! Phones Down Edition	Party Game	C-
tl;dr Heads Up! is a Party Game that was a cultural phenomenon over a decade ago, where one player guesses the word on-screen without looking, based on hints from other players. It’s a decent concept, but this release is horribly lacking in structure and functionality, and the price is absurd given what’s actually on offer is little more than a bunch of words and a timer.
Instant Sports All-Stars	Sports (Various) / Party Game	C-
tl;dr Instant Sports All-Stars is a Sports-themed Party Game with 27 Sports-themed minigames… sorta’. It’s a stretch to call a few of these Sports, and many of the games here are copies of other games in the bundle, making it far less varied than that number seems. What’s more, nearly all the minigames are pretty mediocre. The result is a Party Game you won’t want to bring to a party of even the most enthusiastic sports fans.
Knowledge Trainer: Trivia	Party Game	C-
tl;dr Knowledge Trainer is a trivia-focused Party game. It has a clean presentation and a wealth of questions, but there’s little in the way of variety or personality, and the $15 price tag is quite high when there are much better games in the genre already on the Nintendo Switch. Skip this one.
Multi Quiz	Party Game	C-
tl;dr Multi Quiz is a Party Game that is, as the title indicates, also a Trivia Game. It works, but it’s also dreadfully boring and extremely lacking in features. Unless you want a game that’s just trivia with no frills or features, you’re better off skipping this one.
Party Treats	Party Game	C-
tl;dr Party Treats is a Party Game where players take the role of sweet treats trying to find a safe path through a field full of hidden booby traps. It’s an interesting concept, but what it amounts to is a lot of repetition and luck-based gameplay. Your party may be briefly amused by this, but they’ll tire of it quickly.
Pirates: All Aboard!	Compilation / Top-Down Auto-Runner / Arcade / Party Game	C-
tl;dr Pirates: All Aboard! Is a Compilation of a single-player Top-Down Auto-Runner where players move a ship through obstacles, and a multiplayer Arcade-style Party Game where players navigate their ships trying to sink each other. Both modes are bland and uninspired, and the single-player mode is even worse due to an unforgiving challenge level and poor hit detection. In the end, this game (or pair of games) isn’t without some enjoyment to be had, but you’re much better off getting something else instead.
Rabbids: Party of Legends	Party Game	C-
tl;dr Rabbids: Party of Legends is a family-friendly Party Game featuring the screaming rabbit-like rabbids in a silly, cartoony version of ancient China. The presentation here is great, but the minigames themselves are overloaded with terrible motion controls and poor pacing, and with only 50 minigames, it’ll get repetitive pretty quickly. This game has moments of fun, but most players are better off getting a Mario Party game instead.
Skelittle: A Giant Party!	Party Game / Minigame Collection	C-
tl;dr Skelittle is a Party Game with a theme that has your characters pint-sized and taking part in similarly-sized challenges. While the minigames here are passable, there are too few of them, they’re too uninspired, the presentation is underwhelming, the features are lacking, and there’s just no real point to getting this game when you have so many better options on the Nintendo Switch.
Thief Town	Stealth / Party Game	C-
tl;dr Thief Town is a Party Game with a strong Stealth element where players try to take each other out while blending into the crowd and not getting discovered. Unfortunately, this same premise was already done much, much better in Hidden in Plain Sight, with a wider variety of gameplay modes and better core gameplay, and I strongly encourage players to get that game instead of this one.
Think of the Children	Arcade / Party Game	C-
tl;dr Think of the Children is an arcade/party game where you have to scramble to set up a fun outing while keeping a group of seemingly suicidal children from offing themselves. It’s frantic and nerve-wracking… but for me, it just left me with frayed nerves.
Trivial Pursuit Live!	Party Game	C-
tl;dr Trivial Pursuit Live! Is a Party Game that is really only loosely inspired by the classic board game, instead playing more like a trivia game show. However, even on its own merits, this game has some pretty severe balancing issues that keep it from being as fun as it could have been. The result is a game that seems likely to disappoint just about everyone.
Big Crown: Showdown	Platformer / Party Game	D+
tl;dr Big Crown: Showdown is a 3D Platformer/Party Game that’s essentially a glorified king of the hill game. unfortunately, it’s dragged down by a lack of options, unintuitive menus, poor controls, overly simplistic gameplay, and a ridiculous file size. Don’t bother.
Brawlhalla	Fighting Game / Platformer / Party Game	D+
tl;dr Brawlhalla is a Free-To-Play Fighting Game with Platformer mechanics that plays like Smash Bros. but with characters from various other disparate franchises. Unfortunately, the game mechanics make the entire cast of rotating characters largely interchangeable, and the hit detection is so awful that battles become a struggle getting your attacks to connect. This game may be free, but your time is too precious to waste on it.
Everybody 1-2-Switch!	Party Game	D+
tl;dr Everybody 1-2-Switch! is the follow-up to 1-2 Switch that nobody asked for, and about the same number of people are likely to enjoy. To its credit, this family-friendly Party Game is actually a game this time and not a tech demo, and the $30 price tag is easier to swallow, but this game is sorely lacking in content and features, has some atrociously bad pacing, some very poor design choices, and a presentation seemingly designed to appeal to nobody. This is a step up from the first game, but it’s still a terrible game that you should not buy.
Explosive Dinosaurs	Party Game	D+
tl;dr Explosive Dinosaurs is a Party Game featuring 40 minigames featuring cartoony dinosaurs. The minigames are shallow, uneven, and not very fun to play, and there’s just not much reason to buy this game over others that are available on the eShop. Skip it.
Instant Chef Party	Party Game	D+
tl;dr Instant Chef Party is a Party Game in the same style of Mario Party, but with a food theme. There are some elements this game gets right, but its motion control is hit or miss, there are only two game boards (both strictly linear), and this game makes multiple decisions that are sure to frustrate players. Even as a low-cost alternative to Mario Party, this isn’t worth getting – save your money and wait until you can buy a Mario Party game instead.
JumpHead: Battle4Fun!	Platformer / Party Game	D+
tl;dr JumpHead is a multiplayer-focused Platformer and Party Game where players try to score points by jumping on each others’ heads. Unfortunately, jumping in this game is inconsistent and unreliable to the point where it saps the fun out of the game. This game is broken and not worth playing.
Animal Rivals: Nintendo Switch Edition	Party Game	D
tl;dr Animal Rivals is a Party game with a collection of 4 minigames… but only one of those is even worth playing, and only as a minor distraction, at that. Plus, the game is really ugly to look at. Avoid this one.
Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp	Party Game / Turn-Based JRPG	D
tl;dr Danganronpa S is a spin-off game within the Danganronpa franchise that has the characters from throughout the series in a lighthearted romp that mixes Party Game and Turn-Based JRPG elements based on minigames from Danganronpa V3. Unfortunately, all of the gameplay elements here are poorly-designed and boring, the visuals are largely recycled, and the appeal of seeing your favorite character interact with others is ruined by a gross gacha system that’s clearly trying to push you to spend money to unlock them in the eShop. Do not waste your money on this rip-off of a game.
Save Your Nuts	Party Game	D
tl;dr Save Your Nuts is a Party Game where players compete to grab acorns and bring them back to a home base before the opposing team can. It’s shallow and controls poorly, and feels all the world like a game that only exists because its creators thought they could sell the thing on an amusing title alone. Don’t buy it.
Super Bomberman R	Arcade / Party Game	D
tl;dr Super Bomberman R is the latest in a long-running series of Arcade/Party games. However, the game is plagued with problems, like laggy online play, a lack of options, and a visual presentation that detracts from the gameplay. Yet its biggest flaw is that three years later, and even with all of these problems, they’re still trying to charge you $50 for this thing when it’s debatable if it’s worth one-tenth of that price. Do not waste your money on this game.
The Jackbox Party Pack 4	Compilation / Party Games	D
tl;dr The Jackbox Party Pack 4 is a Collection of Party Games that includes five games that players play using their Smartphone instead of a controller. Of all the Jackbox collections so far, this is my least favorite, with three of the games here being absolute trash. If it wasn’t for the brilliant Fibbage 3 being in this collection, it would be a complete waste, and since you can get the earlier Fibbage games in Party Pack 1 and 2 (along with other good games), there’s little reason to get this one unless you’ve exhausted those and absolutely need more Fibbage.
Wondershot	Arcade / Party Game	D
tl;dr Wondershot is an Arcade-Style Party game where up to four players shoot arrows at each other, and then have to go run after those arrows when they miss. Which can work (and does in Towerfall), but here the controls are wonky and every single shot can be one that requires you to go running after another weapon. Don’t bother with this one.
You Adorable! Elfin Clay 2	Party Game	D
tl;dr Elfin Clay 2 is a free-to-play 3v3 team-based Party Game where players are clay figurines trying to fill their team’s platform with more objects than the enemy team before time runs out. Unfortunately the controls here are terrible and the gameplay is far too chaotic for this game to be worth playing, even for free. Skip it.
Party Games 15 in 1	Party Game / Minigame Collection	D-
tl;dr Party Games 15 in 1 is a Compilation of 14 minigames (that’s right, 14), with a few that are decent, but most being half-finished or poorly-conceived. Most of the content here isn’t very fun, or isn’t very deep. If you want a fun Party Game on Nintendo Switch, you have much better options than this asset flip.
Party Friends	Party Game / Minigame Collection	D-
tl;dr Party Friends is a Party Game with far too few minigames, and with most of those minigames being absolutely terrible, with one minigame in particular being an absolute dumpster fire of a game. Please do not mistreat your friends by making them play this.
Shipped	Party Game / Arcade	D-
tl;dr Shipped is a simple Party Game that has players navigating through hex-based island to pick up ammo crates and shoot one another. It’s a pretty dull and straightforward premise, but this game makes it worse by having horrible controls. Don’t bother with it.
Trivia For Dummies	Party Game	D-
tl;dr Trivia for Dummies is quite possibly the worst trivia game I have ever played. It’s boring, unimaginative, controls poorly, doesn’t provide players with any options, and forces players to sit and wait for a timer even after everyone has answered the question. Do not buy this game.
1-2-Switch	Party Game / Minigame Collection	F
tl;dr 1-2-Switch is a Party Game and Minigame collection that has players not looking at the screen and instead playing almost exclusively with the Joy-Cons themselves. The 28 games included here are more tech demos than minigames, and many of them are horribly simple or just plain bad. This should have been a pack-in freebie game, and even then it would be one you’d play once and never go back to. But at $50, this is a rip-off. Do not buy this game.
Chickens Madness	Party Game	F
tl;dr Chicken Madnesss is a Party game where players control chickens in a series of minigames. The controls here are so outright awful in every game I tested that there was simply no fun to be had here. Do not buy this game.
Overheat: Kitchen Chaos	Arcade / Party Game	F
tl;dr Overheat is a co-op focused Arcade-style Party Game that copies everything it does from Overcooked, and does so very, very badly. Even the menus and tutorial in this game are broken. Do not spend a single cent on this scam of a game.
Party Crashers	Futuristic Racing / Party Game	F
tl;dr Party Crashers is a Racing/Party Game with a great look, a ton of options, and procedurally-generated maps. It is also damn near unplayable, with a horrible camera and menus that just seem broken.

You can now support this content on Patreon! Please click the link to learn more!