What to play for free on the Nintendo Switch in 2023

With the Switch approaching yet another birthday, it means that there are now countless games available to enjoy on the multi purpose device. There are grand adventures that takes hundreds of hours to complete, racing games that put the pedal to the metal and even titles that are small in scope, but large in joy.

With all the games available to players, sometimes finding a single game can be a challenge, but in these trying times, the cost of those games can also be quite high. Now we put together bargain guides for the big upcoming games all the time, we also do a round up of all the weekly sales, so you can always save some coin. But what about if you are new to Switch or just don’t have a lot of extra cash to spend, well this is the list for you.

The games below are all Free-to-Start. You may have heard them get called free to play, but as most offer in-game purchases, that is not exactly an accurate statement. However, the games below are free to get, no subscriptions needed, no upfront costs, you just hit download on the game page and you are done. The list has one new update compared to years past, a battle pass/season pass identifier, what this means is that you can know out of the gate, what games offer seasonal challenges and rewards. Please note that you do not need to spend any money on these games, you can enjoy them for free, everything else is just extra.

Finally, any title that has a * next to the size is advised to be installed upon a micro sd card, some games will be fine on the Original and Lite models and most should be ok on an OLED model, but with games constantly getting updates, you are better to play it safe. We have compiled a list of what you need to look for in a micro sd card, in our Nintendo Switch MEGA buyers guide, including some options for various budgets.

Apex Legends

Players: 1-60 | Size: 20.6gb* | Battle Pass: Yes | Cross-Play Supported: Yes | eShop: Link

Apex Legends on Switch is approaching its 2^nd anniversary and while it might not be as pretty as the other platforms, it offers all the same content. You drop into a map, either in a squad or if you are unlucky solo and then shoot it out to be the last one standing. Each battle can last a good while, especially if the players in it are good at the game, but the luck of the draw is all based on the weapons you find. With new seasons happening all the time, there is always more being added to the game.

Asphalt 9: Legends

Players: 1-8 | Size: 3.8gb | Battle Pass: No | Cross-Play Supported: No | eShop: Link

Asphalt 9: Legends has been speeding across Switch for a number of years now and with more than 100 cars and counting, there is always something new to drive. The game is very much rooted in its mobile design, but it offers plenty to do nonetheless, as long as you don’t mind having to wait after a few races for your fuel to refill.

BRAWLHALLA

Players: 1-8 | Size: 1gb | Battle Pass: No | Cross-Play Supported: Yes | eShop: Link

Fighting games on Switch are pretty much everywhere, but there are only a few free ones, this is perhaps the biggest. Not because of its size, its very modest actually, but rather the sheer amount of content in the game. Last year saw Street Fighter, The Walking Dead, Kung Fu Panda, Lara Croft and even the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles join the fight. This year saw the inclusion of G.I. Joe, Assassin’s Creed, Castlevania and Avatar: The Last Airbender join in on the action. The gameplay is pretty much Smash Bros, but with its own twist and that’s quite fine by us.

Dauntless

Players: 1-4 | Size: 7.1gb* | Battle Pass: No | Cross-Play Supported: Yes | eShop: Link

Dauntless takes the basic concept of Monster Hunter, and that is about it. The game lets you team up with three other players, take down massive enemies, create new armour and then do it all over again. Of course, there are some changes, but the basic gameplay loop is the same as the iconic series, but with cross-play as an option, it means you will never hunt alone.

Fall Guys

Players: 1-60 | Size: 2.4gb | Battle Pass: Yes | Cross-Play Supported: Yes | eShop: Link

This is a game that takes the fun of Wipeout and the chaos of Takeshi’s Castle and throws in adorable little beans. You have to complete in a series of randomly selected levels, some of them will have you running an obstacle course and others surviving some kind of spinning platform. There are some that are team focused and many that are a free for all, there is just a lot that goes on here. Plus the game has some pretty cool looking outfits to obtain, in the past there even been a Godzilla one.

Fortnite

Players: 1-100 | Size: 18gb* | Battle Pass: Yes | Cross-Play Supported: Yes | eShop: Link

It’s Fortnite, moving on. Oh, you are one of those rare people that has never heard of the game, ok let me explain. Here you can jump into the world and fight 99 additional players, in order to become the winner, or you can team up with three friends and all try together. But shooting isn’t all you can do, you can build amazing structures, tear down others and of course, throw it all away for a random dance break. Plus the game has Batman, Spider-man, Ryu, Terminator, Aloy, Lara Croft and that was in years past, this year has seen My Hero Academia, The Witcher, Destiny, Dragon Ball, Indiana Jones, Doctor Strange and Uncharted all show up.

Knockout City

Players: 1-8 | Size: 9gb | Battle Pass: No | Cross-Play Supported: Yes | eShop: Link

When the game first launched, it was a fully paid experience and while it did get plenty of attention and for good reason, it didn’t take long for the game to pivot to free to play. The game is pretty simple, you are on a team and you play dodgeball against another, sure the balls can change up with some having special attacks. The maps themselves are always in motion, meaning lots of moving things to deal with and if that wasn’t enough, you can power up your shots by throwing them at your team mates. Perhaps the best bit though, if you can’t find a ball to throw then you can just throw your teammate instead.

Overwatch 2

Players: 1-10 | Size: 16gb | Battle Pass: Yes | Cross-Play Supported: Yes | eShop: Link

At this point a descriptor of Overwatch shouldn’t be required, but its what we do, so here we go. This is a competitive shooter, you team up with four other players and take on another team in a number of games modes. There are 35 heroes currently in the game, more than 20 maps and 6 modes and as the game gets more content, single player offerings will also be included.

Pokémon UNITE

Players: 1-10 | Size: 1.9gb | Battle Pass: No | Cross-Play Supported: Yes | eShop: Link

Pokémon Unite takes the core gameplay design of a MOBA, but instead of random guys in armour with guns, you now get to select from a range of iconic Pokémon. With two teams of five and cross-play with the mobile versions, there will always be folks to play with and as matches only run for 10 minutes, you can easily squeeze a round in now and then. Plus the Pokémon you use will level up as fight, meaning the longer you play, the strong you get.

Rocket League

Players: 1-8 | Size: 17.4gb* | Battle Pass: Yes | Cross-Play Supported: Yes | eShop: Link

High-speed action is the name of the game, well that is not true, the name is Rocket League, but high-speed action makes up what you do, as you and three additional players, take on another team of four, to compete to see who can score the most goals. The game didn’t start out as a a free-to-play experience, but made the change last year, regardless, there is a lot of content, with seasons dropping all the time, along with special cars like the Delorean from Back to the Future, F1 racing cars, oh and for Switch, Mario, Luigi and Samus all have their own cars, exclusively for this release.

Roller Champions

Players: 1-6 | Size: 4.8gb | Battle Pass: Yes | Cross-Play Supported: Yes | eShop: Link

Like many games on this list, Roller Champions has a simple concept, take on another team of three players and be the first to score the required number of goals. Along the way you can flip, shove and otherwise cause chaos on the rink as you attempt to achieve victory. The game offers two different battle passes, a free tier and a paid one and all they do is offer up new cosmetic items to make use of. It might be a simple game, but learning when to boost, tackle, pass and shoot can take some practice, but it is well worth the effort.

Skyforge

Players: 1-20 | Size: 27.5gb | Battle Pass: No | Cross-Play Supported: No | eShop: Link

Skyforge is an online action game inspired by science-fiction and fantasy, set in a breathtaking universe rife with gods and monsters. The game itself was developed by Allods, but RPG masters Obsidian Entertainment were also brought in to help flesh out many of the games mechanics and systems. This is a MMO meaning that if you start playing, you will get hundreds and hundreds of hours of content to enjoy. The game also delivers all its content for free, but you can opt to by cosmetic items to look a set way, or small boosts to help you level up faster.

Super Kirby Clash

Players: 1-4 | Size: 1gb | Battle Pass: No | Cross-Play Supported: No | eShop: Link

Kirby games have never been known to be that difficult, but Super Kirby Clash is a little different because, in a nutshell, it is a boss rush mode. You and three other players can come together and face boss, after boss from across the Kirby series of games. There is a slight catch with this one, if you want to play online, you do need a Nintendo Switch Online membership, just the basic level, but you and a friend can tackle them on the one Switch console, by just passing a Joy-con over.

The Elder Scrolls: Blades

Players: 1-2 | Size: 2.4gb | Battle Pass: No | Cross-Play Supported: Yes | eShop: Link

The Elder Scrolls: Blades is a unique title, it isn’t a fully open world Elder Scrolls experience like Skyrim, but it does let you create a city, complete quests and enter into an arena to see who is the better fighter. The good news is that you can always swap your progress to and from the mobile releases, letting you keep the action going, if you have to leave your Switch behind. One note on this, it has been a while since any new content was added to the game, so players who have enjoyed the game before, may not find anything new to discover now.

Warframe

Players: 1-4 | Size: 19.7gb* | Battle Pass: Yes | Cross-Play Supported: Yes | eShop: Link

Space ninjas!!! Well advanced warriors frozen in time that awaken far into our future and can move like ninja, so close enough. This 3rd person action game can have you hacking and slashing at waves of enemies in randomly created spaces, or in massive open-world style levels, plus there is a lot of gear to obtain, stories to discover and more; which is not bad considering the game is technically still in beta and has been since its launch on PC back in 2013.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel

Players: 1-2 | Size: 4.3gb | Battle Pass: Yes | Cross-Play Supported: Yes | eShop: Link

Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel is more of a card game simulator than it is a “game”, exactly… but it is an incredibly polished, incredibly fun simulator. It has full cross-play and cross-progression for every platform it’s on, meaning you can jump between whatever device you want and keep your decks and rank. Plus, despite its battle pass and free-to-play status, it’s incredibly generous, with the game giving enough gems to build dozens of decks and still have enough left over to get the battle pass for free. It has a lengthy single-player campaign that’ll teach you everything you need to know to get started in Yu-Gi-Oh and dish out plenty of rewards for online play while you’re at it. If you have even the slightest interest in the card game, this is far and away the best way to experience it, on the Switch or on any platform.

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So there you go, some of the best games that are free-to-start on Switch and again while you can opt to pay real world money for in-game items, to help unlock somethings, you can also opt to never pay a single cent.

There are countless more titles still that we didn’t short list, like Sky: Children of the Light, Gems of War, Vigor and World of Tanks Blitz, with many beyond that.