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Top 15 best board games for Nintendo Switch

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Top 15 best board games for Nintendo Switch

Friends can't hang out during the pandemic, luckily there are board games for Nintendo Switch

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Updated on July 12th, 2023 - re-checked the list

Back before the time of video games on Nintendo Switch and other platforms, there were these things called board games! Tabletop board games are always a really fun time when all of your friends can come around to your house to play a game together. However, tabletop games do take up a lot of space in your home and it’s often hard to arrange enough people over to play with you, physically, at your house.

That’s where digital board games come into play! There are a bunch of different digital board games out on various platforms, but we are here to talk about digital board games on Nintendo Switch. The Nintendo Switch is a pretty portable console, meaning that you can easily take these games wherever you’d go. It’s a great way to introduce your friends to these board games without having to lug them around - and often these digital board games can also be played online or through single-player, which is a big plus.

Without any further adieu, let’s get into the fifteen best board games for Nintendo Switch.

Original Article by Jupiter Hadley, latest update by Cristina Mesesan
Click Here To View The List »

1
Monopoly

Monopoly is a household name, but if you don’t want to have the physical board game to lug around, you can always try the digital version! This game is the same as the board game, though there are new action cards, modifiable game objectives, different board themes, and you can actually change around the modifiers to make the game shorter. Meaning that you and your family don’t spend all of the entire weekend trying to complete a single round.

It's one of the best board games for Nintendo Switch and not only - this titan has been one of the top ever since its conception. The best part is that now we don't have to try to beat world records in time spent in game. The digital version makes it a lot quicker!

Download Monopoly
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2
Raiders of the North Sea

Raiders of the North Sea is a Viking raiding game, where you can make decisions to best drive your crew of Vikings. Along with making choice, you need to gather resources to raid other Vikings and loot the people you are attacking. In Raiders of the North Sea, you can play the campaign mode, but there is more fun to be had in the online multiplayer version. Some Vikings will take several attempts to properly loot, but that’s okay.

At the end of the game, whoever has the most points is deemed the winner. This can easily turn into one of your favourite board games on the platform with such a great gameplay and re-play potential!

Download Raiders of the North Sea
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3
Catan

If you are big into board games, you’ll have heard of The Settlers of Catan. Your goal in Catan is to create the best settlement - better than all of your opponents - and gather the most victory points. At first, you will be able to expand your territory quite easily, but as other players become stronger, you will find that the island isn’t big enough for all of you.

Your placement is a big part of the strategy, as you will need to find the best places for you to take over. There is an element of luck, through dice rolling as well. It's easily one of the best board games on Switch and outside of it as well.

Download Catan from the Nintendo Switch Store.
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4
Dicey Dungeons

Dicey Dungeons isn’t a tabletop game that has been made digital. It’s a digital board game at its core, and one of the coolest roguelike titles that there is. There are a bunch of different gameplay varieties, great music, the visuals are so fun, and the entire thing is a great time.

The game is, basically, a deck-building roguelike where you roll dice and then place them into cards to determine how much you are able to use them - the strength they have, the amount the tools use or even how many dice you have on the next round. To put it simple, it's a board game on Switch you'll love to play!

Download Dicey Dungeons from the Nintendo Switch Store.
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5
Wingspan

Wingspan is a beautiful and semi-complex tabletop game that has you playing with cards, dice, and managing what you have. Wingspan, as you may have guessed, is a game about rolling dice and getting birds. Birds have different abilities and actions that can be used once they are settled, but your main goal is to build up a big nature reserve and team your birds up to help each other and benefit from being around each other.

It’s true - it's quite complex, but once you get the hang of it it'll be super fun. It's also extremely beautiful, and if you love nature or learning everything there is about animals, you'll instantly fall in love with it.

Download Wingspan from the Nintendo Switch Store.
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6
Uno

Uno is a classic card game, where players take turns placing down cards, which are normally the same colour or number as the last placed card. However, there are also wild cards that change the colour of the current, in-place card as well. It’s a simple game to play and really easy to learn.

It's truly great for families that have younger members that want to get in on the game. The Nintendo Switch version of this board game has some cool animations and digital advancements that do add to the gameplay, beyond what a physical deck can do. Still, as good as it might be, nothing can quite compare to the real experience.

Download Uno from the Nintendo Switch Store.
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7
Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales

The next game on the list will be the perfect choice if you are a fan of The Witcher universe. In fact, this is an incredible card and role-playing game that you should definitely try!

In the game, you will have to explore a world full of adventures, collects resources, and fight with enemies. When you meet the enemy, the card battle will immediately start. Moreover, there are many interesting puzzles in the game. Sometimes it is special victory conditions, like killing the enemy commander, but it also might be a complex task with a strict time limit. Also, during the journey, you can set up camp and chat with your companions.

Download Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales from the Nintendo Switch Store
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8
Evolution

Evolution is another game about animals! In this board game, you are looking to survive by keeping yourself ahead of your opponents. You will need to adapt to the world, making decisions on how to change your animal depending on the environment around them. If you're unable to get water because there isn’t any on the ground, you’ll need to combine characteristics of an animal with a longer neck, for example, to reach food in trees. If your opponent is doing too well, you can become a carnivore and eat them (simple as that, huh nature?).

There is the ability to play against an AI if you can't find any humans to practice your evolutions on, so it's definitely a fun game to fill your free time with!

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9
Talisman

Talisman is a bigger board game, filled with so many things to do, from quests to take on, to various enemies to fight and challenges to win, that it'll resemble a RPG more than a board game. Talisman will see you and up to 5 of your friends trying to make your way to the centre of the board while fighting through whatever stands in your way.

There are a bunch of different characters to master, with different strengths and special abilities, however, there are always rivals that can take you down. It's a magnificent board-game-meets RPG, but with a closer resemblance to a board game in terms of visuals. It's certainly a must-play in our book!

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10
Slay the Spire

Slay the Spire is a procedurally generated card-based game where you can build up your deck, burn cards you don’t need, and power up the ones that are more useful to you. You will get to pick the path you want to play on in Slay the Spire, but each area has monsters to fight or decisions to make.

This game is really fun to play and one that I’ve personally sunk a lot of hours with, both playing as a team with my friends on one character and alone. Being in position 10 of our list of best board games on Switch doesn't mean it is lesser in any way!

Download Slay the Spire.
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11
Table of Tales: The Crooked Crown

If you want to dive into an immersive RPG adventure on Switch, then Table of Tales: The Crooked Crown is the ideal pick. It's a story-driven game which takes tactical turn-based battles and role-playing to the next level, and tops it all off with colourful 3D visuals.

The game does an amazing job of rendering what an actual RPG would feel like in real life into the digital, except you cannot really have a fully magical table that switches at will (you'll see what we're talking about once you dive into the game). We're positive you will enjoy it if you're a fan of classical RPG adventures, so make sure to check it out!

Download Table of Tales: The Crooked Crown.
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12
Solitaire Master VS

There's nothing quite as nostalgic as a classical game of Solitaire. The card classic has been around for ages, but Solitaire Master VS gives it a fresh new look, multiple new updates in terms of visuals and unlockables, and even a PvP option. This Switch board game is unlike the other Solitaires, and if you believe yourself a master at the game, by all means, you need to try it.

With the minimal graphics and the plethora of customisations obtained by beating other players, you will find it easy to fall in love with the game.

Download Solitaire Master VS.
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13
Concordia: Digital Edition

A game about influence, wealth, and trade - sounds like the everyday world we live in, except in Concordia you can actually have a saying in what happens. The action takes place in the ancient worlds, and anywhere from 2 to 6 players can choose to face each other in the quest to become the ultimate emperor.

Much like the actual board game, Concordia: Digital Edition follows the same rules, and the strategy required to master it has not changed one bit. It's an incredible board game to play along with your friends and family, but bear in mind - it's highly competitive!

Download Concordia: Digital Edition.
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14
JUMANJI: The Curse Returns

You've probably heard of Jumanji before - if not because of The Rock, then definitely because you've played it before (or at least, we'd like to assume so). In JUMANJI: The Curse Returns players need to survive dangerous encounters with various jungle creatures, and ultimately subside them. Using card battles, dice and slight turn-based strategy RPG elements, the end result is a highly immersive, super exciting board game that anyone can enjoy.

Download JUMANJI: The Curse Returns
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15
Urban Cards

Urban Cards feels like Monopoly, but with deck building elements. The game places the player against all sorts of creatures, and in order to win, the player must manage the cards they're dealt - hence the importance of building a strong deck.

It doesn't feel like some of the other Switch board games we've featured on the list, but it's one tabletop roguelike that anyone can dive into, especially if you have a friend you're willing to face in one-on-one battles!

Download Urban Cards.
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Jupiter Hadley
Jupiter Hadley
Jupiter is a prolific indie game journalist with a focus on smaller indie gems. She covers thousands of game jams and indie games on her YouTube channel, letting every game have a moment in the spotlight. She runs indiegamejams.com, a calendar of all of the game jams going on in the world, and judges many jams and events. You can find her on Twitter as @Jupiter_Hadley