Grab the kids and have family game night on Nintendo Switch
- okt
- 28
Looking to switch it up and play some video games with your family this upcoming game night? Here are the best games to get little ones and your grandparents involved with the Nintendo Switch!
I've now played Odyssey for Nintendo Switch with pretty much every demographic now and I've noticed that it's a perfect game for every single member of the family. So that got me thinking…
Which Nintendo Switch games are the best to play during family game night? Here are the best options out there!
- Super Mario Odyssey
- 1-2 Switch
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
- Snipperclips: Cut it Out, Together!
- The Jackbox Party Packs
- Overcooked 1 and 2
Super Mario Odyssey
There's a reason that there's a "Best Family Game" award on the Super Mario Odyssey's page in the Nintendo eShop: and it's because it truly is an incredibly fun, whimsical, interactive and over-the-top game to play with family of all ages.
Not only does Super Mario Odyssey have a little something for everyone, but the colorful world of Odyssey will have even the most uninterested aunt or uncle say "Oh! What was that?" at one point or another.
It doesn't matter your skill level, if you're someone who's been playing Mario since you've been in diapers, or if you're a 54-year-old mom who calls every single console 'Nintendo', Super Mario Odyssey is a $50 game that will provide hours of entertainment regardless if you're actually playing and following the story, or just dicking around in each level to uncover all the cool little hidden nooks and crannies.
Mario's back with... a sentient hat? Sure. You'll travel the globe with Mario, visit faraway lands, and attempt to save Princess Peach. Your trusty hat, Cappy, adds a new dimension to the game in which you can possess various characters and take control of their bodies. Yes, you can become a T-rex. While the story's fun to play, definitely take your time exploring these worlds. They're gorgeously designed and include lots of hidden nooks and crannies you'll need to find to collect all the moons. (The Verge
1-2 Switch
Switch is up and focus on the person you're playing with, rather than the screen in front of you. Seem tricky? Well your family will be rolling with laughter as your grandmother and teenage cousin square off in 1-2 Switch!
Using your Joy-Con controllers and at least two players, you can play games like quick draw which makes you stare down your opponent and fire virtual bullets on command (and then your trajectories come up on the screen to see who fired first!), milk, that allows you to feel the sensation of milking a cow as you race to fill up a cup before your opponent, samurai training (which seems pretty straight forward, don't ya' think?), table tennis, safe crack, where you twist the Joy-Con and use HD rumble to see if you're cracking the code, and so, so much more.
One of the neatest features/games to come out of the $50 1-2 Switch in my opinion is Ball Count where you can truly marvel at how sensitive and super well designed your Switch's Joy-Con controllers are: the game makes you guess how many 'balls' there are in the box by gently tilting the controller back and forth! This would be a perfect game to play with someone who's older, or even a younger child or older toddler.
Other such games include things like:
- Sword fight
- Wizard
- Telephone
- Beach Flag
- Runway
- Soda Shake
- Sneaky Dice
- Joy-Con Rotation
- Shave
- Baby
- Zen
- Treasure Chest
- Signal Flags
- Fake Draw
- Baseball
- Boxing Gym
- Plate Spin
- Air Guitar
- Dance Off
- Gorilla
- Copy Dance
1-2-Switch is the Switch's version of Wii Sports, in that it acts as an overall mission statement for the console itself. The quirky, bizarre nature of the unique mini-games make it a funny, memorable experience, but some games are hard to play at first due to unclear tutorials and dialogue cues. (IGN)
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Before I jump into why Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a great family game, I just have to say: this game ruins relationships. Maybe not as Mario Party, the single greatest party game of all time (TAKE THE HINT, NINTENDO), but there were totally moments of blood, sweat, and tears when it came to my friends and fam playing Mario Kart. Does that mean it's a bad family game? PSH, no! Not by any means! It just means that if you have a competitive family, this game might get ya'll riled up.
That being said: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a fantastic game to play during family game night. Here's why:
Regardless of age, everyone has either played a driving game before or driven an actual car/remote control one, and even if one of your family members has never operated something with 4-wheels, then half the fun of playing $55 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe will be watching them struggle to figure things out before having a touching moment of showing them how to play!
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the next Nintendo Switch must-buy. It's the best the series has ever been, offering one definitive package. With the glorious return of Battle Mode, improved visuals and more content than ever before coupled with more ways to play it than ever thanks to the Nintendo Switch, I don't think fans could ask for much more. (Trusted Reviews)
Not only is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe a great racing game, but it's entertaining for people and children of all ages. Not only will you get that little feeling of nostalgia in your stomach, but Mario Kart 8 Deluxe will also give you a terrifically fun family game night.
Snipperclips: Cut it Out, Together!
If you're part of the type of family that loves puzzles and puzzle games but want something with a bit more of a techy twist, then it's totally worth it to check out Snipperclips: Cut it Out, Together!
With a clever idea for 2D physics-based puzzle solving and a bright and colorful personality, Snipperclips: Cut it Out, Together! is a good experience by yourself and a great one with friends. Solving every puzzle won't take too long, but Snipperclips is continuously clever in its puzzle design and adorably fun to watch play. It left me eagerly waiting to reunite more frogs, put together more cat puzzles, and solve whatever other odd challenges developer SFB Games might have in mind. (IGN)
This game can be played solo or you can play with up to four players in Party mode in order to challenge each other to the ultimate Snipperclip challenge. There are even fun and fast sports-like competitions in Blitz-mode that'll pit your snipping skills against your mom or dad for a little extra allowance money.
The super bright and eye-catching world of Snipperclips: Cut it Out, Together! is perfect for people of all ages, and it's bound to catch and hold the attention of a toddler if it's the adults playing in the room. Plus it only costs $30!
The Jackbox Party Packs 1-5
What's a Jackbox Party Pack, exactly? Well, it's a series of 5 party games that anyone can play, making it the perfect party present for your upcoming family game night for only $25!
Now I know what you're thinking: what if we don't have enough controllers for up to 7 people to play? Well, that's simple! You can use your phone or tablet as an extra controller and join in on the fun easy peasy, so if you have a larger family and are worried about everyone being included, don't worry! The Jackbox Party Pack's got your back.
There are five total party packs you can purchase, each with five games included. Some games are repeated in later editions with upgrades so if you enjoy, for example, Fibbage, there's a more up-to-date version in Jackbox Party Pack 4 with more game modes and more interesting suggestions. You can browse through the game descriptions before purchasing and see which of the game sets is the best fit for you family.
Players all still look at the big screen to receive instructions and follow the overall game, but you'll make selections, enter text, and make drawings on your phone. It's so simple that even non-gamers will quickly find themselves playing and laughing along with the other players. While these games are perfect for playing together locally, they also play great online game via livestreaming. Just broadcast the game on Twitch or Mixer and your stream viewers can play along. That's a killer feature, that anybody can join the host's game, even if they don't own the game. (Window's Central)
The best part about The Jackbox Party Pack 4? The fact that there are constant updates and new games that come out. There have been additions like Fibbage, where players guess weird facts about other players, Survive the Internet, that makes you twist your friend's online comments in hilarious ways, Monster Seeking Monster, where you message and date another monster with "special powers", Bracketeering, where you place small bets on dumb arguments, and Civic Doodle where you compete to improve town murals.
That's true as well for The Jackbox Party Pack 5, which just launched in October 2018 and has five brand new, ridiculous games. Even though 5 is the newest edition, older games are still continually updated and supported.
So wind up that Jackbox Party Pack and start a-playin'!
Overcooked 1-2
Overcooked and its sequel, Overcooked 2, are fantastic games for family night as long as you don't mind the game being limited to four players. In these games, a team of 1-4 chefs must work together to fill a number of orders in a top-down, frantic kitchen environment. You fill orders by picking up ingredients, chopping or cooking them as needed, and plating them in correct combinations to send them out to customers.
However, you're foiled by a number of factors. Your kitchen may be structured in an odd way, making it difficult to reach certain ingredients. Maybe you're playing on moving trucks, swaying back and forth between cutting boards and stoves. Perhaps you have a limited number of plates and have to wash dishes in addition to everything else. Overcooked continues to add more and more complicating factors, forcing you to communicate with teammates and plan ahead to succeed.
If you enjoy fast-paced strategy games, then Overcooked 2 is guaranteed to give you a good time, though I think anyone can have fun with this game due to how simple the basics are, how lighthearted the tone is, and the fact that the game doesn't really get hard until later on. People who can't multitask well will admittedly struggle, but in general, I still think Overcooked 2 is definitely a title you should pick up. (Windows Central)
Indeed, Overcooked 2 adds even more complications than the first game, and also adds in a mechanic for throwing and catching ingredients, requiring players to coordinate across gaps to get items where they need to go. The difficulty curve can be a bit sharp, but part of the game's fun is in its difficulty. Rather than competing with one another, you're working together, which make these great games for fostering fun family relationships.
What are your top family game-night Switch games?
Is there a particular Nintendo Switch game that I left off the list that you believe is the best Nintendo Switch game for a family game night?
Let me know what your top picks are in the comments below (and why you chose 'em!)
Updated October 2018: Generalized Jackbox section to include all party packs, added Overcooked.