10 Best Nintendo Switch Games With 100+ Hours of Content

Sometimes, you just want to get lost in a videogame. Oftentimes, games on Nintendo consoles are short burns, but thankfully, there have been a few in recent years that I’ve dumped a ton of time into.

While, of course, many longer games are RPGs, there’s more than a single genre on this list. There are roguelikes, card games, simulation adventures, and more.

The order for the games on this list is a mixture of critical reception and my own tastes. So if you see a game in an unexpected place on this list, that’s probably why. I’m also using How Long To Beat in order to illustrate the total number of hours each of these games will take to 100%, which is included in each section below for your convenience.

With that out of the way, let’s talk about some amazing games you can spend 100+ hours playing on Nintendo Switch!

10

Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of An Elusive Age – Definitive Edition

One Luminary To Save the World

I grew up with Final Fantasy as my RPG of choice, and found that series to be a real challenge as a kid. But when it comes to Dragon Quest adventures, you have to prepare to spend a long time immersing yourself in that world.

Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition isn’t just a mouthful of a title, but one of the more compelling recent releases in the storied series. And it’s one you’re going to spend hours upon hours playing.

When you’re not questing, you’ll forge gear, develop new skills for your team, and even help them look their best with snazzy but tactically effective outfits. Or perhaps you’ll go retro with the aid of Trockles and explore the game in 2D, 16-bit style.

Throw in more gorgeous visual style from Akira Toriyama, stellar voice acting, and even a Photo Mode, and you’re set to while away a lot of time in Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition.

9

Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Keves and Agnus

Long ago, I got my start in the industry at a company called Oprainfall. They’re well known for helping bring 3 spectacular RPGs to the West through a fan petition, including the original Xenoblade Chronicles.

Years later, the series has proven itself a winner and spawned several exciting follow-up adventures. Although I’m very fond of the first game, the series has progressed dramatically in Xenoblade Chronicles 3.

This particular adventure revolves around the nations of Keves and Agnus, which are in conflict with each other and share some dark and surprising secrets. Like any game in the series, it’s all about real-time RPG combat, massive worlds to explore, and a bajillion things to do other than just beat the game.

Perhaps one of the coolest mechanics in this adventure is Interlinking, mixing two different characters into one powerhouse called an Ouroboros. And if you’re somehow not satisfied with just the main quest, there are several waves of optional DLC to pump even more time and energy into Xenoblade Chronicles 3.

8

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance

Post-Apocalyptic Powerhouse

As much as I adore Atlus, sometimes it’s better to wait to pick up games by them in the hopes they might get remastered a little later. That’s pretty much what happened with Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance.

Not only does it offer remastered content, but it also adds to the main quest with an additional storyline. If that doesn’t satisfy you, you’ll be happy to hear that there are dozens of brand-new, horrifying demons to befriend and fight in this adventure.

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Generally speaking, the Persona games are more streamlined than their SMT cousins. Meaning that you would already spend a bunch of time exploring post-apocalyptic Tokyo before you even factored in all the new content.

7

Stardew Valley

Cultivating a Legacy

Normally, you won’t find many simulation games in my Switch library. But when many of my fellow gamers don’t shut up about something, then it’s probably something special. Which is just what Stardew Valley is.

Not only does this popular indie hit feature elements from games like Harvest Moon, but it also features robust character interactions with various NPCs you can marry. Heck, you can even play Stardew Valley with up to 7 of your friends!

Throw in a charming aesthetic, tons of ways to improve how you interact with the world, and even mysterious caves to explore, and you’ll find yourself spending many waking hours in this charming farming adventure.

6

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Tears of Joy

Some of you are probably scratching your heads about Tears of the Kingdom being this far down the list. The simple reason for that is that I still prefer the traditional Zelda experience to the more open-world style adopted first by Breath of the Wild.

Even then, however, I’ll admit that the game is fantastic. Which is why I still included The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom on this particular list.

Hyrule is a sprawling quilt you’ll get to explore at your own pace, all with the aid of mysterious Zonai powers. Land, air, sea; there’s no place you won’t find yourself in this epic quest that’s somehow even bigger than Breath of the Wild.

Like any good Zelda game, there are also incredible boss battles and myriad monsters to face on your road to the end. Get comfortable, since you won’t want to leave Hyrule after you’ve started playing.

5

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

A Triumphant Trio

I’ve been invested in Fire Emblem ever since it came stateside in the GBA era. And while I still thank the stars that Awakening revitalized it in the 3DS era, I had a lot of fun playing Fire Emblem: Three Houses on Switch.

Though in many ways the game plays similarly to past iterations, it also does some really novel things. For one, it mixes in three paths through the story, depending on which character you side with – Edelgard, Claude, or Dimitri – which impacts how the story twists and turns.

Perhaps more interesting, though, is how it mixes in elements that wouldn’t be out of place in a Persona game. You’ll spend quite a bit of time at school, instructing your wards and helping them grow stronger.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses also has some fascinating lore and terrible monsters to defeat. The main story takes quite a while to fight through, and that’s before you even consider optional quests and DLC.

4

Balatro

Joke(r)s On You!

I foolishly took my sweet time getting into Balatro. I kept hearing people saying how amazing it was, but as a roguelike fanatic, I just couldn’t understand how a roguelike poker game could be so special.

Then I finally picked the game up on sale, and haven’t stopped playing Balatro since. The loop of the game is so precise and clear that it grabs you hard and makes you want to puzzle your way out of every situation.

It’s so fun discovering new combinations of Jokers to wallop your opponents, and you’ll need to get especially creative when you dial up the challenge with the difficulty-enhancing Stakes. I thought the Orange Stake would kill me, until I finally managed to find a way to victory after hours of trying.

This is a minimalist, simple adventure, but it’s one that’s perfectly suited to spending untold hours playing.

3

Persona 5 Royal

Steal My Heart

I’m just going to be honest – before I got Persona 5 Royal, I was incredibly jealous of everybody who had played before me. This amazing game took its sweet time coming to Nintendo Switch, but when it finally did, I was utterly obsessed with it.

Not only does this Persona adventure feature a stellar cast of Phantom Thieves, but it also mixes in clever stealth mechanics for the various dungeons. The combat will look familiar to fans of the series, and it’s fast-paced, strategic fun.

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Each Persona game somehow manages to outdo the one before it, and that pattern holds true with Persona 5 Royal.

2

Slay the Spire

The OG Deckbuilder

There was a better than even chance that Slay the Spire could have found itself at the top of this particular list. It’s not just a deckbuilder; in many cases, it’s THE deckbuilder. And if this were a list about that genre exclusively, odds are it would have taken the gold.

Regardless, anybody who has spent hundreds of hours playing Slay the Spire can tell you it’s an adventure well worth taking. I spent more time than I’d like to admit trying and ultimately succeeding in defeating the true final boss, and honestly haven’t played the game since.

But while I was deeply engrossed with it, this was one of those games I played a little every day, trying and trying to get farther, leveling up, getting new relics, rinse and repeat.

Truly, every deckbuilder out there patterns itself after this game, and there’s a reason. Despite being brutally challenging, it’s an incredibly well-balanced and fun adventure.

1

The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+

Lost in the Basement

There was once a time I had no idea what The Binding of Isaac was. Then I got the unexpected opportunity to relax with some folks from Nicalis at PAX West, and suddenly had a controller thrust into my hand. I haven’t been the same ever since.

Before the game, I hadn’t played any roguelikes. Now, I search them out eagerly. Even though The Binding of Isaac in all its iterations is one of my favorite examples of the genre of all time, Afterbirth+ is a hell of a way to experience the game on Switch.

I’ve probably spent close to 500 hours playing versions of the game over the years, and have spent at least 100 hours doing so on Nintendo Switch. The game is just so well-made and full of twisted fun. Disturbing and creepy? Sure. But you’ll still find yourself returning for one more run, over and over.

Now I just have to hope that we don’t get a new entry in the long-running roguelike phenomenon. Only then will there be any chance I climb out of the basement and stop playing it…

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