Exploration for Nintendo Switch — top best games in the Exploration genre

SnowRunner - a game in the Exploration genre

Racing, Simulation, Sandbox, Exploration, Open world

Game released: Nintendo Switch → 18 May 2021

Players: 7.9/10

Metacritic: 80/100

The continuation of the off-road driving simulator Spintires: MudRunner. You can expect realistic control mechanics, a well-developed gameplay process, as well as...

Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator

Simulation, Indie, Side view, Casual game, Exploration, Fantasy, Medieval era

Game released: Nintendo Switch → 12 December 2023

Players: 8.4/10

Metacritic: 74/100

A...

Thief: The Dark Project Remastered

Action, Adventure, Stealth, First-person view, Exploration, Old school, Medieval era

Game in development: Nintendo Switch → зима 2026-2027

The game brings back the iconic stealth-action Thief: The Dark Project from 1998 in a refreshed form, preserving the atmosphere and features of the original. As...

DREDGE

Adventure, Simulation, Hunting / Fishing, Exploration, Open world

Game released: Nintendo Switch → 30 March 2023

Players: 9.5/10

Metacritic: 83/100

The mysterious archipelago hides many secrets that are best not remembered. Taking the helm of a fishing trawler, a brave fisherman sets sail across islands lost in...

Winter Burrow

Adventure, Comics, Survival, Casual game, Exploration, Construction, Crafting

Game released: Nintendo Switch → 12 November 2025

Players: 8.8/10

Metacritic: 68/100

A game about a mouse who returns home from a big city to restore his old ruined home. You need to explore nearby locations, meet different characters and get...

Castlevania: Belmont's Curse

Role-playing game, Action, Side view, Exploration, Fantasy, Medieval era, Metroidvania

Game in development: Nintendo Switch → 15 October 2026

Anticipation Rating: 10/10

The Curse of Blood returns to the Castlevania universe in a modern 2D action format with a focus on world exploration from the creators of Dead Cells. The events...

Bloomwalker

Action, Adventure, Third-person view, Cooperative (co-op), Exploration, Crafting

Game in development: Nintendo Switch → 2027

An atmospheric adventure about a boy and his unusual walking house, which becomes his main companion and mobile base in a journey through the infected world of...

Dave the Diver

Role-playing game, Action, Adventure, Hunting / Fishing, Business / Management, Exploration

Game released: Nintendo Switch → 26 October 2023

Players: 9.6/10

Metacritic: 90/100

Pixel sea adventure in the mysterious Blue Hole. Players dive deep into the Blue Hole to find the most exotic species of fish and create the best sushi in the...

Core Keeper

Adventure, Online, Top-down view, Sandbox, Indie, Cooperative (co-op), Dungeons, Exploration, Crafting, Farm Simulator

Game released: Nintendo Switch → 27 August 2024

Players: 7.7/10

Metacritic: 86/100

An arcade sandbox that you can play with friends in co-op for up to eight people. The main character is an explorer who wakes up in an ancient dungeon filled with...

Content Warning

Action, Online, First-person view, Cooperative (co-op), Mysticism / Supernatural, Exploration, Procedural generation, Survival horror

Game released: Nintendo Switch → 1 April 2026

Players: 8.2/10

A cooperative horror puzzle game in the spirit of Lethal Company. The game is about a group of bloggers trying to get viral on the local equivalent of YouTube. To...

Drova - Forsaken Kin

Role-playing game, Action, Adventure, Exploration, Open world, Fantasy

Game released: Nintendo Switch → 15 October 2024

Players: 8.4/10

Metacritic: 78/100

The main action takes place in a dark fantasy world in which people have discovered the power of a dead empire, which allows them to receive the powers of spirits...

Is this Game Trying to Kill Me?

Horror, Adventure, First-person view, Puzzle, Exploration, Logic

Game released: Nintendo Switch → 4 April 2025

Players: 8.7/10

The main character found himself in a dense forest, and during bad weather he hid in a strange hut to wait it out. In the room there is a computer with a game that...

EBOLA VILLAGE

Adventure, Third-person view, Puzzle, Exploration, Zombies, Survival horror

Game released: Nintendo Switch → 23 January 2026

Players: 6.8/10

A dark game inspired by classic survival horror games from the 90s, set in Russia. The main character named Maria is investigating mysterious events in the village...

Chernobylite

Horror, First-person view, Futurism (Future), Indie, Science fiction, Survival, Exploration, Open world, Crafting

Game released: Nintendo Switch → 13 December 2024

Players: 7/10

Metacritic: 78/100

A first-person shooter with exploration elements and horror. While exploring locations, the player collects resources to build a base and craft useful items, while...

Lou's Lagoon

Adventure, Simulation, Third-person view, Indie, Survival, Exploration, Open world, Construction, Crafting

Game released: Nintendo Switch → 27 August 2026

Metacritic: 72/100

An open world life simulator inspired by the cartoon “Miracles on Bends”. Uncle Lou disappeared, leaving the hero with his seaplane delivery company. Now he needs...

Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed

Action, Adventure, Platformer, Third-person view, Side view, Exploration, Remake

Game released: Nintendo Switch → 24 September 2024

Players: 9.7/10

Metacritic: 77/100

A remake of the colorful Disney Epic Mickey for Wii in 2010. Mickey Mouse embarks on an epic journey across the Wasteland, the realm of forgotten Disney characters...

The Thing: Remastered

Action, Adventure, Exploration, Survival horror, Third-person view, Shooter

Game released: Nintendo Switch → 5 December 2024

Players: 8.2/10

Metacritic: 70/100

Re-release of the shooter Thing (2002) . The game is a direct sequel to John Carpenter's cult horror "The Thing". The shooter's plot starts immediately after the...

Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered

Action, Adventure, Third-person view, Exploration, Old school

Game released: Nintendo Switch → 14 February 2024

Players: 8.8/10

Metacritic: 74/100

Remasters of the original Lara Croft games. The collection includes Tomb Raider I + The Unfinished Business Expansion, Tomb Raider II + The Gold Mask Expansion and...

Caravan SandWitch

Action, Adventure, Third-person view, Post-apocalyptic, Casual game, Exploration, Metroidvania

Game released: Nintendo Switch → 12 September 2024

Players: 7.8/10

Metacritic: 74/100

The protagonist explores a sunny sci-fi world by car to find his sister. You can help people you meet on the road solve their problems. The car needs to be upgraded...

Rue Valley

Role-playing game, Adventure, Isometric, Exploration

Game released: Nintendo Switch → 11 November 2025

Metacritic: 70/100

An adventure role-playing game in the spirit of Disco Elysium, in which the main character gets stuck in a time loop along with people with a difficult fate. The...

Outbound

Adventure, First-person view, Third-person view, Indie, Survival, Exploration, Open world, Crafting

Game released: Nintendo Switch → 11 May 2026

Metacritic: 67/100

A survival simulator in an open world, the main feature of which is the main character’s van, which must be improved by adding various mechanisms to it. The player...

Gothic

Role-playing game, Action, Adventure, Third-person view, Exploration, Fantasy

Game released: Nintendo Switch → 28 September 2023

Players: 9/10

Metacritic: 70/100

The Kingdom of Myrtana is engulfed in a terrible war. Hordes of orcs have invaded human lands, and the king needs a large amount of magical ore, from which he can...

Sonic Frontiers

Action, Adventure, Platformer, Third-person view, Exploration, Open world

Game released: Nintendo Switch → 8 November 2022

Players: 9.8/10

Metacritic: 69/100

Sonic Frontiers is a continuation of the classic action-adventure game with a third-person view in the Sonic the Hedgehog universe. Doctor Eggman once again strives...

Tomb Raider 4-6 Remastered

Action, Adventure, Third-person view, Exploration, Old school, Collection

Game released: Nintendo Switch → 14 February 2025

VGTimes: 5.3/10

Players: 8.5/10

Metacritic: 66/100

Remasters of the original Lara Croft games. The collection includes Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation, Tomb Raider: Chronicles and Tomb Raider: The Angel of...

Dinkum

Online, Business / Management, Isometric, Sandbox, Cooperative (co-op), Exploration, Construction, Farm Simulator

Game released: Nintendo Switch → 5 November 2025

A colorful farming simulator in which players explore the tropical eucalyptus forests and scorching deserts of an island inspired by the wild Australian outback. As...

Chained Echoes

Role-playing game, Side view, Turn-based, Indie, Japanese role-playing game, Exploration, Old school

Game released: Nintendo Switch → 8 December 2022

Players: 10/10

Metacritic: 89/100

Old school RPG with turn-based combat. Events take place in a colorful fantasy world on the continent of Valandis. A group of heroes embark on a dangerous journey...

Little Kitty, Big City

Third-person view, Adventure, Action, Exploration, Open world, Sandbox, Platformer

Game released: Nintendo Switch → 9 May 2024

Players: 8.1/10

Metacritic: 78/100

The player controls a little black kitten who goes on an adventure to find his way home. You can explore the city and make new friends among homeless animals, some...

Agatha Christie - Death on the Nile

Adventure, Third-person view, Exploration, Detective

Game released: Nintendo Switch → 25 September 2025

Players: 10/10

Metacritic: 70/100

Detective adventure in the Agatha Christie series. The main action takes place in the 1970s. The plot tells how detectives Hercule Poirot and Jane Royce track down...

Expeditions: A MudRunner Game

Open world, Racing, Exploration, Simulation, Online, Cooperative (co-op)

Game released: Nintendo Switch → 5 March 2024

Players: 7.3/10

Metacritic: 79/100

Continuation of the off-road driving simulator in the MudRunner series. You will find realistic control mechanics, sophisticated gameplay, as well as many...

Cozy Caravan

Adventure, Top-down view, Indie, Casual game, Exploration, Open world, Crafting, Farm Simulator

Game released: Nintendo Switch → 15 January 2026

Players: 9.1/10

Metacritic: 77/100

Players set off on a journey in an old caravan, completing tasks for the residents of Harvestville and preparing for the annual Whistlebark fair. During the...

Ni no Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom

Role-playing game, Third-person view, Anime / Manga, Fantasy, Japanese role-playing game, Adventure, Open world, Exploration

Game released: Nintendo Switch → 17 September 2021

Players: 9.3/10

Metacritic: 83/100

The plot tells the story of the young king Evan, in whose state a coup was carried out, and because of which he was forced to flee. Now, in the company of friends...

Postal 2 Redux

Action, Shooter, First-person view, Comedy, Exploration, Old school

Game in development: Nintendo Switch → весна 2027

Anticipation Rating: 10/10

A remaster of the controversial shooter Postal 2 from 2003. The main character in the game is a certain Dude, who is used to solving his problems in the most...

Labyrinth Of The Demon King

Survival horror, Dungeons, Adventure, First-person view, Exploration, Demons, Medieval era, Mysticism / Supernatural

Game released: Nintendo Switch → 13 May 2025

Metacritic: 71/100

A dark game with PS1 style graphics, which takes place in feudal Japan overrun by demons. The main character is a soldier who must find the main villain who killed...

Strange Horticulture

Puzzle, Exploration, Detective, Adventure

Game released: Nintendo Switch → 28 July 2022

Players: 9.4/10

Metacritic: 83/100

Welcome to Andermir — a quiet town surrounded by dense forests inhabited by witches and impenetrable mountains. The player plays the role of a florist who...

Kong: Survivor Instinct

Action, Platformer, Side view, Exploration, Metroidvania

Game in development: Nintendo Switch → 30 September 2026

Players: 9/10

Metacritic: 66/100

Adventure Metroidvania based on King Kong. The game tells the story of oil rig worker David as he tries to find his daughter in a collapsing city. To save his...

The Mortuary Assistant

Horror, Mysticism / Supernatural, Demons, Adventure, Indie, Exploration, First-person view

Game released: Nintendo Switch → 20 April 2023

Players: 7.4/10

Metacritic: 73/100

The game takes place in a morgue, where the character is urgently called to work one night. However, the hero could not even imagine what was waiting for him there...

Sun Haven

Indie, Farm Simulator, Online, Adventure, Crafting, Exploration, Fantasy

Game released: Nintendo Switch → 29 November 2024

Players: 8.7/10

A fantasy farm simulator with dragons, magic, an interesting story and a final boss. The game offers a huge world full of opportunities for development and...

Tenebris Somnia

Action, Adventure, Exploration, Old school, Survival horror

Game in development: Nintendo Switch → 16 October 2026

Anticipation Rating: 10/10

Atmospheric survival horror inspired by classics of the genre like Silent Hill and Resident Evil, but made in the retro style of 8- and 16-bit games. The dark...

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum

Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Stealth, The Lord of the Rings, Third-person view, Exploration

Game released: Nintendo Switch → 14 December 2023

Players: 3.4/10

Metacritic: 36/100

An atmospheric adventure about Gollum in the Lord of the Rings universe. The game tells the story of a time when a fallen hobbit wielded the One Ring. One of the...

Thank Goodness You're Here!

Adventure, Side view, Comedy, Exploration, Platformer, Puzzle, Open world

Game released: Nintendo Switch → 1 August 2024

Players: 9.8/10

Metacritic: 86/100

An absurd comedy game set in the quaint town of Barnsworth. The main character works as a traveling salesman, and in his free time he goes sightseeing and gets to...

Exploration

Best Games in the Exploration genre for Nintendo Switch