The best RPGs on Nintendo Switch 2024

Looking for the best RPGs on Switch? The Nintendo Switch’s library is positively bursting with excellent RPGs, all of which lend themselves incredibly well to the smaller screen while in handheld mode. From the likes of Persona, Monster Hunter, Final Fantasy, Bravely Default and more, these are some of the best RPGs on Switch.

If you’re looking for other Switch games to sink some time into, make sure you check our list of the best free Switch games and the best strategy games on Switch. Now, on to the best RPGs on Switch.

Persona 5 Royal

Persona 5 Royal is a devilishly stylish and incredibly engrossing RPG. P5 Royal is the latest entry in the series, which usually focuses on a high schooler’s life in Japan who discovers they have access to the power of Persona, which lets them battle monstrous Shadows. Persona 5 Royal is an RPG like no other, with incredible storytelling, brilliant characters, and stupendously satisfying turn-based combat. Persona has been a PlayStation exclusive for the longest time, but now the games are finally being ported to Switch.

Sea of Stars

Sea of Stars is an RPG that puts you in control of two main characters who are called Solstice Warriors. As these two characters, you are sent on a quest to stop the big bad evil Fleshmancer from having its way. Sea of Stars itself is a homage to old-school JRPGs from the pixel-art age of games, and it does a phenomenal job at having its own voice and identity, instead of being a disappointing copy. In our review of Sea of Stars, we were impressed with the overall vibe it cultivates in all of its beautifully depicted areas.

Persona 4 Golden

The existence of Persona 5 Royal does harm Persona 4 Golden in some ways, mostly because P5 features the most streamlined quality-of-life changes to all the systems from Persona games. Persona 4 Golden doesn’t have the best systems, but it arguably has the best story and characters from any Persona game. You play as the main protagonist who just moves to a small town in Japan and you get yourself wrapped up in a murder mystery narrative. As with all Persona games, you can level up, grow close to your allies, tackle turn-based combat, and become undeniably invested in the lives of everyone you meet in this game. Persona 4 Golden is one of the best RPGs out there, and thankfully it has been ported to the Switch for more to enjoy.

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin

If you’ve ever wanted a Monster Hunter game that has quasi-Pokemon vibes, then Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is the game for you. As a spin-off, this game isn’t so much about hunting monsters as it is about finding and collecting them. You create a character, wander the overworld and grab monster eggs from nests. Once these eggs hatch, you use the monster you get in turn-based combat. Wings of Ruin is cell-shaded, which makes it damn pretty to look at and the story is lighthearted and will result in an easy-going charming time had by all. If you want to know more, check out our Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin review to see why we’re so impressed.

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age

Final Fantasy 12 jumps us back into the world of Ivalice, which was first introduced in a previous Final Fantasy game, Final Fantasy Tactics. While Tactics is set in the future of Ivalice, Final Fantasy 12 looks at the world long in the past where you follow the story of Vaan and Princess Ashe in a quest to beat the empire. While the story and characters are mostly bland and nothing to write home about, the core gameplay mechanics are more than enough to make up for that. Final Fantasy 12 has a decent combat system despite not being turn-based and it has a great way to manage your party members with Gambits. It is one of the better modern Final Fantasy games, so why not give it a try?

Persona 3 Portable

Persona 3, and its re-release Persona 3 Portable are widely known as being a pivotal moment for the Persona series. This is the first time we saw several systems introduced into a Persona game that would go on to form the basis for Persona 4 Golden and Persona 5 Royal. By that fact alone, P3P is worth playing to see how these systems first came to be. You can choose between a male or female protagonist which will slightly alter the story, but the core gameplay is always the same. Grow close to your allies and confidants, level up in challenging turn-based battles, and get completely engrossed in how excellent the story and presentation of the Persona world are.

Bravely Default 2

Bravely Default 2 doesn’t have any links to the 3DS Bravely Default games and is instead a totally standalone game. You play as Seth, Gloria, Adelle, and Travis, four people tied by fate. It has everything you would ever want from a game made by Square Enix and the incredible Team Asano: turn-based combat, tons of jobs to play with, brilliant characters, funny interactions, and a grand adventure to stop an evil person from ruling the world. The best part? It doesn’t feature 2D-HD graphics.

Triangle Strategy

SRPGs like Triangle Strategy are hard to come by these days. Made by Square and Team Asano, Triangle Strategy riffs off a lot of what Final Fantasy Tactics and Tactics Ogre did back in the day. There is a lot of dialogue and cutscenes in Triangle Strategy, but the highlight is the tactical and terrific turn-based battles. You move your characters on a grid to get into better positions than your foes, all the while trying to keep yourself alive and outsmart the AI. There are tons of maps, but there isn’t a lot of variety in Triangle Strategy – you can’t change jobs or weapons, for example, but the emotional, gripping journey is well worth your time.

Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen

Set in a huge open world, Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen is a brilliant, underrated RPG set in the punishing, whimsical medieval land of Gransys. Create your character, level up different jobs, explore dungeons and caves, and battle ferocious mythical creatures like Griffons, Evil Eyes, Dragons, and so much more. In Dragon’s Dogma, you play as the Arisen, someone whose heart is stolen by a dragon and you are charged with helming the hunt for the dragon to kill it and reclaim your heart.

Dark Souls

A game like Dark Souls needs no introduction. This is the game FromSoftware released after Demon’s Souls and it is widely recognised as the best of the entire Souls franchise. Dark Souls takes a holistic approach to its storytelling and gameplay, with everything in the game being meticulously thought out from enemy placement to armour you find in a certain area. Dark Souls does have tough gameplay, but it is an RPG – if you’re struggling, level up your stats and try again. You have total freedom to make any build you want in Dark Souls, giving each playthrough a unique experience. In our Dark Souls review, we praised the game for the challenging and rewarding combat.

Fire Emblem Engage

Fire Emblem Engage is the latest in the series and the anime style has been cranked up to the maximum. In Engage, you see the typical Fire Emblem mechanics at their best – the weapon triangle is back, character supports, different classes, and romance are all present. Better yet, the incredible turn-based combat is simple yet devastatingly effective in Engage, arguably the most enjoyable it has ever been. The combat animations are some of the best, leading to engaging and thrilling fights. While the story is tragically just fine, you can’t go wrong with the core Fire Emblem gameplay that really shines in Engage.

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition is a remaster of the original Xenoblade Chronicles game on the Nintendo Wii. The Definitive Edition has remastered graphics and songs, giving the game a much better look. There are also huge quality-of-life updates from the original that make it so much better. In Xenoblade, you follow Shulk, the wielder of a mysterious weapon called the Monado. As you travel the huge world, and fight monsters in fun, fast-paced positional combat, you discover more about your characters and the world. Xenoblade does suffer from some ridiculous story choices, but the first half of the game is grounded and cultivates a brilliant experience.

Monster Hunter Rise

Monster Hunter Rise is currently the most recent mainline Monster Hunter game after Monster Hunter World. Rise was originally made for the Switch and later ported to other consoles, but it isn’t the same experience as World. In Rise, you create your own hunter who lives in the Japanese-inspired village of Kamura. As ever, you must hunt monsters, carve their materials, and craft better gear as you explore different maps. The story of Rise is as good as you’ll expect from Monster Hunter, but the real appeal of any Monster Hunter is the co-op experience, which is borderline unmatched across each of the games.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is the final game in the Xenoblade series. While none of the games are specifically directly linked, they are in fact all linked in another way. Xenoblade 3 explores what that link is, and follows the story of Noah and Mio as they try to figure out why their nations are perpetually at war with each other. Xenoblade 3 has brilliant combat, and amazing characters, and is a brilliant JRPG experience in every way. The world is massive and the way characters interact with it and each other blends together to form a wonderful game.

That’s all for our list of the best RPGs on Switch. If you want more games on the Nintendo Switch, check out our other lists of the best strategy games on Switch and the best hack-and-slash games on Switch to find your next game to play.