The Nintendo Switch is a handy and innovative little system that allows players to take their games with them everywhere they go. As such, many of the games that have been released for the Switch have been specifically designed so that they don't require an internet connection in order to be enjoyed.
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While video games have become largely focused on internet connectivity in the past decade, offline, single-player games are just as important to have available on a console's library. Not everyone has access to high-speed internet, but all 20 of the games below can be fully enjoyed with no connection whatsoever.
Updated on August 10, 2021 by Tom Bowen: Nintendo's relationship with certain third-party developers and large publishers hasn't always been great. Whether due to the company's refusal to switch to a disc-based system in the build-up to the N64 or its most recent console, the Switch, being massively underpowered when compared to the competition, the success of the Japanese giant's consoles has largely relied on first-party titles due to a lack of support from elsewhere. Another area where Nintendo has struggled to keep up is online gameplay, with the Switch online experience still lacking when compared with Sony and Microsoft's respective offerings from more than a decade ago. Both of these things do bode incredibly well for fans of offline gaming, however, as many of the best Switch games tend to be designed with single-player offline gameplay primarily in mind.
20 New Pokemon Snap
Pokemon Snap surprised quite a few people when it was released for the N64 back in 1999. Gone was the idea of catching Pokemon, with players now expected to capture all of the little critters on camera instead. Despite the change in philosophy, however, the game was a huge success, with many players calling for a sequel. More than two decades later, and one finally arrived.
New Pokemon Snap builds upon everything that made the original game so great, with more courses, more Pokemon, and some interesting new mechanics to keep things feeling fresh. There are limited online components, but the core mechanics are geared towards single-player action and offer a fun and relaxing time to those willing to check the game out.
19 Mario Golf: Super Rush
The Mario Sports titles can sometimes be a bit of a mixed bag, but, for the most part, at least, Mario Golf: Super Rush is one of the good ones. Sure, the lack of courses and limited variety of game types is a little disappointing, but the single-player and offline multiplayer game modes that do feature are highly enjoyable.
A couple of the more recent Mario Golf games have featured substantial amounts of DLC, so it's entirely possible that Nintendo and Camelot will rectify some of the game's shortcomings in the months and years following its release. Players have already been treated to one free DLC course in the form of New Donk City from Super Mario Odyssey, so it would be a bit of a surprise if more new courses don't follow.
18 Animal Crossing: New Horizons
The Animal Crossing series has grown from strength to strength since making its debut on the Nintendo 64. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is therefore the pick of the bunch, offering considerably more content than any of the titles that came before it and presenting it all in the series' typically the charming way.
As is often the case with Nintendo games, the game's online functionality is incredibly poor, with players having to watch a lengthy cutscene each and every time somebody arrives on or leaves an island. This perhaps bodes well though, as it encourages players to explore the game's excellent single-player content rather than wasting their time watching seaplanes come and go.
17 The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD
Nintendo does love a good gimmick and wasted no time in forcing the Wii's motion controls down players' throats following the system's release. While the Mario series was largely spared from the motion-controlled massacre though, sadly, the same cannot be said of Zelda. Skyward Sword, though a great game in many ways, was so heavily defined by the capabilities of the Wii MotionPlus technology, that playing it without motion controls was simply impossible.
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For those who like swinging their arms around wildly like a malfunctioning helicopter, this probably wasn't such a bad thing. For anyone who just wanted to enjoy another great Zelda game, however, it made the title pretty inaccessible. Thankfully, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD allows players to choose between motion controls and a more traditional control scheme, providing anti-motion control players with the opportunity to finally enjoy the title after almost a decade of waiting.
16 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
For as enjoyable as racing online can be, it's not quite as satisfying as seeing the look on a friend or family member's face as they're wiped out by a red shell moments before crossing the finish line. This is just one of the many joys of playing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe offline and a great example of why split-screen gaming is still important in the modern age.
Local co-op has been a staple of the Mario Kart series since its very first installment on the SNES. It doesn't seem likely to be going away anytime soon, either, which is perhaps yet another happy side effect to arise from Nintendo's ongoing failings when it comes to building a decent online service for the Switch.
15 Paper Mario: The Origami King
With entries on every system from the N64 to the Switch, Paper Mario is an RPG series through and through, so it never needs any kind of internet connection to be enjoyed. In fact, there's no online connectivity at all; just pure, unadulterated, single-player goodness.
The newest addition to the Paper Mario series, The Origami King, came a little out of left field, with very few people seeing it coming. Even though some fans were cautious of it because of Sticker Star and Color Splash's poor reputation, the end product is actually a great game that can be enjoyed by just about anyone.
14 Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
A lot of players may not have known this, but the funny British man from Super Smash Bros. actually has his own cult-classic JRPG on the Wii. What's more, it's now been brought onto modern hardware in the form of Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition.
This version has a completely overhauled graphical engine that is simply stunning, brand new endgame content, and some quality-of-life improvements here and there to make the original Xenoblade feel like it's the best it's ever been. Also, with it being a lengthy single-player game, no internet connection is ever required.
13 The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
Of course, players don't need an internet connection to enjoy Breath of the Wild in the slightest. The game is absolutely fantastic, to the point where most fans and critics have long since run out of superlatives to describe it. As difficult as it may be to believe, it really is that good.
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This amazing entry into the long-running Zelda franchise is simply stunning, in terms of both its visuals and its sounds. In fact, the sparse soundtrack complements the vibrant world almost perfectly. With a dynamic storytelling style and a fun combat system, there's no reason not to love Breath of the Wild. No internet connection is required either.
12 Luigi's Mansion 3
The younger brother of the ever-popular Super Mario began his journey through his own independent adventures in the GameCube launch title Luigi's Mansion. Becoming a cult classic for being such an unorthodox game for the Mario franchise, Luigi's Mansion garnered a ton of dedicated fans.
When the series returned on the 3DS with Dark Moon, there was quite a bit of disappointment due to the drastic design and atmosphere changes. While Luigi's Mansion 3 is more similar to Dark Moon than the first, it brought back enough from the series' roots while adding that modern Nintendo polish to create a charmingly spooky experience.
11 Link's Awakening
The Switch has been quite the remake machine, with games like Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition, Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee, and the Crash Bandicoot N-Sane Trilogy. With that in mind, a remake of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening feels right at home on the console.
Obviously, the game had to be rebuilt from the ground up as it was originally a GameBoy title, and the end results are simply gorgeous. This is largely the same Link's Awakening it has always been, but in a much more digestible form for modern gamers. Zelda games have never required an internet connection to enjoy, and the same applies here.
10 Pokémon Sword And Shield
Pokemon Sword & Shield are a great set of games that can be largely enjoyed without the use of the internet. Granted, without an internet connection, players will be missing out on battling and trading Pokemon online, along with interaction with other trainers in the wild area.
These can be fun features, sure, but players can still trade and battle with people locally. Beyond that, they can mainline the game, shiny hunt, play the postgame, and more – all without an internet connection. A connection enhances the experience, sure, but it is in no way essential to the game.
9 Super Mario Odyssey
Though there are a few online functions attached to Super Mario Odyssey – most notably the time trial-inspired, Luigi's Balloon World – the crux of the experience is centered around classic single-player action. It is technically possible to play with a second person controlling Cappy, although this is more of a gimmick than anything else.
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The game itself features an array of vibrant sandbox kingdoms for Mario to explore with his brand new capture ability, which allows him to take control of enemies and other characters that would usually be NPCs. There's a ton to do in every single kingdom, players can easily spend well over 100 hours in the game.
8 Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Fire Emblem: Three Houses features a small amount of online content in the form of travelers, but, overall, they're not even close to required in order to enjoy the game. As with most of the other Fire Emblem games, the real fun can be found in single-player offline gameplay and Three Houses is one of the best examples of this.
Three Houses allows players to complete every single battle at their own pace, explore the monastery, and enjoy their support conversations with other units – all without any online connection. There is a ton of fun to be had with the game, and completing every possible route can take anywhere from 200 to 300 hours.
7 Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE
Perhaps one of the only saving graces for the Wii U – what with it being a pretty colossal failure in terms of sales – is that most of its standout titles have at least been given a new lease on life on the Nintendo Switch. One of these games is the strangely wonderful Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE.
Now rebranded as Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore, this enhanced version comes bundled with all of its downloadable content, brand-new content from games like Persona 5 and Fire Emblem: Three Houses, and some much-needed quality-of-life improvements to make it one of the best RPGs on the system.
6 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has more online content than most titles on the Switch, but an internet connection isn't at all required to enjoy the game. Players can play through a solo adventure mode in the form of the World of Light, and, beyond that, have access to all traditional Smash modes and fighters offline.
As well as that, players can also play through a classic mode with or without a friend. It's also possible to create stages and look through the vault at all of the trophies that have been collected so far. While there is a lot to do online in Ultimate, there is still a ridiculous amount of offline content to keep players busy.
5 Undertale
Undertale is a completely solo/offline experience that everybody should try at least once. It's one of the most impressive indie games ever created and has an incredible soundtrack, unique game mechanics, and some genuinely hilarious moments that will have players in stitches.
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The story-based game is an RPG with some massive twists that completely change how players think about the genre. While Undertale isn't one of the 100-hour experiences like some other RPGs, it doesn't have to be. The game is incredibly powerful in a small, 10-15 hour package.
4 Super Mario Party
Super Mario Party does have online content, yes, but it's absolutely pitiful how limited and lackluster it really is. It's kind of ridiculous, really, but that just means that there's more for players to do in the game while playing offline. Every cloud, as they say.
The party modes, minigames, and all of the other ones that people don't care about (but probably should) are all played predominantly offline. In fact, there are only a small handful of minigames that can actually be played online. Other than that though, the game is a 100% offline experience – and a fun one, at that.
3 Cadence Of Hyrule
The Legend of Zelda x Crypt of the Necrodancer title Cadence of Hyrule is a fantastic indie game that cannot be played online in any way. That doesn't matter in the slightest though, as the title is fantastic without the need for any online content.
The game is set in Hyrule and has all of the usual characters and enemies that players would expect from a Zelda title. Unlike a traditional Zelda game, however, it's rhythm-based, with players attacking on the beats of a fantastic soundtrack composed of classic Zelda music. It's not at all a traditional Zelda game, but it's a blast nonetheless.
2 Dragon Quest XI S
Dragon Quest XI S is considered by many to be one of the best JRPGs of all time, and with very good reason. Thanks to its great story and gameplay – the latter of which features numerous quality of life improvements over other JRPGs – there's little reason to doubt that conclusion.
The Switch version of the game is without a doubt the definitive version, featuring many enhancements over the original title. The main story alone should keep players busy for at least forty hours, with endgame content taking total playtime up towards the 100-hour mark. It's a fantastic game to try out, and the Switch is hands down the best place to play it.
1 Celeste
Those who are yet to experience Celeste are seriously missing out and owe it to themselves to right this wrong as soon as physically possible. The masterfully crafted indie platformer features a scalable difficulty, which is very necessary for this super intense game.
It's a game that requires a lot of patience and skill, as making it through to the end is in no way an easy task. Beyond the great gameplay, the title also features an introspective story and a stunning art style. There is a lot to love about Celeste, and all of it can be loved completely offline.
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