• Image: Nintendo Life*

2025 has been a bit of a loud, bonkers year for video games. Big title after big title, a brand new console in the Switch 2, and a new GOTY contender almost every other week. It’s been breathless, but not without industry struggles, mass layoffs, cancellations, and closures.

Which is why now, more than ever, it’s important to shout out those smaller titles, those games that go a little more under the radar in a jam-packed release calendar. And 2025 has been incredible for independent games and smaller studios, with many of the year’s best titles coming from those corners. Some of those are part of our big Staff GOTY list, of course.

But, as we’ve done for the past few years, we want to shine a light on some of the games we’ve played and loved, that came oh-so-close to making our Game of the Year list and still deserve attention. So here are our picks for the hidden gems that launched on Switch 1 and Switch 2 in 2025, in alphabetical order (and there’s a poll at the end to pick your favourite).

NL staff key: Alana Hagues (AH), Jim Norman (JN), Ollie Reynolds (OR), PJ O’Reilly (PJ)

Blade Chimera (Switch eShop)

Team Ladybug does not miss, yet the developer’s games are consistently overlooked, in my eyes. Blade Chimera is once again adorned with the studio’s signature beautiful pixel art visuals with a pure combat-focused adventure. It’s Metroidvania, yes, but one with guns, swords, lasers, and other futuristic sci-fi weapons where fighting and movement are king. This isn’t a game about secrets — it’s a game about fun.

2025 has been a banner year for the Metroidvania genre, but Blade Chimera’s early release this year shouldn’t discount it from the conversation. It should be right up there. - AH

BOKURA: planet (Switch 2)

I had heard next to nothing about BOKURA: planet before I accidentally stumbled across it on the Switch 2 eShop. This co-op-only adventure game sounded ripe for some GameChat goodness and, playing through it with site editor Gavin (my fellow space explorer), it proved to be just that.

There were neat two-screen puzzles and platforming challenges that led to some good laughs, but what surprised me the most was its screen-specific story beats, where each of us was left with important bits of information that the other didn’t know. It’s a fantastic conceit, one that threw up more than a few surprises for the big finale, and it made me want to play the whole thing all over again from the other perspective.

A Hazelight joint it ain’t, but it’s a great excuse to see GameChat in action. - JN

Dear me, I was... (Switch 2)

Taisuke Kanasaki has been the art director on some beautiful cult classics over the years — Hotel Dusk and Another Code have basically cemented him as a legend among DS fans — and Dear me, I was can easily sit among these.

It’s only an hour long, but Dear Me, I was is beautiful; a wordless story told with stunning rotoscoping that will make you think about life and art in new ways. It’s simple, effective, and the tearjerker you should absolutely try if you love narrative-driven games or art. - AH

Demonschool (Switch eShop)

Having been desperate to play Demonschool ever since its reveal in 2022, I’m so glad Necrosoft Games got it over the finish line in 2025. Sure, it might seem like a tactical RPG twist on Persona school-life elements, but it’s actually a fair bit different from Atlus’ series. And the gameplay isn’t built around traditional stat building, instead feeling like a chain of puzzles you have to solve to emerge victorious.

It certainly helps that the cast is loud, proud, and incredibly out there, like a bunch of high-school weirdos that I would’ve hung out with growing up. Couple this with its love of classic Italian horror cinema, and Demonschool stands out among 2025’s strategy RPGs. - AH

Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping (Switch eShop)

You are Eugene McQuacklin, a duck recovering from a bread addiction, who dons his fedora and trench coat to solve small-town crimes and fend off the ghosts of his recent divorce. If this isn’t a funny image to you, then Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping (and its predecessor, for that matter) will not be up your street; however, if that idea brought even the smallest smile to your face, then boy, do I have a recommendation for you.

It’s a little on the short side, and some of the ‘Deducktions’ are rather trial-and-error-y, but Ghost of Glamping is one of the cosiest, funniest mysteries that you will have tackled in a good long time. - JN

Laika: Aged Through Blood (Switch eShop)

I’ll be honest, I never even considered the idea that a game like Trials Rising could work as a Metroidvania, but that’s exactly what Laika: Aged Through Blood has accomplished with its BMX-inspired exploration gameplay.

Despite its colourful, cartoony visuals, Laika is a sombre experience that absolutely isn’t intended for younger audiences. It’s brutal, with graphic scenes of violence, potty-mouth protagonists, and punishing difficulty to boot. It’s all worth it for that sublime soundtrack, though – you won’t hear anything else quite like it. - OR

Morsels (Switch eShop)

Monster-catching roguelites aren’t exactly new, but what if they were utterly disgusting? That’s a very reductive breakdown of what Morsels is, a messy game that’s overstimulating with every second. You’ll die multiple times without knowing what hit you, start again and try and figure out what you did wrong, only to do something else erroneous.

Morsels is a game about making a mess with a bunch of messy creatures. And it’s about navigating through the mess, the visual noise. It’s extremely compelling on that front alone — if it’s your cup of tea. - AH

Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo (Switch eShop)

As a top-down Zelda fan, Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo’s colourful energy and industrial world enchanted me on its first reveal. Pipistrello loves GBA sprite work and intricately-connected areas, with skills that you gradually unlock to reveal more and more of the map.

And it’s that map that makes Pipistrello so good. I love a map that teases you, leaves a carrot dangling for you to come back and chomp when you have the right ability. And it helps that every ability Pippit gets feels useful in some way, whether it’s for combat, exploration, or just fun.

Pocket Trap has made an excellent adventure here — which includes an actual in-game GBA-type machine — and I really hope more people pick the game up. - AH

Rift of the NecroDancer (Switch eShop)

Who thought we’d be putting Brace Yourself Games’ latest title on a list like this? But here we are. Rift of the NecroDancer is a completely different take on the rhythmic action that made the Canadian developer famous. This time, it’s Guitar Hero meets bullet hell. That means this isn’t a gentle game, and you’ll have to try and try again to defeat each enemy.

When you reach that higher plane and hit all of the notes perfectly, and dodge all of the attacks? That feeling is unmissable. And look, if you need a break, there’s even a dash of Rhythm Heaven waiting in the form of minigames. Surely that alone should be enough to get all you Switch owners running to own this? - AH

Roadwarden (Switch eShop)

Roadwarden is one of those games that folk were telling me to play long before it landed on Switch, and in the end I was sort of glad I waited, as through reviewing it I got to sit down and properly engross myself in a game that people should really be talking about in the same breath as Disco Elysium. It really is on that level of world and character-building.

And it’s on that level in terms of your choices, and their ramifications for your playthrough, too. It’s quite something, and the world here is as interesting as the mostly text-based shenanigans that play out. "Mostly text-based? That sounds like it’s for old nerds!" Yes, mate, I get that, but the writing is exquisite, and the whole thing is set to a nerve-y time limit. It requires your best detective skills and the ability to hustle and think on your feet. It also never lets you paint any sort of full picture, so replays aplenty are inbound.

You do want to be a weird Witcher version of those lads from Revachol, right? - PJ

Ruffy and the Riverside (Switch eShop)

Ruffy and the Riverside is the answer to the question, ’What if Paper Mario was a mascot platformer from the ‘90s instead of an RPG?’ Chatty and bursting with personality, Ruffy has its very own unique gimmick that is endlessly creative and clever: copying and pasting.

It really is that simple! But it opens up so many puzzle solutions and ideas that the developers cram into every area with glee. Pack in plenty of collectibles and you have a game that would feel right at home on the N64. There’s even some rough edges, just like the good ol’ days, but we love Ruffy all the more for them. Sometimes. - AH

Shotgun Cop Man (Switch eShop)

I absolutely adore arcade-inspired games that demand perfection to achieve high scores and achievements, and that’s exactly what Shotgun Cop Man does. The premise is simple: rid each level of as many enemies as possible while you make your way to the end goal. The twist? Movement is completely tied to the kickback provided by your shotgun (and other weapons) when you fire it.

So while there’s definitely a slight learning curve to begin with, Shotgun Cop Man is right up there with the likes of Super Meat Boy and Celeste as a perfectly tuned platformer that feels unbelievably satisfying to master. It’s also hilarious, too! - OR

Sorry We’re Closed (Switch eShop)

Sorry We’re Closed is a survival horror like no other. Swapping out dark, grimy environments for colourful backdrops, it boasts a plethora of incredibly well-realised characters and enemies while introducing an intriguing new form of combat in which you quite literally target the hearts of your foes.

Though I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s scary in the traditional sense, it’s undeniably unsettling, with the juxtaposition of bright, vivid colours and horrific visuals conjuring up a sense of fear that few other games can manage. Better yet, there are optional tank controls for those who, like me, refuse to let the past die. - OR

Strange Antiquities (Switch eShop)

As fans of Strange Horticulture, there was no way we were going to skip Strange Antiquities, and what an excellent follow-up to a quirky, occultish puzzler. Antiques are the natural follow-up to plants, right?

Anyway, 2025 has been an amazing year for the puzzle genre, and Strange Antiquities is among the best. Yes, it takes the same cosy-ish premise of the original, swapping the green for the old, but it’s just as weird — and occasionally sinister — as Horticulture. It’s all about reading, studying, and paying attention to the weird and wonderful things you hear about in-game. And the overarching narrative is equally rewarding. - AH

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown (Switch eShop)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown looked made for Switch when it arrived on PC in May, and the port onto the hybrid five months later proved a great match. Turn-based tactical X Beat ‘em up isn’t a combination that I thought the industry had been crying out for, but good heavens, did Strange Scaffold use it to good effect!

Racking up combos in this table-top-looking world is some of the most satisfying tactical gameplay I’ve experienced all year. You will never have played a Turtles game quite like this one, and hey, that’s pretty tubular, bro! - JN

Tiny Bookshop (Switch eShop)

Tiny Bookshop is exactly how it sounds: you set up a tiny shop and you, well, sell books! It’s the epitome of cosy, and the inclusion of real-life books with real authors lends a sense of authenticity to the otherwise quaint, picturesque presentation. Watching the numbers go up as you sell more and more books is so very satisfying, but it never feels like you’re pressured to perform well.

If you’re after something genuinely relaxing, then I urge you to give this one a shot. - OR

Until Then (Switch eShop)

I was really surprised by Until Then. Though I expected an experience filled with weird, Twin Peaks-inspired goings on — which it certainly has — I didn’t quite expect it to feel so relatable and emotional. It perfectly captures the slow, almost monotonous day-to-day experience of high school, but in a way that’s constantly engaging with some truly beautiful pixel art visuals.

It’s the type of game you’ll complete, leave alone for a few years, then play through again once you’ve forgotten the story. Remarkable stuff. - OR

Videoverse (Switch eShop)

2025 is the year when I’ve fallen more out of love with being online than ever before. But Videoverse reminded me that things haven’t always been this way. That things were good, and can still be good. The power of online communities, a shared love of video games, and love and acceptance over hate make Videoverse an essential, humanistic experience for anyone who loves games, writing, and who grew up in the early 2000s.

We had to wait a few years to get this on Switch, but I’m glad we finally got it. - AH

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Variety has never been better in video games. Have you played any of the games on this list? Think there’s something we’ve missed? Share your favourite hidden gems in the comments below and vote in our poll to pick your favourite from our very own!

*And if you think we’ve missed something, make sure you have a look at our Games of the Year Staff Picks; you might see something surprising there! *

You can also check out our Games We Missed series for reader recommendations of games we weren’t able to review.