Best Nintendo Switch puzzle games in 2022

If you're looking to beef up your brain after a long session of Ring Fit Adventure, or just need to wind down before bed, then a puzzle game may just be up your alley. Puzzle games take on many forms, with straight-forward brain teasers like Picross, or more in-depth puzzles that integrate themselves into the gameplay, such as Luigi's Mansion 3. No matter whether you're looking for something classic, a cheerful adventure or a spooky thriller, there are tons of great puzzle games waiting to be played on your Nintendo Switch.

Snipperclips Plus — Cut it out, together!

This great puzzle game has been around ever since the Nintendo Switch launched, and it's still just as good as it was back then. Two adorable paper cutouts named Snip and Clip help each other solve puzzles by snipping and clipping each other into unique shapes. Snipperclips Plus — Cut it out, together! includes both the base game and the DLC, which offers two new worlds, new activities, and a stamp mode. It's the definitive way to play, and one of the best couch co-op games.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

What started out as a fun little side-game in Super Mario 3D World ended up becoming its own game. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker sees you guide the adorable Captain Toad through puzzle box levels. There's only one catch, though — you can't jump! Use the environment to your advantage as you try to collect all the stars in every level. The Nintendo Switch version even comes with some exclusive levels based on Super Mario Odyssey, if you can't get enough of New Donk City!

Unpacking

It may be difficult to imagine that a game about unpacking boxes could be any fun, but Unpacking is a real gem to behold. As you've moved homes, sort your belongings and place them where they belong. A person's possessions say a lot about them, and you may not expect to embark on a personal journey with only the objects before you to tell the story.

Picross S6

Picross is a classic number puzzle where you fill in the blocks to reveal a hidden image. If you enjoy playing Sudoku, this is right up your alley. As you advance, you can attempt more difficult puzzles, with different modes to shake things up. Try your hand at Mega Picross, Color Picross, and more! If you have save data for any other Picross S games, you'll even get an additional three puzzles for free.

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain

This series made its debut on the Wii, with the rise of educational games for everyone. Choose from various categories such as Compute, Visualize, Analyze, and Identify as you complete related mini-games that test each of the abilities you're training in. You can play against other in both local multiplayer and online multiplayer, by challenging player ghost data uploaded to the internet. Players can choose their difficulty level to determine the challenges they face, meaning you can play with anyone and everyone, even if they don't play video games very often!

Tetris Effect: Connected

Tetris is one of the most classic puzzle games. Align the blocks, clear the lines. It's not the game you expect to invoke an emotional connection though, which is what Tetris Effect: Connected provides for the first time on the Nintendo Switch. Think of gaming meets synesthesia, where movements and touch translate to subtle visual and audio effects on the screen, slowly amounting to a crescendo of effects that will totally change the way you experience this game.

LIMBO

If cheerful, bright art styles aren't your thing, and spooky games are more up your alley, you'll have a grand time in LIMBO. This side-scrolling puzzle adventure sees a boy enter limbo, trying to save his sister. With a monochrome art style, misty environments, and a minimal user interface, players will have to escape horrors and monsters the size of buildings, figuring things out as they go along. It's a unique journey that's perfect as both a Halloween game and a puzzle game.

INSIDE

INSIDE is another game from Playdead, the genius team behind LIMBO. Whereas LIMBO was a 2D game, INSIDE is a 3D game that follows a boy as he uncovers an unsettling experiment. With moody lighting, suspenseful music, and a chilling atmosphere, it's no wonder that this game is critically acclaimed.

Cozy Grove

Cozy Grove was one of the best hit indie games to make its debut in 2021. With a gorgeous hand-drawn aesthetic, endearing dialogue and writing, and soothing music, this game is a treasure. Find and collect spirits on a mysterious haunted island, completing tasks for them and developing your campsite as you progress. With relaxing tasks and interesting puzzles, this game is great for any fan of both management sims and puzzle games.

Luigi's Mansion 3

The third entry in the series, Luigi's Mansion 3 sees Luigi get scammed by a shady home owner, once again. Explore the haunted, eerily-named Last Resort Hotel and solve puzzles on each floor. The more floors you clear, the closer you get to saving your dear brother Mario and the rest of the Mushroom Kingdom gang. Work alongside Polterpup, Professor E. Gadd and the newest mechanic, Gooigi, as you fight ghosts and collect an obscene amount of money in the process.

Untitled Goose Game

As far as animals go, geese are some of the biggest jerks. If this is appealing to you, you may want to pick up Untitled Goose Game. You're presented with a checklist of tasks, which needs to be completed by solving puzzles. You'll be honking, hiding, flapping your wings, and playing pranks on the townsfolk; basically being a menace to everyone you encounter. Though short, it's a hilarious game that will leave you honking with laughter.

Little Nightmares II

The sequel to the well-received Little Nightmares stars a new character Mono, as he's accompanied by the first game's protagonist, Six. Make your way through unsettling environments as you try to uncover the secret of the Signal Tower that's keeping you trapped there. Solve puzzles and travel with Six, who guides you in a world that's trying to make sure you don't escape with your life.

Chicory: A Colorful Tale

The world has lost its color, and the brilliant artist Chicory is nowhere to be found. How could this have happened? Set out on a journey with Chicory's paintbrush as you restore the bland world to its former colorful glory. With a host of charming characters, a brilliant soundtrack, and a plethora of interesting puzzles that use paint to change the environment, this game is certain to brighten your spirits.

Baba Is You

Baba Is You is a quirky minimalist game that tasks the player with using conditional if-then-else statements to solve puzzles. Baba can be you, but you can also be a door, or a key! Shuffle the words around the screen to change the scenario in your favor. The puzzles get even more difficult as you go on, becoming increasingly mind-bending and fun.

Yoku's Island Express

Platforming meets arcade pinball mechanics in this wacky game. Explore Mokumana Island as Yoku, a cute little beetle who just wants to be the best postman around. Set out on an epic journey to awaken the island's deity from its slumber, unlocking new abilities as you move around the world. If you're unsure about this game, don't worry! There's a free demo available on the Nintendo eShop.

Pikuniku

Pikuniku is, in short, weird. You play as a bipedal red blob and traverse a world with vibrant colors and distinct landscapes. Solve puzzles made for everyone and engage in quirky side quests. Two players can engage in this game for double the fun in a split-screen co-op. This puzzler, with its upbeat setting, is perfect for a rainy day.

Donut County

If you think you've seen all the weird protagonists that gaming has to offer, think again. In Donut County, you play as a hole in the ground that grows as more things get swallowed. Well, it's a hole controlled by a raccoon. Explore the landscape and solve puzzles as you engage in increasingly absurd situations. With a cast of fun characters, witty scenarios, and a charming art style, the game will have you in stitches.

Puyo Puyo Tetris 2

Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 is the perfect sequel, keeping the main idea while making things even bigger and better, with an all-new story mode and improved online functionality. Whether you want to strictly play Puyo Puyo, Tetris, or a combination of both, this game provides hours of content and incentivizes improving your skills.

GRIS

GRIS follows a girl traveling across melancholy pastel landscapes, trying to cope with the sorrow felt after a painful experience. Solve puzzles to advance as you gain new abilities that bring you to new heights. The emotional weight of this game may just surprise you, leaving you with an experience you'll continue to think about long after you've finished playing.

The best puzzle games on Switch

There are tons of great games on the Nintendo Switch, all of which serve different audiences. Games have evolved so much in the past 30 years, allowing developers to incorporate puzzle elements seamlessly into gameplay. No longer is the idea of a "puzzle" confined to something you put together on your living room table.

My favorite game on this list is Snipperclips Plus - Cut it out, together!. Couch co-op games are my favorite way to play multiplayer and this game really encourages both you and your partner to work together — even if it means your voices may get a little raised in the process. If things are getting too stressful, you can always take a break in the Dojo or Stamp mode, featured in the included DLC.

If you're looking for a puzzle game that most resembles classic pen-and-paper play, I recommend Picross S6. Picross is an interesting number puzzler that really encourages you to think ahead, making the game more about the journey than the destination. Picross S6 is the latest game available in the series, but don't be afraid to check out any of the other Picross S games.

Want something a little more spooky? Check out INSIDE. OF course, LIMBO is a great entry in this list as well, but INSIDE builds on the mechanics found in its predecessor. Of course, if you're a scaredy-cat like me, maybe you should pick up Cozy Grove instead, where the ghosts are friendly.