The Most Awesome Nintendo Switch Games for Teens
Since its release in 2017, the Nintendo Switch has proven to be a fan favorite console among gamers of all ages. Most of the Switch’s library is geared towards younger kids and families, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t games to appeal to an older (tween and teen) audience.
Being a middle school gamer can be difficult, as you aren’t really the right audience for many of the kid-friendly games, but you are still too young to play M rated games such as Grand Theft Auto or Call of Duty.
However, there are many great games for tweens and teens available on the Nintendo Switch. The following are some great games your kids are sure to love – and who knows, you might even enjoy a family video game night!
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Offering a breathtaking adventure across the beautiful landscapes of Hyrule, the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
is a phenomenal addition to the all-time great franchise.
- Following in the footsteps of legendary retro games like Majora’s Mask
and newer fan favorites such as Skyward Sword
, Breath of the Wild has quickly proven to be a definitive game of the current console generation.
- Players will once again take on the role of the legendary hero Link while exploring dungeons and traversing across the landscapes of Hyrule.
- Breath of the Wild also features new game mechanics such as a crafting system to flesh out the phenomenal adventure of the game. The game is great for middle schoolers as it offers an incredibly fluid combat system combined with awesome locations and game mechanics.
- The answer to the ultimate question: what if a bunch of classic Nintendo characters duke it out in the ultimate fighter? The result is loads of fun in the latest installment of the legendary franchise. Super Smash Brothers Ultimate
offers more characters, maps, and music than ever before.
- Additionally, there is a bevy of characters accessible via DLC, so you can continue to bolster your roster of heroes and villains. With ultra-fun quick gameplay, Super Smash Brothers has quickly become a fan favorite franchise among gamers of all ages.
- However, the game has attracted a great following among adolescent kids due to its fun gameplay and more serious action.
- Super Smash Brothers Ultimate is a great game for your tweens and teens to play with their friends.
- The latest installment to the cult-hit tactical RPG series, Fire Emblem: Three Houses
will pit players in incredible battles against all sorts of enemies. Additionally, Three Houses offers players an amazing amount of choice into how they want the game to play out, with all sorts of different results.
- The game has become a huge hit among older kids due to its phenomenal storytelling and its complex war-time relationships players can forge with the in-game characters.
- The game also features some stellar RPG gameplay that puts players in control of the battlefield, where every decision can make a major impact on the rest of the game. Additionally, the game also has tons of replay value where players can experiment with different choices and outcomes.
- Fire Emblem: Three Houses is sure to be a hit with your middle-school teens, especially for those who are fans of RPG gameplay.
- Minecraft
has pretty much reached legendary status in the world of video games. Recently becoming the best selling video game of all time, Minecraft really needs no introduction.
- This incredibly popular sandbox title gives players all the resources they need to go on the adventure of a lifetime, exploring all sorts of locations and building wonderful bases to protect against the bad guys of the night.
- Additionally, the game’s creative mode has created just as much pop culture phenomena as the game itself, with whole communities banding together to create incredible builds, such as entire cities from the ground up.
- Minecraft is the perfect game for players of all ages, but the game has found a major foothold among adolescent kids, mainly due to its fun multiplayer functionality. Players can band together in person or online to go on stellar adventures or build incredible things.
- If you don’t already have several copies of the game already, on some of the many consoles it’s available on, it is sure to be a hit in your household.
- Your tween and teens will probably also surprise you by enjoying these fun Minecraft-themed Perler crafts!
- A fun, colorful twist on the 3rd person shooter genre, Splatoon
is a multiplayer game where players seek to take over turf by blasting colored ink on the map. Splatoon for the Wii U
quickly became a fan favorite, but Splatoon 2 took the franchise further with more content.
- Splatoon 2 is a great medium between fun Nintendo games and more serious FPS and TPS shooters, such as Halo and Gears of War. Your tweens and teens are sure to love the fast-paced competitive action that Splatoon 2 has to offer
- Offering players new locations, characters, and furniture, Animal Crossing: New Horizons
has become a mega-hit with gamers all over the world. Players will journey to an island where they can become mayor, interacting with all sorts of animal neighbors while upgrading and decorating their house.
- New Horizons gives players all sorts of creative control over their island, with new features such as terraforming, gamers have all sorts of things to do on their own islands.
- And with enhanced multiplayer gameplay, players can visit other people’s islands to trade, buy, and sell items as well as hang out with friends and other gamers from all over the world.
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a surefire hit for your kids, between the simple yet fun gameplay and the amount of stuff to do, the game simply rocks!
Last but not least, this is by FAR our middle schoolers’ favorite game/ activity for the Nintendo Switch.
- Nintendo Labo
gives your tween and teen the opportunity to explore the wonders of video games from a more hands-on approach. The kids will spend several hours assembling the Labo kits out of heavy-duty cardboard while following on-screen step-by-step instructions. The assembly is almost as fun as the video gameplay that follows.
- There are a number of Labo kits available, so there will at least be one (or more) that interests your teen. The Variety Kit
is really entertaining featuring fun gaming options for cars and even a fishing rod. I am thinking the Robot Kit
will find its way under our Christmas tree this year! (Shhh, don’t tell them!)
As you can tell from the list above, there are plenty of great games for middle-school-age tweens and teens, especially on the Nintendo Switch. All of these games offer fun and exciting gameplay with memorable stories and characters.
With these games, your child is sure to have a great gaming experience. Best of all, don’t forget that your teen’s interest is an opportunity for you to connect with them during a family game night!