Skip to main content

One of the best sci-fi games ever made is coming to Nintendo Switch next month

Annapurna Interactive

During the November 2023 Indie World Showcase, it was revealed that many intriguing indie titles are coming to the Nintendo Switch over the next year. One of the show’s biggest announcements was that Outer Wilds — a critically acclaimed sci-fi game about exploring a solar system throughout repeating time loops — is finally coming to the Nintendo Switch next month.

A Nintendo Switch port for Outer Wilds was first teased in 2021 and intended to be released during the summer of that year, but it did not make that release window. We did not hear much else about the port until now outside of a mention during one of publisher Annapurna Interactive’s own showcases. An Indie World Showcase segment dedicated to the game showed some of its physics-based spacefaring gameplay in action on the Switch, and it seemed to look nice and run at a solid frame rate. Called Outer Wilds: Archaeologist Edition, this version of the game comes with the Echoes of the Eye DLC and will launch digitally on December 7. It will get a physical Switch release sometime next year.

Outer Wilds: Archaeologist Edition - Pre-order Trailer - Nintendo Switch

Outside of Outer Wilds, other notable indie games like Core Keeper, Moonstone Island, Planet of Lana, Heavenly Bodies, and Backpack Hero also got Nintendo Switch ports confirmed during the show. We also learned that Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution, a Game Boy Advance game that went unreleased in the early 2000s, is finally being finished and released on Nintendo Switch.

Indie World Showcase 11.14.2023 - Nintendo Switch

There was some brand new stuff shown off too, like Humble Games and Memorable Games’ card-based investigation game On Your Tail, the point-and-click photography adventure game The Star Name Eos, and more. Those who want to play something new should also know that some of the games featured during this Indie World Showcase were shadow-dropped following the presentation, like Howl, Backpack Hero, Enjoy the Diner, Passpartout 2: The Lost Artist, and a demo for Death Trick: Double Blind

Tomas Franzese
As a Gaming Staff Writer at Digital Trends, Tomas Franzese reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…
The best co-op games on Nintendo Switch
Amazon earth day used Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Nintendo Switch is home to some of the best games of all time -- single-player or multiplayer. Unlike its competition with the best PS5 games and best Xbox Series X games, the Switch hasn't moved away from the classic couch co-op style of games we all grew up with. That isn't to say there aren't online co-op and cross-platform games as well, but you do have a lot more options on the Switch than other systems. As we approach the end of the Switch's lifecycle and prepare for the Switch 2, now is the best time to check out the massive library of co-op games to make the wait a little easier.

Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet Double Pack

Read more
You can snag a rare discount on one of Nintendo’s best strategy games this week
A red Pikmin looks around in Pikmin 4.

Pikmin might be one of the most underrated Nintendo series because the note it tries to hit is so specific. Its charming visual style and cute alien antics need to excite casual Switch players while not turning off strategy game experts, while the actual puzzles in the game need to be challenging enough for advanced players, but solvable for players who just want to pluck little colorful dudes out of the ground and ride an alien dog. It's quite the balancing act and Pikmin 4 absolutely nails it.

If you haven't jumped into the world of Pikmin before, Pikmin 4 is one of the series' strongest entries — it captures the charm of the previous installments while rebalancing the game's sometimes frustrating control scheme and rewriting the story a bit to make it easier to follow for new players. Straight-from-Nintendo titles rarely get solid discounts, and it's not uncommon for them to remain at launch-day prices for years, so it's an absolute joy to see right now.

Read more
The best RPG you’ve never played is coming to Nintendo Switch
The hero of Fantasian runs.

Mistwalker's Apple Arcade exclusive RPG Fantasian is making its way to consoles under the new title Fantasian Neo Dimension. Fantasian was originally released in two parts in 2021, and Fantasian Neo Dimension will contain all the game's content when released on Nintendo Switch for the 2024 holiday season.

During the June 2024 Nintendo Direct, Fantasian Neo Dimension was revealed to be coming to Nintendo Switch in time for the holidays. Fantasian is a turn-based RPG featuring an amnesiac protagonist named Leo who awakens in a dimension known as the Machine Realm. In the Apple version, players would tap on locations to move Leo around the maps and engage in random battles. However, using the Dimengeon system would allow players to disable random battles against foes they already faced and store them in the titular Dimengeon to explore uninterrupted. There is a limit to how many fights can be stored, so players cannot avoid every fight in the game.

Read more