Top Nintendo Switch Games for 2021

Three people in our household have their own Nintendo Switch console, including me. We love playing games, whether on our own or together. Below is a list of the games we have enjoyed playing this year.

Thanks to Nintendo for sending our family some goodies to make our family game night even more fun! Some of the games mentioned below I paid for myself and some were provided for us to review. All opinions are my own.

Animal Crossing New Horizons

Animal Crossing New Horizons released at the perfect time. Right when the pandemic was starting we were given a little escape into our own private island life. I joined various other ACNH lovers online and took turns touring some of the best 5-star rated islands out there. Constructing your own island while completely lots of daily tasks and mini challenges was a fun and creative way to relax and get rid of that pandemic stress.

Happy Home Paradise

Now Animal Crossing New Horizons has launched a new paid content download. In Happy Home Paradise you become a vacation home planner and designer. You get to hop aboard a sea plane to travel away from your island to go to work. You venture to another area where you meet new animal villagers that are hoping to find their perfect vacation home. With your help, they will get a new fully decorated home of their dreams.

Not only will you design new vacation homes, you will also build a whole community. As you help new customers, you will be given tasks to build up the island. You start with designing a school and then are given a chance to design a seaside cafe and restaurant. Quickly, you’ll find yourself spending hours designing a beautiful island.

You can download the Happy Home Paradise in the Nintendo eShop after purchasing or you will be able to get the download complimentary if you have the Nintendo Online account with Expansion Pack. We have the family Nintendo membership and I recently upgraded us to include the Expansion Pack so our whole family was able to get their own copy of Happy Home Paradise as well as some fun old Nintendo 64 games! Hello, Zelda.

Big Brain Academy – Brain vs Brain

When I first started this game I was a little skeptical. I couldn’t understand how all family members of different ages could play in an academic game to compete against one another. I was pleasantly surprised!

The game starts off with a fun twist. Each player picked a catchphrase which is pretty hilarious. There are three pages of options to pick from. You can pick which level you play on and adjust it with each game, this is super helpful when playing with little kids.

I was shocked to see how quick my son was at some of the mini games whereas I struggled and then others I would excel at.

Some of the games seem like common sense but some are a little tricky. Which keeps it challenging and fun.

Mario Party Superstars

If you enjoyed Super Mario Party, then you will enjoy Mario Party Superstars. Plan to have people visit during the holidays? This game is perfect for group play.

Family game night got kicked up a notch with Mario Party Superstars. There are 100 mini games that you are sure to find one that pleases everyone in the family. Bringing back some of the classics from Nintendo 64 and GameCube.

These are the top three games we are playing now that make great gifts for families. What Nintendo Switch games are you playing?

Of course I have to always mention Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Those are both family favorites that will continue to remain timeless.