10 Competitive Party Games for the Nintendo Switch
By: Tobin Carlberg | April 23, 2022
A good competitive video game can turn an average party into an exciting night to remember. Unlike cooperative games where you work together as a team, competitive multiplayer games let you channel your stress from the work week towards beating your friends at various challenges.
Out of all the consoles, the Nintendo Switch has some of the best titles to bring out that healthy competition, thanks to its support for up to eight controllers. To help you find the best games for your next get-together, we’ve made a list of 10 competitive party games for the Switch.
1. Boomerang Fu (Max Players: 6)
(Image Credit: Cranky Watermelon)
Boomerang Fu is a top-down battle royale that really packs a punch. In this game, you play as an assortment of foods that are equipped with boomerangs, and the game ends once everyone on the battlefield is completely sliced. This takes the concept of Fruit Ninja to a whole new level.
One of its best features is that Boomerang Fu supports up to six players. More players means more boomerangs flying in all directions, so the level of mayhem escalates quickly.
2. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Max Players: 8)
(Image Credit: Nintendo)
If you’re looking for an intense fighting game with multiple characters and movesets, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has everything you could ask for. With 80 playable characters from every previous game (and a few newcomers), you have plenty of options to choose from.
There aren’t many games where you see Sonic, Samus, Mario and Pac-Man all brawling it out on the same stage. With up to 8 player battles, you can play a 4v4 battle against your friends or try Free For All to see who is truly the strongest (or luckiest) fighter. Important note: since he is overpowered and broken, playing as Little Mac in any competition is highly frowned upon. If you’re bold enough to spam his KO Uppercut, you will almost certainly be disowned by your family and friends. Use at your own risk.
3. Gang Beasts (Max Players: 4)
(Image Credit: Boneloaf, Coatsink)
Picture the chaos of Super Smash Bros, but your characters just wiggle around like jello. This makes for some crazy ragdoll physics when throwing your opponents across the map. And better yet, the randomness of each map will have you and your friends laughing for hours. To name a few, you can fight on top of a blimp, a moving truck through the highway, or a ferris wheel that’s slowly sinking into the ocean.
4. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Max Players: 4)
(Image Credit: Nintendo)
The Mario Kart games have been big hits on every Nintendo console since the Super Nintendo in 1992. While Crash Team Racing and Team Sonic Racing fans may disagree, Mario Kart 8 is the easy pick for best casual racing game of all time. With its extensive list of famous race tracks like Moo Moo Meadows, Rainbow Road, and Bowser’s Castle, you will feel fully immersed in these exotic worlds from the Mario universe.
Up to four players can compete in 2v2 races or battles for a thrilling ride. One of the best things about Mario Kart is that it’s perfect for all ages. Even a lower-skilled player can turn on the assists to help with cornering and have fun driving fast while tossing shells at the other characters.
5. Crawl (Max Players: 4)
(Image Credit: Powerhoof)
Heroes beware, for the ones closest to you are lurking as monsters in the shadows. As an 8-bit dungeon crawler inspired by classic horror movies, Crawl has you and your friends competing to see who is the ultimate hero. When you become the hero, you can purchase a unique combination of weapons and abilities to defend yourself.
Meanwhile, those who aren’t the hero play as deadly monsters and ghouls that are there to sabotage the hero’s every move. If one of the monsters kills the hero he or she becomes a lonely ghost, and it leads to an endless cycle where you and the other players have a chance to spawn as different monsters to kill the new hero. Overall, the goal for the hero is to upgrade themselves enough so they can defeat the final boss which is controlled by all the other players in tandem. Crawl brings just the right amount of destruction and treachery that makes competitive party games so much fun.
6. Cake Bash (Max Players: 4)
(Image Credit: High Tea Frog)
Cake Bash is the most adorable competitive game you will ever play. In this silly adventure, you and three friends play as sentient treats to see who can grab the most toppings. While it’s a very simplistic game, Cake Bash’s most delicious feature is its charm. Each mini-game is swarming with colorful energy, and gamers of all ages will surely find something to love about this game. Whether you enjoy smacking your opponents with lollipops or relaxing by the fire to roast the perfect marshmallow, there is really something for everyone.
7. Unspottable (Max Players: 4)
(Image Credit: GrosChevaux)
If you have ever wanted to play an intense battle royale version of ‘Where’s Waldo?’, look no further than Unspottable. In this top-down game, you and up to three friends have to disguise yourselves while wandering through a field of AI robots who look exactly like you. While you're in disguise, the goal is to find all of your opponents and knock them out before they find you. The trick is to fulfill this mission without drawing attention to yourself.
What makes this game fun and replayable is the variety of maps. One setting will make you work hard to blend in while performing dance choreography at a nightclub, while another will have you collecting all the groceries on a shopping list and escaping the store without getting noticed.
8. Mario Party Superstars (Max Players: 4)
(Image Credit: Nintendo)
The Mario Party series has always been a staple for board game style fun. While you’re racing through the board to collect the most stars, you will face off in a variety of fun mini-games.
If you don’t have time to sit for a whole board game, head to Mt. Mini-games and play up to 100 different challenges. Mario Party Superstars is the most comprehensive yet in the series because it packs in mini-games from all the way back to the original Nintendo 64 game. This grab bag of challenges includes some of the wackiest mini-games you will ever see. Among others, there’s a 2v2 mode where your characters are on all fours racing to finish a whole pizza. It also includes the classic Face Lift mini-game from Mario Party 1, which has you hilariously rearranging Bowser’s face to match the model.
9. Ultimate Chicken Horse (Max Players: 4)
(Image Credit: Clever Endeavour Games)
Ultimate Chicken Horse mixes a wide variety of platforming elements into a party game. As your choice of playable animals, you will have to wall-jump and dodge all the deadly traps that come your way.
The most unique aspect is that you and your friends can design your own stages. At first, it may look simple, but once everyone starts adding their own booby traps, chaos will inevitably ensue. The trick is to make the map difficult for your opponents but easy enough for you to get to the finish line. If you get ahead of yourself and place too many traps, you may fall victim to your own comical array of wormholes, spikes, and hockey pucks.
10. Killer Queen Black (Max Players: 8)
(Image Credit: Liquid Bit, LLC, BumbleBear Games, LLC)
Based on the hit 10-player arcade game Killer Queen, Killer Queen Black is a deceptively layered 8-player game that combines elements of combat, sports, and platforming. If you have ever wanted to play a version of Quidditch that featured more alien bug guts, this is the game for you. With its combination of stylish retro graphics, tight controls, and a hard-driving soundtrack, Killer Queen Black’s brief yet intense matches are some of the most fun you and seven friends can have in front of the TV.
Let the games begin!
We hope this list has given you some new ideas for when you host another gaming party. And if you’re looking to grab a few controllers to play against your friends, NexiGo has just what you need. For accessories like controllers, charging ports, thumbstick caps, and carrying cases, be sure to visit the NexiGo Switch Collection.