Following the best party games on Switch in 2024, the recently released Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is amazing and prompted me to write about what I consider to be the best visual novels and adventure games on Switch right now. I’m including both because some games are purely visual novels and some are adventure games (rather than visual novels). This list contains many games from different regions and release years, I hope you can find something you like here. As always, this list is in no particular order.
Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club ($49.99) + Famicom Detective Club: Two Cases Collection
I couldn’t believe it when Nintendo remastered not just two Famicom Detective Club games in 2021. They are amazing adventure games and my only complaint is the lack of physical copies at the time. Fast forward to 2024, Nintendo has released both physical and digital versions of Emio – The Smiling Man: Red and White Detective Club, and as a brand new entry in the series, I was excited to play the game. Not only does it feel like a true entry in the series, which might be a negative for some, but it’s probably one of the most extravagant entries I’ve ever seen in a game of this type. I don’t want to spoil it, but the ending is surprisingly good, which really justifies its M rating. I definitely didn’t expect a new Famicom Detective Club game to appear on my best games of the year list in 2024, but Nintendo managed to do just that with Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club Got to this point. Download the trial version now.
If you want to play the first two games before Emio, buy Famicom Detective Club: Two Cases Collection. If you’re happy with some old-school design and gameplay in adventure games, you’ll love these.
VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action ($14.99)
If you’ve read some of the “Best Switch Games” lists I’ve posted this year, you’ve seen me cover VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action twice before, but as you know, I wouldn’t miss the chance to write about one of my all-time favorite games: Cyberpunk Bartender Action, known for its story, music, aesthetics, and most importantly, its characters. I’ve played it many times on both systems, it feels very comfortable on the Switch, and it’s a game I recommend to everyone, I don’t care if you like point-and-click adventure games and then mix drinks.
House of Mayfly Morgana: Dreams of the Dead Edition ($39.99)
The House in Mirage: Dream of the Dead Edition is the definitive version of one of my favorite stories. It includes the original game and more to deliver a stunning version of a masterpiece in storytelling. It’s a pure visual novel, and I’m glad it’s a huge success on the Switch, where it performs best after being released multiple times. If you want to play something that will stay with you for a long time, this gothic horror experience will work better. It also happens to have some of the most incredible music ever written.
Coffee Talk Episode 1+2 ($12.99+$14.99)
Okay, this one is cheating because both games are sold separately on the eShop, and the physical version I imported from Japan was also sold separately, but since North America has both games bundled on the Switch, I There is an entry for both Coffee Talk games listed here. I enjoyed both games, and while they didn’t reach the same heights as VA-11 Hall-A, Coffee Talk more than satisfied my desire for a coffee shop game and provided a very relaxing experience with a great story. experience. If you love drinking coffee and listening to interesting people talk over awesome pixel art and music, this is the place for you.
Type Moon’s visual novels: Tsukihime, Fate/stay night, and Mahoyo (variable)
This is another entry where I cheated. I’m not sure if I want to include only Tsukihime or Seiya’s Witch (Mahoyo), but the recent release of Fate/Stay Stay Remake makes things a little more difficult. Don’t worry too much, I’ve listed all three titles as must-have visual novels in this article about Switch. They are both long but very good. If you want to experience the classic visual novel, you can choose “Fate/stay night”, but I recommend the remake of “Tsukihime” on Switch. In terms of quality, Nightmare is probably the game that follows those two.
PARANORMASIGHT: Seven Mysteries of Honjo ($19.99)
Square Enix’s PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo reminds me so much of Nintendo’s Emio that I’m surprised it even exists, let alone turns out so well. I had no expectations for it, but I was blown away by its narrative, its delivery, and even some of the wall-breaking action I enjoyed early on. Square Enix has released one of the best mystery adventure games I’ve ever played, with amazing characters, great art, and fun mechanics, it’s worth your time if you want a great new horror adventure game. time.
Gnosis ($24.99)
People call Gnosia a sci-fi social mystery RPG, but to me it feels more like a hybrid of adventure and visual novel. Your goal is to use the information you collect to identify Gnosia in the group, and then vote the Gnosia into cold sleep. Both you and your team will improve over time, and aside from a few RNG issues to achieve two specific results, Gnosia is a great experience. I love this game on Switch so much that in addition to buying it on Steam, I also bought the physical version on Switch and PS5. This may not be for everyone, but it’s still one of the best surprises in the genre.
Steins;Gate series (variable)
Spike Chunsoft’s releases of the Steins;Gate series on Switch, especially Steins;Gate Elite, have been just as important as Fate/Stay Night in introducing newcomers to the visual novel genre. While I still wish the publisher would bring out the original version of Steins;Gate, Steins;Gate Elite is an easy recommendation for those who watch the anime and want to get into great visual novels. Playing the Steins;Gate game is only necessary after experiencing the original story of Steins;Gate Elite. I also cheat here by including multiple games, but I list my rules.
AI: SOMNIUM Archives and Nirvana Plan (variable)
AI: The Nightmare Files and Nirvana A project from Spike Chunsoft has teamed up Zero Escape creator Kotaro Uchigoshi and No More Heroes character designer Yusuke Ozaki to create two incredible adventure games, and with the budget behind them, these two games really feel too good to be true. Although many people are lamenting the lack of “Zero Escape” on Switch, I think these two “AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES” games are definitely worth experiencing at full price, and they are also gems in the Switch game library. Please don’t keep us waiting too long for a new game in the series.
Much-needed streaming overload ($19.99)
When it comes to adventure games or visual novels, I’m often recommended games and friends will say “trust me, play it, but don’t look up any information about it”. is an adventure game with multiple endings that revolves around the daily life of a young girl trying to become the best streamer she can be.
Ace Attorney series (variable)
Capcom has now brought the entire Ace Attorney series to Switch, including Ace Attorney Trilogy (1, 2, 3), Apollo Justice Trilogy (4, 5, 6), Ace Attorney Chronicles (1+2 of them), and two Ace Attorney games in the Ace Attorney Investigation Collection released this week. I’d say there are no excuses now, but there’s a reason this adventure game series is so beloved, and has generated a fanbase that’s lasted for years since the DS debuted in the West. If you’re new to the series, I recommend Ace Attorney Chronicles as the best entry point, even above the original trilogy which feels dated. Regardless, you can now play the entire series on one handheld device, which I like.
Soul Hunter: Marked for Death, NG, and Marked for Death II (variable)
Another series instead of a single game? Yes. Aksys Games and Experience Inc’s Soul Hunters trilogy, now generally available on Switch, manages to blend elements of horror adventure and visual novels with one of the most striking art styles I’ve ever seen. It’s a little hard to recommend this series given the weirdness of some of the designs, but I don’t think I’ll ever forget some of the images I saw while playing the Soul Hunter games, as well as their excellent localization and story. I hope we see new entries in the coming years.
Thirteen Sentinels: Aegis Ring ($59.99)
“Thirteen Sentinels: Aegis Ring” is not a pure adventure game, but a game with real-time strategy combat. I usually try to include a great game at the end, but the double whammy of not being a complete adventure game and being one of the best games I’ve played in a decade has put me on both Vanillaware and Atlus’s This feature ended in sci-fi games. I first played this game on PS4, and enjoyed replaying it from start to finish on Switch thanks to the OLED screen in handheld mode. No matter where you play, you need to experience 13 Sentinels: Aegis Ring.
If you’ve read this far, you’ll realize that this isn’t a top 10, but more, and these are the games I recommend playing at full price. I didn’t want to remove something I loved enough to play any number of featured games, which is why I’ve even included some complete series here instead of just single games. Here is my list of the best visual novels and adventure games to play on Switch in 2024. I’m always looking for more great stories in my favorite genres that feel perfect on Switch. As always, thank you for reading!
