| Game | Platform | Verified detail | Planning use |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild | Nintendo Switch | Metascore 97; released Mar 3, 2017; Rated E10+ | A top-scored Switch starting point. Check the age label before sharing it with younger players. |
| Super Mario Odyssey | Nintendo Switch | Metascore 97; released Oct 27, 2017; Rated E10+ | Matches Breath of the Wild on score. Choose it when you want a second top-scored Switch title. |
| The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom | Nintendo Switch | Metascore 96; released May 12, 2023; Rated E10+ | The more recent release of the Zelda pair, and the one to pick if newer matters to you. |
| Persona 5 Royal | Nintendo Switch | Metascore 94; released Oct 21, 2022; Rated M | The Rated M label points this one at adult players. |
| Fall Guys | Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, PC | Free, cross-platform party royale game | A no-cost way to try a game on almost any current setup. |
| PALIA | Nintendo Switch, PS5, Xbox Series, PC | Free to play; skills cannot be levelled faster with payment | A free pick for players who dislike pay-to-progress pressure. |
Scores and release details come from Metacritic’s Nintendo Switch listing, and platform and price details come from a free-games roundup for Switch.
The best video games to play depend first on your platform, then on how much time and money you want to commit. Highly scored Switch titles, popular PlayStation names and free cross-platform games all make strong starting points.
If you own a Switch and want a deeper shortlist, go straight to our guide to the best nintendo switch games. Everyone else can use this page to pick a platform, a price model and a genre, then follow the links onward.
Choosing a platform before a game
The hardware you already own removes most of the guesswork. A game that is not on your system is not a candidate, however well reviewed, so it pays to check platform listings first and genre second. Buyers still deciding between consoles can read ps5 vs xbox series x and then come back here for the games.
PlayStation 5
A retailer’s PlayStation listing says the PS5 is backward compatible with most PS4 games. For a player moving up from an earlier console, that widens the choice well beyond new releases. The wording is “most”, not “all”, so check a specific PS4 game before you buy it for a PS5. Free options also reach this console: Fall Guys and PALIA are both listed for PS5.
Xbox Series X
On Xbox Series consoles, the clearest verified starting points are free cross-platform games. Fall Guys and PALIA are both listed for Xbox Series, and Fall Guys also runs on Xbox One. Free titles let you test your setup, your internet connection and your own taste at no cost. A paid game is a bigger bet, so pair this page with the genre guides further down before you spend.
Nintendo Switch
Switch is where the best-documented critic scores sit, and the next section goes through them. Two other points matter when you choose this platform. A Nintendo Switch Online membership comes with classic NES, Super NES and Game Boy games, which suits players who want older titles alongside new ones. Online play in Dragon Quest Builders 2 also requires that membership, so a game that looks free of extra costs can still need one.
| Platform | What the listings show | Planning use |
|---|---|---|
| PlayStation 5 | Backward compatible with most PS4 games; a retailer names The Last of Us Part II, Grand Theft Auto V, Red Dead Redemption 2, God of War and Elden Ring among popular PlayStation titles | Good for players carrying over a PS4 library. Confirm each older title individually. |
| Xbox Series X | Fall Guys and PALIA are listed for Xbox Series; Fall Guys also lists Xbox One | Start with free cross-platform games, then widen by genre. |
| Nintendo Switch | Nintendo Switch Online includes classic NES, Super NES and Game Boy games; Dragon Quest Builders 2 supports up to four Builders locally, and online play requires membership | Suits players who want classics and local play. Budget for the membership if you play online. |
These platform details come from a retailer’s PlayStation page and the same free-games roundup used above.
Console play also looks different from desk play. The next image shows the sofa-and-television end of that range.
Top-scored Nintendo Switch games
Metacritic’s Nintendo Switch listing is the strongest evidence in this guide, and it favours a mix of older and newer releases. Scores are critic aggregates, so treat them as a shortlist filter and not a guarantee that you will enjoy a game. The age label shown beside each title is worth reading before you buy for a household.
Adventure and exploration
Three titles sit at the top. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey both carry a Metascore of 97, released on Mar 3, 2017 and Oct 27, 2017 respectively, and both are Rated E10+. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom follows at 96, released May 12, 2023, also Rated E10+. The scores are close enough that release date and taste should decide, not the number. Choose Tears of the Kingdom if you want the newer Zelda, and Breath of the Wild or Odyssey if you want a classic. Readers who finish a Zelda game and want more of the same can move on to games like zelda.
Longer and more mature picks
Metroid Prime Remastered scores 94 and was released Feb 8, 2023, Rated T. Persona 5 Royal also scores 94, was released Oct 21, 2022, and is Rated M. The M label puts Persona 5 Royal firmly in the adult category. Players who want to compare it against other long, story-heavy games can browse the best rpg games guide.
Playing with other people
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has a Metascore of 93 and was released Dec 7, 2018, Rated E10+. Portal Companion Collection has a Metascore of 95, was released Jun 28, 2022, Rated T, and its Portal 2 content includes a co-operative mode with local, split-screen and online multiplayer. For a creative option, Dragon Quest Builders 2 allows up to four Builders to play together locally, with online play requiring Nintendo Switch Online. Local and split-screen modes let a household play without extra memberships, which is the sensible first filter for couples and families. For more of these, see the best couch co-op games list.
Upgrading or going handheld
If you are weighing a new console, is the switch 2 worth it works through the decision. Players who care mostly about portable play can compare devices in the best handheld gaming console guide.
PlayStation favourites worth knowing
A retailer’s PlayStation listing names The Last of Us Part II, Grand Theft Auto V, Red Dead Redemption 2, God of War and Elden Ring among the most popular PlayStation games. Popularity on a store is a different measure from critic scoring, so read this list as “what players are buying” and not “what is rated highest”. It still gives you a sensible set of names to research, especially because the PS5’s backward compatibility with most PS4 games keeps older titles in play.
Use the list to decide which direction to explore next:
- Large worlds and crime stories: the best open world games guide covers worlds to explore, and games like gta suits players who finished Grand Theft Auto V and want something similar.
- Narrative first: if the story matters most, the best story games list is the natural next stop.
- Difficulty and boss fights: players drawn to demanding encounters will find a focused read in The Hardest Bosses in Video Game History: 3 Legendary Fights That Broke Players (And How They Survived) – Playtik.
The retailer does not break the list down by score or price, so check a store page for the current price and any edition differences before buying.
Free games worth playing
Free games are the lowest-risk way to answer “what should I play?” because the only cost is time. They are not all equal, though. Some are free with an optional shop, some are free with a freemium model, and one clear difference is whether payment can speed up progress. The roundup below, from a Switch free-games guide, makes that distinction easy to see.
| Game | Platforms | Price model | Planning use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall Guys | Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, PC | Free, cross-platform massively multiplayer party royale | The widest platform spread here. Play it if friends are on different systems. |
| PALIA | Nintendo Switch, PS5, Xbox Series, PC | Free to play; you cannot pay to level skills faster | A fair-progression pick for players wary of spending pressure. |
| Sky: Children of the Light | Nintendo Switch, PS4, PC, iOS, Android | Free to play with a freemium model | Useful if you want the same game on a phone and a console. |
| Disney Speedstorm | Includes Nintendo Switch and PS5 | Free-to-play base game; in-app purchases for items, currency and upgrades | Fine to try, but watch what you spend on upgrades. |
| Pokémon Café ReMix | Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android | Free-to-play puzzle game, released 2020 | A light puzzle option that works on handhelds and phones. |
All table details come from the same free-games roundup.
Which free games to try first
Start with Fall Guys if you play with friends on mixed hardware, since it is listed across every current platform in the table. Choose PALIA if progress that cannot be bought sounds appealing. Treat Disney Speedstorm and Sky with a budget in mind: the first is explicit about in-app purchases for items, currency and upgrades, and the second uses a freemium model. Players who want only free PC options can continue with best free pc games.
Trying paid games through demos
Demos are the other free route, and they work well for games you might otherwise pass over. The Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition demo takes around 40 to 60 minutes and is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and PC. Hob: The Definitive Edition takes 10 to 17 hours in full, and its free demo covers the first 30 minutes on Nintendo Switch, PS4 and PC. The Bug & Seek demo runs about 30 minutes on Nintendo Switch and Steam. A short demo tells you whether the controls and visual style suit you, so play one before committing to a game that runs for many hours.
Playing on PC
Several of the free and demo games above also run on PC: Fall Guys, PALIA and Sky list it, and the Ori and Hob demos and Bug & Seek (on Steam) do too. That overlap means a PC player can start with the same shortlist as a console player. Hardware is the main extra variable. Before buying a demanding game, run through can my pc run this game so the purchase does not end in a refund request.
Gear is the second PC decision. A controller helps with games that play better with a pad than with a keyboard, so see best controller for pc for options. Screen and audio choices are covered in the best gaming monitor and best gaming headset guides. Players who want portable PC gaming can check best steam deck games.
Choosing between games that look equally good
When several games fit your platform, these filters narrow the field faster than reading more reviews.
- Time you can give: Hob: The Definitive Edition takes 10 to 17 hours to complete, while the Bug & Seek demo is about 30 minutes. If your evenings are short, try a demo or a compact game before starting a long one.
- Age label: the Switch list mixes E10+, T and M labels. Persona 5 Royal is Rated M, Metroid Prime Remastered is Rated T, and the Zelda and Mario titles are Rated E10+. Check the label before buying for anyone else.
- Price model: free to play, freemium and in-app purchases are different arrangements. PALIA states that payment cannot speed up skills, while Disney Speedstorm sells items, currency and upgrades.
- Who you play with: local and split-screen play, such as Portal’s co-op mode or up to four Builders in Dragon Quest Builders 2, avoids online costs. Online play in Dragon Quest Builders 2 needs a Nintendo Switch Online membership.
- Critic score versus popularity: Metascores rank critic opinion, while a retailer’s popular list ranks sales and interest. Use scores to find quality and popularity to find what other players are talking about.
Browsing by genre
Once you know your platform and budget, genre is the quickest way to refine the list. These guides each focus on one kind of game, and together they cover most of what readers search for after this page.
Action, shooters and competitive play
- Shooters: the best fps games guide covers tactical, arena and battle royale styles.
- Versus games: best fighting games helps both newcomers and competitive players.
- Fast platformers: Games Like Sonic: The Best Fast-Paced Platformers To Play In 2026 – Playtik is for players who want speed over exploration.
- Roguelikes: Best Roguelike Games In 2026: 12 Must-Play Classics And Hidden Gems – Playtik suits players who like repeated runs.
Thinking, strategy and mystery
- Puzzles: The 10 Best Puzzle Games In 2026: Brain-Bending Picks For Every Player – Playtik covers pick-up-and-play and deeper brain teasers.
- Strategy: The Best Real-Time Strategy Games In 2026: Definitive Picks, Genres, And How To Choose – Playtik explains how to choose among the main types.
- Cozy mysteries: Games Like Nancy Drew: The Best Cozy Mystery Adventures To Play In 2026 – Playtik is the stop for gentle detective stories.
- Simulation: the best simulation games guide spans city, life and vehicle sims.
Worlds, survival and building
- Survival: best survival games suits both solo players and groups.
- Sandbox building: games like minecraft collects alternatives for players who want to build and craft.
- Farming and life: games like stardew valley is for slower, routine-driven play.
- Horror: the best horror games list covers PC and console.
Style, scale and history
- Small-team games: best indie games gathers standout independent releases.
- Pixel art: Best Pixel Art Games To Play in 2026: 12 Handpicked Retro-Style Gems You Can’t Miss – Playtik covers retro-styled visuals.
- Older games: best retro games explains how to play classics on current hardware.
- Virtual reality: best vr games pairs games with the headsets that run them.
- Console background: From Pong To The Cloud: A Concise History Of Video Game Consoles (2026 Update) – Playtik puts today’s platforms in context.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best video games to play right now?
It depends on your platform. Switch owners can start with the highest-scored titles on Metacritic’s list, PlayStation owners with popular names such as God of War and Elden Ring, and anyone can start with a free game like Fall Guys.
What free games are worth playing?
Fall Guys is free across current consoles and PC, and PALIA is free with no way to pay for faster skill levelling. Sky: Children of the Light, Disney Speedstorm and Pokémon Café ReMix are also free to start, but they use freemium or in-app purchase models.
Do PS4 games work on the PS5?
Most do, according to a retailer’s PlayStation listing. Because that statement says “most” and not “all”, check the specific title before buying.
Can I try a game before buying it?
Sometimes. Demos exist for Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition, Hob: The Definitive Edition and Bug & Seek, running from about 30 minutes up to 60 minutes. Look for a demo on your platform’s store page before you buy.
Does online play on Switch cost extra?
For Dragon Quest Builders 2, yes: local play for up to four Builders needs no subscription, but online play requires a Nintendo Switch Online membership, as the free-games roundup notes.
