#so where still screenshots completely fail to do the game justice I just went with promo images instead :P

[kingdomoftyto]

Howdy! I got a a gift card for the nintendo switch for christmas but don't know what to use it on. Would you recommend any games? I know you play a variety.

Oh! Sure thing! I'm flattered to even be considered for something like that lol

Considering I finished playing it only minutes ago, the first thing that comes to mind is the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy, which probably needs no introduction, but just in case: they're part visual novel, part puzzle/logic games where you play as a defense lawyer solving elaborate murder mysteries. Very funny, feels like watching a goofy anime except you get to solve the mysteries yourself.

Next, here's some great indie titles I personally have downloaded on my Switch:

Undertale (& Deltarune chapters 1+2): undeniable masterpieces. If you haven't already played them you really should. They're short, heartfelt RPGs with memorable characters, challenging but fun bullet hell-style combat, and stories so good they've basically had an effect on the entire video game medium. I love them from the bottom of my heart.

Hades: another masterpiece you've surely already heard of, but worth recommending anyway. It's a punishingly hard roguelike where you repeatedly try to battle your way out of the underworld, but the story and characters--all drawn from Greek mythology--are exquisitely crafted and incredibly rewarding to uncover. (I haven't technically played this one myself but I've watched my partner put hundreds of hours into it--plus there's a sequel on the horizon!)

Ori and the Blind Forest (and sequel Ori and the Will of the Wisps): incredibly fun, fast-paced, and beautifully animated Metroidvania where you play as an agile little light spirit trying to save your forest home. Story's very dialogue-light but epic and emotional; you may cry.

Crypt of the Necrodancer: unbelievably fun rhythm-based dungeon crawler where you fight your way through monsters and undead by moving and attacking to the beat. The story is charming, too, but the gameplay and music alone make this one a must-try. (Note: if you prefer, there's a Zelda spinoff called Cadance of Hyrule that's a crossover with this game. Same type of gameplay, but a little more forgiving, and also Zelda flavored. :3)

CrossCode: wildly underrated action RPG about a girl who wakes up mute and amnesiac inside an MMO world and has to uncover its secrets with the power of friendship and punching things with chakrams. I love these characters so hecking much and the combat in this game is really difficult but also incredibly satisfying to master. Also features some great puzzles and tricky platforming.

Petal Crash: a charming little arcade puzzler where you move colorful blocks to make chains and earn points/clear the board. There's a story mode where you can play through as different characters, and they're all super cute and funny. (iirc, the dialogue is all written by the creator of the webcomic Paranatural, and it shows!)

Some other random indie titles that come to mind:

LIMBO: a short, atmospheric horror platformer with some memorably dark, unsettling moments and pretty satisfying puzzles for such a short game. I first played this back in high school and for some reason it still sticks with me after all these years. It's also like $2 in the eShop right now, so. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (I believe the game Inside is from the same studio, and I remember enjoying watching a playthrough of it years ago, but I haven't played that one myself.)

Stardew Valley: I've never played this one on console, but I currently have 225 hours logged for it on Steam lol. It's a farm sim, but it also has a pretty robust cast of townsfolk who are really fun to get to know, and plenty of other things to occupy your time as well. Mining, dungeon delving, artifact collecting, and a nice little story about sticking it to the evil corporate overlords and bringing your community together.

Terraria: ditto to Stardew Valley, also with about 200 hours in my Steam account. This one is a 2D adventure platformer with procedurally generated worlds that you explore for resources that you can build or craft into whatever you like: combat gear, homes for your NPC neighbors, forbidden magicks to summon alien horrors--you name it! Can be played kind of sandboxy like a 2D Minecraft, or there is a long series of challenging and interesting bosses to encounter if you feel like uncovering secrets!

Untitled Goose Game: short puzzle game where you play as a goose gently terrorizing a suburban neighborhood. You've seen the memes. It was popular for a reason though--very charming and fun!

Castle Crashers: a classic beat-em-up with humor as cartoony as its visual style. Play as colorful knights on a quest to retrieve four princesses from an evil necromancer. Leans a tad much on toilet humor and the combat can be a little repetitive, but overall very silly and slapstick and super fun to play with friends.

Wingspan: this one's a little out of left field but I just remembered this is on Switch! I have the physical board game this is based on, and I highly recommend that, so I imagine the digital version is worth a look, too. It's a card-based strategy game where you collect bird species to compete for the best sanctuary. Once you get the hang of it, you can play a whole game in 30-45 minutes. Also, the art's gorgeous and the developers are based in my home state!

Aaaand some other misc classics worth mentioning:

Katamari Damacy: roll a sticky ball around and pick up objects. Then pick up bigger objects. Bigger! BIGGER!

Portal & Portal 2: solve puzzles with portable wormholes and survive the attentions of a mad AI. Excellent puzzles and legendary characters and humor.

most old Final Fantasy titles are available for relatively cheap, including 7, 8, and 9! I'm a fan of all of them. :}

Okami: adding this one last minute because I didn't realize it had a Switch port!! INCREDIBLE action rpg where you play as a sun goddess in the form of a wolf, fighting epic monster battles and restoring peace to ancient Japan. Gorgeous, fun, iconic.

...

Uh, and that's all I can think of for now! I tried to include some lesser-known stuff as well as some classic gems, so hopefully something catches your eye! I'm a little surprised the list is so short, but when it comes down to it I'm actually pretty Basic when it comes to my taste in video games lol--largely Pokemon and Zelda outside of this list tbh.

Merry Christmas and have fun gaming, anon!!