Image: Nintendo Life2024. It was a bit of an odd one for Switch, with the impending announcement of Nintendo's follow-up console. It never materialised, but its shadow has been looming over the entire year. Still, if there hasn't been an absolute avalanche of games to dig into!Nintendo had many first-party releases some weird and surprising, others long-time-coming remakes or new series entries but it's also been an outstanding year for smaller, independent games. And with the sheer variety, there's bound to be many some you've missed.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube789kWatch on YouTube So, put aside your Balatros and your Zeldas and make some room on your SD card, we're bringing you a list of the games presented in alphabetical order that came out on Switch in 2024 that we think have flown under the radar.Angel at Dusk (Switch eShop)Publisher: Sanuk / Developer: AkiragoyaRelease Date: 7th Nov 2024 (USA) / 7th Nov 2024 (UK/EU)Angel at Dusk is wonderful, weird, and built on a foundation of deep understanding of the genre, and an intelligence and self-awareness that elevates its potential to delight.Not all will take to its theme, but it presents a deeply authentic hardcore bullet hell experience, a dazzling wit, and a suite of game systems that are a joy to explore.And the fact it welcomes a wide range of players to an authentic shmup? Its one 2024s most enticing genre contributions.Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure (Switch eShop)Publisher: Furniture & Mattress / Developer: Furniture & MattressRelease Date: 25th Jul 2024 (USA) / 25th Jul 2024 (UK/EU)Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure dares to be different, and it succeeds with aplomb. By interweaving a heartwarming and inclusive story with addictive gameplay, Furniture & Mattress teaches us that puzzle games can be more than just a vehicle for making the cogs in your brain turn.If youre looking for pure puzzling, then the game wont be for you, but a simple story and simple gameplay loop are both elevated to new heights because of the thought and care thats gone into them.Berserk Boy (Switch eShop)Publisher: BERSERKBOY GAMES / Developer: BERSERKBOY GAMESRelease Date: 6th Mar 2024 (USA) / 6th Mar 2024 (UK/EU)Its very reasonable price tag isnt the main selling point of Berserk Boy. Rather, its a very competently made indie action adventure that has the feel of a 16-bit title, powered by the oomph of current-day consoles. Its far more arcadey than both Mega Man and Gunvolt; faster, and altogether more interesting owing to its multiple character forms and deft stage design. Its hub world is easily navigable, and the upgrade shop, Metroidvania backtracking, and prisoner liberating side-missions encourage players to squeeze the most from the experience.Even when it's borrowing from other genres, Berserk Boy regularly shows up larger development studios with its creativity, and comes easy to recommend to 2D action enthusiasts.Beyond Galaxyland (Switch eShop)Publisher: United Label / Developer: Sam EnrightRelease Date: 24th Sep 2024 (USA) / 24th Sep 2024 (UK/EU)Beyond Galaxyland is a well-written, artistically diverse space adventure which mixes several different flavours of RPG with puzzling and semi-open exploration. The story is filled with well-rounded characters and emotional narrative payoffs and, as much as Enright's galactic adventure is a collection of stylistic and mechanical homages, it doesn't feel like a patchwork of fan service.For all its influences and adherence to specific genre execution, Dougs journey through multiple worlds is still very much its own thing.Bloomtown: A Different Story (Switch eShop)Publisher: Twin Sails / Developer: Different Sense GamesRelease Date: 24th Sep 2024 (USA) / 24th Sep 2024 (UK/EU)Despite a few minor issues, Bloomtown: A Different Story is a game thatll stick with you long after you put it down. The blend of comforting and creepy is masterful, and the game presents a surprising amount of challenge in places.With everything from boss fights and puzzles to intricate crafting and skill-building, theres a lot to get excited about here. Bloomtown was clearly made with a lot of love and attention to detail, and its the perfect pick for anyone who enjoys rich stories paired with riddles and tricky, turn-based combat.Can of Wormholes (Switch eShop)Publisher: Munted Finger / Developer: Munted FingerRelease Date: 29th Aug 2024 (USA) / 29th Aug 2024 (UK/EU)Wiggling onto Switch from solo dev Munted Finger, Can of Wormholes dares to open that proverbial can and launch squiggly bird food straight at a wonderful array of cross-dimensional puzzles. The variety is seriously impressive. Challenges are grouped in sort of wormy spaceships, and hopping between ships a meta-puzzle in its own right introduces new concepts alongside new visual themes. But even within each ship, the range of logical tests is impressive, with new ideas stacked on top of each other continuously.With ingenious puzzles, a high level of difficulty, and an educational hint system, be careful or this will have you hooked.Carpathian Night Starring Bela Lugosi (Switch eShop)Publisher: Tezcatek / Developer: TezcatekRelease Date: 14th Nov 2024 (USA) / 14th Nov 2024 (UK/EU)Although Carpathian Night is certainly basic in some respects, it really nails the classic Castlevania feel with its gameplay, and we were impressed with the length of the stages themselves. Granted, skilled players could get through the game in as little as an hour or two, but the variety along with the surprising level of depth from the unlockable abilities makes this an experience begging to be replayed. Heck, we'd start over just to listen to the excellent music.Iconic Dracula actor Bela Lugosi's inclusion is extremely limited and feels like a wasted opportunity, but otherwise this is a great little homage to gaming's most famous series of vampire killers.Cavern of Dreams (Switch eShop)Publisher: Super Rare Games / Developer: Bynine StudiosRelease Date: 29th Feb 2024 (USA) / 29th Feb 2024 (UK/EU)We can't say that players raised on the likes of Super Mario Odyssey and other modern platformers will respond the same way, but if you dream in 64-bit and your formative 3D games featured visible polygons, you won't regret exploring Cavern of Dreams.Bynine Studios gets in, delivers its payload of fairytale platforming feels with a hint of darkness, and gets out smartish. If you're a Banjo fan looking to recapture that sense of wonder you first experienced exploring Grunty's Lair, this is probably the closest you'll get without time travel or memory wipes.Crypt Custodian (Switch eShop)Publisher: Top Hat Studios / Developer: Kyle ThompsonRelease Date: 27th Aug 2024 (USA) / 27th Aug 2024 (UK/EU)Crypt Custodian is a pretty traditional Metroidvania elevated by its fantastic world, aesthetic, characters, and soundtrack, with solid combat and a lot of build flexibility.These aspects all help alleviate some visual clutter issues and frame rate hiccups, ensuring that Crypt Custodian shouldn't end up lost in the eShop bargain bin like so many other Metroidvanias.El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron HD Remaster (Switch eShop)Publisher: Crim / Developer: CrimRelease Date: 28th Apr 2024 (USA) / 28th Apr 2024 (UK/EU)Yes, El Shaddai did get a rerelease in 2024. April was a long time ago. Hence why it's here.Even over a decade after its original release, El Shaddai feels genuinely more creative and interesting than a lot of the titles it would consider bedfellows today. It shares a place with the likes of ICO, Nier, and Panzer Dragoon in its arcane design and historically inspired symbolism. Elsewhere, it borrows from the likes of Okami and Mizuguchis Rez for its abstract, acid-trip beauty.Though not without problems, El Shaddai is, more than anything, a game of many moments. Its certainly one of the most intriguing titles in the action-adventure, hack-and-slash genre, and deserves the attention this time around that it never achieved on its original release.Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines (Switch eShop)Publisher: Super Rare Originals / Developer: Medallion GamesRelease Date: 12th Sep 2024 (USA) / 12th Sep 2024 (UK/EU)Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines is everything fans could hope for in a sequel, as it improves upon every aspect that made the first Grapple Dog so great.Strong level design, a fantastic soundtrack, high gameplay variety, and lots of replayability make this perfect for anyone looking for an excellent, pure platformer to add to their Switch library. It's the most fun platformer weve played in quite a while.Inkulinati (Switch eShop)Publisher: Daedalic Entertainment / Developer: Yaza GamesRelease Date: 22nd Feb 2024 (USA) / 22nd Feb 2024 (UK/EU)It might not be the best strategy game on the Switch, but few in the genre are quite as entertaining as Inkulinati. In fact, none of them let you use a creatures butt quite as frequently or as effectively.The absurd humour doesnt stop the game from offering some unique tactical options, even if it errs on the easy side for our liking. If you're looking for something different, then you absolutely cannot go wrong with this one.Megaton Musashi W: Wired (Switch eShop)Publisher: Level-5 / Developer: Level-5Release Date: 25th Apr 2024 (USA) / 25th Apr 2024 (UK/EU)Megaton Musashi W: Wired proves to be a strong return to form for Level-5, offering up an addictive mech-battling action experience that feels like the most slept-on release of the year.Its heartfelt story, dumb-but-fun combat missions, and in-depth character progression offer up an experience thats tough to put down, even if some elementslike the lacklustre onlinedrag it down a bit.If youre at all a fan of action RPGs or that distinct Level-5 charm you can find in all the beloved companys games, Megaton Musashi W deserves your attention as soon as possible.Mission in Snowdriftland (Switch eShop)Publisher: tons of bits / Developer: tons of bitsRelease Date: 29th Nov 2024 (USA) / 29th Nov 2024 (UK/EU)Originally sponsored by Nintendo back when it was released as a flash game in 2006, Mission in Snowdriftland came to Switch in December this year, but may have slipped under your radar.This really is a perfect holiday platformer, with 24 short levels (like an advent calendar), cute visuals, and retro charm. Static screenshots give off a Flash vibe which may be offputting, but this is a charming and challenging little platform game with some fun narrative wrapping that displays affection for gaming's classics.Given its unique place in Nintendo history, it's well worth checking out, even if you save it for next year. Mission in Snowdriftland returns, a perfect winter traditionPaper Trail (Switch eShop)Publisher: Newfangled Games / Developer: Newfangled GamesRelease Date: 21st May 2024 (USA) / 21st May 2024 (UK/EU)Paper Trail is one of the finest puzzle games you can buy for the Switch. The storybook narrative, compelling visuals, and cleverly designed conundrums, all come together to make for a chill and enjoyable experience that you shouldn't miss, and you'd do well to keep an eye on what Newfangled Games does next.Anyone looking for a low-stakes yet sufficiently challenging new addition to their puzzle library, please make sure you unfold Paper Trail on Switch.Toree's Panic Pack (Switch eShop)Publisher: Diplodocus Games / Developer: SiactroRelease Date: 19th Jul 2024 (USA) / 19th Jul 2024 (UK/EU)Some of the stages in this collection dont feel quite as refined as those found in Toree 3D or Toree 2, and the games arcade-like nature means it wont hold your attention for hours and hours on end, but what Torees Panic Pack sets out to do, it achieves with ease.Its a fun and fast 3D platformer with surprising replayability (i.e. a Toree game), a rock-bottom price of entry, and a heaping barrelful of charm to fall in love with.Tsukihime -A piece of blue glass moon- (Switch)Publisher: Aniplex / Developer: Type-MoonRelease Date: 26th Jun 2024 (USA) / 26th Jun 2024 (UK/EU)For as many creative liberties as it takes in remaking Type-Moons first-ever visual novel, Tsukihime -A piece of blue glass moon- exhibits a respect for the source material that borders on reverence.It feels as though every bit of the game has been carefully and lovingly crafted for the purpose of creating the definitive version of Tsukihime one in which the shocking narrative developments hit harder, the action sequences are even more exhilarating, and the core story of life, death, and love is all the more bewitching.For fans of the original, its not only a dream remake, but a triumphant affirmation to the rest of the world that, yes, we really have been missing out on something special for all this time.Please note that some external links on this page are affiliate links, which means if you click them and make a purchase we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Please read our FTC Disclosure for more information.Have we missed one of your favourite games? Seen something that's caught your eye? Share your favourite hidden gems from 2024 in the comments, and spread the holiday cheer!What was your hidden Switch gem of choice for 2024? (72 votes)Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure (Switch eShop)6%Angel at Dusk (Switch eShop)4%Berserk Boy (Switch eShop)1%Beyond Galaxyland (Switch eShop)1%Bloomtown: A Different Story (Switch eShop)8%Can of Wormholes (Switch eShop) 0%Carpathian Night Starring Bela Lugosi (Switch eShop)3%Cavern of Dreams (Switch eShop)6%Crypt Custodian (Switch eShop)19%El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron HD Remaster (Switch eShop)8%Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines (Switch eShop) 0%Inkulinati (Switch eShop)6%Megaton Musashi W: Wired (Switch eShop)4%Mission in Snowdriftland (Switch eShop)6%Paper Trail (Switch eShop)3%Toree's Panic Pack (Switch eShop)1%Tsukihime -A piece of blue glass moon- (Switch)3%Something else (comment below!)21%You can also check out our Games We Missed series for reader recommendations of games we weren't able to review. Episode IX - The Misseds of TimeRelated GamesSee AlsoShare:21 Alana has been with Nintendo Life since 2022, and while RPGs are her first love, Nintendo is a close second. She enjoys nothing more than overthinking battle strategies, characters, and stories. She also wishes she was a Sega air pirate. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesPSA: Switch 2 Is Getting Revealed In The Next 100 DaysSet your AlarmosToby Fox Shares Another Development Update On Deltarune Chapter 3, 4 & 5"Progress has still been steady"Multiple Cartoon Network Games Have Been Removed From The Switch eShopMerry Christmas!Random: Mario Galaxy Returns Next Year In "The Biggest Super Mario Odyssey Mod Yet"Mario's Wii adventure is back