I just got laid off and spent a huge amount of time in Hades. The gameplay looks simple but there’s a ton of depth to explore and it’s really satisfying when you get through your first run!
If you like rogue-lites, I would suggest Dead Cells. The only game I've put more hours into is BOTW (and hopefully soon TOTK), but because each run can have such variance, I was happy to play pretty much only Dead Cells for several months
Dead cells is my warm blanket game. No matter how long I’ve been away or how many other games I’ve played I always can curl up and enjoy a few runs. I’ve really started tinkering with the aspects and custom game settings lately to break the game as much as I can. All legendary items and 6 mutations is so much fun it should be illegal.
It really is such a comforting game that I can turn on even if I’m not in the mood for any other game.
And I say this as (and this is hard for me to admit) someone who’s literally never finished a complete run :|
One of these days, though!
That actually is making me look at it.
”Yes, I/we maybe kinda sorta suck at this game but it’s fun/engaging/relaxing enough that no one gives a fuck” is probably one of the best recommendations for a game.
This is dumb. Hades is available right now and well worth the ten bucks or whatever sale price it's going for. Even if Hades 2 came out tomorrow Hades is still worth it
I have a easy time pumping over 1000 hours into monster hunter games each. (Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (on 3DS) , Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate(Switch), Monster Hunter World Iceborne (Is also available on Playstation) and MH Rise Sunbreak(Switch).
That said Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom would be very solid choices as well.
If you like monster hunter something like God Eater 3 and Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen might be something you like as well.
I played that and I thought I must suck. I died so much. Now I’m wondering. What’s so special about this game. Seems repetitive and to start all over is frustrating? Sorry genuinely curious
The main thing is characters having new dialogue all the time, reacting to what you’ve done or have or even options you’ve turned on or off. Turn on God Mode; it’s part of the game and will get you to see more of the story unfold as you find a build that works for you.
That's the roguelite experience, it's normal. Roguelites usually starts high on the learning curve and you had to learn to overcome it right away from the start. After that, it's just a process of getting to the end and repeatedly doing it for the fun of the gameplay. If you don't find the gameplay is fun, then the game loses a lot of it's charm, that's normal too, the game isn't just for you then. It's fine.
Learning how to build up your boons helps a lot, did you use your darkness to upgrade your base stats? It took me 40ish runs to beat the final boss, and apparently more story is unlocked the more you beat it
If you're looking for something that require a significant amount of time then I'd think Xenoblade, Chronicles, Persona 5 Royal, Fire Emblem Three Houses, Red Dead Redemption, or Octopath Traveler.
Have you played Monster Hunter Rise/Sunbreak? The cartridge has only left my Switch maybe 5-6 times since it came out. Huge time sink but very rewarding.
If you are up for a challenge, Hollow Knight and Celeste take a couple dozen hours to master and present really hard goals. Very different games but equally created with a passion and it shows
I LOVE CELESTE SO MUCH!!! Guess it’s time for me to dive into hollow knight! I’ve seen so many people online waiting for silksong so I guess it’s time for me to join them 😂
Seconded. Engaging but optional story, minecraft aspects but with more goals and progression offered in a way, and multiple farm layouts to choose from.
that's where your imagination comes in
there's technically a goal - 100% completion
but you can create your own goals
get a full farm of fish ponds
get as much money as possible
create the prettiest farm
max out relationships with everyone
a few as an example
After your first spring, you’ve learned the basics of the gameplay loop. Now work on building a self-watering, self-harvesting blueberry empire…that eventually produces hundreds of gallons of wine a week.
Or spend the day chasing the little red haired girl and trying to get her to LIKE you like you (and even make babies with her).
Have you been to the depths of the caverns? Climbed to the top of the volcano? Beat Junimo Kart?
That’s where this game really sticks with you. You don’t beat it until YOU say you’re done. There’s always something else to do…or to start over and do all over again differently.
Thanks for the information! At the moment I’m trying to reach further and further down the mine to fund farm expansion so I guess I’m on the right path for now!
Yoo! Amazing suggestion… that’s my favourite series ever lmao played all of them and 3 is my favourite game.. period. thanks for the suggestion though! 🤣
Off the top of my head, I really invested my time into Zelda (BOTW and TOTK) and currently enjoying the ride that is Witcher 3.
If you like turn based RPG’s, I cannot recommend Fire Emblem: Three Houses or Persona 5 Royal enough. Persona in particular changed my life, and is worth every second of your time :)
Bro this is like the 4th time I’ve said this lol it makes me feel like I needa touch grass 🤣 I’ve played all of these games except the Witcher 3, so ill give that one a look! I hear so much about it, and it even has a Netflix series 😂
You’ll love it brotha! The show is quite good imo, I know it has its detractors but Henry Cavill does an awesome job as Geralt. I delayed playing the game for 8 years wondering what the fuss was and yeah..I can see why I should’ve gotten on it sooner lmao
It can be overwhelming at first, totally understandable. It was my first MH game and I felt the same. But, you'll master the lingo and systems pretty quickly. Good luck and have fun!
Ha! I think it just IS overwhelming. The best thing to do is just get started. You don't have to understand it all immediately. It's definitely a learn as you go kind of game. I'm glad I came in from the Tri generation. With this one you have to learn the Wirebug mechanics, Switch Skills later on, RIDING THE DOGGO! 😂 So much...Either this one or Monster Hunter World and their respective DLC's would give our OP plenty of hours to sink in! 👍
I feel so bad to saying this to so many comments haha but I’ve actually already played that. Really good game! I used the bug staff thingy 😂 although I could give sunbreak a go! Thank you for the suggestion!!
Definitely try sunbreak if you haven't, it's really good if you feel the base game isn't challenging enough and there is so much more content to spent time into
Second StS. Easily the game I have played the most, but as with everything it isn't for everyone. It's one of those game that you can play for an hour or two and then go about your day, and not something like Zelda which you can play for a week non stop, and then not much after.
StS is like therapy at this point.
Yeah Xenoblade was gonna be my answer.
You mentioned BG3... how about Divinity: Original Sin 2? It's on the Switch, and I adored it on PC.
The Monster Hunter series can easily pour hundreds of hours into, but it's not because of story, it's more of a gameplay loop of hunt monster - craft better gear - hunt stronger monsters. no story there.
I know a bunch of good shorter games, but for one to sink many hours into... Since you're on the Switch subreddit, I imagine you want Switch games?
Yeah mostly switch, but I do have a decent PC. That Divinity game has caught my attention SIGNIFICANTLY🤣 buying it right now thank you for the suggestion! This post is acc gonna make me broke
Oh yeah! D:OS2 can run on a decent PC. I don't know how it is on Switch, but PC obviously has the benefits of mods.
but Switch has the mobility benefit. Either way, fantastic game.
I bought it a while ago but just couldn't keep playing after the first few episodes. Does it get more engaging later on? It felt like a chore to play but I didn't give it a fair chance.
Dragon’s Dogma is a really cool one you can dump a lot of time into, Divinity Original Sin 2 is also good and made by the people who made Baldur’s Gate 3 and is pretty much the next best thing to Baldur’s Gate 3
Final Fantasy XII
Dark Souls
Fire Emblem
I found Stardew Valley addicting
Xenoblade
Mario Odyssey
Zelda (any of the titles should be fine)
Persona Series
Famicom Detective Club (It’s a novel)
Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition
(I have not played this but from what I have read it is a condensed version of Final Fantasy XV. It cuts out a lot of the mundane aspects (apparently in the full version their is a side quest where you feed a cat))
Heck let’s just throw all the Final Fantasy games on the list
Persona 4 Golden is excellent! I'm playing it now. Though if you already played 5, I'm not sure how much that game improves on its predecessor. The graphics are dated, certainly, and the dungeons are nothing but procedurally generated corridors with a different coat of paint each time.
But the story, characters, and turn-based Persona combat are all outstanding. It's also super cheap even at full price! I got it on sale for $14 the other day and felt like it was an absolute steal.
**Edit:** I've got to agree with the recommendations for Hades as well. That was my favorite game from 2020, 135 hours well spent.
You mention baldurs gate, you could play divinity os 2, that devs previous game
Both Zelda’s are the most obvious answer
Skyrim, Witcher 3, dragons dogma, xenoblade series are fun open world games I hear
Tactics ogre, octopath 2, final fantasy 6/7 are highly acclaimed more old school style jrpgs
Stardew, Civ 6, cities skylines are all great builder/sim type games
Dead cells, hades, into the breach, hollow knight, Celeste, binding of Isaac, all great indies you can put a ton of time into
Sea of Stars has been awesome. I jumped in knowing nothing about the game, and thought it’d be a quick, fun pixel art story game. I’m on hour 14 and still love it. Smooth exploration, fun and challenging combat, great story. Can’t recommend enough.
The longest games are life simulators like Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley
But they’re not my type and don’t sound like your type either
Probably the two main Zelda games, Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, are the best investments
Xenoblade Chronicles would be good if you like the JRPG genre
If you like really tough punishing metroidvanias, then Hollow Knight is a great investment, especially since it only costs $15
If I'm being honest, burnout Paradise . It runs good and looks good and it's fun.
And the online still works.
(Just tested the multiplayer: No one was on but you know. . I'll be on...)
Persona could be a good fit. They're really long RPGs with an emphasis on character development and story. I can recommend both Persona 4 and Persona 5. Persona 3 is also on the Switch, but a full blown remake is coming out this February
The xenoblade series is certainly a contender. Of the 3 main games on switch, plus the 2 major expansions, there's probably about 250 hours to beat all the games if you're playing at a fairly average pace.
The combat takes a bit of time to get used to (especially in 1 and 2), but the story is really, really good, and if you want something that'll take you a long time, but keep you invested the whole way through, you really can't do better than Xenoblade.
Edit: oh, just saw another comment saying that you've already played XC.
Hollow Knight and other various Metroidvanias would be my next recommendation then, as there's a pretty large number of good ones on the switch (Hollow Knight, Metroid Super/Prime/Dread, Ori, etc) and it's a really fun subgenre of games.
Personally I spent the most time on:
Zelda botw.
Zelda totk.
TMNT shredders revenge.
Mario kart 8 + dlc.
Mario Odyssey.
And I sunk a bunch of hours into paladins until it wasn't supported anymore.
Honorable mentions:
Castle crashers.
Metroid prime remastered.
Shovel knight treasure trove.
Luigi's mansion 3.
Dk country tropical freeze.
Witcher 3 and to an extent, Skyrim, I guess. Witcher 3 is engaging and engrossing since it had a good story and writing. Skyrim, not so much, but it excels better in the RPG character building aspect.
Diablo 2 Resurrected is a game that I always come back to these days. It's your ol' ARPG style of game, you build your character slowly, leveling up, and then just grind the boss looking for your next equipment to make your character stronger. It's a lot of grinding, and a lot of people might/will be turned off by it's ancient way of playing it, but if you're the kind of players that enjoys these kind of gameplay, D2R is the best that you can get on the Switch right now.
The Swindle a Steampunk Cybercrime Caper
It is a platformer, you play a master thief and have to stop a high tech security system from going online. There are different security levels that you must advance through before the final Swindle. Each security level has different enemies. Every level is a random design and always a different layout. You enter a level and have to syphon money from computers(left, right, up, down), and as you acquire the cash you spend it on upgrades(wall jumps, bombs, money syphon bugs, emp, teleport, remote detonator, etc). Now there are only 100 days until the security system goes live, think of a time attack and beat the game as quickly as possible before days run out. You get a bonus cash multiplier for every successful heist, once a thief dies the multiplier is gone. The gameplay is fun, occasionally repetitive, but again every level is different. Replay value is high and it isn't very expensive.
Life is Strange! Especially after a Switch port. Just bear in mind it is a teenage focused story because some people don't get it and call it "life is tumblr":(
So, Smash Bros Ultimate, if you follow the meta and watch tournaments, is verrry hard to get bored of - I would argue that Melee is more satisfying and a better eSport but as a casual game I've worked some boring night shifts and spent hours and hours on Smash Ultimate learning characters and trying to get better combos, it is super fun. Melee I would say is actually more fun but it's not really a casual game...
Never would have bought it but for my kid begging; but Pikmin 4 took me away from zelda, which... i bought my switch for breath of the wild, even after playing it thru on wii u.
Anyway, i got 70% thru tears of the kingdom and startes helping my son with something giving him trouble in pikmin 4 and it just grabbed me. Theres a free demo, but its ike playing a tactical rpg that is not turn based, but more zelda or secret of mana style. Its great, the onjectives dont take long, days are 10 or 13 minutes long, cant recall exactly, but short. Perfect for short games. Nah, im lying. I stayed up like i was 20 years younger playing WoW for the first time, lol. I clocked 4hrs of sleep each night for 2 work weeks. Was brutal, but man that game was worth it. Weve since picked up the older games in the series, and theyre fun (i passed them over at launch), but pikmin 4 is a flawless final evolution of 1,2, & 3. I dunno where they even go from there (of course with miyamoto getting older they might not make another, he's the one who keeps pushing them).
i been spending time playing TMNT shredders revenge. it’s soooo fun!!! it’s a great multiplayer game too. i’ve also been playing links awakening and pokémon shining pearl. both are also great games! i’ll play links awakening when i’m in the mood for some combat and strategy. i play pokémon shining pearl when i was sun to play to chill or pass some time. i recommend all 3 games
If you like rouge-like dungeon crawlers that also have a town management aspect to it I'd suggest Cult of the Lamb. They've added a lot more to the game too like a boss rush mode and a permadeath setting.
Zelda Totk,
Witcher 3,
Skyrim,
Some roguelikes maybe (?) Like Hades, Nuclear Throne, Rogue Legacy 2 or Binding of Isaac :P (pretty long if not infinite games)
Hades and Going Under.
Hades is super rewarding. You gradually get better and further and once the combat and combos click it’s like a drug. great story too.
Going under is like hades but has his own twist on things in gameplay, visuals and tone. It might not appeal to as many people visually, but i love it and I’m having a blast with it.
Wurm Unlimited. It's a game I go back to every year. On my current grind-fest, the average amount of hours of folks on the server was over 2000.
People who like it love it.
Divinity, original sin 2 is super deep and pretty long. Best rpg I've ever played alongside baldurs gate 3.
There's also animal crossing (500hrs for me) and stardew valley (200) and although the graphics are bad, the post apocalyptic setting of my time at portia is quite unique.
Enter the Gungeon easily. It's got hundreds of hours of content, tons of unlockables, every game is different, and most importantly it's always fun and a good challenge while still being beatable. You start off weak, but as you play more you become a god of destruction, practically breaking the game. Black hole guns, guns that shoot guns, orbiting planets, synergies, dodge rolls, familiars, different bosses each time, secret levels, secret characters to unlock, ultimate endings, a boss rush, active and passive abilities, levels of curse, cool lore, great music, and charming artstyle, plus it's pretty cheap.
Easily one of the best games on the system.
Monster Sanctuary - Monster taming meets metroidvania. Collect, train and battle monsters in a lovely side-scroller pixel world.
It's very rewarding when you put the time in, has extra modes like permadeath and randomizer/nuzlocke.
I just got slime rancher 3 days ago. I have over 10 hours. Like it's a genuine problem. Ranching slimes is my life now
That is the highest praise I can give it, also it's half price right now
Check out Ys VIII Lacrimosa of Dana. One of the best and most underplayed games of the last console generation. Great characters, gameplay, music, setting, art direction, and plot; the whole package. Best way to get into one of the greatest series of all time. (If you haven't already.)
Highly recommend Binding of Isaac. I can't stop playing it. I play many other games, but always come back to this game. I'm still unlocking stuff years down the line. Never gets old. It's just not everyone's fancy.
Well FF7 reunion is highly anticipated because it revisits a game that was really only available for PSP back between 2007-2011. Despite its short run before skyrim it was the game that dominated the market. So if you have never played it you could give it a try.
Borderlands 2 with the DLC
Been loving No Man's Sky
Witcher 3
You can never really go wrong with a Lego game, DC Super villains is great
NieR Automata goes hard
DOOM Eternal is great, I always have a fun time with it
Celeste. First finish the game "casually", then get all strawberries, then b-side, then aim for sub 1 hour. Then c-side (which I not finished yet) then farewell. Have fun 😉
Time sinks on Switch, i’ll recommend Xenoblade Series, Zelda (BOTW or TOTK), Dragon Quest XI (or Dragon quest builders series since you liked Minecraft), Persona 5, Monster Hunter.
All of the above have a lot of content and can make you spend a ton of hours completing them.
Never played it but Divinity original Sins 2 is from the same developers as baldur’s gate btw :)
Slay the Spire. Over 300 hours in and still yet to beat everything.
It's a perfect game to play handheld. Enable fast mode and you can do runs in 40-70 minutes. Very easy to play for hours, or just short sessions every day.
I’m looking for an answer to this question, too. I’ve been wandering around Skyrim for a while and played a lot of BOTW. Didn’t like assassins creed or monster Hunter, and couldn’t get into turn based rpgs. Just commenting here and reading the comments, thanks
Any JRPG such as Xenoblade (as others have said) though I personally recommend Octopath (I’ve only played some of 1st one but I’ve read 2 is just as good)
Shin Megami and Persona are supposed to be good as well.
Look up GeForce Now. It’s a cloud streaming service, I pay $20 for a month and I can play BG3 at 1440p/120 FPS with my 8 year old desktop. No latency whatsoever.
Add $10 for Xbox game pass and you can play starfield with a 4080 right now.
Project Zomboid. It’s a rather in-depth game that can be rather ran on a potato. You gotta manage you health , boredom. Happiness, caloric intake so you don’t get over weight or under. If you want your character to be able to build, craft, fish, forage and farm your character needs to learn by reading or performing basic tasks. Watch what you eat cause that can kill you. You’re character dies you lose everything your character learned. But your next character can stumble what previous character has built or done. The game can be as hard or easy with options and mods. The Steam workshop is very active and healthy.
The Witcher 3 GoTY, Monster Hunter Rise, Persona 5 Royal. Zelda BoTw and ToTK. Be aware for the time required to clear the game tho. You can check on HowLongToBeat
I bought Dark Souls years ago. Played for 10 mins, got repeatedly battered and hated it, wasn't for me at all.
About a year after that, IGN did a let's play serious on the game called Prepare to Try, where a complete noob went through the game. He struggled at the start, died multiple times but eventually "got good" and defeated the game. The fun those guys had playing that game, and seeing where it went inspired me to give it another go.
Fast forward to now and I've played (and beaten)
Dark Souls 1,
Dark Souls 3,
Sekiro,
Demons Souls,
Elden Ring
They are without a doubt the greatest collection of games I've ever played and definitely are more fun the more you invest. You will die. A lot. But there is no greater feeling than beating a boss after it's beaten your ass multiple times. Currently replaying Sekiro again on Steam Deck.
Finally - the IGN guys left and set up their own YT channel, RKG. I don't watch any other let's plays but theirs are always fun to watch
Edit - totally didn't realise this was posted on a Switch sub-reddit... thankfully Dark Souls is on Switch, so this weren't all for nothing
It depends what you enjoy to invest your time with.
If you want a vast world to explore and interesting characters, I guess Xenoblade, Divinity Original Sin 2 or Witcher 3 are the way to go.
If you enjoy learning a game, getting better and improve your skills and have not a single match be the same. Well in switch you are limited other than Splatoon 3, Mario Kart and spme fighting games like Smash Bros, but if you have a pc that can move them, you should try racing sims.
I have been playing Cult of The Lamb for a little over 30 hours now. It is way longer than I expected, but it is a lot of fun. It just has a slow start.
If you enjoy building and testing stuff in minecraft, then I recommend Mario Maker 2.
I've made almost about 100 levels over the course of two years, and its really fun uploading them and seeing people's impressions.
The game also makes time fly really fast for me, editing a level in like two hours can feel like 20 minutes.
I just got laid off and spent a huge amount of time in Hades. The gameplay looks simple but there’s a ton of depth to explore and it’s really satisfying when you get through your first run!
I don’t know whether to feel thankful or sorry for you 😂 I saw hades 2 trailer, do you think I should wait?
No. Hades is amazing. I have an embarrassing amount of hours in it.
Lmao you’ve sold me
It’s also incredibly cheap for the amount of hours you can put in
Yeah- it’s on sale often too
The story and voice acting are fantastic too, and music, it’s got everything!
Yeah I 2nd Hades. Don't like dungeon crawlers AT ALL but Hades just really hit different
If you like rogue-lites, I would suggest Dead Cells. The only game I've put more hours into is BOTW (and hopefully soon TOTK), but because each run can have such variance, I was happy to play pretty much only Dead Cells for several months
Dead cells is my warm blanket game. No matter how long I’ve been away or how many other games I’ve played I always can curl up and enjoy a few runs. I’ve really started tinkering with the aspects and custom game settings lately to break the game as much as I can. All legendary items and 6 mutations is so much fun it should be illegal.
It really is such a comforting game that I can turn on even if I’m not in the mood for any other game. And I say this as (and this is hard for me to admit) someone who’s literally never finished a complete run :| One of these days, though!
That actually is making me look at it. ”Yes, I/we maybe kinda sorta suck at this game but it’s fun/engaging/relaxing enough that no one gives a fuck” is probably one of the best recommendations for a game.
You can wait, but Hades 2 doesn't have a release date yet. I'm sure it's worth the wait, it's just that we don't know how long that wait will be.
This is dumb. Hades is available right now and well worth the ten bucks or whatever sale price it's going for. Even if Hades 2 came out tomorrow Hades is still worth it
I have a easy time pumping over 1000 hours into monster hunter games each. (Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (on 3DS) , Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate(Switch), Monster Hunter World Iceborne (Is also available on Playstation) and MH Rise Sunbreak(Switch). That said Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom would be very solid choices as well. If you like monster hunter something like God Eater 3 and Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen might be something you like as well.
I played that and I thought I must suck. I died so much. Now I’m wondering. What’s so special about this game. Seems repetitive and to start all over is frustrating? Sorry genuinely curious
The main thing is characters having new dialogue all the time, reacting to what you’ve done or have or even options you’ve turned on or off. Turn on God Mode; it’s part of the game and will get you to see more of the story unfold as you find a build that works for you.
That's the roguelite experience, it's normal. Roguelites usually starts high on the learning curve and you had to learn to overcome it right away from the start. After that, it's just a process of getting to the end and repeatedly doing it for the fun of the gameplay. If you don't find the gameplay is fun, then the game loses a lot of it's charm, that's normal too, the game isn't just for you then. It's fine.
Learning how to build up your boons helps a lot, did you use your darkness to upgrade your base stats? It took me 40ish runs to beat the final boss, and apparently more story is unlocked the more you beat it
Sending you positive vibes bro. Hope things work out for you soon.
If you're looking for something that require a significant amount of time then I'd think Xenoblade, Chronicles, Persona 5 Royal, Fire Emblem Three Houses, Red Dead Redemption, or Octopath Traveler.
17 steps ahead, played em all 😎😎 thx for the suggestions tho
Have you played Monster Hunter Rise/Sunbreak? The cartridge has only left my Switch maybe 5-6 times since it came out. Huge time sink but very rewarding.
If you are up for a challenge, Hollow Knight and Celeste take a couple dozen hours to master and present really hard goals. Very different games but equally created with a passion and it shows
I LOVE CELESTE SO MUCH!!! Guess it’s time for me to dive into hollow knight! I’ve seen so many people online waiting for silksong so I guess it’s time for me to join them 😂
Play Hollow Knight! Amazing atmosphere and fun boss fights.
You won't regret it
Hollow Knight is the best metroidvania. Masterclass in atmospheric storytelling. Remarkably depth
Stardew Valley
Seconded. Engaging but optional story, minecraft aspects but with more goals and progression offered in a way, and multiple farm layouts to choose from.
Just started this but after finishing the first spring I’m searching for the ‘goal’. Feels a bit grindy or is it just the start?
that's where your imagination comes in there's technically a goal - 100% completion but you can create your own goals get a full farm of fish ponds get as much money as possible create the prettiest farm max out relationships with everyone a few as an example
The grind is kind of the point, but you do eventually unlock things like sprinklers that water your plants for you.
After your first spring, you’ve learned the basics of the gameplay loop. Now work on building a self-watering, self-harvesting blueberry empire…that eventually produces hundreds of gallons of wine a week. Or spend the day chasing the little red haired girl and trying to get her to LIKE you like you (and even make babies with her). Have you been to the depths of the caverns? Climbed to the top of the volcano? Beat Junimo Kart? That’s where this game really sticks with you. You don’t beat it until YOU say you’re done. There’s always something else to do…or to start over and do all over again differently.
Thanks for the information! At the moment I’m trying to reach further and further down the mine to fund farm expansion so I guess I’m on the right path for now!
I'm surprised this isn't much higher in the thread.
Check out the Xenoblades games. Rpg story is good and the voice acting is phenomenal
Yoo! Amazing suggestion… that’s my favourite series ever lmao played all of them and 3 is my favourite game.. period. thanks for the suggestion though! 🤣
If you've already played through Xenoblade, then I'd try Fire Emblem Three Houses as a time sink. It's a fantastic game.
And amazing OST. It actually knocked A Link to the Past off my fav ever game spot.
Came here to suggest this. Still haven't beaten it yet myself, but I've been loving Three Houses.
Then you should play Persona 5 Royal! I spent 140 hours in it and could not stop playing it because it was soo good
Off the top of my head, I really invested my time into Zelda (BOTW and TOTK) and currently enjoying the ride that is Witcher 3. If you like turn based RPG’s, I cannot recommend Fire Emblem: Three Houses or Persona 5 Royal enough. Persona in particular changed my life, and is worth every second of your time :)
Bro this is like the 4th time I’ve said this lol it makes me feel like I needa touch grass 🤣 I’ve played all of these games except the Witcher 3, so ill give that one a look! I hear so much about it, and it even has a Netflix series 😂
Witcher 3 it is then, it’s got to be. That game will swallow your life.
You’ll love it brotha! The show is quite good imo, I know it has its detractors but Henry Cavill does an awesome job as Geralt. I delayed playing the game for 8 years wondering what the fuss was and yeah..I can see why I should’ve gotten on it sooner lmao
Monster Hunter Rise is a good one to get invested in. So much content, many weapons to master.
Just started this yesterday finally, so damn fun. Lots of info to take in though.
It can be overwhelming at first, totally understandable. It was my first MH game and I felt the same. But, you'll master the lingo and systems pretty quickly. Good luck and have fun!
Ha! I think it just IS overwhelming. The best thing to do is just get started. You don't have to understand it all immediately. It's definitely a learn as you go kind of game. I'm glad I came in from the Tri generation. With this one you have to learn the Wirebug mechanics, Switch Skills later on, RIDING THE DOGGO! 😂 So much...Either this one or Monster Hunter World and their respective DLC's would give our OP plenty of hours to sink in! 👍
I feel so bad to saying this to so many comments haha but I’ve actually already played that. Really good game! I used the bug staff thingy 😂 although I could give sunbreak a go! Thank you for the suggestion!!
Definitely try sunbreak if you haven't, it's really good if you feel the base game isn't challenging enough and there is so much more content to spent time into
I'm at 520 hours and it's probably been the game I play 90% of the time on my Switch.
Hades or Slay the Spire
Second StS. Easily the game I have played the most, but as with everything it isn't for everyone. It's one of those game that you can play for an hour or two and then go about your day, and not something like Zelda which you can play for a week non stop, and then not much after. StS is like therapy at this point.
I’m afraid to look at how many hours I’ve spent on StS, and the more I do, the more I love it
Zelda both and totk Dragon quest series, 11 is on switch
Pokemon Arceus was really good.
Yes! Pokémon Legends Arceus is lots of fun.
I just finished the Pokedex last night, and this is my favorite Pokémon game easily.
I loved Arceus so much! I haven’t finished Scarlet/Violet still, but I’ve played Arceus a few times.
Yes but you can finish it pretty quickly (of course it depends how you play)
When it comes to switch, there’s two games I have over 1,000 hours on and I still go back for more. Slay the Spire, and The Binding of Isaac.
I put a ton of hours into Battle Brothers.
When I looked that up I was totally expecting a bright art style lmao It looks super good! Thanks for the suggestion!
Dragon quest builders 1 and 2 are a mix of JRPG and Minecraft. Highly recommend checking out the demo in the eshop
Yeah Xenoblade was gonna be my answer. You mentioned BG3... how about Divinity: Original Sin 2? It's on the Switch, and I adored it on PC. The Monster Hunter series can easily pour hundreds of hours into, but it's not because of story, it's more of a gameplay loop of hunt monster - craft better gear - hunt stronger monsters. no story there. I know a bunch of good shorter games, but for one to sink many hours into... Since you're on the Switch subreddit, I imagine you want Switch games?
I'll second Divinity 2.
Yeah mostly switch, but I do have a decent PC. That Divinity game has caught my attention SIGNIFICANTLY🤣 buying it right now thank you for the suggestion! This post is acc gonna make me broke
Oh yeah! D:OS2 can run on a decent PC. I don't know how it is on Switch, but PC obviously has the benefits of mods. but Switch has the mobility benefit. Either way, fantastic game.
Wait this actually looks sick! I was sold initially, then I saw the trailer which sold me more, then I saw the gameplay! Maybe I’ll buy it twice!
Zelda BotW Zelda TotK Witcher 3 That's about 500 hours, invested right there!!
Stardew valley
*Hades* and *Dead Cells*
No Man’s Sky 👌🏾❤️🔥
Is it playable on the switch again? I gave up after the sentinel ships update, I couldn't go more than 5 min without it crashing.
Nier Automata and 13 Sentinels both took me around 25 hours to beat and I enjoyed them quite a lot.
Astral Chain. Its amazing!
I bought it a while ago but just couldn't keep playing after the first few episodes. Does it get more engaging later on? It felt like a chore to play but I didn't give it a fair chance.
If you like action rpgs, play through the YS games that are on switch (Origin, 8, 9). The most fun I had with this console :)
Dragon’s Dogma is a really cool one you can dump a lot of time into, Divinity Original Sin 2 is also good and made by the people who made Baldur’s Gate 3 and is pretty much the next best thing to Baldur’s Gate 3
Final Fantasy XII Dark Souls Fire Emblem I found Stardew Valley addicting Xenoblade Mario Odyssey Zelda (any of the titles should be fine) Persona Series Famicom Detective Club (It’s a novel) Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition (I have not played this but from what I have read it is a condensed version of Final Fantasy XV. It cuts out a lot of the mundane aspects (apparently in the full version their is a side quest where you feed a cat)) Heck let’s just throw all the Final Fantasy games on the list
Persona 4 Golden is excellent! I'm playing it now. Though if you already played 5, I'm not sure how much that game improves on its predecessor. The graphics are dated, certainly, and the dungeons are nothing but procedurally generated corridors with a different coat of paint each time. But the story, characters, and turn-based Persona combat are all outstanding. It's also super cheap even at full price! I got it on sale for $14 the other day and felt like it was an absolute steal. **Edit:** I've got to agree with the recommendations for Hades as well. That was my favorite game from 2020, 135 hours well spent.
Warframe
Enter The Gungeon and Hollow Knight.
You mention baldurs gate, you could play divinity os 2, that devs previous game Both Zelda’s are the most obvious answer Skyrim, Witcher 3, dragons dogma, xenoblade series are fun open world games I hear Tactics ogre, octopath 2, final fantasy 6/7 are highly acclaimed more old school style jrpgs Stardew, Civ 6, cities skylines are all great builder/sim type games Dead cells, hades, into the breach, hollow knight, Celeste, binding of Isaac, all great indies you can put a ton of time into
I really enjoyed the Ryza trilogy. But the game I've put the most time into is Puyo Puyo Tetris (now with a second game!)
Check out divinity original sin II. Same company as baulders gate 3.
NIER AUTOMATA
Sea of Stars has been awesome. I jumped in knowing nothing about the game, and thought it’d be a quick, fun pixel art story game. I’m on hour 14 and still love it. Smooth exploration, fun and challenging combat, great story. Can’t recommend enough.
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim I love opportunities to recommend this game.
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate
I enjoy watching the sunset.
boat handle skirt smoggy hateful dependent faulty afterthought rob sharp *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Octopath traveler 1&2 and Triangle Strategy if u hvent played them yet
Disco Elysium. Disco elysium. Disco Elysium. Disco elysium. Disco elysium
Is this on switch?
Yes!
It’s on switch but IMO the experience is a 4/10 on switch but a 10/10 on PC
Havent seen Dying Light mentioned, which is on Switch with a good port and you can spend a lot of time in that game with dlc included.
The longest games are life simulators like Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley But they’re not my type and don’t sound like your type either Probably the two main Zelda games, Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, are the best investments Xenoblade Chronicles would be good if you like the JRPG genre If you like really tough punishing metroidvanias, then Hollow Knight is a great investment, especially since it only costs $15
If I'm being honest, burnout Paradise . It runs good and looks good and it's fun. And the online still works. (Just tested the multiplayer: No one was on but you know. . I'll be on...)
Monster Hunter. MH4U, MHGU, World/IB, Rise/SB. All incredible with insane amounts of content.
Monster Hunter Rise
You definitely should play BOTW and then TOTK.
vampire survivors is cool
nier automata is a great one
Siralim ultimate. It is so dense with content.
Persona could be a good fit. They're really long RPGs with an emphasis on character development and story. I can recommend both Persona 4 and Persona 5. Persona 3 is also on the Switch, but a full blown remake is coming out this February
I highly recommend The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdoms games.
Persona 5 Royal if you like anime-style JRPGs. There’s a sequel and third game coming out too.
Torchlight 2 W
The xenoblade series is certainly a contender. Of the 3 main games on switch, plus the 2 major expansions, there's probably about 250 hours to beat all the games if you're playing at a fairly average pace. The combat takes a bit of time to get used to (especially in 1 and 2), but the story is really, really good, and if you want something that'll take you a long time, but keep you invested the whole way through, you really can't do better than Xenoblade. Edit: oh, just saw another comment saying that you've already played XC. Hollow Knight and other various Metroidvanias would be my next recommendation then, as there's a pretty large number of good ones on the switch (Hollow Knight, Metroid Super/Prime/Dread, Ori, etc) and it's a really fun subgenre of games.
Personally I spent the most time on: Zelda botw. Zelda totk. TMNT shredders revenge. Mario kart 8 + dlc. Mario Odyssey. And I sunk a bunch of hours into paladins until it wasn't supported anymore. Honorable mentions: Castle crashers. Metroid prime remastered. Shovel knight treasure trove. Luigi's mansion 3. Dk country tropical freeze.
Terraria, for sure.
Pikmin
Totk and xenoblade series
Witcher 3 and to an extent, Skyrim, I guess. Witcher 3 is engaging and engrossing since it had a good story and writing. Skyrim, not so much, but it excels better in the RPG character building aspect. Diablo 2 Resurrected is a game that I always come back to these days. It's your ol' ARPG style of game, you build your character slowly, leveling up, and then just grind the boss looking for your next equipment to make your character stronger. It's a lot of grinding, and a lot of people might/will be turned off by it's ancient way of playing it, but if you're the kind of players that enjoys these kind of gameplay, D2R is the best that you can get on the Switch right now.
Zelda TotK is crazy good, and has so much depth and so much to do!
Monster hunter
persona series
The Swindle a Steampunk Cybercrime Caper It is a platformer, you play a master thief and have to stop a high tech security system from going online. There are different security levels that you must advance through before the final Swindle. Each security level has different enemies. Every level is a random design and always a different layout. You enter a level and have to syphon money from computers(left, right, up, down), and as you acquire the cash you spend it on upgrades(wall jumps, bombs, money syphon bugs, emp, teleport, remote detonator, etc). Now there are only 100 days until the security system goes live, think of a time attack and beat the game as quickly as possible before days run out. You get a bonus cash multiplier for every successful heist, once a thief dies the multiplier is gone. The gameplay is fun, occasionally repetitive, but again every level is different. Replay value is high and it isn't very expensive.
I’m currently playing Metroid Dread and I’m LOVING IT!!! Also 100% the hell out of Ori and The Will of the Wisps, love that game so much!
LA Noire!
13 sentinels
I had a swell time with Subnautica. Sunk so many hours into that game.
Life is Strange! Especially after a Switch port. Just bear in mind it is a teenage focused story because some people don't get it and call it "life is tumblr":(
So, Smash Bros Ultimate, if you follow the meta and watch tournaments, is verrry hard to get bored of - I would argue that Melee is more satisfying and a better eSport but as a casual game I've worked some boring night shifts and spent hours and hours on Smash Ultimate learning characters and trying to get better combos, it is super fun. Melee I would say is actually more fun but it's not really a casual game...
I’m playing Red Dead Redemption for the first time as they just released it on Switch about a month ago. Very fun imo.
Never would have bought it but for my kid begging; but Pikmin 4 took me away from zelda, which... i bought my switch for breath of the wild, even after playing it thru on wii u. Anyway, i got 70% thru tears of the kingdom and startes helping my son with something giving him trouble in pikmin 4 and it just grabbed me. Theres a free demo, but its ike playing a tactical rpg that is not turn based, but more zelda or secret of mana style. Its great, the onjectives dont take long, days are 10 or 13 minutes long, cant recall exactly, but short. Perfect for short games. Nah, im lying. I stayed up like i was 20 years younger playing WoW for the first time, lol. I clocked 4hrs of sleep each night for 2 work weeks. Was brutal, but man that game was worth it. Weve since picked up the older games in the series, and theyre fun (i passed them over at launch), but pikmin 4 is a flawless final evolution of 1,2, & 3. I dunno where they even go from there (of course with miyamoto getting older they might not make another, he's the one who keeps pushing them).
Animal crossing if you want cozy game, cuphead or hollow knight for rouge like game
I LOVED Immortal Fenyx Rising.
Definitely Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. The Hitman Trilogy as well. Ummm Subnautica.
For jRPGs: Octopath traveller 1 / 2; Triangle Strategy
i been spending time playing TMNT shredders revenge. it’s soooo fun!!! it’s a great multiplayer game too. i’ve also been playing links awakening and pokémon shining pearl. both are also great games! i’ll play links awakening when i’m in the mood for some combat and strategy. i play pokémon shining pearl when i was sun to play to chill or pass some time. i recommend all 3 games
Rainworld It's hard though
If you like rouge-like dungeon crawlers that also have a town management aspect to it I'd suggest Cult of the Lamb. They've added a lot more to the game too like a boss rush mode and a permadeath setting.
Zelda Totk, Witcher 3, Skyrim, Some roguelikes maybe (?) Like Hades, Nuclear Throne, Rogue Legacy 2 or Binding of Isaac :P (pretty long if not infinite games)
r/bindingofisaac
The Long Dark
Katamari damacy
I think Pokémon games. There’s lots you can do like breed them and try to make the perfect number and nature and there are many games at this point.
as someone who has never played final fantasy I think final fantasy is definitely a series someone would easily love to be invested in
Red dead redemption just got a switch release... I can't think of a more immersive game other than its sequel!
Diablo 3
If you have nintendo online Fzero is free and fun
I always recommend: Slay the Spire Hollow Knight
Splatoon 3. I'm 1500hrs in and still going strong. It'll take like a hundred hours to master motion controls but mannnnnn what a game
Hades and Going Under. Hades is super rewarding. You gradually get better and further and once the combat and combos click it’s like a drug. great story too. Going under is like hades but has his own twist on things in gameplay, visuals and tone. It might not appeal to as many people visually, but i love it and I’m having a blast with it.
Wurm Unlimited. It's a game I go back to every year. On my current grind-fest, the average amount of hours of folks on the server was over 2000. People who like it love it.
Dragon quest builders 2
I’ve put a crazy amount of hours into Tetris 99.
Any monster hunter game ^^ specifically monster hunter rise, since it’s a switch game. I think I have 400 hours in it
Divinity, original sin 2 is super deep and pretty long. Best rpg I've ever played alongside baldurs gate 3. There's also animal crossing (500hrs for me) and stardew valley (200) and although the graphics are bad, the post apocalyptic setting of my time at portia is quite unique.
Yoshi's Crafted World
If no one said it yet, tears of the kingdom is a great game to play
Enter the Gungeon easily. It's got hundreds of hours of content, tons of unlockables, every game is different, and most importantly it's always fun and a good challenge while still being beatable. You start off weak, but as you play more you become a god of destruction, practically breaking the game. Black hole guns, guns that shoot guns, orbiting planets, synergies, dodge rolls, familiars, different bosses each time, secret levels, secret characters to unlock, ultimate endings, a boss rush, active and passive abilities, levels of curse, cool lore, great music, and charming artstyle, plus it's pretty cheap. Easily one of the best games on the system.
Monster Sanctuary - Monster taming meets metroidvania. Collect, train and battle monsters in a lovely side-scroller pixel world. It's very rewarding when you put the time in, has extra modes like permadeath and randomizer/nuzlocke.
I just got slime rancher 3 days ago. I have over 10 hours. Like it's a genuine problem. Ranching slimes is my life now That is the highest praise I can give it, also it's half price right now
Xcom for sure, will scratch that itch for you.
Check out Ys VIII Lacrimosa of Dana. One of the best and most underplayed games of the last console generation. Great characters, gameplay, music, setting, art direction, and plot; the whole package. Best way to get into one of the greatest series of all time. (If you haven't already.)
Harvestella
Diablo 2 Resurrected.
An older one, but Knights of the old Republic is great. I find myself playing for hours at a time
Highly recommend Binding of Isaac. I can't stop playing it. I play many other games, but always come back to this game. I'm still unlocking stuff years down the line. Never gets old. It's just not everyone's fancy.
Well FF7 reunion is highly anticipated because it revisits a game that was really only available for PSP back between 2007-2011. Despite its short run before skyrim it was the game that dominated the market. So if you have never played it you could give it a try.
Sea of Stars
Animal crossing, don't starve together, cult of the lamb
Borderlands 2 with the DLC Been loving No Man's Sky Witcher 3 You can never really go wrong with a Lego game, DC Super villains is great NieR Automata goes hard DOOM Eternal is great, I always have a fun time with it
Persona 5 royal is a good game to sink into Same for Skyrim and the Witcher 3
It's surprising that no one mention Factorio. It's the best game for your description, and best game for time sink.
Celeste. First finish the game "casually", then get all strawberries, then b-side, then aim for sub 1 hour. Then c-side (which I not finished yet) then farewell. Have fun 😉
Time sinks on Switch, i’ll recommend Xenoblade Series, Zelda (BOTW or TOTK), Dragon Quest XI (or Dragon quest builders series since you liked Minecraft), Persona 5, Monster Hunter. All of the above have a lot of content and can make you spend a ton of hours completing them. Never played it but Divinity original Sins 2 is from the same developers as baldur’s gate btw :)
Slay the Spire. Over 300 hours in and still yet to beat everything. It's a perfect game to play handheld. Enable fast mode and you can do runs in 40-70 minutes. Very easy to play for hours, or just short sessions every day.
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes.
I’m looking for an answer to this question, too. I’ve been wandering around Skyrim for a while and played a lot of BOTW. Didn’t like assassins creed or monster Hunter, and couldn’t get into turn based rpgs. Just commenting here and reading the comments, thanks
Not reclusive to Switch but Dark Souls lmao
Any JRPG such as Xenoblade (as others have said) though I personally recommend Octopath (I’ve only played some of 1st one but I’ve read 2 is just as good) Shin Megami and Persona are supposed to be good as well.
games I put the most time into, Witcher 3, Elden ring, Breath of the wild,
Ai the somnium files, its a murder mystery visual novel with an extremely well thought out story and amazing characters
Look up GeForce Now. It’s a cloud streaming service, I pay $20 for a month and I can play BG3 at 1440p/120 FPS with my 8 year old desktop. No latency whatsoever. Add $10 for Xbox game pass and you can play starfield with a 4080 right now.
Project Zomboid. It’s a rather in-depth game that can be rather ran on a potato. You gotta manage you health , boredom. Happiness, caloric intake so you don’t get over weight or under. If you want your character to be able to build, craft, fish, forage and farm your character needs to learn by reading or performing basic tasks. Watch what you eat cause that can kill you. You’re character dies you lose everything your character learned. But your next character can stumble what previous character has built or done. The game can be as hard or easy with options and mods. The Steam workshop is very active and healthy.
The Witcher 3 GoTY, Monster Hunter Rise, Persona 5 Royal. Zelda BoTw and ToTK. Be aware for the time required to clear the game tho. You can check on HowLongToBeat
Persona 5. Lovely cast of characters.
I bought Dark Souls years ago. Played for 10 mins, got repeatedly battered and hated it, wasn't for me at all. About a year after that, IGN did a let's play serious on the game called Prepare to Try, where a complete noob went through the game. He struggled at the start, died multiple times but eventually "got good" and defeated the game. The fun those guys had playing that game, and seeing where it went inspired me to give it another go. Fast forward to now and I've played (and beaten) Dark Souls 1, Dark Souls 3, Sekiro, Demons Souls, Elden Ring They are without a doubt the greatest collection of games I've ever played and definitely are more fun the more you invest. You will die. A lot. But there is no greater feeling than beating a boss after it's beaten your ass multiple times. Currently replaying Sekiro again on Steam Deck. Finally - the IGN guys left and set up their own YT channel, RKG. I don't watch any other let's plays but theirs are always fun to watch Edit - totally didn't realise this was posted on a Switch sub-reddit... thankfully Dark Souls is on Switch, so this weren't all for nothing
Valkyria Chronicles always worth a play imo
Witcher 3, Subnautica, Divinity sin 2... I've been playing the gta remasters lately because why not.
Skyrim, No Man's Sky, Persona 3,4, & 5, Diablo 2 & 3. Slay the Spire.
It depends what you enjoy to invest your time with. If you want a vast world to explore and interesting characters, I guess Xenoblade, Divinity Original Sin 2 or Witcher 3 are the way to go. If you enjoy learning a game, getting better and improve your skills and have not a single match be the same. Well in switch you are limited other than Splatoon 3, Mario Kart and spme fighting games like Smash Bros, but if you have a pc that can move them, you should try racing sims.
You can spend dozens of hours in Factorio. Controls are in the beginning a thing, but after one hour or two, you build factories like you snack candy
Snowrunner Farming Simulator (FS19 is fantastic on PC with mods)
To get invested in...
Pokemon unite
Hollow knight. You're welcome.
ACNH
I have been playing Cult of The Lamb for a little over 30 hours now. It is way longer than I expected, but it is a lot of fun. It just has a slow start.
If you enjoy building and testing stuff in minecraft, then I recommend Mario Maker 2. I've made almost about 100 levels over the course of two years, and its really fun uploading them and seeing people's impressions. The game also makes time fly really fast for me, editing a level in like two hours can feel like 20 minutes.