It’s that time of year again! With so many great games on sale on the eShop, we’ve narrowed it down to some of our favorites. The games have been divided by genre, so if you’re looking for something specific just scroll on down! Happy New Year, and Happy Gaming!

Platformers

Songs for a Hero: Definitive Edition

• Price: $14.99 USD ($7.49 – lowest price ever – until January 6th)
• Developer: Dumativa Game Studio
• Publisher: Nuuvem
• Release Date: July 8, 2021

I previously reviewed Songs for a Hero: Definitive Edition, which I don’t think is mentioned nearly enough. It’s a platformer game in which your character narrates his actions in song form as you move him around and attack enemies. I found it so clever and entertaining!

Monster Taming

Nexomon Series

• Price: $9.99 & $19.99 ($3.29 & $6.59 – lowest price ever – until January 6th)
  • Complete Collection: $24.99 ($8.24 – lowest price ever)
• Developer: VEWO Interactive
• Publisher: PQube
• Release Dates: September 17, 2021 & August 28, 2020

The Nexomon games have really cute monster designs, and I remember enjoying the dialogue. The environments are pretty, and I liked the little character reaction bubbles in conversations. I’ve only played Extinction so far, which wasn’t perfect but still a lot of fun. The games provide a decent amount of content – especially for these prices!

Cassette Beasts

• Price: $19.99 ($11.99 until January 6th)
  • Deluxe Version: $25.99 ($18.19)
  • DLC also on sale for lowest price ever
• Developer: Bytten Studio
• Publisher: Raw Fury
• Release Date: May 25, 2023

We also reviewed Cassette Beasts, a monster taming game in which you record monsters on cassette tapes to capture them. There are a ton of potential fusion combinations, and you actually transform into your recorded monsters! Enjoy a fantastic soundtrack as you explore the island using different monster abilities.

Abomi Nation

• Price: $14.99 ($5.99 – lowest price ever – until January 6th)
• Developer: Orange Pylon Games
• Publisher: DANGEN Entertainment
• Release Date: September 28, 2023

Abomi Nation is another good monster taming game. It’s one of the more challenging ones, with the Nuzlocke challenge inspiring the inclusion of permadeath as an option. The game is a roguelike, with a different island for every run. There are a lot of customization options.

Monster Sanctuary

• Price: $19.99 ($3.99 – matches previous low – until January 8th)
• Developer: Moi Rai Games
• Publisher: Team17
• Release Date: December 8, 2020

A Metroidvania-inspired monster taming game, Monster Sanctuary allows you to “hatch, collect, evolve and train monsters” to help you platform across the land and solve environmental puzzles. Each monster has unique abilities and customizable skill trees. There’s a lot of strategy involved, with some team combinations working better than others – especially in the online PvP mode.

Moonstone Island

• Price: $19.99 ($13.99 – lowest price ever – until January 6th)
  • Deluxe Edition: $39.99 ($27.99 – lowest price ever)
  • Decorator’s Pass & Individual DLC also on sale
• Developer: Studio Supersoft
• Publisher: Raw Fury
• Release Date: June 19, 2024

A monster taming game with farming, crafting, house customization, and marriage? Sign me up! There are 100 islands to explore, with more than 70 Spirits to tame in the different biomes. Battles are “card-based encounters,” which sounds neat to me. You can even customize your character’s skills with upgrades.

Monster Crown

• Price: $19.99 ($3.99 – lowest price ever – until January 6th)
• Developer: Studio Aurum
• Publisher: SOEDESCO
• Release Date: October 12, 2021

Monster Crown is darker than Pokémon, which makes it pretty interesting. I remember the breeding system being pretty expansive, and I believe there was even a permadeath option. The graphics style really made me feel nostalgic.

Simulation

Roots of Pacha

• Price: $24.99 ($14.99 – matches previous low – until January 6th)
• Developer/Publisher: Soda Den
• Release Date: November 28, 2023

Roots of Pacha is one of the best games that I’ve reviewed. It’s a farming sim that takes place in the Stone Age. You start out with primitive tools and facilities, and slowly unlock new tools and techniques that will make things easier for you. Tame adorable wild animals and take in a baby wooly mammoth and more. Participate in unique festivals with your new friends, and find love along the way.

Disney Dreamlight Valley

• Price: $39.99 ($29.99 until January 12th)
  • A Rift in Time DLC also discounted (but not The Storybook Vale DLC or the Enchanted Edition containing both DLC + base game)
• Developer/Publisher: Gameloft
• Release Date: September 6, 2022

Disney Dreamlight Valley is my most played game by far on Switch, with a several hundred hour play time (and still going). Befriend Disney characters and complete their quest lines. Grow crops, fish, mine, cook, craft, and decorate! (And dress up in lovely Disney themed outfits!) I highly recommend the DLC expansions that add new characters, but they continue to bring new free content to the base game as well.

Cattails Series

• Price: $14.99 & $19.99 ($1.99 each until January 6th)
• Developer/Publisher: Falcon Development
• Release Dates: November 29, 2018 & November 30, 2023

The Cattails series allows you to play as a cat, doing cat things such as going out and hunting prey. (Here’s my review of Wildwood Story.) You’ll fight enemy kitty colonies over territory, too. But it’s not just about violence; make friends with other kitties in your colony, and even find romance! Decorate your home and customize your town to feel like a nice place to raise your litter of kittens.

Just Crow Things

• Price: $19.99 ($14.99 – lowest price ever – until January 6th)
• Developer/Publisher: Unbound Creations
• Release Date: August 15, 2024

Just Crow Things (review) is an incredibly silly game that has you terrorize the humans as a crow. Customize your appearance with different skins and hats and stylishly scare humans. Use them – and their property – as your personal bathroom by unleashing your waste upon them. Pick up tools such as flamethrowers and get lots of laughs out of panicking humans.

My Time At Sandrock

• Price: $39.99 ($27.99 – lowest price ever – until January 6th)
  • Deluxe Edition: $49.99 ($34.99 – lowest price ever)
  • All individual DLC 20% off except for recent “Love Chronicles” DLC
• Developer: Pathea Games
• Publisher: PM Studios
• Release Date: November 2, 2023

My Time At Sandrock (review) is a delightful combination of the simulation and RPG genres. While you can grow some crops, it’s not a farming game, with a focus on gathering materials and crafting. Battle monsters (and even tame them) as you explore areas beyond Sandrock. When you return to town, establish deep relationships with your neighbors and help rebuild Sandrock. Eventually, you can get married and have kids to keep you company as you advance in the intriguing storyline.

Visual Novels

Tavern Talk

• Price: $21.99 ($17.59 – lowest price ever – until January 6th)
  • DLC: $5.99 ($4.79)
• Developer/Publisher: Gentle Troll Entertainment
• Release Date: June 20, 2024

Tavern Talk has you run a tavern in a fantasy setting, serving magical beverages that will impact the results of your patrons’ quests. Balance the ingredients in your drinks to create something with the customer’s requested stat buffs. I love how the drinks you make can result in different endings! The art is lovely, and the story and characters are quite engaging.

I Was A Teenage Exocolonist

• Price: $24.99 ($12.49 – matches previous low – until January 6th)
• Developer: Northway Games
• Publisher: Finji
• Release Date: August 25, 2022

I Was A Teenage Exocolonist has a combination of visual novel and card-based gameplay. You play as a character born on a spaceship on the way to a new planet. Arriving at age 10, you’ll take classes and work different jobs to increase your stats, which affect the events that take place in the colony over the span of several years. If you’re not careful, some characters may die. A romantic relationship may be a nice distraction from the dangers you’ll face there.

Caffeine: Victoria’s Legacy

• Price: $17.99 ($8.99 – matches previous low – until January 7th)
• Developer: Kikai Digital
• Publisher: Ratalaika Games
• Release Date: September 30, 2022

Funnily enough, I don’t like coffee (or tea, for that matter), but some of my favorite visual novels still involve that beverage. Caffeine: Victoria’s Legacy has a really intriguing premise: a young man named Taka is transported to a land where coffee is king. People use the power of caffeine to cast spells there. They do a great job establishing the setting and background of the land of Victoria. It’s a lengthy visual novel with 450,000 words and romance.

Cupid Parasite Series

• Price: $49.99 (digital and physical; first game $12.49 – lowest price ever – on the eShop until January 4th)
  • Fan Disc: $49.99 (digital and physical; digitally for $29.99 – lowest price ever)
• Developer: Otomate
• Publisher: Idea Factory
• Release Dates: November 2, 2021 & May 28, 2024

Cupid Parasite very well may be my favorite otome of all time. It’s about Cupid, the Goddess of Love, going down to the human world to work at a major matchmaking corporation. Even without using her powers, she excels at finding her clients’ true loves. As such, she’s tasked with finding someone for the company’s more difficult clients (these are our love interests). The first game is especially hilarious yet romantic, and is an absolute steal at this price. I didn’t love some of the drama in the fan disc, but it was still nice to see more from these characters.

Tengoku Struggle -Strayside-

• Price: $49.99 (digital and physical; digitally for $24.99 – lowest price ever – until January 6th)
• Developer: Idea Factory
• Publisher: Aksys Games
• Release Date: April 4, 2024

Another one of my favorite otome games, Tengoku Struggle -Strayside- is a surprisingly hilarious story about King Enma’s adopted daughter bringing “model prisoners” from the Buddhist Hells to Earth to capture some escapees. The story probably could’ve been stronger in some places, but I loved the love interests and laughed a lot.

Jack Jeanne

• Price: $49.99 (digital and physical; digitally for $24.99 – matches previous low – until January 6th)
• Developer: BROCCOLI
• Publisher: Aksys Games
• Release Date: June 15, 2023

It’s been a year and a half since I reviewed Jack Jeanne, and I still have the songs stuck in my head! This otome stars Kisa, who disguised herself as a boy to attend an all-male drama school. The students play either the Jack (male) roles, or the Jeanne (female) roles in several performances over the course of the school year. Your performance in the unique rhythm game portions will have an effect on your class’ placement in the year-long competition. While I could have used more romance, I still adored the characters and soundtrack.

Radiant Tale Series

• Price: $49.99 (digital and physical; digitally for $24.99 – matches previous low – until January 6th)
  • Physical version appears to be out of print and priced more than retail via 3rd party sellers
• Fan Disc: $49.99 ($34.99 – lowest price ever)
• Developer: Idea Factory
• Publisher: Aksys Games
• Release Date: July 27, 2023 & June 27, 2024

Radiant Tale and Radiant Tale: Fanfare! take place in a fantasy setting with magic and spirits. Travel with the game’s love interests across the land and put on whimsical performances that will hopefully help remove the prince’s curse. The art is absolutely gorgeous, and I love the interactions between the members of CIRCUS.

Code: Realize Series

• Price: $39.99 each (digital and physical; digitally for $19.99 each – matches previous low – until January 6th)
• Developer: Idea Factory
• Publisher: Aksys Games
• Release Date: February 6, 2020 & April 23, 2020 & February 25, 2021

The Code: Realize series is set in a steampunk version of nineteenth century London. Cardia is a young woman whose skin poisons anyone she touches. The love interests are based on literary and historical figures, and they try to protect Cardia from the organization that’s after her. The plot is intriguing, and the mascot is an adorable corgi!

(J)RPGs

Rise of the Third Power

• Price: $19.99 ($9.99 – matches previous low – until January 6th)
• Developer: Stegosoft Games
• Publisher: DANGEN Entertainment
• Release Date: February 10, 2022

Another game with a memorable soundtrack, Rise of the Third Power (review) is a great retro-inspired turn-based RPG. The writing is extremely entertaining, and I really hope we’ll get a sequel at some point.

8-Bit Adventures 2

• Price: $19.99 ($15.99 – lowest price ever – until January 6th)
• Developer/Publisher: Critical Games
• Release Date: October 16, 2024

I think that 8-Bit Adventures 2 is one of the best games of 2024. It’s a game that takes the nostalgic classic features of a (turn-based) JRPG but modernizes them. While it’s technically a sequel, it can be played on its own. I was excited to see that free DLC will be released next month!

Ikenfell

• Price: $19.99 ($5.99 – matches previous low – until January 6th)
• Developer: Happy Ray Games
• Publisher: Humble Games
• Release Date: October 8, 2020

Ikenfell is a touching LGBT+ friendly turn-based tactical RPG. Explore a magic school and discover its secrets. Learn new spells, but don’t worry about MP costs. Instead, master timing mechanics to make your attacks stronger and weaken enemy attacks.

Capes

• Price: $39.99 ($27.99 – lowest price ever – until January 6th)
• Developer/Publisher: Daedalic Entertainment
• Release Date: May 29, 2024

Capes (review) is a superhero-themed turn-based strategy game set in a dystopian world where having super powers is a crime. The supervillains control the city, and you’ll play as a team of heroes working to take it back. I thought the artistic direction was “super” well done, with comics-themed user interfaces and great voice acting. Your team’s super powers allow you to play around with individual strategies as well as special team up abilities. There are optional objectives in each level to make things more challenging.

Tokyo Xanadu eX+

• Price: $49.99 (digital and physical; digitally for $34.99 – matches previous low – until January 6th)
• Developer: Falcom
• Publisher: Aksys Games
• Release Date: July 25, 2024

Tokyo Xanadu eX+ is the definitive edition of Tokyo Xanadu, an action RPG with social elements. Switch between party members with different affinities and weapon types to more effectively fight enemies with different weaknesses. Complete side quests in and outside of dungeons, and get to know the people of Morimiya. In your spare time, you can play arcade games and befriend your teammates before continuing on your mission to save the world.

Trails Series

I deliberately saved this section for last, as it may appear slightly overwhelming at first glance to those unfamiliar with the Trails series, a group of turn-based JRPG games. They’re kind of a mix of fantasy/sci-fi with political intrigue. We currently have 11 titles localized in the series, with the twelfth coming in February 2025.

You don’t have to play all of them, but I highly recommend them if you enjoy a rich interconnected story with a lot of lore. This is a series with newspaper articles in every chapter, book series to collect and read, and pop culture icons (i.e. Mishy).

The series is divided into 4 arcs set in 4 separate regions on the same continent. We don’t have the Liberl arc (a trilogy) on Switch yet, but the remaster of the first game will arrive on Switch in Fall 2025. Additionally, we only have the last 2 games of the Erebonia arc localized for Switch. I’d suggest playing the first 2 on PS Vita or any other console available to you, then getting the last 2 on Switch if you want portability.

While Daybreak (Calvard arc) is a decent starting point as the start of a new arc, I would suggest starting with the Crossbell duology if you only have access to a Switch, as they might contextualize certain aspects of the Calvard arc.

Crossbell Arc

• Price: $39.99 each (digitally for $27.99 each until January 6th)
  • Physical copies out of print(?), more expensive via third party sellers. It’s the same for all of these games except for the more recent Daybreak.
• Developer: Falcom
• Publisher: NIS America
• Release Dates: September 27, 2022 & March 14, 2023

Azure review Tells the story of Lloyd, a police officer for the Special Support Section in the hotly contested territory city of Crossbell. Investigate organized crime.

Erebonia Arc

• Cold Steel III Base Game: $59.99 ($23.99 on sale – matches previous low – until January 6th)
  • CSIII Deluxe Edition: $69.99 ($29.95 – lowest price ever)
• Cold Steel IV Base Game: $59.99 ($23.99 – matches previous low)
  • CSIV Deluxe Edition: $69.99 ($29.95 – lowest price ever)

Rean, once a student at Erebonia’s military academy (first 2 games), now works as a teacher at the newly established branch campus. After the events of II, Rean and his companions now face a new threat.

Trails into Reverie

• Price: $59.99 ($35.99 – lowest price ever – until January 6th)
  • Deluxe Edition: $89.99 ($53.99)
  • Ultimate Edition: $109.99 ($65.99 – lowest price ever)
• Release Date: July 7, 2023

Reverie review Trails into Reverie brings both the Crossbell and Erebonia arcs to a close, with cameos from characters from the Liberl arc. Fans can control characters who normally aren’t in their party.

Calvard Arc

• Price: $59.99 (digitally for $47.99 – matches previous low – until January 6th)
• Deluxe Edition: $89.99 ($71.99 – matches previous low)
• Ultimate Edition: $129.99 ($103.99 – matches previous low)
• Release Date: July 5, 2024

Daybreak review Trails through Daybreak is the beginning of the Calvard arc. The oldest protagonist out of all the arcs, Spriggan (fixer) Van takes on requests from clients from all walks of life. He and his new companions must contend with both familiar and new organized crime groups plaguing Calvard.

That’s it for our list of recommended games from the holiday sale! Which, if any, do you plan on getting?