The Nintendo Switch eShop is a treasure trove for fans of the RPG genre. From JRPGs to Western-developed action and adventure games, there’s no shortage of titles to choose from. The best part is that players don’t always have to pay full price to enjoy some high-quality RPGs. In fact, some of the most worthwhile ones are free to download.
Nintendo is always updating its eShop and adding more free-to-play and free-to-start games for players to download. RPGs like Dauntless, Dawn of the Breakers, and Trove are just a few of the dozens of free games available on the Switch.
Spellbreak
This spellcasting game takes players on an epic fantasy adventure in the world of Primdal where they must defeat other battlemages, maximize their gauntlets, and find hidden treasures scattered around the world.
Spellbreak is one of many battle royale games, but this is a hidden gem among the many multiplayer games on the Switch. Aside from being able to unlock fascinating lore about the world through playing, players also enjoy an extremely customizable experience. From choosing classes to combining specific elements to create new attacks, there is a myriad of ways to gain new advantages for its PvP matches.
Dauntless
Behemoths have taken over the world of Ramsgate, and it’s up to Slayers to take them down. As Slayers, players can loot, upgrade weapons, and craft items to improve their characters. They also have the option to take on the monstrosities solo, with a friend, or with an entire team.
Dauntless has all the best elements of traditional RPGs and is surprisingly very entertaining for a free-to-play game, and there are always enough players around to invite to battles thanks to crossplay. While it’s not as fleshed out as similar games like Monster Hunter, it’s still a worthwhile experience for players who want to try out a decent monster hunting game for free.
Trove
The Minecraft-like world of Trove thrusts players into unique biomes that have terrifying monsters waiting for them. The MMO lets players choose from sixteen classes, each having their own main and secondary attacks, plus unique passive abilities.
It’s impossible not to have fun in some of Trove’s wackiest biomes, from the computer-inspired valleys of Neon City to the chocolate and cake peaks of Candoria. While it can sometimes be tedious to grind long enough to gain access to higher-level Portals, Trove at least tries to keep it interesting with a vibrant Hub area where players can pause the action to trade and interact with other users.
DC Universe Online
Set in a universe based on the DC Comics, DC Universe Online features some of the best DC characters in the game. Players can choose to be heroes and work alongside Batman and Wonder Woman or join the ranks of the villains to support The Joker and Brainiac.
This game has an exciting plot that makes players feel like they’re exploring a superhero movie where they’re the star. Whether players choose to join the Justice League or The Society, both sides revolve around the same episodic chapters in the game. The visuals are a bit dated—but, given that the game initially launched in 2008, that's to be expected. Thanks to the several updates and improvements throughout the years, however, DC Universe Online can still hold its own against other popular MMPORGs on the Switch.
Dawn Of The Breakers
The fearsome Ghouls are slowly creeping into the worl,d and players must join the Breakers Unit to stop them. Through the support of the Enchant Force, players must uncover the best techniques to stop the creatures before they completely overrun the city.
Dawn of the Breakers is an underrated RPG that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and this is especially evident in its crazy plot that will feel familiar to hardcore Shounen anime fans. It can come across as a repetitive button masher at times, but, during its best moments, it's a thrilling action-packed game that’s even more fun to play with friends.
Onigiri
After one of the great Seals is shattered in Onigiri’s world, the evil Kamikui are rising up to decimate the mythical version of Japan. There are magical elements all around, with the characters themselves based on Japanese myths and folklore.
Onigiri is reminiscent of some of the best classic JRPGs available on Switch, with its core elements including a complex stat system and an anime-inspired art style. What makes it special is the wide array of characters in the game, each with its own unique stories that players can uncover. There’s also an interesting Partner System that allows players to choose their favorite characters and fight alongside them against the Youkai.
Deltarune Chapter 1
From the creators of Undertale comes Deltarune, a top-down RPG with a turn-based combat system. It follows the story of Kris, who must navigate the Dark World and defeat the Darkners to save his friends.
Like Undertale, Deltarune Chapter 1 features entertaining and often hilarious dialogue, a simple narrative, puzzles, and even a few bullet hell areas. The only main difference between Undertale and Deltarune—and perhaps the most significant improvement when compared to Undertale—is that this game doesn’t hide the enemies, which makes exploring the world easier, as players can avoid repetitive battles.
The Elder Scrolls: Blades
The Elder Scrolls: Blades revolves around the story of an exiled protagonist who must defend his hometown from the Bloodfall Queen and her minions. Traversing caves, dungeons, and forests, players must complete challenging quests and gain enough resources to upgrade the town.
While this dungeon crawler pales in comparison to its open-world counterparts in the Elder Scrolls franchise, it still offers a lot for fans who want to delve deeper into the lore behind the game. Blades also keeps things interesting with its multiple game modes, giving players the option to slay monsters in the roguelike Abyss mode, experience challenging PvP matches in Arena mode, or follow the main storyline in Town mode.
Sky: Children Of The Light
From the same creators of the highly-acclaimed indie game, Journey, Sky: Children of the Light is one of the most relaxing games to play on the Switch. It places emphasis on social interactions within the game, with players exchanging Hearts and Candles with other characters to progress.
Sky has seven beautifully designed realms for players to explore. From vast deserts to forests bathed in light, each realm provides unique and stunning environments. Along the way, it’s delightfully easy to roam with friends, gift them candles, and sing harmonies with them. It’s a deceptively simple but profound experience as players improve their capes to soar higher and uncover the mysteries in each realm.
Skyforge
The sci-fi fantasy world of Skyforge thrusts players into the planet of Aelion, which is constantly bombarded by alien attacks from outer space. As an Immortal with celestial powers, it’s the player’s job to stop these attacks and protect the planet from annihilation. Players can choose from a whopping eighteen classes depending on their playstyle. There are especially unique classes like the Soundweaver and the Grovewalker.
The expansive world of Aelion is a thrilling one to explore, and, with countless quests and seasonal events to experience, players always have something new to look forward to. It has an incredibly fleshed-out story for an MMORPG, which makes it even more fun to uncover narratives about its gods and the origins of its alien invaders. Perhaps the best part about Skyforge is that it balances its microtransactions with its free content, never hiding anything crucial to the gameplay behind a paywall.