An Indie Backlog curated overview. We round up the best indie games on Nintendo Switch and how professional critics and players received each one — the scores below are theirs, linked to the source.
A cozy management game about death — you are the ferrymaster who builds a boat, cares for departed spirits, and eventually says goodbye to each one.
At a Glance
| Developer | Thunder Lotus |
| Release year | 2020 |
| Platforms | PC, Switch, PlayStation, Xbox |
| Subgenre | Cozy management |
| Length | ~30 hours (main story) |
| Metacritic | 84 / 100 |
| Steam rating | Very Positive (~95%, 50,000+ reviews) |
| Steam Deck | Verified |
| Languages | 11 |
About the Game
Spiritfarer, from Montreal’s Thunder Lotus, casts you as Stella, the new Spiritfarer: the ferrymaster who guides the spirits of the dead to their final passage. It plays as a cosy management-builder — you sail a customizable boat across a gorgeous hand-animated sea, gathering resources, cooking, farming, and building cabins for your passengers.
But its real subject is grief. Each spirit you take aboard is a richly written character with hopes, regrets, and needs; you befriend them, fulfill their wishes, and ultimately escort each one to the Everdoor to let them go. Those farewells are among the most affecting moments in any game.
The hand-drawn animation is stunning, the management loop is gentle and satisfying, and the whole experience is built to comfort rather than stress. It’s a game about loss that somehow leaves you feeling cared for. On Switch, it’s a perfect bedtime companion.
Screenshots
Screenshots: official Steam media for Spiritfarer.
Why It Made the List
Spiritfarer earns its place as the most quietly moving game on this list. It takes the cosy-management genre and pours genuine emotional weight into it, turning chores and farewells into something beautiful. Few games handle death with this much grace.
What the Critics Say
Spiritfarer holds a Metacritic score of 84. Critics praised its art, warmth, and emotional storytelling; the main caveat is that its management and backtracking can feel slow.
What Players Say
On Steam it’s rated Very Positive across more than 50,000 reviews — about 95% positive. Players consistently describe being moved to tears, and praise the art and atmosphere.
Praise & Criticism
Praise
- Gorgeous hand-drawn animation
- Deeply moving stories about loss
- Relaxing, low-stress management
- Generous, content-rich Farewell Edition
Criticism
- Lots of backtracking and resource grind
- Pacing can be slow
- Platforming is basic
Games Like This
- Stardew Valley — the cosy management benchmark
- Gris — a wordless, painterly journey through grief
- Eastward — a warm, beautifully drawn adventure
Where to Buy
Plain store links for now — swap in your affiliate-tagged URLs once you’ve joined Amazon Associates and the eBay Partner Network. (Steam and the eShop have no consumer affiliate program; those links are for convenience.)
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