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 platformer so beautiful it looks painted, wrapped around a story that opens with one of gaming’s great gut-punches.
At a Glance
| Developer | Moon Studios |
| Release year | 2016 (Definitive Edition) |
| Platforms | PC, Switch, Xbox |
| Subgenre | Metroidvania platformer |
| Length | ~9 hours (main story) |
| Metacritic | 88 / 100 |
| Steam rating | Overwhelmingly Positive (~95%, 70,000+ reviews) |
| Steam Deck | Verified |
| Languages | 8 |
About the Game
Ori and the Blind Forest, from Moon Studios, is a hand-painted metroidvania-platformer about Ori, a small forest spirit, and Sein, a guiding light, on a journey to restore a dying forest. From its wordless, devastating opening, it pairs gorgeous, luminous art with a sweeping orchestral score.
The platforming is fast and fluid, built around an expanding toolkit of double-jumps, wall-climbs, and the signature “Bash” — a move that lets you launch off enemies and projectiles to rocket across the screen. Its set-piece escape sequences, where the world collapses around you, are among the most memorable in the genre.
It’s a tighter, more linear experience than some metroidvanias, which makes it an ideal entry point: beautiful, emotional, and rarely frustrating. The Definitive Edition adds extra areas and abilities. On Switch it’s a stunning handheld showcase.
Screenshots
Screenshots: official Steam media for Ori and the Blind Forest.
Why It Made the List
Ori and the Blind Forest makes the list as one of the most beautiful games you can play on Switch, full stop. It’s emotional, fluid, and approachable — the metroidvania to hand someone who thinks the genre is too punishing.
What the Critics Say
Ori and the Blind Forest holds a Metacritic score of 88. Critics praised its art, music, and fluid platforming; the rare criticism is that its story is slighter than its presentation suggests.
What Players Say
On Steam it’s rated Overwhelmingly Positive across more than 70,000 reviews — about 95% positive. Players consistently single out the visuals, the soundtrack, and the unforgettable opening.
Praise & Criticism
Praise
- Breathtaking hand-painted art
- Sweeping orchestral score
- Fluid, satisfying platforming
- Emotional, accessible story
Criticism
- Story is relatively slight
- More linear than some metroidvanias
- A few brutal escape sequences
Games Like This
- Hollow Knight — a deeper, tougher metroidvania
- Celeste — emotional, precise platforming
- Gris — a painterly, atmospheric journey
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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