5 Best New Nintendo Switch Games to Check Out in July 2023

While some systems might be lacking content coming this next month, the Nintendo Switch is getting some great games coming out for the month of July.

From Pikmin’s new title to Disney getting a platformer, there are a bunch of really great titles that will be available on Nintendo’s portable home console. Let’s see what is coming out for July 2023 for the Nintendo Switch.

Rain World: Downpour

Rain World came out back in 2017 as a fantastic platformer where you play as a nomadic slugcat in a dystopian world. Your entire job is just to survive in the harsh world and ecosystems.

Image: Akupara Games

The original game set you apart from your family, alone, after a massive flood separated you. You’re just trying to find food and avoid the rain while not being killed by other wildlife looking for food as well while looking for your family.

Rain World: Downpour isn’t a sequel (like the other items on this list). It’s DLC for the original game, coming out over 6 years after the original release. This time around, you can take control of five slugcats, each with different abilities and attributes. While the original game has a simple slugcat, this DLC includes evolved versions of the species.

You can also work through entirely new and randomized missions and scenarios, as well as play in co-op locally.

Grab the Rain World: Downpour DLC on the Nintendo Switch and all other consoles on July 11th. If you own the game on PC, you already can get Downpour, as this is a console port of the DLC that came out back in January.

Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals

This month is full of sequels, isn’t it? Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals takes place after the critically-acclaimed first installment of the series. This time around, you can choose to play as a stand-alone game or delve into all of the story and lore that came from the first game as well.

Image: Night School Studios/Netflix

This time, you follow the story of Riley, a girl brought back to her hometown of Camena, on a mystery involving the supernatural. The town is dealing with a surge of electromagnetic waves and she uncovers the enigma that plagues the town.

Every choice you make determines how the game plays out. Your decisions matter in this game.

You can pick up Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals on July 12th on the Switch. If you want to play it elsewhere, you’re in luck. It’s also coming out on the PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, and PC through Steam.

Punch Club 2: Fast Forward

The first Punch Club was tongue-in-cheek humor set in an 80s aesthetic with lots of punching. For the sequel, the world is now 20 years in the future and cyberpunk. But, not the cool kind. It’s the kind that is lame where toilet paper has been replaced with seashells.

Image: tinyBuild

You’ve been living in your mom’s basement for 20 years and vaguely recall a similar story about a guy 20 years ago. You decide to go punch things to solve your problems. Fight other humans, robots, or anything that you feel like fighting really. Upgrade your skill set to be even more proficient at fighting and train to be the best fighter.

You can pick up this fun and funny game on July 20th for the Nintendo Switch. Or, you can find Punch Club 2: Fast Forward on every other console and Steam PC as well. Pre-ordering the game will also grant you the ability to adopt a pet, like a capybara or a hamster.

Pikmin 4

Considering Pikmin 4 is the only first party game coming to the Nintendo Switch for July, it’d be a travesty not to mention it on our list. The Pikmin series has always been a unique style of gameplay that doesn’t get emulated often. Pikmin 4 gets a real refresh for the entire series this time around.

Image: Nintendo

Sure, you still harvest and utilize the Pikmin for various tasks, including taking down enemies in the game. However, now you have a couple of small, but important changes to the mix.

First off, you get to design your own character for this installment. In previous games, you played as one of their already-made characters, such as Captain Olimar or Alph. But, designing your own traveler means you can immerse yourself even more. 

Additionally, you get a dog for this game. His name is Oatchi (Oat-Chee) and he’s adorable. He also helps you solve puzzles, such as getting across water or helping with tasks. Alongside Oatchi are tons of new Pikmin that haven’t been in previous Pikmin games, giving players the ability to solve puzzles in more ways.

Pikmin 4 is hitting the Nintendo Switch on July 21st. As it’s made by Nintendo, it’s exclusive, obviously.

Disney Illusion Island

The Illusion series of games from Disney have been an important aspect of gaming as a Disney fan since the Sega Genesis era. Disney Illusion Island takes the same platformer gameplay that we know from the series and gives it a complete overhaul.

Image: Disney Interactive

Disney Illusion Island feels like a marriage of New Super Mario Bros Wii and the Metroidvania genre. The animation style has thick lines and feels like it came right out of their long-running Mickey Mouse Shorts series.

You can play up to four hand-drawn characters, Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Donald, as you follow the story on Monoth Island.  Each character has different abilities and can work together to traverse the whimsical island. You can team up, play with up to three of your friends, and utilize each other’s strengths to figure out how to solve the tricky platforming puzzles.

Disney Illusion Island is coming to the Nintendo Switch, exclusively, on July 28th.

While you’re checking out our article here, you should also check the Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5, and PC releases for July 2023 as well. Games often make it to multiple systems.

While you wait, if you want to know what’s due out this month, you should check out our picks for new games coming out in June 2023. We break it all down by Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC for you there too.