Best Nintendo Switch games of 2012
The 27 best Nintendo Switch games released in 2012, ranked from 14,076 critic and player ratings.
The best Nintendo Switch game of 2012 is Mark of the Ninja, with a critic score of 91/100 — updated augusti 2026.
Mark of the Ninja
Mark of the Ninja is a side-scrolling action stealth video game developed by Klei Entertainment and published by Microsoft Studios. It was announced on February 28, 2012 and later released for the Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade on September 7, 2012. A Microsoft Windows version was released on October 16, 2012. It follows the story of a nameless ninja in the present day, and features a themed conflict between ancient ninja tradition and modern technology. Cutscenes for the game are rendered in Saturday morning cartoon animation style.
91
/100
02
Diablo III
88
/100
03
A
Hotline Miami
A top-down slasher/shooter with unlockable gameplay-altering masks and weapons, featuring a neon-flavoured electronic aesthetic, in which a hitman receives anonymous calls ordering him to travel to certain residences and crime dens and massacre those within, as he stumbles through unreal visions and inconsistencies without any answers to how, why or who.
86
/100
Darksiders II
Become Death - The most feared of the legendary Four Horseman. Epic Universe – Unlike anything the player has seen before, delivered in the unique style of Joe Mad. Player Choice & Customization – Customize your experience with varied armor sets, weapons, and skill trees allowing players to create their own Death. Explore a vast open world, complete dozens of side quests and customize your Death with a full leveling system, skill trees and endless equipment combinations. Death is a nimble and agile character capable of incredible acrobatic feats allowing the player to explore the world like never before.
86
/100
05
Torchlight II
Torchlight II features randomly generated dungeons and numerous types of monsters to fight for loot. Torchlight II is an action RPG as its predecessor, but features overland areas with multiple hub towns, and a longer campaign. Players are able to customize character appearance with choice of sex, face, hair style and hair color. Additionally, several elements from the first game return, such as pets and fishing. The game features four playable character classes. Each class has 3 skill trees to choose from which enable customization within each class.
86
/100
06
Fez
Gomez is a 2D creature living in a 2D world. Or is he? When the existence of a mysterious 3rd dimension is revealed to him, Gomez is sent out on a journey that will take him to the very end of time and space. Use your ability to navigate 3D structures from 4 distinct classic 2D perspectives. Explore a serene and beautiful open-ended world full of secrets, puzzles and hidden treasures. Unearth the mysteries of the past and discover the truth about reality and perception. Change your perspective and look at the world in a different way.
86
/100
07
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair
The follow up to Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc. The main character, Hajime Hinata, a new 'Ultimate' student at Hope's Peak Academy. On their first day, Hajime and all of his classmates are taken on a field trip to the mysterious Jabberwock island by their anthropomorphic rabbit teacher, Usami. Usami explains that on this island the students are to have fun together and become friends to gather Hope Fragments. Usami's field trip does not go as planned when Monokuma appears and begins a new Killing Game. Anyone that wants to leave the island must commit a murder and get away with it. If the murderer is successful, he/she is allowed to leave the island, while everyone else is killed. When a murder occurs, the player investigates. After the investigations, a trial commences to determine who the culprit is.
85
/100
08
The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead: Season One (also known as The Walking Dead: The Game) is an episodic interactive drama graphic adventure video game developed and published by Telltale Games. Based on Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead comic book series, the game consists of five episodes, released between April and November 2012. It is available for Android, iOS, Kindle Fire HDX, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The game is the first of The Walking Dead video game series published by Telltale.
84
/100
09
Dust: An Elysian Tail
immerse yourself in a gorgeous hand-painted world on a search for your true identity. As the mysterious warrior, Dust, your action-packed journey will take you from peaceful glades to snowy mountaintops and beyond. At your disposal is the mythical Blade of Ahrah, capable of turning its wielder into an unstoppable force of nature, and the blade's diminutive guardian, Fidget. Battle dozens of enemies at once with an easy-to-learn, difficult-to-master combat system, take on a variety of quests from friendly villagers, discover ancient secrets and powerful upgrades hidden throughout the massive, open world, and uncover the story of an ancient civilization on the brink of extinction as you fight to uncover your own past.
82
/100
10
Borderlands 2
A new era of shoot and loot is about to begin. Play as one of four new vault hunters facing off against a massive new world of creatures, psychos and the evil mastermind, Handsome Jack. Make new friends, arm them with a bazillion weapons and fight alongside them in 4 player co-op on a relentless quest for revenge and redemption across the undiscovered and unpredictable living planet.
81
/100
11
Game Dev Tycoon
80
/100
12
Chaos on Deponia
80
/100
13
Hitman: Absolution
79
/100
14
Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition
78
/100
15
Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition
78
/100
16
Resident Evil Revelations
77
/100
17
Thomas Was Alone
77
/100
18
The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav
75
/100
19
Nihilumbra
75
/100
20
Deponia
74
/100
21
The Room
73
/100
22
The Journey Down: Chapter One
72
/100
23
Resident Evil 6
67
/100
24
Little Inferno
65
/100
25
Edna & Harvey: Harvey's New Eyes
63
/100
26
Blades of Time
60
/100
27
Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R
45
/100
What is the best Nintendo Switch game of 2012?
Mark of the Ninja currently tops the ranking with a score of 91/100 across 308 ratings. Ranking updated augusti 2026.
How is this ranking built?
Games are ranked on their aggregated critic score out of 100, with a minimum vote threshold so a single glowing review never outranks a proven classic; the Tier community's own F-to-S grades are shown alongside each game.