Austria is going into lockdown tomorrow because of the COVID-19 virus. It means many of us will be working from home and going out as little as possible over the next couple of weeks. Though the COVID-19 virus is a deadly serious topic, I wanted to have a little fun with this list for those people who are feeling good and now have a lot of time on their hands. So here’s Ten Switch Indie Games to play whilst self-isolating.

10. Stardew Valley

As far as life simulators go, Stardew Valley has it all. If you want to be a farmer you can spend dozens of hours farming. Fancy mining? Then go and mine all day. Looking for a meaningful relationship? Go and talk to the varied and interesting NPCs in the town. Stardew Valley lets you do what you want and is a perfect game to kick back with and watch the hours fly by.

9. Warframe

If you’re a looter shooter type of person then Warframe is your jam. You play as a space ninja dashing and diving through space to hunt for resources to build new Warframes. The grind is real in this game but its satisfying, giving you lots to work towards and plenty to customise. Plus, the shooting is on point and the movement of the Warframes is fluid and unlike any other third person shooter I’ve ever played. Best of all, it’s free to play!

8. The Binding of Isaac Afterbirth+

Like many of the games on this list, The Binding of Isaac Afterbirth+ (TBOA) is a rogue-like. If you don’t know what that is, it basically means every time you die you start your next life in a new level with different enemies. Therefore, the game is endless because every new ‘run’ you start is unique and different from the last. However, if you unlock new items in the game you have a chance of seeing them again in later runs. So if you unlock a powerful item, it gives you a better chance later to finish a run.

TBOA is heavily inspired by the original Legend of Zelda games, so if you’re a bit of a retro gamer you’re going to love this game. It has a weirdly quirky story from the mind of Edmund Mcmillen and a creepy cool art style. It’s a game you can easily sink hundreds, if not thousands of hours into if you wanted.

7. Hollow Knight

A modern metroidvania, Hollow Knight has you slowly exploring a decrypted and dead world. As you slowly progress past difficult bosses and enemies, you unlock new abilities that help you reach areas you couldn’t before. Hollow Knight is lauded as one of the best indies ever. It’s difficult but rewarding and has a fascinating story for those that want to look for it.

Its developers Team Cherry have been adding content to it for year. This means there’s a ton of stuff to get your teeth into and dozens of hours of playtime to beat it.

6. Terraria

Terraria is a 2D side scrolling sandbox game where you can break blocks in the world and replace them wherever you’d like. Think of it as a 2D Minecraft. What I think puts Terraria above Minecraft is that Terraria has goals for you to work towards. As well as building you can craft and upgrade armour and weapons. Villagers will come to live with you if you unlock certain things in the world and there is a bunch of bosses to beat if you know where to find them.

It’s the type of game that makes you think you’ve beaten it, to only find out that you’ve just come out of the tutorial. Therefore, you can put a lot of time into it.

5. Dead Cells

Another rogue-like, Dead Cells has evolved the metroidvania genre. Its combat is fast and fluid. It looks gorgeous and it is the perfect ‘one more go’ type game. There’s lots of weapons to unlock and the newest DLC came out recently, so its a meaty game to get your teeth into.

4. Divinity Orignal Sin 2: Definitive Edition

If you’re an RPG fan, this is THE indie RPG to play on the Switch. You can explore a huge and complex world on your own or online with friends. There’s lots of side quest to do and NPCs to talk to, meaning the hours will just melt away as you get lost in this high fantasy world.

3. Darkest Dungeon

Darkest Dungeon is one of my favourite games but it is HARD. You control a team of four adventurers as they delve into dungeons plagued by horrendous monsters. Balance the team with a variety of different classes and manage their fear and stress in the dungeons, otherwise they will not make it out alive. If you like a challenge then I recommend Darkest Dungeon.

2. Slay the Spire

Another rogue-like but with a twist, this time you’re building a deck of cards to take out your enemies. Choose from three different classes and work your way up the spire, improving your cards and beating bosses. If you’re a more mathematically minded person, Slay the Spire is totally for you. Even when you beat the main game you can adjust the difficulty to put even more time into it.

1 Enter the Gungeon

My personal favourite rogue-like on this list, Enter the Gungeon is a twin stick shooter where every item is some type of gun. The developers Dodge Roll Studios have been working on and improving the game for years, with each new update adding more top quality content. There’s lots of secrets to uncover and alternative routes to take in the game. So if you do manage to beat the ‘main’ game, there’s still lots to do!

So there you go, those are Ten Switch indie games to play whilst self-isolating. If you are put in the unfortunate situation where you are at home and can’t leave, I hope this list helps beat your boredom!

What lengthy indie games do you like that you think should have made this list? Are there any that I’ve missed? Let me know over on Twitter or come and say hello on the SIF Discord server.

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