Spooky season is almost upon us so Nintendo is celebrating the only way it knows how: a big old eShop sale.
The creatively named 'Halloween Sale' is now available on the European eShop, and it will be sticking around until 3rd November, so you have a little over a week to make the most of the spooky savings.
This one packs in some suitably creepy picks like Alien: Isolation, Signalis and Castlevania Dominus Collection, but there are also plenty of games in there that don't require a seat behind the sofa, so there's something for everyone.
There are so many wonderful titles, in fact, that we have picked out the best of the best and laid them out for you below. These are all the titles included in the Halloween Sale that we scored a 9/10 or higher — so you're looking at the cream of the creepy crop. All the following have been listed in GBP, but you can find EUR prices by checking out your respective eShop.
Oh, and if you want to load up on eShop credit before diving in, you'll find our store link below.
Here are our top picks from the Halloween eShop sale, in no particular order:
Castlevania Dominus Collection (Switch eShop)
£15.99 (-20%)
Castlevania Dominus Collection is quite possibly the best compilation that Konami and M2 have produced to date. It presents three exceptional DS games that easily stand the test of time and provide just as much enjoyment now as they did back in the 2000s. Not only that, but the impossible has seemingly been achieved with the remarkable addition of Haunted Castle Revisited. Included as a fun little bonus, this revamped take on a reviled arcade curio is fantastic, and while it can't compete with the very best 'classic' games in the franchise, it's the closest we've gotten to a brand new Castlevania in years. An exquisite package.
Crypt of the NecroDancer (Switch eShop)
£3.59 (-80%)
A roguelike at heart with a rhythm-game soul, Crypt Of The NecroDancer is a sublime experience that’s a must-play for fans of the genre(s). Its upbeat, uptempo take on dungeon crawling is infectious, and there’s enough content here to last even the savviest of spelunkers for many, many dance-fuelled dives into the depths — if you’ve never tangoed with the NecroDancer, this fully-featured Switch edition is the perfect way to jump in. For anybody who never played this but loved the Zelda spin-off Cadence of Hyrule (and was left wanting more), what are you waiting for?
Crawl (Switch eShop)
£2.59 (-80%)
We really like Crawl, and we’d bet our collected stash of gold and wrath you will, too. A dungeon-crawling hack-and-slash affair with roguelike elements, one player is the hero trying to get through a dungeon and the others play as monster-controlling ghosts attempting to kill said hero and take their place.
It's an everyone-for-themselves free-for-all, yet there are opportunities for frantic 3v1 co-operative play — a necessity when all the non-hero ghost characters must take joint control of bosses the hero faces. It’s great fun in single-player thanks to some aggressive AI, but that consistent danger takes on a new dimension when you and three of your friends are jostling for XP and that all-important killing blow.
Competitive couchplay doesn’t get much better than this on Switch.
Everhood (Switch eShop)
£6.74 (-50%)
Everhood is one of the most memorable games we’ve played in recent years. A mad mix of RPG, rhythm action, kart racing and bullet-hell shmup, its utterly bonkers plot and weird cast of characters is reason enough to check it out, but the instantly accessible rhythmic combat will keep you hooked from the very first battle to the epic final boss encounter. Some may be put off by the minimal visual design and deliberately vague sequence of events, but for those after something a bit different, Everhood delivers originality and unique gameplay in spades and absolutely deserves a place in your Switch library.
Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster (Switch eShop)
£14.99 (-40%)
Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster brings back this 1995 'Doom clone' in style — another resounding success for Nightdive Studios (who also handled the excellent Quake and Quake II remasters, among others). It returns LucasArts' curious, nostalgia-laced FPS with loads of new bells and whistles, including enhanced gameplay, revamped visuals, and a wealth of accessibility options. This is easily the best way to experience Dark Forces and revisit an oft-forgotten era of Star Wars before the prequel trilogy and before the sequel trilogy booted the Expanded Universe out the 'Legends' airlock.
Volgarr the Viking II (Switch eShop)
£15.83 (-10%)
Volgarr the Viking II is, quite simply, one of the best 2D action platformers on Switch, or any other platform for that matter. It improves upon the original in just about every conceivable way, introducing neat ways to ease newcomers into its relentless brutality, vastly improving the visuals, and adding a soundtrack that is destined to go down as one of the all-time greats. Minor quibbles with the UI aside, Volgarr the Viking II is an absolute must-play if you can stomach the intense Ghosts 'n Goblins-style difficulty.
The Mummy Demastered (Switch eShop)
£5.39 (-70%)
They say don't judge a book by its cover, and you shouldn't judge this game based on its tie-in movie. WayForward's The Mummy Demastered deserves to stand on its own as one of the best examples of not only a retro-styled pixel art aesthetic, but as an excellent combination of run 'n' gunning, platforming and exploration. The game benefits from paying homage to multiple 16-bit ancestors rather than strictly sticking to its celluloid source material; The Mummy Demastered is a polished, accomplished and satisfying adventure that will entertain more than just Metroidvania fans.
Rogue Legacy (Switch eShop)
£2.19 (-80%)
Rogue Legacy is a simple take on the tried-and-true roguelike formula, but it executes what it sets out to do exceptionally well, making for an endlessly replayable and enjoyable action adventure that no fan of the genre will want to miss out on.
A high difficulty level, funny writing, tight controls and rewarding RPG mechanics make this one an effortless recommendation; the design of the game makes it easy to play in short bursts or long sessions, which means it's a great fit for the Switch.
If you enjoyed Dead Cells, Castlevania, or any 2D sidescroller in that style, you’re almost certain to have a blast with this one.
Rogue Legacy 2 (Switch eShop)
£11.24 (-50%)
While not the first roguelike by any means, 2013’s Rogue Legacy — alongside classics like Spelunky and The Binding of Isaac — had a hand in making the now-plentiful genre the huge deal it has become. Nearly a decade later (not counting two years of early access), Cellar Door Games finally followed up on its breakout hit.
Rogue Legacy 2 builds upon its predecessor and, even for those who haven't played the first, re-establishes what made it such an enduring hit. While it’s not a game-changing revelation, it manages to follow up on everything that made the original great and makes it bigger and better.
Whether you loved the original Rogue Legacy or never played it but like a good roguelike, this is a game you simply can't afford to miss.
OneShot: World Machine Edition (Switch eShop)
£9.44 (-30%)
A short, compelling point-and-click adventure game originally developed in 2014, OneShot: World Machine Edition has an endearing, sombre story in which developer Future Cat makes you – the player – a character. The quest of Nico, a cat-like child, is framed as a game installed on a PC that functions as both a menu and narrative device and Niko will frequently break the fourth wall to address you by your Nintendo Switch profile name as you guide her through a dying world.
Unlike the adventure games of two or three decades ago, none of the puzzles stumped us, yet the dopamine rush hit us all the same when things slid into place. Before we knew it, the credits rolled, and we sat back, pensive from its bittersweet ending. A Very Good Game™.
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A Short Hike (Switch eShop)
£3.77 (-40%)
A Short Hike is a fat-free experience from top to bottom – or should we say bottom to top? It's the kind of game that makes us just sigh with happiness when we recall our time with it, and even having played it through to its ostensible conclusion multiple times, we know for a fact there are still things to see and do on that mountain.
What we have here is something of an apotheosis – a milestone in indie games akin to Cave Story or Spelunky. The very best bits of multiple game genres, stripped of all padding and bloat, mixed perfectly into a delicious video game stew that only gets richer and richer the more you play.
An exploration in every sense of the word, A Short Hike is cute without being twee, challenging without being obnoxious, and emotional without being cloying. A landmark game for all ages. Don't miss this one.
Stories Untold (Switch eShop)
£1.79 (-80%)
Stories Untold is a chilling adventure that manages to draw us right into its world through the ingenious use of its UI and perfectly realised lo-fi aesthetic. Through the walls of old technology and complicated machinery, it creates a uniquely strong bond between player and narrative, giving you a real sense of place within its world as it slowly corrupts and twists from the comfortingly familiar to something else entirely. It's one of the best interactive horror stories we've ever played and a perfect fit for enjoying alone in the dark on Switch.
Dusk (Switch eShop)
£7.44 (-50%)
Dusk is one hell of an impressive piece of software and possibly the single best Unity port to Switch we've ever seen, sidestepping typical performance problems and delivering a brilliant experience of a brilliant game. It's not as good a game as Quake, but almost nothing is. There's a relatively limited arsenal of weapons — they're all great, but there's no iconic gun here, just your usual pistol, shotty, assault rifle, explosives, et al. We're being churlish with our criticisms here, though — ultimately, Dusk is another absolute cracker in Switch's FPS roster.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (Switch)
£20.99 (-40%)
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a slick return to the roots of this franchise that serves up clever 2.5D action wrapped up in a delightful art style and satisfying story. There's a smart balance here between old-school levels of action and challenge, moreish combat, and neat puzzles, all mixed with accessibility options and fine-tuning that open things up to newcomers and casual players. We knew Ubisoft Montpellier was a pair of safe hands and the team hasn't let us down, serving up the first must-play of 2024 in a Switch port that absolutely does the business.
The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe (Switch eShop)
£11.99 (-40%)
A thoroughly enjoyable expansion of an already classic game treated with love, care, and most importantly a meta awareness that pays tribute to everything that made the original so beloved. The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe may leave a small few questioning more than they’d like, but we wouldn’t want it any other way.
Metro Redux (Switch)
£3.59 (-85%)
Metro Redux is a top-notch first-person survival horror package that delivers countless hours of thrilling stealth combat all wrapped up in a superb story. These are two of the most atmospheric games you'll likely play set in a beautifully detailed depiction of post-apocalyptic Russia. 4A Games has delivered a port that stands shoulder to shoulder with Alien: Isolation as the very best we've seen on Switch so far – an almost flawless experience which should absolutely be right at the top of any FPS or survival horror fan's must-buy list. This is essential stuff.
Metro 2033 Redux (Switch eShop)
£3.19 (-80%)
Metro 2033 Redux is a top-class first-person shooter/survival horror game, a breathless experience that's been almost flawlessly ported to Switch by 4A Games. Artyom's desperate, haunting voyage through the irradiated remains of Moscow is every bit as engaging today as it was when it first released back in 2010, and this Redux version benefits massively from overhauled AI, gameplay mechanics and visuals. In terms of first-person shooters or survival horror games on Nintendo's console, this is one of the very best.