10 Games That Could Survive The Desert Island Test (Switch 2 Edition)
Picture this. You’re stranded on a remote desert island. You have food, shelter, a volleyball named Wilson, and a Nintendo Switch 2 with unlimited battery life. There’s just one catch: you can only bring a single game with you. Now, if we start asking too many questions about this scenario, it falls apart pretty quickly. Still, it raises an interesting question: what game would you choose, and would it pass the Desert Island Test? Some games might earn perfect review scores or sell millions of copies, but that doesn’t automatically qualify them. To survive the Desert Island Test, a game needs something special. It needs the kind of near-limitless replayability that could keep you entertained not just for weeks or months, but for years. With that in mind, I’ve gathered ten Switch 2 games that I believe could go the distance. So, grab a coconut, set up a hammock between the palm trees, and let’s see which games made the cut.
Left Behind in the Lifeboat
Before we begin, I do have three very honourable mentions. These are some of my personal favourite games that unfortunately had to be left behind in the lifeboat.
Dave the Diver
Dave the Diver is a game that has stayed on my Switch 1 and Switch 2 SD cards pretty much since it launched. The gameplay loop of diving by day and running a sushi restaurant by night just hits the spot. I’ve spent countless hours with Dave and his friends, along with the game’s fantastic DLC packs. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. While Dave the Diver offers an incredible amount of content, it eventually reaches a finish line, meaning Dave and the crew have to stay behind.
Farming Simulator Signature Edition
To say the Farming Simulator series is my guilty pleasure would be an understatement. I absolutely love these games. Every week, without fail, I spend a few hours building production chains, expanding my farm, and taking on contracts to earn enough cash for new machinery. Truth be told, Farming Simulator is probably one of the closest games to making the final list. I’ve been happily playing since Farming Simulator 23 arrived on Switch, and I can easily imagine spending hundreds more hours with Signature Edition. Ultimately, though, its appeal is a little more specialised than the games that made the cut, so the tractors remain parked on the mainland.
Skyrim Switch 2 Edition
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has to be one of, if not my favourite game of all time. Few games allow you to live so many different lives in a single world. Whether you’re a noble hero, a wandering thief, or a mage studying magic, Skyrim always seems to have another adventure waiting around the corner. It’s easy to see why it has cemented itself as one of gaming’s greatest sandbox RPGs. Every new playthrough offers fresh discoveries, different character builds, and almost endless possibilities. Even so, the adventure eventually reaches a point where you’ve seen most of what the frozen north has to offer. Compared to the true “forever games” on this list, Skyrim falls just short, meaning the Dragonborn stays in Tamriel rather than joining me on my tropical exile.
With the difficult decisions out of the way, it’s time to start building my island gaming collection. These are the ten Switch 2 games that I believe could survive the Desert Island Test.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Let’s start our desert island adventure with a game that’s literally about building a life on a deserted island. Animal Crossing: New Horizons arrived at a time when many of us were isolated during the pandemic, offering a welcome escape and a chance to connect with friends while creating our own little slice of paradise. One of the reasons it passes the Desert Island Test so easily is the sheer variety of things to do. You can spend your days fishing, catching bugs, decorating your home, chatting with villagers, hunting for fossils, or taking a relaxing boat tour with Kapp’n. Even after hundreds of hours, there always seems to be another project to tackle. With seasonal events, rotating visitors, and a seemingly endless furniture catalogue, creating the island of your dreams could easily become a lifelong pursuit. If I’m going to be stranded on a tropical island, I can’t think of many better places to spend my time than another tropical island.
Balatro
You know those games where you sit down for a quick 20-minute session and suddenly realise it’s somehow 1 am? Balatro is one of those games. At first glance, it’s a simple roguelike built around poker hands, but before long, you’ll be stacking multipliers, creating ridiculous card combinations, and chasing scores that seem mathematically impossible. Every run feels different, and just when you think you’ve figured everything out, the game throws another Joker, deck type, or strategy your way. What makes Balatro such a strong Desert Island candidate is that it never really runs out of surprises. There are dozens of ways to approach each run, and experimenting with new builds is often just as fun as winning. Some games rely on content to keep players engaged. Balatro relies on possibility. Balatro feels almost infinitely replayable. Even after hundreds of hours, there’s always the temptation to start one more run and see if this will be the time everything comes together. If my deserted island has no internet and no rescue boat in sight, Balatro might just make the wait a little easier.
Ball x Pit
Ball x Pit is probably the newest game on this list, but it didn’t take long for it to earn a place in my Desert Island collection. In fact, I spent a good chunk of a nine-hour flight to Japan playing it, and the time absolutely flew by. What starts out as a simple arcade experience quickly becomes an addictive loop of unlocking upgrades, experimenting with builds, and trying to push just a little bit further each run. One of the reasons Ball x Pit passes the Desert Island Test is that it constantly gives you something new to chase. Every run feels like progress, whether you’re unlocking new abilities, discovering powerful combinations, or refining your strategy. Even when a run falls apart, you’re already thinking about what you’ll try next time. It also helps that the developers continue to support the game with regular updates. New content, balance changes, and fresh build possibilities keep things exciting long after you’ve settled into a routine. If a game can make a nine-hour flight feel short, I reckon it has a pretty good chance of surviving life on a deserted island.
Caves of Qud
I’ll admit it: Caves of Qud was my first real roguelike, and what an introduction it turned out to be. At first glance, it’s easy to overlook. The visuals are simple, the interface can feel intimidating, and it doesn’t exactly scream “must-play” from a screenshot. Spend a few hours with it, though, and those visuals become part of the charm. Before long, you’ll find yourself completely immersed in one of the most fascinating and unpredictable worlds available on Switch 2. What makes Caves of Qud such a strong Desert Island candidate is the sheer number of possibilities. Every character feels different, every journey unfolds in unexpected ways, and every decision can have consequences you never saw coming. One of my favourite examples happened when I asked a warrior in a town if I could have his sword as a quest reward. Hours later, I returned to that same settlement only to discover it had been completely wiped out. The game never stopped to explain exactly what had happened. It simply presented me with the aftermath and left me to piece together the story myself. That’s why Caves of Qud passes the Desert Island Test so comfortably. Even after hundreds of hours, there’s always another character build to try, another mystery to uncover, or another unexpected story waiting to emerge. If you’re looking for a game that feels truly alive and capable of surprising you for years, few can match it.
Dinkum
If I’m stranded on a deserted island, there’s a good chance Dinkum would make me a little homesick. Set in a world inspired by the Australian outback, Dinkum is packed with Australiana charm. From the wildlife and landscapes to the laid-back atmosphere, there’s something about it that feels familiar and comforting. As someone who lives in the Australian outback, I can’t help but feel a connection to the world that developer James Bendon has created. Of course, nostalgia alone isn’t enough to pass the Desert Island Test. Dinkum earns its place because it gives players an incredible amount of freedom. Whether you want to build a bustling town, create the perfect farm, focus on fishing, or simply spend your days exploring, the game rarely tells you how to play. That’s a big reason why it remains so replayable. Your town can become whatever you want it to be. Every new building, pathway, fence, and decoration helps shape a community that feels uniquely yours. If Animal Crossing is a tropical island getaway, then Dinkum feels like a little piece of Australia brought to a deserted island. For me, that’s more than enough reason to keep it around for the long haul.
Factorio
There are some games that slowly pull you in over time. Factorio is not one of them. I bought it because everyone kept telling me how good it was. The next thing I knew, it was dark outside, and I’d somehow spent the better part of eight hours building conveyor belts, automating production lines, and convincing myself that I just needed to finish one more project before taking a break. The scary part is that I still feel that way every time I play it. Even while capturing footage for this article, I found myself getting distracted and spending far longer in the game than I originally intended. Factorio passes the Desert Island Test with ease because it thrives on giving players problems to solve. Every factory can be improved. Every production line can be made more efficient. Every bottleneck can be eliminated. Just when you think you’ve built the perfect operation, you discover a better way to do it. I’ve restarted my factory more times than I can count, and each new attempt ends up cleaner, faster, and more streamlined than the last. That’s part of the magic. Every hour you spend with it makes you a better engineer. Now, with the Space Age expansion available on Switch 2, there’s even more to explore beyond your starting planet. If there was ever a game designed to keep someone occupied for years on a deserted island, Factorio might just be it. The factory must grow, after all.
No Man’s Sky
I’ve written about No Man’s Sky more times than I can count, and for good reason. What Hello Games has achieved over the years is one of the greatest comeback stories in gaming history. Most games receive updates that simply add new content, but No Man’s Sky updates seem to evolve the game itself, introducing new systems, mechanics, and ways to play. Just when I think I’ve seen everything the universe has to offer, another update arrives and gives me a reason to jump back in. One of my favourite memories was setting up an entire production facility dedicated to manufacturing Stasis Devices. It was hard work, but the profits helped fund my growing fleet and opened the door to even bigger projects. That’s one of the things I love most about No Man’s Sky: you create your own goals and stories along the way. Of course, it helps that the game is built around a practically endless universe. With countless planets to discover, bases to build, ships to collect, and expeditions to undertake, there’s always something new waiting beyond the next star system. Few games can genuinely claim to offer near-limitless exploration, but No Man’s Sky comes remarkably close. If I’m stranded on a deserted island, having access to an entire universe in the palms of your hands sounds like a pretty good compromise.
Pokopia
Sometimes a game comes along and takes a platform by storm, and this year, that game was Pokopia. What earns Pokopia a place on this list is the freedom it gives players. While it’s easy to compare it to Minecraft, it has more in common with Dragon Quest Builders. There’s a stronger sense of purpose behind everything you create, while still giving you the tools to build whatever you can imagine, and it’s a combination that works brilliantly. In fact, if Pokopia didn’t exist, there’s a good chance Minecraft or Dragon Quest Builders 2 would have taken its place on this list. Judging by how difficult it was to find physical copies after launch, I don’t think Nintendo expected quite how popular it would become. Players clearly connected with the same thing I did: the idea of combining the appeal of finding Pokémon habitats to add to your town, with the freedom to create your own world. That’s exactly why it passes the Desert Island Test. Whether you’re expanding your settlement, getting new Pokémon to join you, or simply redesigning a section of your world for the tenth time, there’s always another project waiting.
Stardew Valley
If there was ever a game built for the Desert Island Test, Stardew Valley would have to be one of the strongest contenders. What I love most about Stardew Valley is that there’s no single “right” way to play it. Some players spend their time building the most efficient farm possible and maximising profit, while others focus on fishing, exploring the mines, collecting rare items, or getting to know the residents of Pelican Town. What continues to surprise me is just how much depth is packed into what initially appears to be a simple farming game. Between relationships, crafting, exploration, combat, farming, fishing, and collection goals, there’s an incredible amount to do. Every system feeds into another, creating a gameplay loop that’s difficult to put down. It also doesn’t hurt that Stardew Valley has received some of the best post-launch support in the gaming industry. Years after release, major updates continue to add new content, features, and reasons to return to the valley. Few games have managed to remain this relevant for this long, and it’s easy to see why. If my deserted island adventure is going to last a few years, I can think of far worse ways to spend my days than tending crops in the morning, fishing in the afternoon, and exploring the mines after dark.
Civilization VII
This might be the most controversial entry on the entire list. There’s no denying that Civilization VII divided longtime fans when it launched. Some players embraced the new direction, while others felt it drifted too far from what made the series special in the first place. Still, one of the reasons it earns a place on my deserted island is because of how much it has evolved since release. The post-launch support has been impressive, with each update refining systems, addressing player feedback, and adding new reasons to jump back in. The recent Test of Time update in particular, feels like a step closer to the roots that made Civilization such an enduring strategy franchise. At its core, Civilization still delivers one of gaming’s greatest replayability loops. Every campaign tells a different story. One game might see you dominating the world through military conquest, while the next has you pursuing scientific breakthroughs, cultural influence, or diplomatic victories. No two sessions ever unfold quite the same way. Of course, there is also the small matter of the famous “one more turn” syndrome. Civilization has been stealing entire afternoons from players for decades, and Civilization VII is no exception. As an Australian, I’m also holding out hope that future updates bring Australia back as a playable civilisation. If nothing else, I’d love an excuse to hear Geoff Knorr’s haunting rendition of Waltzing Matilda once again while building an empire from the ground up. If a game can keep players coming back for decades across multiple entries, I’d say it has more than earned its place on a deserted island.
As I was putting this list together, I realised something interesting… The games that pass the Desert Island Test aren’t always the highest-rated games, nor are they necessarily the biggest blockbusters. Instead, they’re the games that continue to surprise us, challenge us, and give us new goals long after most players would have moved on. Whether it’s building the perfect factory in Factorio, exploring the endless reaches of No Man’s Sky, creating a dream island in Animal Crossing, or squeezing just a little more value out of a Balatro run, every game on this list offers something that keeps pulling me back.
Of course, that’s just my list.
Now I’d love to hear yours. If you were stranded on a deserted island with a Switch 2 and could only bring a single game, what would it be? Would you choose one of the games on this list, or is there another title that you think could survive the Desert Island Test? Let me know in the comments below. After all, if I’m going to be stuck on an island for the next few years, I could probably use a few more recommendations.
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