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April tends to be a quieter month for new games, sandwiched between the traditionally busy release months of March and May. That\u2019s mostly true this year, but as ever, these quiet spots in the calendar are a good moment for quality indie games and smaller games to rise to the fore. There are four really promising examples of this phenomenon coming to Switch 2 in April 2026: a platformer, a role-playing game, a first-person shooter, and a cozy survival game, all with very unique twists.<\/p>\n
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Nintendo itself isn\u2019t letting the month go unmarked though, dropping a new Pok\u00e9mon free-to-play game and a follow-up to a cult life sim. Meanwhile, Capcom continues its staunch support of the Switch 2, following Resident Evil Requiem<\/em> with another day-and-date launch on the Nintendo console alongside PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Release date: <\/strong>April 2<\/p>\n This delightful-looking platformer stars a cunning octopus who must sneak, scuttle, leap, and flop his way to freedom in the sea after being abducted and dragged onto land. Debut Parisian studio ZDT Games was formed by veterans of the animation as well as game industries, and you can tell from the octopus\u2019 fluid and characterful moveset. Publisher Konami contributes an unlikely but amusing collab with Metal Gear Solid.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Release date: <\/strong>April 7<\/p>\n As much as it might seem like a random collision of two popular things, our preview\u2019s description of People of Note<\/em> as Clair Obscur<\/em> meets KPop Demon Hunters<\/em> looks pretty accurate to both its involved, turn-based RPG battle design and its colorful cartoon presentation. It\u2019s billed as an epic adventure about conflict and collaboration in a musical world; there are rhythm-game elements to its battles, and your party combines the skills of a pop singer, rock god, DJ, and rapper. Publisher Annapurna Interactive usually has pretty good taste, so it\u2019s one to watch.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Release date: <\/strong>April 8<\/p>\n Honestly, who knows if this one is going to work out \u2014 but if you\u2019re a Pok\u00e9mon fan (and if you recently picked up a Switch 2 to play Pokopia<\/em>, you might be) there\u2019s no reason not to check Champions<\/em> out, because it\u2019s free to play. Champions<\/em> is essentially an online multiplayer arena battler in the mould of Pok\u00e9mon Champions; you can import your best Pok\u00e9mon from Pok\u00e9mon Home<\/em>. It\u2019s also intended to be the default home of Pok\u00e9mon World Championships Competitive Play. Quite a lot riding on the first game from newly formed studio The Pok\u00e9mon Works.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Release date:<\/strong> April 16<\/p>\n This is just such an irresistible concept: a black-and-white boomer shooter starring a mouse private detective, drawn and animated in the style of classic 1930s cartoons (like Cuphead<\/em> before it) and with a thumping jazz soundtrack. There\u2019s even a vocal performance from Troy Baker. Debut developer Fumi Games has brought such style to Mouse<\/em> it\u2019s got to be worth a spin.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Release date: <\/strong>April 16<\/p>\n Nintendo\u2019s all-in on life sims in 2026. Following the big Animal Crossing: New Horizons<\/em> update and the surprise hit Pok\u00e9mon Pokopia<\/em>, Nintendo has one out of left field: a sequel to its quirky Sims-like Tomodachi series, which first appeared on DS and 3DS. You can create or import Miis of yourself and your family and friends and watch them interact on a tropical island. Full of offbeat humor, Living the Dream <\/em>looks as wacky as it is cozy. (Technically, Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream <\/em>is just a Switch game \u2014 it has no Switch 2 edition or patch planned \u2014 but of course it will be playable on the newer console.)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Release date: <\/strong>April 17<\/p>\n Announced too early and left to languish in mystery for years, Pragmata<\/em> smelled like development-hell disaster. Instead, it\u2019s shaping up as a stylish and unique sci-fi action game about shooting and hacking that might remind you of PlatinumGames fare like Vanquish<\/em> or the Capcom Five experiments of 20 years ago like Killer7<\/em>. Capcom is overflowing with confidence these days and willing to take risks again; if 2024\u2019s excellent Kunistu-Gami<\/em> is anything to go by, this could be one of the year\u2019s most interesting games. And our early preview showed it running quite well on Switch 2 too.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Release date: <\/strong>April 23<\/p>\n Here\u2019s an alternative take on the survival\/life sim, in which you explore, craft, and modify a classic VW camper van (or legally distinct alternative) into a kind of futuristic traveling home using sustainable materials and green technologies. Outbound<\/em> supports four-player co-op and just looks like a really chill time.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n 1 <\/span>
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\n Darwin\u2019s Paradox!<\/strong>
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\n People of Note<\/strong>
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\n Pok\u00e9mon Champions<\/strong>
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\n Mouse: P.I. For Hire<\/strong>
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\n Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream<\/strong>
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\n Pragmata<\/strong>
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\n Outbound<\/strong>
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