Just this week, Nintendo provided us with our Switch Year in Review – a roundup of our most played games for 2022 and the months we obsessed over them. Aside from a touching reminder that Big Bowser is still watching, the recaps offer a good look at the current year, pointing out the games we loved, yes, but also prompting some self-inspection when we inevitably think “wait a minute. , I threw all those hours in this?!”
If you’re curious and want to know how your Switch time was spent in 2022, head over to the following Nintendo page, log into your account, and let the memories come flooding back.
The holiday season is, of course, a time for giving and some of us Nintendo Life-ers have come together to give you all the goodies on our Year in Review lists (what do you mean by “I would have preferred socks”??) A selection of the team has broken down their reports below, ranging from the obvious to the games we’d rather not admit to playing this a lot.
Read our Recipes of the Year, then keep giving gifts by sharing your most played games in the comments below. Good reading!
Jim Norman, personal editor
Most played games, 2022:
Someone was torn about the lack of Zelda content this year, weren’t they! Yes, two of my three entries for 2022 could be considered Zelda likes, but I really appreciated what each brought to the table for me this year. Landing the tunic in second place is a credit to how much I enjoyed this game (it’s also a credit to how much I got stuck in some sections, but my perseverance speaks for itself) . On the other hand, Moonlighter has been my comfort food. It may not have come out in 2022, but that’s the year I discovered how much I appreciate my Zelda tastes when I’m lucky enough to run a small side shop.
Splatoon 3 at the top is no surprise at all. I really wondered whether to renew my NSO subscription this time around and Splatoon 3 convinced me to stay. I still have a lot of hours to devote to this one…
Ollie Reynolds, personal editor
Most played games in 2022:
This year’s “most played” stats for me are honestly quite disappointing to see. Indeed, I’ve played so little of my Switch this year (having a newborn will), that I imagine almost any game I’ve launched could have potentially made the top three; it was this close. Needless to say, the only game on the list that I can truly say with confidence that I liked was Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Personally, Bayonetta 3 was a disappointment, and while Pokémon Scarlet started out strong, the open world of more plus bland really took me out of the experience.
Otherwise, some of my most treasured games this year – Signalis, OlliOlli Worldetc – are much shorter experiments, so I’m not surprised they didn’t make the cut.
Alana Hagues, Writer
Most played games in 2022:
Wow, can you tell what genre and type of games I like to play? These stats don’t surprise me at all – they sort of come with love RPG territory. Also, for Pokémon Violet, I reviewed it and wrote a bunch of guides for it. So that helped me break the 100 hour mark on that one. AI: The Somnium files – NirvanA Initiative and zero trails aren’t too far behind Legends: Arceus (AI because I played it once and then my partner played it when he visited).
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is almost 170 hours away and I still didn’t do everything. I’m going! And I’ll be back for next year’s DLC. It could therefore appear in the exam next year.
Kate Gray, Editor
Most played games in 2022:
I’m always a bit disappointed with my “Most Played” stats, as they don’t necessarily reflect what I appreciated most, but this year is not bad. I played a LOT of Slay the Spire after Backlog Club sparked something in me, and Rune Factory was easy to drain for several hours each night. Pokémon Scarlet probably doesn’t come close to these two, but since I was helping with the guides, it makes sense! I think Disney Valley of Dreams would be here too, but I played it through PC Game Pass. All in all, a very good Most Played for my 2022!
Gavin Lane, editor
With such a colossal backlog to my name, I’m pleasantly surprised that two of my first three were 2022 releases. Of course, the first was nostalgia-marinated comfort food made from 30-year-old Sega rigs, and the second was the one i played for evaluation, but remains. After dipping my toe into a bunch of games, many of them relatively short, I can’t argue with this result.
With the recent announcement of Hades II, I’m glad to finally have this one under my belt too. Of course, I still have to escape from Hades several times to get the full story, but I’m on the right track. Having now cleared another significant backlog – all rescheduled social events and various obligations that have been pushed back due to the pandemic – I hope to have more free time in 2023 to enjoy more video games.
Who am I kidding? This time next year my top three will be 1) tears of the kingdom, 2) a retro or other collection, and 3) Hades again. Hey, that doesn’t sound too bad.
Liam Doolan, journalist
Most played games in 2022:
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus
- Splaton 3
- Pokemon Scarlet
It may have come out at the end of the year, but it turns out I’ve put so many hours into Pokémon Scarlet now that it’s already in the top three of my most-played Switch games of 2022. . A little like breath of the wild, I often find myself getting lost in the open grassy plains for hours. I see a Pokémon in the distance, then another…and another, and it doesn’t stop until I catch them all. My second most played Switch game this year is Splatoon 3. I queued in lobbies for hours, and while I didn’t always have the smoothest online experience, I certainly played my fair share of matches. I also had a lot of successful Salmon Run missions. And my most played game of the year…drum roll…goes to Pokémon Legends: Arceus. While it’s not a full-fledged open-world experience like Scarlet and Violet, when it was released earlier this year, it was still a defining moment in the history of the series in a fully 3D world.
Alex Olney, video producer
Most played games in 2022:
I think what’s most surprising is the fact that my three most played games are games that came out this year. If you had asked me without all this brilliant information what I played the most, I probably would have said something like Super Smash Bros Ultimate, but the numbers don’t lie. I think it’s a testament to the fabulous work that Hello Games has done that No Man’s Sky – a two-month-old game – is one of my most played games of these twelve beautiful months. As for Splatoon 3, I would have been more shocked if it hadn’t been picked up. I’ve played this stuff to death on multiple accounts and for review purposes.
Félix Sanchez, video producer
Most played games in 2022:
I never thought Splatoon 3 would hook me so much. I played this and ONLY this for a good month – it was just SO much fun! – Splatoon had never really clicked before, but something magical happened where I (got it) got good at it. I had good friends who could help me improve tremendously through their feedback, and it was just an amazing feeling to swim, listen to Candy Coated Rocks, and reach S rank for the first time!
I also finally managed to play Xenoblade Chronicles DE and MAN properly it was worth the wait! Incredible storytelling that just kept growing. The world building and monsters were awesome on a whole new level, and don’t even get me started on the music. Absolutely fantastic game which I’m glad it’s one of my most played games this year.
And finally, there’s Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which is just a comfort game at this point. It was wonderful to have 24 new tracks across the Rappel course passand I can’t wait to see what the next wave of DLC brings!
All in all a solid year, already excited just thinking about all the wonderful games and epic new adventures I’ll be embarking on in 2023!
Gonçalo Lopes, reviewer
Most played games in 2022:
Third place on my list is none other than a title from the Sacred Backlog of Shame: Valkyria Chronicles. Yes, the original entry, and this after playing to the end Chronicles of Valkyria IV and have all the plot spoiled by the terrific anime. 35 days translated into 58 hours later I finally have this with 100% completion. We really need a complete collection or a new entry in the series.
The silver goes to discipline, discipline, and discipline: Knockout Home Fitness was on my Switch cartridge slot 200 days in a row. A slight deterioration considering these 300 consecutive days Ring shaped adventure last year, but I assure that I have sweated a lot of bad things on the body during these 74 hours. I can’t wait for Kenshiro to take this place in 2023.
No real shock for the gold medal: Xenoblade Chronicles 3 swept away most of my summer (32 days straight) in an incredible 101 hour journey that I will never be able to forget. A true luxury, I’m incredibly grateful to have been able to experience this stellar entry into the series.
There’s a preview of our review of the years, but what was yours like? We have a brand new poll feature where you can put your own entries and vote to agree with others. Try out this shiny new toy below before leaving a comment on your results!
