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The Drifter Wins June 2026's Best Nintendo eShop Games

The Drifter took the top spot in June 2026's best eShop picks, beating out Rise of the Tomb Raider and Arcade Archives 2 Tekken in a vote across Switch 1 and 2.

Eliza Crichton-Stuart

Eliza Crichton-Stuart

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Updated Jul 6, 2026

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Six digital-only Switch releases qualified for consideration this June, and after staff votes were tallied across three weighted rounds, one point-and-click adventure from an Australian indie studio walked away with the crown.

Powerhoof's The Drifter took first place with a commanding lead in the June 2026 eShop Selects vote, landing on both Switch 1 and Switch 2. The game is a point-and-click adventure described as "sweary, violent, and grotesque," and the staff consensus is that it belongs in the same conversation as Monkey Island and Gabriel Knight. High praise, and apparently earned.

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What made The Drifter stand out

The Drifter released on June 22, 2026, and quickly became the most talked-about digital release of the month. Powerhoof, the Melbourne-based developer behind it, has crafted something that reviewers are calling a genuine contender for the best point-and-click adventure in years, not just a solid indie effort. The argument being made is that the golden age of graphic adventures might not have been the LucasArts era after all. It might be happening right now.

That said, community reaction has been more mixed than the staff vote suggests. Some adventure game veterans have flagged frustrating puzzle logic and inventory ambiguity as real sticking points, particularly the need to try interactions multiple times without clear feedback. Here's the thing: point-and-click games live and die by their puzzle design, and The Drifter is not without its rough edges. Whether those rough edges bother you will depend heavily on your tolerance for old-school adventure game friction.

Still, 37% of a 253-person community poll voted it the best June eShop release, ahead of every other title on the list.

The runners-up worth your attention

Aspyr's port of Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration landed on Switch 2 on June 9, 2026, and pulled in 32% of the community vote, making it the closest challenger. This is the middle entry in Crystal Dynamics' Survivor trilogy, and the consensus is that it's the strongest of the three. The port runs at a locked 30fps with no content cuts, and Aspyr has maintained the full 20 Year Celebration package. Switch 2 owners who already played Tomb Raider (2013) on the platform have a natural next step here.

tip
Rise of the Tomb Raider is Switch 2 exclusive and does not have a Switch 1 version, unlike The Drifter which runs on both platforms.

Sharing second place is Hamster's Arcade Archives 2 Tekken, which released June 25, 2026, and brought the original arcade Tekken to Switch 2 for the first time. Namco's fighting series has appeared on Nintendo hardware only four times across its entire history, so any port is notable. The caveat is that sticking to the arcade build means several unlockable characters from console versions are absent. Fingers crossed Hamster keeps the sequels coming.

The full June shortlist

Beyond the top three, the full pool of qualifying releases included Dark Scrolls (Switch), eFootball Kick-Off! (Switch 2), and Observer: System Redux (Switch 2). Community voting placed eFootball Kick-Off! at 14% and Dark Scrolls at 6%, while Observer: System Redux pulled just 2%.

The method behind the monthly ranking uses a weighted points system: first-choice votes earn 3 points, second-choice votes earn 2, and third-choice votes earn 1. Only digital-only eShop releases without physical versions at launch are eligible, which keeps the focus squarely on games that live and breathe in the eShop.

What June's picks say about the Switch 2 eShop

June's lineup is a decent snapshot of where the Switch 2 digital storefront sits right now. A legacy port from a major franchise, a classic arcade fighter brought back from the dead, and a brand-new indie adventure that arguably outclassed both of them. That's a healthy mix.

The Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream crowd has had plenty to keep them busy too, and if you want to stay on top of every unlock and restock in that game, the Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream seasonal unlocks guide and the shop reset times guide are worth bookmarking. For everything else across Switch 1 and 2, the full library of gaming guides has you covered as July's eShop releases start stacking up.

Eliza Crichton-Stuart author avatar

Eliza Crichton-Stuart

Head of Operations

Reports

updated

July 6th 2026

posted

July 6th 2026

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