eShop Selects August 2025
Image: Nintendo Life

We're dreaming of crisp leaves, hot chocolate, and video games by the fire right now. Autumn approaches, but we have one more summer month to look back on in this edition of eShop Selects!

August has been a bountiful one, with an Indie World dropping some surprise hits and announcements. So there's been plenty to chew on alongside a couple of Nintendo highlights.

Before we dive in, let's remind you of the rules: Nintendo Life writers and contributors vote for their top three eShop exclusives for the month, from a list of games that we've reviewed. Afterwards, those games are scored (1 getting the most points, 3 the least) and tallied to determine the top three for the month.

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We've got a lot to get through, so let's not dilly-dally any longer.

Honourable mentions

We've got a familiar story again this month: a certain ninja is missing in action. This time it's SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance, as Switch codes were only sent out on the game's release date. You'll have to stay tuned for the verdict on that one.

(Update: Aaaand here it is, our verdict on the return of Joe Musashi; it's fantastic, but the performance on Switch is a little bit choppy. Fingers crossed for a patch!)

Still, we have 14 games to choose from in total — an Indie World will do that to you! All of the below scored at least a 7/10 with us, so let's have a look at what just missed out on the top three.

3rd Place - Tiny Bookshop

Platform: Switch

Just one of the many shadow drops we saw during Nintendo's Indie World Showcase in August, Tiny Bookshop sees you as the manager of a dinky little bookshop on wheels by the ocean. Pure bliss, right?

Well, because you're on wheels, you can park your little store wherever you want around the town of Bookstonbury. You get to decorate your wagon and choose just what books you can sell — oh, and every single book in-game is a real novel, so it might even inspire you to read.

We scored Tiny Bookshop a nice 8/10 — it's extremely satisfying, pleasant, and just a feel-good game all-round.

2nd Place - Roadwarden

Platform: Switch

Well, this one crept up on us out of nowhere. Roadwarden was announced just a week ahead of its release, and this award-winning text-based RPG lived up to the hype. It launched on PC back in 2022 and fans have been raving about it ever since. We can see why.

Incredible writing and lovely, simple pixel art help to illustrate a beautiful journey to the peninsula, layered with mysteries and choices that shape your experience. If you love storytelling, this is a must play.

We're so glad more people can experience this one, so check out our 9/10 review to see why we loved it so much.

1st Place - UFO 50

Platform: Switch

When Mossmouth's UFO 50 shadow-dropped at the end of the Indie World Showcase earlier in August, we were elated. We'd been asking for this one since we played it at Summer Game Fest 2024 and we watched longing as the game racked up rave reviews on Steam. Fortunately, we had to wait less than a year.

UFO 50 is magical and a must-play experience for anyone who's grown up with video games. The craft and curation that's gone into the whole experience, from the variety of games the fictional story of UFO Soft. And yes, there really are 50 individual games in one package here.

So, congrats to Mossmouth — and UFO Soft — for winning eShop Selects with UFO 50 this month! For those who have yet to dive in, have a read of our glowing 9/10 review.

< Nintendo eShop Selects - July 2025

Do you agree with our ranking? Tell us about your favourite eShop releases of last month by voting in our poll and sharing your thoughts in the comments.

What's your favourite Switch / Switch 2 eShop game from our August 2025 picks? (245 votes)

  1. Apex Legends (Switch 2)  0.8%
  2. Discounty (Switch eShop)4%
  3. Drag x Drive (Switch 2)4%
  4. The Exit 8 - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (Switch 2)1%
  5. Gradius Origins (Switch eShop)5%
  6. Herdling (Switch eShop)2%
  7. Heretic + Hexen (Switch eShop)7%
  8. Is This Seat Taken? (Switch eShop)5%
  9. OFF (Switch)1%
  10. Roadwarden (Switch eShop)2%
  11. Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution (Switch eShop)6%
  12. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown (Switch eShop)1%
  13. Tiny Bookshop (Switch eShop)6%
  14. UFO 50 (Switch eShop)54%

How we decide our eShop Selects top three: As we reach the end of every month, the Nintendo Life staff vote on their favourite titles from a list of games selected by the editorial team. To qualify for this list, these games must have been released as a digital-only Nintendo Switch eShop title in that particular month, and must have been reviewed on Nintendo Life; we select the qualifying games based on their review scores.

Staff are then asked to vote for three games that they think deserve to sit right at the very top of that list; first choice gets three points, second choice gets two points, and third choice gets one point. These votes are then tallied to create a top-three list, with the overall winner taking that month's top prize.