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At a glance: which Switch game is most like Breath of the Wild?
Similarity depends on the part of Breath of the Wild you want to preserve. No other game in this list is simply the same experience with a new map. The table separates direct continuity from narrower overlaps such as open-world scale, puzzles or creative traversal.
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| Game | Franchise continuity | Exploration and scope | Puzzles and combat | Creative building or traversal | Setting and tone | Edition noted by Nintendo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom | Direct sequel to Breath of the Wild | Hyrule plus floating islands; players choose their route | Not separately quantified in the cited product description | Ultrahand, Fuse, Ascend and Recall add construction and traversal options | Zelda’s Hyrule; expanded sequel setting | Nintendo Switch; Nintendo also lists a separate Switch 2 Edition |
| Immortals Fenyx Rising | Different franchise | Stylized open world divided into seven regions | Mythology-inspired combat and puzzle-solving | Open-world traversal is part of its appeal; a Breath of the Wild-equivalent building system is not established | Mythology-inspired, stylized world | Nintendo Switch version |
| Pokémon Legends: Arceus | Different franchise | Listed by Nintendo in its open-world games category | Not established by that category listing | Not established by that category listing | Pokémon setting | Nintendo Switch listing |
| Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition | Different franchise | Listed by Nintendo in its open-world games category | Not established by that category listing | Not established by that category listing | Xenoblade setting | Nintendo Switch listing |
| The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition | Different franchise | Listed by Nintendo in its open-world games category | Not established by that category listing | Not established by that category listing | Elder Scrolls setting | Nintendo Switch listing |
1. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom — the closest follow-up
If your priority is continuity, start here. Nintendo explicitly describes Tears of the Kingdom as a sequel to Breath of the Wild. It brings players back to Hyrule, lets them choose their route through the world, and extends exploration into floating islands above the surface. Nintendo’s UK product page gives the Nintendo Switch release date as 12 May 2023.
Why it feels familiar
The sequel retains the broad premise that made Breath of the Wild distinctive: you can set your own direction instead of following one narrow sequence. Hyrule remains the central setting, so the geography, characters and visual language provide a direct continuation rather than a thematic imitation. That makes it the sensible first recommendation for someone who wants “more Zelda” rather than merely another open-world game.
#1 Best Overall
- Enhanced performance and visuals exclusive to the Nintendo Switch 2.
- Explore the skies, caves, and vast lands of Hyrule in a massive open-world adventure.
- Wield new and returning abilities to craft solutions, vehicles, and weapons.
- Discover the mystery behind the spreading gloom threatening the kingdom.
- Use the ZELDA NOTES app to share, compare, and earn daily bonuses.
What changes: four abilities that reshape exploration
Nintendo emphasizes four abilities that change how you approach obstacles and travel. They are not cosmetic additions to the old game; they are the sequel’s main design vocabulary.
- Ultrahand: lets you join objects together, enabling player-built machines and solutions to environmental problems.
- Fuse: combines items and equipment, allowing improvised creations rather than relying only on pre-made weapons or tools.
- Ascend: provides a way to move upward through eligible surfaces, changing how you read cliffs, structures and interiors.
- Recall: reverses an object’s movement, creating new options for timing, traversal and problem-solving.
Together, these systems make experimentation more central. A route that looks blocked may be approached by constructing something, combining materials, moving through a surface or reversing an object’s path. The result is a game that shares Breath of the Wild‘s freedom while asking you to think more actively about what the environment can do.
Who should choose it
- Choose it if you want the same fictional world and a true narrative continuation.
- Choose it if building, improvising and solving traversal problems sound more appealing than simply receiving a larger map.
- Choose it if you enjoyed choosing your own route and want that freedom extended into the sky.
Do not expect an identical experience. The floating-island layer and the new abilities alter the rhythm of exploration, and creative construction is a much more visible part of play. Calling it “the same game again” misses the systems that distinguish the sequel.
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Check the edition before buying
Nintendo’s game page identifies a Nintendo Switch version and separately notes a Switch 2 Edition. Store listings, physical-cartridge stock and digital availability can change. Before paying, confirm that the listing names the console you own, states whether it is physical or digital, and identifies the edition rather than assuming every listing is interchangeable.
Rank #2
- The Legend of Zelda - Tears of the Kingdom
2. Immortals Fenyx Rising — a different world with selected Zelda-like ingredients
Immortals Fenyx Rising is the strongest alternative when you want open-world roaming, puzzle-solving and action without returning to Hyrule. Nintendo describes a stylized open world divided into seven regions, combat against mythological creatures and puzzles throughout the adventure.
Where the overlap is useful
- Roaming: the seven-region structure gives you a broad world to investigate rather than a strictly linear sequence.
- Puzzles: environmental problem-solving is an explicit part of the design, making it a better fit than an open-world game that focuses only on combat.
- Action: mythology-inspired combat supplies the fighting component that many Breath of the Wild players want alongside exploration.
- Tone and presentation: its stylized visual identity gives the adventure a lighter, more fantastical character, but it is not Zelda’s setting.
What it does not replicate
This is not a one-to-one replacement and should not be presented as a sequel or unofficial Zelda entry. Its mythology-based world, characters and overall identity are distinct. The available Nintendo description supports the narrower comparison—open-world exploration, puzzles and action—not a claim that its movement, progression or interaction systems work exactly like Breath of the Wild.
Who should choose it
Pick Immortals Fenyx Rising if you are finished with Hyrule but still want a stylized world, a substantial collection of regions, mythological enemies and regular puzzles. If your favorite part was Zelda’s specific story, geography or sequel continuity, Tears of the Kingdom remains the better choice.
3. Three broader open-world options
Nintendo’s official open-world games category also includes Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition. That placement is useful for discovering games with room to explore, but it does not establish close similarity in combat, movement, tone, progression or puzzle design. Treat these as leads for a different kind of open-world adventure, not as guaranteed Breath of the Wild substitutes.
Rank #3
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom /Switch
Pokémon Legends: Arceus
This is the broadest recommendation for someone who wants to investigate a Pokémon world rather than continue Zelda’s formula. Nintendo’s category listing confirms its open-world classification, but does not, by itself, document the same traversal toolkit, combat structure or environmental puzzles found in Breath of the Wild. Choose it because the Pokémon setting is your priority and you are comfortable with a different core loop.
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition
Nintendo includes this edition in its open-world category, making it worth considering if you want a large-scale science-fiction setting from the Xenoblade series. The category entry alone does not support a detailed mechanical comparison with Zelda, so investigate the current edition’s systems and presentation before buying if specific features such as free-form climbing, construction or shrine-style puzzles are essential to you.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition
Skyrim Anniversary Edition is another Nintendo-listed open-world option, this time in the Elder Scrolls universe. Its inclusion broadens the shortlist for readers who value wandering through a large fantasy setting, but the listing does not prove that it matches Zelda’s tone, traversal or puzzle emphasis. Select it for its own world and role-playing identity, not because the category label guarantees a similar feel.
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How to choose without buying the wrong kind of “similar” game
If continuity matters most
Buy Tears of the Kingdom. It is the only title here that Nintendo explicitly identifies as a sequel to Breath of the Wild, and it returns you to Hyrule while expanding the playable space into the sky.
Rank #4
![The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Standard - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51PuJ83o9KL._SL160_.jpg)
- Ultrahand: Using the new Ultrahand ability, Link can pick up, move, and rotate almost any object, and can even attach objects together to create bridges, vehicles, and more!
- Fuse: Magically fuse almost any object to Link’s current weapon, shield, or arrow to increase durability, damage, or even add a new effect. Experiment with lots of different combinations to come up with surprising—and sometimes hilarious—results!
- Ascend: Add a new dimension to your exploration with Ascend, which gives Link the ability to pass through solid objects above him. Rise up through ceilings, hillsides, and even certain enemies to create seemingly impossible shortcuts.
- Recall: Use Recall to make objects in motion move backward through time, letting Link ride fallen boulders skyward, recover thrown weapons, or send projectiles back where they came from.
If puzzles and action matter more than the setting
Consider Immortals Fenyx Rising. Its Nintendo description specifically combines puzzle-solving, mythology-inspired combat and a seven-region stylized open world. That is a narrower but defensible match for those three ingredients.
If you mainly want a large world to investigate
Use Nintendo’s open-world category as a discovery list and then compare each game’s actual systems. The category supports their open-world positioning, not a promise that they reproduce Zelda’s freedom, movement or progression.
If building and inventive traversal were your favorite parts
Start with Tears of the Kingdom, because Ultrahand, Fuse, Ascend and Recall are explicitly highlighted as new abilities. None of the other listed games is supported by the available descriptions as having an equivalent construction toolkit.
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Before purchasing any recommendation, verify four details on the current store page:
- Console: confirm that the listing is for Nintendo Switch if that is your system.
- Edition: distinguish a standard Switch release from a separately named Switch 2 Edition where applicable.
- Format: check whether you are receiving a physical cartridge or a digital download.
- Availability: confirm current stock or download status, since storefront listings can change after a product page is published.
These checks matter most for Tears of the Kingdom, whose Nintendo page identifies both a Switch version and a separate Switch 2 Edition. They also prevent confusion when a retailer’s search results combine multiple platforms or editions under one product title.
Quick Recap
Recommended order for most Breath of the Wild players
- Play Tears of the Kingdom first if you have not already done so and want the closest continuation.
- Try Immortals Fenyx Rising if you want a fresh setting with clearly documented open-world exploration, puzzles and mythological combat.
- Explore the broader category with Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition or Skyrim Anniversary Edition only after deciding which setting and style you prefer; their category placement does not establish a Zelda-level match.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
