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Start with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild if you have not played either of Nintendo’s two large-scale exploration games. Its open exploration and survival-oriented premise make it the clearest entry point. If you have already finished it, play The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom next: Nintendo describes it as the direct sequel, expanding the same setting with construction and new abilities.
The other Switch Zelda games are better matches for specific tastes. Echoes of Wisdom is the choice for playing as Zelda and solving problems with copied objects and creatures. Link’s Awakening focuses on an island adventure, traditional dungeons and player-arranged Chamber Dungeons. Skyward Sword HD is the pick for dungeon puzzles and swordplay with either motion or button-only controls.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - World Edition | $56.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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![The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51xVZUUZ1hL._SL160_.jpg)
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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code] | $59.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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The quickest way to choose
There is no officially established “best” Zelda game for every player. Nintendo’s product descriptions support a preference-based choice built around exploration style, protagonist, dungeon emphasis, central mechanic and controls.
| If you want… | Play… | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Open exploration and a survival-oriented premise | Breath of the Wild | Link explores a dangerous land, recovers memories and finds resources to survive. |
| The continuation of Breath of the Wild, with building and new abilities | Tears of the Kingdom | It is explicitly a sequel and adds Ultrahand, Fuse, Ascend and Recall. |
| To play as Zelda and solve problems creatively | Echoes of Wisdom | Zelda uses the Tri Rod to create echoes of objects and creatures for puzzles and combat. |
| An island setting, dungeons and a reimagined classic structure | Link’s Awakening | Koholint Island, traditional dungeons, updated features and arrangeable Chamber Dungeons define the experience. |
| Dungeon puzzles and swordplay with flexible controls | Skyward Sword HD | You can swing with Joy-Con motion controls or use button-only controls in handheld mode or with a Pro Controller. |
Use the table as a starting point, then read the individual sections if you are deciding between two games.
#1 Best Overall
- Discover Hyrule as never before: by making your own path, choices, and consequences
- Ingenuity is the key to survival: find multiple solutions to tons of dynamic puzzles
- Surprises hide around every corner: scavenge weapons, armor, plants, animals, and more
- Live off the land: find weapons and armor, cook food, and brew elixirs
- Utilize special technology: the in-game Sheikah Slate controls, objects and enemies in fun ways
Why Breath of the Wild is the default starting point
Breath of the Wild is the safest recommendation for someone who has not played either open-world Zelda on Switch. Nintendo presents Link waking after a 100-year slumber in a world he no longer remembers. The premise—summarized on Nintendo’s product page as “No kingdom. No memories.”—puts exploration and discovery ahead of a prescribed route.
You explore a vast and dangerous land, recover Link’s memories and gather resources needed to survive. That combination makes the game a useful introduction to the series’ open-exploration format: the setting itself, rather than a fixed sequence of stages, is the main organizing principle.
Nintendo lists the Switch version as releasing on March 3, 2017. That date identifies the version’s place in the series; it does not mean the game is required before every other Zelda title. If your priority is a different protagonist, a more traditional dungeon structure or motion-based swordplay, another game may suit you better.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsChoose it when discovery matters most
- You want to decide where to go rather than follow a tightly linear route.
- You like finding resources while crossing a dangerous landscape.
- You want the first game in the two-part open-exploration arc.
Those are recommendations based on the game’s documented premise, not a claim that every player must begin here.
When Tears of the Kingdom should be next
Tears of the Kingdom is the natural follow-up to Breath of the Wild. Nintendo explicitly calls it a sequel and describes a journey through Hyrule and islands floating in the skies above. Playing it after Breath of the Wild preserves the clearest progression between the two games.
The sequel’s defining tools change how you interact with the environment:
- Ultrahand: construct objects and vehicles by attaching materials.
- Fuse: combine weapons or other materials to create new equipment.
- Ascend: pass through overhead surfaces where the ability applies.
- Recall: reverse an object’s movement.
These abilities make construction and physical experimentation central to the sequel’s identity. Choose it when you have already played Breath of the Wild and want more exploration with a broader toolkit, rather than a separate style of Zelda adventure.
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Nintendo labels Tears of the Kingdom a sequel, not a replacement for the earlier game. It is therefore a poor first recommendation only when the reader specifically wants the beginning of this open-exploration sequence. If building, combining materials and manipulating movement are the features that attracted you in the first place, it is the better next game after Breath of the Wild.
Pick Echoes of Wisdom to play as Zelda
Echoes of Wisdom changes the usual perspective: Nintendo identifies Princess Zelda as the protagonist after Link disappears into a rift. Her main tool is the Tri Rod, which creates “echoes”—imitations of objects or creatures found in the world.
Those echoes are used for both puzzle solving and combat. Instead of relying on one fixed item set, you copy useful things and decide how to deploy them. That makes this the clearest Switch recommendation for readers who specifically want to control Zelda or enjoy creative, tool-based solutions.
What the echo system means for your choice
- Playing as Zelda: the protagonist itself is the main distinction.
- Creative problem solving: copied objects and creatures become situational tools.
- Combat and puzzles: the same echo concept supports both kinds of challenges.
Nintendo also documents rewards for compatible Zelda-themed amiibo. Amiibo are optional; the game does not require one to access its core adventure.
Choose Link’s Awakening for an island-and-dungeon adventure
Link’s Awakening is a reimagined version of the adventure in which Link explores Koholint Island and its dungeons. Nintendo highlights a renewed soundtrack, updated item and map features, mini-games and Chamber Dungeons that you assemble from individual chambers.
That combination suits players who want a contained island setting and a more recognizable dungeon framework rather than the broad survival-and-exploration premise of Breath of the Wild. The Chamber Dungeon feature adds a construction element of its own, but it is about arranging dungeon rooms, not building vehicles or tools in the way Tears of the Kingdom does.
Rank #2
- Discover Hyrule as never before: by making your own path, choices, and consequences
- Ingenuity is the key to survival: find multiple solutions to tons of dynamic puzzles
- Surprises hide around every corner: scavenge weapons, armor, plants, animals, and more
- Live off the land: find weapons and armor, cook food, and brew elixirs
- Utilize special technology: the in-game Sheikah Slate controls objects and enemies in fun ways
Why you might choose it next
- You want a reimagined classic adventure rather than another open-world game.
- You prefer dungeons and item-driven progression.
- You like assembling your own Chamber Dungeons.
Compatible Zelda-character amiibo can unlock certain exclusive chambers, according to Nintendo. That is additional content, not a requirement for playing the main adventure. Nintendo’s description establishes the game’s features but does not establish a comparative completion time, so there is no reliable basis here for calling it shorter or longer than the other Switch titles.
Choose Skyward Sword HD for dungeons, puzzles and swordplay
Skyward Sword HD is the focused choice for players who put dungeon design, puzzles and sword fighting ahead of open-ended exploration. Nintendo describes an adventure built around those elements and supports two control approaches.
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With Joy-Con controllers, sword swings can use motion input. This option makes the direction of a swing part of the control scheme.
Button-only controls
Nintendo expressly supports button-only controls for portable play and for a Pro Controller. Motion controls are therefore not mandatory. If you prefer conventional inputs or intend to play handheld, this flexibility is an important reason to select the HD version.
Choose Skyward Sword HD when a structured dungeon-and-puzzle adventure is more appealing than the free-form exploration of the two newer games.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How the five games differ in practice
| Game | Primary protagonist | World or structure | Signature interaction | Control point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breath of the Wild | Link | Vast, dangerous land with open exploration | Finding resources, exploring and recovering memories | Not specified in the supplied official description |
| Tears of the Kingdom | Link | Hyrule plus floating sky islands | Ultrahand, Fuse, Ascend and Recall | Not specified in the supplied official description |
| Echoes of Wisdom | Princess Zelda | Adventure shaped by puzzle and combat situations | Creating echoes of objects and creatures with the Tri Rod | Not specified in the supplied official description |
| Link’s Awakening | Link | Koholint Island and dungeons | Chamber Dungeons assembled from chambers | Not specified in the supplied official description |
| Skyward Sword HD | Link | Dungeon- and puzzle-focused adventure | Swordplay and dungeon problem solving | Joy-Con motion or button-only controls |
The table intentionally avoids unsupported rankings, playtime estimates and difficulty claims. The available official descriptions establish these design differences, but not a universal order of quality or ease.
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Which order should you play them in?
If you have played no Switch Zelda game
- Start with Breath of the Wild if open exploration appeals to you.
- Continue with Tears of the Kingdom if you want the sequel’s building and ability systems.
- Choose one of the other three whenever its specific focus—Zelda as protagonist, island dungeons or swordplay—sounds more appealing.
If you have finished Breath of the Wild
Play Tears of the Kingdom next for the direct continuation. Alternatively, use Echoes of Wisdom, Link’s Awakening or Skyward Sword HD as a change of pace if you want a different structure before returning to large-scale exploration.
If you have played Tears of the Kingdom first
You can still choose any of the other games by preference. Select Breath of the Wild to see the earlier open-exploration premise, Echoes of Wisdom to play as Zelda, Link’s Awakening for Koholint Island and Chamber Dungeons, or Skyward Sword HD for dungeons and swordplay. The documented relationship between the two large exploration games is that Tears of the Kingdom is the sequel.
Amiibo: useful extra, never a prerequisite
Nintendo documents amiibo-related rewards for compatible games. In Echoes of Wisdom, compatible Zelda-themed amiibo can unlock certain rewards. In Link’s Awakening, compatible Zelda-character amiibo can unlock certain exclusive chambers. Nintendo’s amiibo information describes extras for compatible games generally.
Do not buy an amiibo on the assumption that every figure works identically or that one is needed to finish a game. Compatibility and the specific reward depend on the game and figure. Treat amiibo as optional additions after choosing the game itself.
Buying and availability checks
The relevant products are the Switch games themselves: Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom, Echoes of Wisdom, Link’s Awakening and Skyward Sword HD. Retail prices, stock and edition availability can change, so check the current listing and edition before purchasing. Nintendo’s product information identifies the games and their features but does not establish a current third-party price or inventory position.
The short answer
Choose Breath of the Wild for the best-supported starting point in open exploration. Choose Tears of the Kingdom immediately afterward for the sequel’s construction and ability systems. Pick Echoes of Wisdom to play as Zelda, Link’s Awakening for Koholint Island and arranged dungeons, or Skyward Sword HD for dungeon puzzles and a choice between motion and button-only sword controls.
Quick Recap
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.
