Not everyone with a Switch has Nintendo Online, but Pokémon Sword and Shield offers plenty of fun ways to play local multiplayer with the friends around you.
Local Y-Comm play can be done no matter where you are in the Galar region, while the rest takes place specifically in the Wild Area.
Link Trade (Y-Comm)
Link trading is when you and a friend each choose a Pokemon to trade with the other. This is especially useful if someone is playing Sword and the other Shield pieces because you can trade Pokemon that are version exclusives and complete your Pokédex. Some major exclusives are Corayome and Galarian Ponyta (Shield) and Sirfetch'd and Dolman (Sword).
Link Battle (Y-Comm)
Link Battling is when you and a friend each put together a team of Pokémon and battle against each other. You can choose between single, double and multi-style battles, and choose to play with your Pokemon at the levels they are at, or flatten everyone at level 50 if you and your friend's Pokemon aren't enough close in level.
Explore (Wild Area)
If you and some friends are all playing Pokémon Sword and Shield at the same time, and you all go to the same part of the Wild Area, you'll find that you can see each other. There's usually a bit of a lag, and unfortunately it won't appear on any of your friends' screens if you put Charizard down, but other than that you can freely explore the Wild Area together, looking for berries and Pokemon .
Camping (wild area)
If you place your Pokémon Camp in the Wild Area, your friends can see it. If they stand on it and press A, they visit your camp. You can talk to/play with your own and your friends' Pokemon and you can curry together. While only one player can choose the base curry ingredient, everyone can add berries, making cooking less taxing on your individual resources.
Max Raid Battle (Zone sauvage + Y-Comm)
All around the Wild Area, there are Pokemon Dens. Idle Dens give you 50 Watts, while Active Dens give you 300 Watts and a chance to fight the Dynamax Pokémon inside in a raid-style battle. You can do this with NPCs or up to three friends to form a team of four. If you are playing with one or two friends, the other raid trainers will be NPCs. If you win, everyone gets the chance to catch the raid Pokemon and a set of rewards.
Note: Raids will take place at different locations and at different levels for each player. When you find a raid, you must invite friends to fight with you through the raid menu. They can join you by opening the Y-Comm, refreshing the feed, accessing your invite, and clicking “Join.”
