Today, we will highlight the best Xbox indie games you can play.
Recently, Xbox announced that ID@Xbox will run a weekly rotating selection of spotlighted indie games called Indie Selects in the Xbox store. This is fantastic news for smaller devs and will hopefully serve to get more eyes on smaller titles that aren’t part of Game Pass. Every Wednesday, new featured themed collections of indie titles will be highlighted, rolling out as of January 24. This week’s collections are the monthly selection of Featured Titles, Games to Play with Your Cat, Games from Around the World, and a section of upcoming titles to add to your wish list. Here are the ten best games across the collections to check out.
Lil Gator Game
This charming adventure game from MegaWobble was one of my favorite releases from 2022. You play as a young gator, trying to get your older sister to join your game. Unfortunately, she is home from university but still extremely preoccupied with work. Thus begins an epic island-wide game featuring cardboard enemies, a large cast of friends, quests, and a terrifying bracelet-selling monkey who still haunts my nightmares. It’s a heartfelt game, filled with creativity, and illustrated beautifully.
Born of Bread
This doughy RPG is a recent release from WildArts Studio, Inc., and follows a homunculus made of bread that has come to life, which no one seems surprised about. After over-eager archaeologists release some teenage monsters with ideas of ruling from their crypts and the town baker is imprisoned for witchcraft, it’s up to the young bread boy to save the world. With Paper Mario vibes, this 2.5D adventure is a fun romp through a weird world filled with easy combat, silly humor, and a world that’s fun to explore.
Stray
One of the breakout hits from 2022 is now one of the best indie games on Xbox. Thanks to its realistic portrayal of life as a cat, Stray, from Blue Twelve Studios, immediately became a huge hit. You play as a stray cat lost in a long-forgotten walled city. The city is filled with robots, mutated bacteria, and machines, and with the help of a drone called B-12, this kitty has to parkour and sneak its way back to its family. Not only is a cat’s life perfectly rendered in the game, but you can also sleep, meow, and nuzzle NPCs. There is also a deeper story about abandonment and everything needing a home at its core.
Dredge
Ah, the open sea. Nothing like it. The salty air, the bracing winds, and the horrible nightmare beasts straight out of an H.P. Lovecraft story. In this incredibly atmospheric, narratively driven fishing game, you play as a fisherman who travels between islands, helping residents and upgrading your ship. Of course, it is in no way as wholesome as it sounds. Soon enough, you begin to catch mutated freak fish, you are plagued by something huge lurking in the water after dark, and you begin encountering some really strange people, not to mention the strange lights you see on the horizon.
Night in the Woods
In a similar vein to Beacon Pines, another game featuring zoomorphic animals, Night in the Woods from Infinite Fall may look like it’s full of Animal Crossing-style cutesy characters, but this is not a game for kids. You play as college dropout Mae, who has returned to Possum Springs and lives in their parent’s home. What looks to be a game about exploration and friendship is a much deeper story about mental health issues, past and recurring trauma, and how to confront them. It’s a narrative-heavy game that is both melancholic and hopeful, and I recommend it if you need some catharsis.
A Space for the Unbound
At the end of school and the end of the world, two Indonesian students find themselves with strange new powers that help them to help others. That’s the premise for the Indonesian-made game A Space for the Unbound from Mojiken Studios. You play as Atma, who gains the ability to “space dive” into other people’s minds from a strange red book. This power allows him to help people work through their trauma through puzzles. On top of this, his girlfriend Raya also gains powers from the same book and can levitate and manipulate reality. The sweethearts also have to take on the supernatural threat that is jeopardizing the world. It’s a beautifully rendered, emotional journey that you shouldn’t miss.
Upcoming Games to Add to Your Wishlist
These games aren’t available yet, so consider them future additions to our list of the best Xbox indie games!
Lost Records: Bloom and Rage
Coming in late 2024, Don’t Nod’s latest narrative-driven game, Lost Records, is set to take players on a journey through time. The synopsis from the developer’s website says, “The magical summer of 1995 is one of self-discovery and forging unbreakable bonds for high school friends Swann, Nora, Autumn, and Kat. 27 years of no contact later, fate reunites them to confront the long-buried secret that made them promise never to speak again.” With Life is Strange concluded, this follow-up has fans geared up for new stories.
Nirvana Noir
A loose sequel to Genesis Noir from the dev team Feral Cat Den, Nirvana Noir is set after the previous game’s events but is a standalone story. According to the developer’s website, “The city of cosmic beings is threatened in two parallel realities – one where the Big Bang was never fired, the other exploding in color and sin. It’s up to you to solve the mysteries of the Bigger Bang in this follow-up to the award-winning Genesis Noir.” Promising beautiful visuals, dynamic interactivity, and expanded gameplay mechanics, Nirvana Noir looks like it will be a deeper dive into the world of its predecessor later in 2024.
The Plucky Squire
Adorable adventure The Plucky Squire will be available for storybook lovers everywhere later this year from All Possible Futures. The game will follow Jot, a heroic little guy who has been kicked out of his storybook by the villainous Humpgrump. The game promises to switch between 2D and 3D planes as Jot and his friends try to restore the happy ending to their story.
Neva
From Nomada Studio, the team behind Gris, Neva will be available sometime in 2024. The game follows Alba and her beloved wolf, brought together through trauma, as they embark on an adventure through a dying and decaying world. Not much else is known about the title right now, but from the available trailers and stills, the game looks as beautiful as Gris and seems to promise an equally emotional journey.
