Xbox Game Pass is practically a godsend for video game enthusiasts. Along with big budget AAA titles, it also boasts a generous roster of Indie games from developers all around the world. These games are usually short in length, yet capable enough to provide a cozy and fulfilling experience. Smaller independent studios normally have limited budget and manpower to work with. So, they need to pour all of their creative juices into a game for it to be successful. In this article, we have ranked the Top 10 Indie Games coming to the Xbox Game Pass in 2023 and beyond. Check out our ranked list below.
Top 10 Indie Games coming to the Xbox Game Pass
10. Thirsty Suitors, Outerloop Games
Coming from minority led studio Outerloop Games, Thirsty suitors has a spicy blend of gameplay elements. It is a tangy mixture of skateboarding, cooking and turn-based combat mechanics. The art style screams eccentric with vivid colors that reflects the diverse South Asian culture the game is trying to represent.
- The narrative-driven title follows Jala, a young woman of Indian origin returning to her hometown for her sisters wedding.
- There, she has to make amends with her former lovers who might try to win her back.
- She will also need to address issues relating family and friends while putting an effort to make them right.
Thirsty Suitors comes out on all major platforms including the Nintendo Switch and last gen consoles. However, a release date is not revealed yet. There is a free demo available on Steam that you can download and play to get a feel of the game before it officially launches.
9. Ereban Shadow Legacy, Baby Robot Games
Ereban was first announced a year back during the Xbox & Bethesda Showcase in 2022. It is a third-person action platformer that focuses on stealth-based combat.
- Heavy parkour is involved in the game as well where you traverse through both vertical and horizontal spaces, sometimes taking the form of a shadow.
- This particular power where you can turn into a shadow offers a fluid mobility and is a major part within the gameplay elements.
The player takes on the role of Ayana, the last living member of an unknown race. She will mainly fight against factions consisting of tall robots and proceed to infiltrate a megacorporation named Helios. The corporation holds the secret behind the disappearance of her race which she needs to uncover.
This one will release on the Xbox and PC (Steam) sometime this year.
8. Cocoon, Geometric Interactive
Cocoon is a puzzle-based platformer with occasional combat mechanics during boss battles. You will constantly solve uniquely thought-out puzzles and explore your surroundings in order to progress. Keep in mind that one needs careful analyzation skills along with quick fingers in order to get through the hurdles you encounter in the game.
- The player controls an insect-like creature that emerges from a cocoon right at the start of the journey.
- Character dialogues or cutscenes are absent in this game and you experience the story from gameplay itself.
- The atmosphere brings the vibe of a sci-fi alien world and you can explore a number of biomes within this land.
It is important to mention that Jeppe Carlsen is the lead gameplay designer who has previously designed Limbo and Inside. So, players can have high expectations from the game. This indie title will release on all major platforms sometime in 2023.
7. Way to the Woods, Onepixel.dogss
The game follows the story of a Deer and her fawn who embarks on a journey, aiming to get back home through a desolate post apocalyptic world.
- This game might have similar gameplay elements like the First Tree where exploration is the primary purpose.
- We also expect some minor puzzles as an incentive within the game. The narrative might feature an emotional tale that would have a lasting affect on the player.
The information regarding this game was first unveiled in 2015, when the concept art of the game was showcased by its developer Anthony Tan, 16 years old at that time.
It has been 8 years since and according to its website, the game was supposed to come out Q1 of 2023. The game is also confirmed for Xbox Game Pass so we can speculate the game to come out soon.
6. Lightyear Frontier, FRAME BREAK
Lightyear Frontier is basically a farming simulator where you grow crops and collect resources, but you do all these while riding a mech. Not only that, harvesting materials from the surroundings and building various structures helping with the job is a major motivation.
- You can sell the crops and get money that will help in crafting various items.
- The mech will make your life easier while you go navigating around collecting resources. All the supplies collected will also reward you with various upgraded to your equipment.
- You do all these on a beautiful and tranquil landscape located within a distant planet.
This indie game with soothing visuals and laid back soundtrack can help a person relax after a long days work. Lightyear Frontier releases in 2023 on Xbox and PC (Steam).
5. Routine, Lunar Software
Routine is a first-person horror game set in space. You travel through the confined areas of an abandoned space station towards your destination. But, you will also have to avoid getting caught by the hands of the creepy robots present across your surroundings at the same place. The creepy atmosphere and the fear of the enemies will add to the constant tension in a player’s mind.
The game has surfaced back after a decade when its audience had already lost the hope of it ever coming out. Fortunately, the game is still set to release on the Xbox and PC (Steam). However, the final release date for it is unknown.
4. Replaced, Sad Cat Studios
Replaced is a unique 2.5D indie title with distinctive pixelated art style. The in-game world features a futuristic sci-fi environment with neon color palette.
- We can state the game as primarily a 2D side scroller but the layered visuals also feature a three dimensional depth. That is why it is labeled as 2.5D.
- The player can be seen mainly fighting and sometimes interacting with characters around him.
- The game might feature puzzles along with the already seen combat mechanics.
- We can also expect some synthwave-based soundtracks to fit with the overall atmosphere.
Initially it was planned for release in 2022 but due to delay, it will come out sometime around 2023. It will release on Xbox and PC.
3. Dungeons of Hinterberg, Microbird Games
Austrian development studio Microbird Games announced a third-person action game with multiple RPG elements. The cell-shaded art style gives it a distinctive look.
- The player can expect fighting, puzzle solving, magic wielding, and relationship building while voyaging across the alpine landscape.
- The game has huge potential if it can deliver at all the right directions.
Dungeons of Hinterberg comes out next year in 2024 and releases exclusively on Xbox.
2. 33 Immortals, Thunder Lotus Games
Coming from the same studio that made Spiritfarers, 33 Immortals is a 33-player online co-op roguelike game.
- You play the game from a top-down perspective and bands together to defeat in-game enemies.
- In essence, all 33 players initiate a raid and strives towards a common goal. This is a new concept and we will have to see how it plays out in practice. From its looks, the game seems highly promising.
It is coming out in 2024 on the PC and Xbox.
1. Hollow Knight: Silksong, Team Cherry
Hollow Knight: Silksong is a massively anticipated title. The extreme success of the first instalment is a major cause for such anticipation.
- It is a metroidvania where the player travels through an unnamed kingdom, fighting foes along the way.
- The main character is an insect-like warrior who wields a nail as weapon.
- The game will also feature a compelling storyline that expands upon the story already told through its prequel.
The game does not have a release window but it will come out on all major platforms.
What do you think of the list? Are you happy with the ranking or would you change any? Let us know in the comments below!
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