New 12 months, new you. New you, new video games to play. In November, we introduced that we are going to have fun the one-year anniversary of this program with a 2024 Anniversary Assortment. Annually, we’ll add 6 indie titles, not obtainable on Xbox Recreation Cross, that we consider are absolute must-haves to this assortment. Yearly we’ll add 6 extra, by no means eradicating the titles from earlier years, slowly rising our shrine to indie greatness. Consider it as our yearly “Indie Corridor of Fame” within the Xbox Retailer. We now have one other massive shock subsequent week, so keep tuned.
However earlier than all that, we have now a brand new record of titles to kick off your 2025, simply earlier than the social gathering begins subsequent week.
Generally, superb indie titles that launch in December don’t get the visibility they deserve. This month, we rectify that with a loopy good record of long-awaited remasters, unusual puzzles, stranger puppets, and watery adventures, each chaotic and enjoyable. Right here’s what we’ve acquired for you this month (in no specific order):
“Craft a floating base out of trash to outlive,” they mentioned. “Who wants buddies? Go it alone,” they mentioned. “What’s the worst that may occur?” they mentioned. Seems, sharks can occur.
Subsequent time, I’m positively gathering some folks up for aquatic survival sport, Raft. The primary hours of this sport have been aggravating for me. My instruments broke a number of occasions, I used to be at all times dehydrated, and I didn’t appear to know steering. The sport gave me path, however I felt prefer it was at all times resulting in my dying. In some methods, I felt like perhaps this sport wasn’t for me.
After which, I began to unlock blueprints. Then I began to enhance my instruments, the water grew to become drinkable, my raft acquired greater. I can do that, I’m going to reside! Hours handed. I all of a sudden was capable of steer and cease my now-giant raft. I used to be getting far more assured exploring reefs and following the particles. Out of the blue, I’m seeing a humongous outpost and I’m discovering puzzles to unravel, and now I’m happening quests. Oh, and I fought a bear! I didn’t win, however I fought it. It grew to become extraordinarily satisfying to progress – even empowering. I haven’t tried this with different folks but, however I’m very excited to share this sport with my buddies. I’m nonetheless engaged on my raft and making it extra useful, however I not really feel like Tom Hanks ready in the course of the ocean for somebody to save lots of me, which is an effective begin.
Raft
Axolot Video games
☆☆☆☆☆
201
★★★★★
$24.99
Raft™ throws you and your folks into an epic oceanic journey! Alone or collectively, gamers battle to outlive a dangerous voyage throughout an unlimited sea! Collect particles, scavenge reefs and construct your individual floating house, however be cautious of the man-eating sharks!
There are numerous tales on-line in regards to the improvement of this sequence and the way it was left unfinished, however at this time followers can rejoice on this remastered compilation of Soul Reaver 1 & 2, the crown jewels of the epic sequence. The Legacy of Kain is notorious for its unyielding twists and turns, shaping the lore of Nosgoth and its story of People, vampires, corruption, and prophecy. In the true world, these video games had a dramatic affect within the early 2000s sport business in a few methods. Moreover the extremely deep lore and pleasant puzzle fixing, the environment-shifting gameplay mechanic they launched was totally new floor at this level. Although it’s not so uncommon to seek out nowadays, the concept of going backwards and forwards between two variations of an surroundings to proceed ahead had simply began to be explored in journey video games.
Remastering older video video games has now grow to be its personal self-discipline, and even style. The constraints, the legalities, the misplaced information, can current a myriad of unsolvable issues to each developer and writer. Nevertheless, the previous 5-10 years have seen some actually impressed work to protect, reimagine, and typically rebuild from scratch the work of earlier a long time. That is a kind of remasters. The fashions and environments are meticulously up to date to carry this title up-to-date by a number of generations. That features a trendy model of the in-game controls, up to date digital camera controls, and even a map (which might have been good 20 years in the past). There’s additionally behind-the-scenes footage, never-before-seen cutscenes, a lore map, and even lower ranges that have been faraway from the video games, which is a formidable inclusion.
Among the greatest and most well-known artwork items, literature, and music in human historical past are unfinished. Generally the damaging area or the lifeless air feels purposeful, haunting, as if it have been calling out to you asking what you’ll put right here. Possibly it’s for another person to complete, or perhaps it was by no means meant to be completed in any respect. Regardless of the case perhaps, Soul Reaver was a masterpiece of its time and deserved the cautious restoration it acquired. As somebody who’s overwhelmed these video games a number of occasions, I can’t wait to have extra conversations with much more folks experiencing it for the very first time.
Legacy of Kain™ Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered
Aspyr
☆☆☆☆☆
205
★★★★★
$29.99
Have a good time Soul Reaver’s twenty fifth Anniversary
Expertise the epic battle of Kain and Raziel in unique type or with remastered graphics.
Included Recreation Titles
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2
Expertise the Legendary Narrative
Centuries after your former grasp, Kain, betrays and executes you, you rise once more and embark on a relentless quest for revenge.
Wield the Powers of a Wraith
Slay your former vampire brethren together with your claws, bolts of telekinetic vitality, and the fundamental Wraith Blade. Develop stronger by devouring the souls of your enemies.
Shift Between Realms
The Elder God has granted you the power to shift between the Spectral and Materials Realms. Traverse the realms to unravel puzzles, reveal new paths, and defeat your foes.
Let’s be actual: who doesn’t need to gently reunite little misplaced ducklings with their moms? Or assist passing fishies swim into new waters? If that’s in your wavelength (it’s positively on mine), then Naiad is right here to ship what’s mainly a haven for very chill, typically extremely mysterious, puzzling that’ll have you ever drifting alongside streams, creeks, and rivers. On this minimalist, colourful exploration journey, you play as a stunning little mermaid-like creature who nudges across the waters, serving to, nurturing, and stumbling into new eventualities.
Every new physique of water consists of what’s just about a dialogue-free toybox in which you’ll full a bunch of very opaque aims that give little instruction – or just full a foremost job to slide into the following chapter. It’s a principally serene, subdued journey that allows you to select how deep you need to dive into the mysteries of every of those water-laden toyboxes. Created by a solo dev, Naiad scoots alongside like a quiet daydream however harbors simply sufficient complexity to fulfill the extra curious.
NAIAD
HiWarp
☆☆☆☆☆
2
★★★★★
$19.99
Move with Naiad throughout a mysterious river and work together with its fauna and flora to find little secrets and techniques.
Get pleasure from a healthful expertise with a dreamy and unique visible type.
Be taught to swim like a duck, dive like a fish, sprint like a frog and meet different lovable buddies like butterflies, rabbits, turtles, snakes and crocodiles. Assist them discover their manner and keep away from obstacles.
Navigate your manner by means of 16 episodes that may take you thru lovely and unusual locations like a deep forest, a darkish cave, a joyful creek, a relaxed lake and extra – till you attain the ocean.
Naiad is really a private and distinctive sport created with love by a solo dev.
All the things about this distinctive puzzle sport is so charming to me. The character designs, their personalities, the world constructing, and the hilarious dialogue stored me entertained as I performed by means of this story of a mail-carrier for the gods in a world on the brink. Nice God Grove’s core mechanics revolve round gamers leveraging items of dialogue to work together with different characters and remedy puzzles, however in a manner I’ve by no means seen earlier than – you actually simply suck the phrases straight from dialog packing containers together with your Megapon vacuum device and launch them in locations that make sense.
I additionally can’t stress how foolish this sport is! Proper off the bat, you meet a captain who appears to know a lot in regards to the Grove, whereas concurrently shedding his thoughts each second. Up to now, every character I’ve interacted with has completed or mentioned one thing that felt paying homage to a cartoon I’d watch – whether or not it was a personality consuming a lacking seaside ball or a muscular girl threatening a person who’s too scared to profess his love for her. It’s enjoyable, it’s bizarre and it’s superior!
Nice God Grove
Fellow Traveller
☆☆☆☆☆
9
★★★★★
$19.99
THE WORLD IS ENDING AND THE GODS ARE SQUABBLING! Suck up and launch speech bubbles in a wacky world of puzzles, puppets, and peculiar gods… or THE RIFT WILL CONSUME US ALL!!
As soon as in a era, the gods come collectively to postpone the apocalypse. However this time, the god of communication began a bunch of heavenly fights after which went awol.
With the sky splitting and the gods in disarray, who’s gonna be a part of the Bizzyboys to assist SAVE DA WORLD FROM A-POCKY-LIPS???
• SUCK UP AND LAUNCH DIALOGUE! Because the gods’ new mail-carrier, you may suck up speech bubbles and hearth them at anybody to speak! Remedy puzzles! Flirt! HURT GODS’ FEELINGS! Aww…
• DISCOVER BIZARRE GODS: The god of teamwork? The god of LOVE SONGS? Drain it, who’s in cost round right here…?
• Expertise speaking scarecrows! Cooking puppets!! THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT!!!
For as enjoyable and comfy as this sport’s aesthetic is, I didn’t understand how troublesome, difficult, and chaotic working my very own airport community could be. This advanced administration sim’s true problem wasn’t opening airports, including new routes, or upgrading planes. It was managing the cash to finish aims and coping with random occasions that really examined my strategic expertise. Followers of administration simulation video games will really feel proper at house with the difficult however rewarding nature of this sudden gem.
Out of the a number of modes, I discovered essentially the most enjoyable in “Uncover The World,” the place you’re tasked with unlocking a brand new territory each 6 minutes, or your run is ended. This compelled me to shortly perceive the sport’s movement – which routes are most cost-effective, when to improve and add planes and airports, and whether or not to just accept high-risk, high-reward occasions. Actually, this was a pleasant break from my ordinary action-oriented titles and has made me interested by what else this style provides. Whether or not you’re an informal gamer or a fan of technique video games, Fly Corp is a fascinating expertise value exploring!
Fly Corp
Klabater
☆☆☆☆☆
6
★★★★★
$14.99
Develop your transport community!
Open new routes throughout areas and cities, purchase and improve planes, and broaden airport capacities as your community grows.
Handle passenger movement with precision!
With a complicated passenger system, every metropolis has a sensible inhabitants, and the bigger town, the better the demand for flights to numerous locations. You possibly can’t afford to attach each metropolis instantly, so you may have to strategize, create environment friendly hubs, and forestall airport overloads. If one airport reaches capability, it’s sport over.
The world is your playground!
Discover almost 180 territories and tens of 1000’s of cities. Construct airports anyplace and begin transporting passengers globally. Adapt your technique to totally different areas: shorter routes are simpler to handle in locations like Europe, whereas long-distance connections in huge areas would require cautious planning because of greater prices.
Select from a number of sport modes: Uncover the World, Free Play, and Challenges.
In Uncover the World mode, unlock and join territories as you broaden throughout the globe — however act quick, as you should unlock a brand new area each 6 minutes otherwise you lose! In Challenges, tackle distinctive eventualities with particular objectives, corresponding to surviving for a set interval or incomes a goal sum of money. Every problem provides one thing totally different: some require connecting always unlocking airports, whereas others may contain rebuilding your community after a coronavirus outbreak.
Keep engaged with random occasions!
Sudden occasions, from investments to disasters that disrupt flights, and even humorous conditions like a lawsuit over spilled espresso, hold the gameplay dynamic and unpredictable.
Compete with different gamers!
Face every day eventualities and climb the leaderboard in each problem. Earn factors for transporting passengers, producing income, and constructing infrastructure. Are you able to make it to the highest?
Create your individual eventualities!
Use the feature-rich State of affairs Editor to create, share, and play user-generated eventualities for countless new content material.
Concern and belief. That’s what The Factor is all about, and I like it! When you haven’t come throughout this sport earlier than, it’s a third-person survival horror set as a sequel to the traditional 1982 film of the identical identify – which was fairly revolutionary in itself at launch, given that the majority film tie-in video games have been extra like diversifications than story continuations.
I totally loved taking a step again by means of time for a second whereas taking part in. Nightdive Studios did a superb job remastering the title – the digital camera orientation, the voice appearing, and most, if not all, of the mechanics really feel precisely how video games felt 24 years in the past however with a contemporary sheen.
I couldn’t assist however discover how a lot this jogged my memory of Gears of Struggle as I used to be taking part in it. The grotesque creatures, the character relationship constructing, the tone, and environment are all very related in a manner. Possibly that’s why I appreciated taking part in it a lot, however I received’t let that take away from how good this sport is by itself.
The Factor: Remastered
Nightdive Studios
☆☆☆☆☆
179
★★★★★
$29.99
No One Survives Alone.
The 2002 third-person survival horror shooter that serves as a sequel to the genre-defining 1982 movie is again, remastered by Nightdive Studios to carry this revolutionary mix of quick paced squad motion meets survival horror to the fashionable period. Together with Antialiasing, Per Pixel Lighting, 4K Decision and as much as 120 FPS.
The place the film ended, the true terror begins.
You’re Cpt J.F. Blake, chief of a U.S. Particular Forces rescue crew despatched to analyze the blood-curdling occasions and enigmatic deaths of the American scientific crew that transpired on the Outpost 31 analysis facility positioned within the frozen wastelands of Antarctica. Inside these inhospitable environment your crew encounters a wierd shape-shifting alien life-form that assumes the looks of people who it kills. Trapped by the weather and contaminated by this horrific entity, utilizing all of your crew members is crucial should you hope to perform your aims, not to mention survive. When you solely knew which of them have been nonetheless human…
These are our picks for January, however we’re removed from completed. Keep tuned subsequent week for our massive Indie Selects Anniversary Celebration!
