Each Wednesday, dive into the Indie Choose Hub — your gateway to a contemporary, curated indie assortment plus 4 themed spotlights that rotate weekly! You possibly can at all times discover this assortment hub within the Xbox Retailer and on Xbox.com/IndieSelects.
The vacation season is right here, and the ID@Xbox group is worked up to share this month’s Indie Selects! Earlier than we dive in, we need to categorical our honest gratitude in your continued assist of unbiased video games on Xbox as we have a good time the second 12 months of this program. Thanks for exploring our employees picks and for championing the unbelievable creators who make these experiences potential.
We’re additionally excited to carry again our annual Indie Choose Highlights! Beginning December 10 and thru the top of the 12 months, we’ll be showcasing and selling a few of our favourite titles from 2025. Don’t miss out!
Lastly, mark your calendars! On January 28, 2026, the Indie Selects Anniversary Celebration returns. We’ll be curating six standout indie titles from the previous 12 months, our absolute must-play picks, and that includes them in our particular Anniversary Assortment to honor their lasting influence. We’re excited to share extra particulars quickly, however for now, let’s get pleasure from what’s right here and now. Right here’s what we’ve obtained for you this month (in no explicit order):
Blood West is a gritty, stealth-horror immersive sim that drops you boots-first right into a cursed frontier the place each shadow hides one thing sharp, hungry, or undead. Suppose cowboy survival however dipped in occult folklore and stitched along with traditional immersive-sim choice making. It’s a slow-burn expertise — one the place each bullet issues, each footstep counts, and each encounter feels prefer it got here straight out of a dusty nightmare.
Leaping into Blood West felt like stepping right into a fever-dream remix of Thief, S.T.A.L.Ok.E.R., and a late-night spaghetti-western. What grabbed me first wasn’t the monsters — it was the silence. The sport rewards persistence, planning, and the quiet satisfaction of outthinking one thing that positively desires to eat you. Earlier than lengthy, I used to be creeping by means of deserted mines, scavenging for ammo, and studying easy methods to flip the setting itself right into a weapon. There’s an actual sense of mastery as you begin threading collectively stealth routes, touchdown good bow pictures, and managing scarce assets like a frontier tactician.
Should you’re somebody who loves immersive stealth, tense exploration, and that unmistakable “I survived by this a lot” adrenaline, it will really feel like residence — effectively, the bizarre, haunted type of residence. Followers of slow-building rigidity, intelligent programs, and atmospheric worlds will discover lots to get pleasure from right here. And when you’ve ever wished a western that leans all the way in which into supernatural horror with out shedding its grit, Blood West rides tall in that area.
– Steven Allen
Blood West
New Blood Interactive
☆☆☆☆☆
27
★★★★★
$24.99
Bizarre West legends meet eldritch horror in BLOOD WEST, an immersive stealth FPS. Develop into the Undead Gunslinger, doomed to roam the barren lands till he manages to purge their curse, releasing his soul. 3 assorted situations, perk-based character development, and 20+ hours of gameplay await you!
A observe as much as its award-winning predecessor, Tormented Souls 2 is a set digital camera survival horror recreation that embraces the ambiance and route of the classics, whereas tailoring the expertise for a contemporary viewers. Gamers take the function of Caroline Walker, who’s on a quest to save lots of her sister from a sinister cult. Resolve puzzles, battle monsters, and get misplaced just a few instances!
From the second I fired it up, Tormented Souls 2 felt nearly like a continuation of the unique Resident Evil remaster – which I LOVE. It stays true to the roots of the early survival horror classics by means of fastened digital camera angles, puzzle design, restricted assets, and so on., whereas embracing options and distinctive ideas to make the expertise really feel trendy. In different phrases – when you just like the gameplay and tone of traditional Resident Evil and Silent Hill however need one thing new with contemporary visuals and no tank controls, then this recreation is for you!
It’s a wild, gothic horror, kinda lovecraftian story about saving your sister from a cult, full of varied enemies and managers to battle, just a few leap scares, attractive environments to discover, and naturally, mind-boggling puzzles. I wouldn’t name myself a survival horror aficionado, however from what I’ve performed, the 15-to-20-hour runtime actually stood out to me — the style often leans tighter and quicker, but this one retains rising in ways in which keep partaking. You don’t have to play the predecessor to leap in, however I really feel like I owe Twin Impact a thanks for re-igniting my forgotten love for the style. This recreation had me hooked from begin to end and simply grew to become certainly one of my prime picks this 12 months!
– Deron Mann
Tormented Souls 2 Digital Deluxe Version
PQube
☆☆☆☆☆
46
★★★★★
$34.99
The Tormented Souls 2 Digital Deluxe Version consists of the bottom recreation plus two distinctive outfits for Caroline:
– “Basic Caroline” outfit
– “Insurgent Biker” outfit
The occasion pack is again child! Should you’ve by no means tried this recreation evening favourite, name up some buddies to come back over, as a result of this new pack delivers. This pack has no repeats with 5 brand-new video games, so it’s positively essential for these of us common partygoers gearing up for vacation get-togethers. Per normal, no further controllers wanted — everybody joins the foyer on their cellphone, able to show they’re as intelligent as they declare!
Our buddies began with Legends of Trivia and oh my god, the nerds within the room rejoiced. This instantly set the bar excessive because it’s a freaking 6 participant cooperative D&D type trivia recreation with courses, monsters, loot, and branching paths. Conquer the land of Tri-via with information and wit!
We moved on to Suspectives, a brand new mafia/werewolf-style occasion recreation with surveys that actually check your lie-detecting abilities. After belief was shattered, the artistic crowd jumped into Cookie Haus, a drawing recreation the place you design cookies with wild textures, loopy requests, and tons of customization. The twist? You’re locked into your chosen form, so assume exterior the field! Subsequent was Hear Say, all about sound and visuals: get a immediate, mimic it along with your mic, and watch the most effective interpretation play out. Mic required, laughter assured. Lastly, we hit Doominate, essentially the most traditional Jackbox-style recreation: begin with a cheerful phrase and end it with the funniest terrible twist. Probably the most “Debbie Downer” reply wins! All in all, this made for a really dope recreation evening.
That is most likely my favourite Jackbox Get together Pack in years. Should you’re wanting so as to add one thing new to recreation evening, that is it, no matter whether or not you’re new to the collection or have a bunch of those packs in your library.
– Raymond Estrada
The Jackbox Get together Pack 11
Jackbox Video games, Inc.
☆☆☆☆☆
6
★★★★★
$29.99
$23.99
The Get together Pack is again!
The Jackbox Get together Pack 11 catapults you and your crew into the most effective timeline of occasion recreation pandemonium. Whether or not you’re a trivia titan, a joke mastermind, or the resident undercover detective of your pal group, there’s one thing for everybody on this pack. No further controllers wanted – gamers merely be part of the sport and play utilizing telephones, tablets or computer systems!
5 brand-new video games will change the way in which you occasion this vacation season and past:
Doominate (Writing): Take a superbly pretty scenario and destroy it on this head-to-head joke recreation the place it feels so good to be so unhealthy. Doominate helps 3-8 gamers.
Hear Say (Sound Results): File sound results and dialogue instantly out of your cellphone in a foley-inspired recreation the place laughter is the soundtrack. Then, watch your voices come to life in a collection of quick film clips! Hear Say helps 2-8 gamers.
Cookie Haus (Drawing): Play our coziest and kookiest drawing recreation but by fulfilling cookie design orders for uncommon clientele. Don’t play on an empty abdomen! Cookie Haus helps 3-8 gamers.
Suspectives (Social Deduction): There’s been against the law, one participant secretly did it, and the proof comes from your personal survey solutions! Examine the clues, defend your innocence (even when you’re mendacity), and put your folks on trial. Suspectives helps 4-8 gamers.
Legends of Trivia (Trivia): Assemble your group and put your trivia data to the check in a fantastical world filled with hazard! Teamwork! Monsters! Do you dare tackle one of the vital difficult trivia video games but? Legends of Trivia helps 1-6 gamers.
Should you’re after chaotic enjoyable with a distinctly Southeast Asian twist, Sedap! A Culinary Journey by kopiforge is the co-op cooking-combat recreation for you. It’s a vibrant celebration of our area’s meals tradition, the place you and a pal race to serve up classics like rooster rice, beef rendang, banh mi and extra, to hungry prospects, all whereas exploring the paranormal, monster-filled Khaya Island.
The magic of Sedap! (“scrumptious” in Malay) is in its joyful mayhem: you’ll be chopping, frying, plating, and (inevitably) yelling at your associate as orders pile up and monsters crash the kitchen. Whether or not solo or in co-op, each second is a hilarious check of coordination, timing, and your skill to maintain cool because the proverbial chili hits the fan throughout Rush Hour mode.
Sedap! cleverly builds on the Overcooked formulation with its distinctive two-role system: Som the Cooker and Gon the Hunter. This implies teamwork is important as every has a job to do, however hilarity ensues when one should cease chopping mangoes to assist the opposite hunt a rooster, or the opposite should cease searching to go make boba. There’s additionally weapon and utensil upgrades, a Makanomicon to refill with all types of dishes, and biomes with distinctive challenges to navigate.
With its whimsically contemporary Southeast Asian vibes, cheeky character banter, and riotous gameplay, Sedap! is stuffed with character that’ll go away you hungry for extra.
– Jun Shen Chia
SEDAP! A Culinary Journey
kopiforge
☆☆☆☆☆
3
★★★★★
$19.99
SEDAP! is a co-op cooking-combat journey that mixes the chaos of a co-op kitchen and the wonders of adventuring into an unexplored world. Embark on an thrilling culinary journey, whip up delectable delicacies, and serve your means by means of a fantastical reimagination of Southeast Asia!
Two aspiring culinary geniuses open a touring meals truck and enterprise out to Khaya Island – an extended deserted, harmful island with no scarcity of monsters and mysteries. Collectively, the duo discover Khaya Island in the hunt for new recipes and tastes whereas slowly uncovering the veil of secrets and techniques that haunts the locale.
Grasp Lemon: The Quest for Iceland is a whimsical indie journey that blends cozy exploration with light, idea-driven puzzles and charming pixel-art aesthetics. You play as Lemon, a brave polyglot navigating storybook variations of Iceland—windswept coasts, mossy trails, and quirky characters—whereas a heat, low-key narrative encourages curiosity over pace.
I began with a “fast play” and hours later realized it was effectively previous midnight. The sport layers new traversal tips and puzzle ideas like pleasant nudges: you be taught, you smile, you strive yet one more factor. What really shocked me was the way it sparked my love for languages. I discovered myself listening to Icelandic phrases (different languages too) and repeating them out loud. These moments made Lemon’s world really feel genuine and turned gameplay right into a cultural journey. It even reminds you that phrases carry energy—one thing simple to overlook in on a regular basis life.
Understanding the backstory made the expertise much more significant. It is a deeply private challenge from founder Julio de Santi, impressed by his pal André Lima (“Limão”), a Brazilian polyglot who dreamed of studying Icelandic and visiting Iceland. After Limão fulfilled that dream, he tragically handed away. The sport stands as a tribute to him and an invite for gamers to chase their very own desires.
Should you benefit from the calm exploration of A Brief Hike, the playful mischief of Untitled Goose Sport, or the quirky creativity of Donut County, you’ll really feel proper at residence. It’s good for anybody in search of an imaginative area to unwind, be taught by doing, and savor small discoveries. You’ll come for the allure, keep for the “aha” moments, and go away with a few new phrases rolling round your head.
– Jessica Ronnell
Grasp Lemon: The Quest for Iceland
Pepita Digital
☆☆☆☆☆
★★★★★
$19.99
MASTER LEMON is a TRIBUTE TO MY POLYGLOT FRIEND who tragically handed away in an accident whereas pursuing his dream of residing in Iceland. Expertise his legacy on this NARRATIVE ADVENTURE. Harness the POWER OF WORDS and CREATIVITY to remodel actuality and save the world.
The opening music units the tone instantly: lush, nostalgic, and evocative of epic tales. Paired with charming, cozy paintings, you realize from the start that The Lonesome Guild is inviting you into an journey with a coronary heart. The story begins with Davinci, a unusual anthropomorphic rabbit inventor exploring the outside when the world is enveloped by a mysterious purple mist that infects the whole lot that it touches with Loneliness and turning them into evil beings. Whereas escaping the chaos, you encounter a anonymous ghost who fell from the sky with none reminiscences.
Regardless of the title, because the story unfolds you recruit new guild members from all walks of life, every pushed by their very own causes and motives however with the identical aim of saving the world. The solid is splendidly written, providing not solely distinct fight types but in addition charming personalities that genuinely steadiness each other. Earlier than lengthy, you’ll discover a favourite character just like the quiet archer, Mr. Fox or the trendy and spirited Capybara, Ran Tran Trum.
The fight is a top-down hack-and-slash RPG with every character possessing distinctive particular talents. You management as much as 4 characters through the use of the ghost to “possess” the character you management, which provides an additional enjoyable layer of allure and creativity for puzzle-solving and fight.
My favourite aspect had been the campfire relaxation stops; these are memorable moments that serve not solely to pause and mirror on the story to this point but in addition to advance and progress your characters by means of Relationship Factors. These moments really feel heat and intimate providing you with the area to bond with the characters, paying homage to classics like Chrono Set off the place you’re feeling invested in each storyline and ending.
Should you’re on the lookout for a comfortable recreation with emotional depth to brighten and heat the winter days, or just desire a enjoyable mix of puzzles, exploration and fight, The Lonesome Guild is a simple advice. Pull up a seat by the campfire and benefit from the firm of its charming crew — you’ll be shocked how shortly the true foe, “Loneliness,” disappears.
– Oscar Polanco
The Lonesome Guild
DON’T NOD
☆☆☆☆☆
10
★★★★★
$24.99
A TALE OF TOGETHERNESS IN A WORLD APART
The Lonesome Guild is a single-player top-down action-RPG all about togetherness. Embark on a heroic journey as Ghost, a spirit who wakes to seek out they maintain no reminiscences. The world has change into shrouded by loneliness and the mist simply retains spreading, corrupting everybody in its path. Now it’s as much as you to get the band again collectively… even when they’re assembly for the primary time.
SIX MISFITS, ONE GOAL
The ragtag group of unlikely buddies you’ll recruit every will carry their very own story, quirks, motives, and skills. Change seamlessly between the 6 of them throughout exploration and fight to navigate Etere, resolve puzzles, and defeat enemies!
BOND & BATTLE
Relationships are the guts and soul of The Lonesome Guild – it’s a celebration, actually. As your friendship grows, so does your energy with new talents and combos. A celebration can solely be sturdy if every member is robust too – unravel your new buddies’ tales and assist them discover peace. Unlock facet quests, new talents, and heartfelt chats by the campfire. Collectively, we’re unstoppable!
FIGHTS THAT KEEP YOU ON YOUR TOES
Three issue ranges, a roster of cool talents, one very highly effective Ghost energy. Check your may in intense battles the place you may swap between characters everytime you fancy and ambush enemies with intelligent combos. Construct your dream group and battle your means by means of Etere.
A WORLD WORTH FIGHTING FOR
Etere is stuffed with allure and secrets and techniques, thriller and treasures to uncover. From unearthing outdated secrets and techniques within the ruins to gathering spherical campfires within the forest, there’s at all times one thing new across the nook in The Lonesome Guild. Resolve puzzles, discover vibrant landscapes, and discover shiny issues as you restore steadiness and hope to the world.
The world could be lonely, however you don’t must be.
