Xbox.com has released a new series of YouTube videos to showcase games developed by indie studios: ID@Xbox Spotlight! Due to the coronavirus pandemic canceling road shows and in-person press previews, ID@Xbox wanted independent developers to still have their time to shine. This includes updates on upcoming projects as well as announcements for new games coming to Xbox! Since these are from a video series, we will cover the information in that order. Check out the rundown below!
Spotlight 1
Adios (Developed by Mischief)
This narrative-driven game follows a pig farmer, who refuses to let the mob bury bodies on his land any longer, and his best friend who will murder him at day’s end.
An Airport for Aliens Currently Run by Dogs (Developed by Strange Scaffold)
Get ready for an open world comedy adventure where you help solve the doggy problems of the canines running fully simulated airports. Meanwhile, you will also maintain a long-distance relationship with the only other human left in the universe.
Bonkies (Developed by Crunching Koalas and Studio Gauntlet)
Here players control the bravest and most capable of space explorers: A monkey. With a jetpack and mechanical arm, you will build bizarre and amusing constructions on distant planets in the name of a monkey civilization. This game allows four-player co-op.
Haven (Developed by The Game Bakers)
This is an RPG adventure story where two lovers escape to a forgotten planet to be together. This game can be played solo, but maybe ought to be shared with someone special.
Spiritfarer (Developed by Thunder Lotus)
If you have ever admired or wondered what Charon’s life was like ferrying dead souls across the River Styx, this may be the game for you. Spiritfarer is a relaxed management game about shutting the deceased across the water as you explore the world. It is your job to care for these spirits and shepherd them across otherworldly waters to the afterlife.
West of the Dead (Developed by Raw Fury and Upstream Arcade)
Play as the revenant William Mason (voiced by Ron Perlman) in 1888’s version of Purgatory, Wyoming. This twin-stick shooter promises a flurry of gun slinging action as you delve through a dark, sinful, and gritty Wild West.
Spotlight 2
Atomicrops (Developed by Raw Fury and Bird Bath Games)
This is an action-packed roguelite… farming simulator? Who came up with that idea? Well, you have to cultivate and protect the last known farm in a post-apocalyptic hellscape. You can farm (mutated) crops, marry townspeople to each other, and butcher every unnatural creature that tries to trespass onto your precious land.
Drake Hollow (Developed by Molasses Flood)
This co-op action/building game takes place in the Hollow, a broken vision of our world.Here you must build villages and defend Drakes, the humanoid vegetable inhabitants.
Edge of Eternity (Developed by Dear Villages and Midgar Studio)
A JRPG made in southern France? Interesting… Well, here you will engage in Olympian battles while following Daryon and Selene as they seek a cure to the Corrosion that decimates their world.
Ghostrunner (Developed by All in! Games and One More Level)
This cyberpunk action game lets you jack into a top of the line combat cyborg and claw your way to the top of Dharma Tower. Wield a monomolecular sword, utilize super-human senses to dodge bullets, and wreak havoc with devastating special techniques.
King’s Bounty II (Developed by 1C Publishing EU)
This sequel holds to the original’s turn-based tactics gameplay while adding a new, non-linear narrative set in the fantasy realm of Antara. Furthermore, the immersive RPG mechanics will force you to consider your every decision.
Moving Out (Developed by Team 17 and SMG)
Either by yourself or with friends, combat the dangers of furniture moving as each situation becomes increasingly wacky.
Spotlight 3
Bartlow’s Dread Machine (Developed by Beep Games, Inc. and Tribetoy)
Teddy Roosevelt has been kidnapped and it’s your job to get him back! This dual-stick arcade action game supports both single player and local co-op for six game worlds and a slew of unlikely characters.
Ikenfell (Developed by Humble Bundle and Happy Ray Games)
This turn-based tactical RPG follows a gaggle of problematic students at a magic school. Pair strategy with timing to enhance your spells and block attacks as you explore the institution, battle monstrosities, loot treasure, and unlock the secrets buried deep beneath the school.
Lake (Developed by Whitethorn Digital and Gamious)
Meredith Weiss needs a break from her career in downtown. Thus she decides to spend two weeks delivering mail in her hometown, Providence Oaks. This game’s story changes depending upon the player’s choices as they explore the odd community and scenic lakeside town.
Legend of Keepers (Developed by Goblinz Studio)
This is a dungeon management game mixed with a roguelite. Simply put, you have been hired as a dungeon master by the Dungeons Company and your sole task is to protect their dungeons.
The Red Lantern (Developed by Tiberline Studio)
In this story-driven roguelite, you and your team of sled dogs must navigate a seemingly impenetrable forest and any number of encounters in the Alaskan tundra in order to find your way home.
The Second Chance Project (Developed by Cosmonaught Studios)
A single-player, first-person narrative game focusing on time travel and player choices, this sandbox features non-linear gameplay in a world where any aspect of the sprawling story is accessible at any time.
Spotlight 4
Minute of Islands (Developed by Mixtvision and Studio Fizbin)
This comic-styled game explores a bizarre and scenic archipelago as you guide the mechanic Mothrough a personal journey. Here Mo must find the will to relinquish a world that is on the brink of collapse.
Project Wingman (Developed by Humble Bundle and Sector D2)
Jump into the cockpit of advanced fighter jets in a flight combat action game. Here you will find game modes ranging from aerial dogfights to massive ground assaults and an alternate scorched earth setting.
Revenant’s Reach (Developed by Homunkulus)
You escape an underwater prison with only a grappling hook in this 2.5D platformer to enter a desicated, diseased world. Traverse treacherous terrains, complete perilous puzzles, and kill corrupted creatures to recover the memories you have lost, both the good and the monsterous.
Skater XL (Developed by Easy Day Studios)
As the title suggests, this is a skateboarding game. The developers boast of unprecedented controls and responsiveness that allow you to shred legendary, real-world skating parks.
Undying (Developed by Vanimals)
Anling was bitten by a zombie and can now count the seconds until the end. Now all that matters is protecting her son, Cody. In a zombie-infested world, play as Anling and teacher Cody essential skills and protect him at any cost, even if it means giving into your newfound beastly hunger.
Unto the End (Developed by Big Sugar and 2 Ton Studios)
This action-adventure story is all about a father struggling to reunite with his family. Dangerous landscapes and individually unique opponents will test the player’s skills.
Spotlight 5
Calico (Developed by Whitethorn Digital and Peachy Keen Games)
This is a slice of life community sim where your job is this: Restore the town’s cat café and stuff it full of fluffy, adorable critters! Attract more customers with customized furniture, decorations, pastries, and all sorts of goodies to let you support enough animals to drown in!
Drink More Glurp (Developed by Yogscast Games and Castastrophic_Overload)
This is a weirdo physics/sort-of-sports-like(?) party game. Aliens have dublicated Earth’s summertime games, but everything is a bit off. Pass around the gamepad as you and up to TWENTY local players compete in bizarre contests or take your challenge to the global leaderboards.
She Dreams Elsewhere (Developed by Studio Zevere)
In this adventure RPG about dreams, nightmares, and mental health, play as Thalia. A comatose woman with chronic anxiety dives into her own dreams to face her inner demons in an effort to finally awaken.
Star Renegades (Developed by Raw Fury and Massive Damage)
In this strategy RPG, you outsmart AI, build friendships, and demolish galactic empires. Oh, and did we mention that you can do this across multiple dimensions?
SuperMash (Developed by Digital Continue)
(Are they legally allowed to take that name? Eh. Who cares?) SuperMash lets players combine two game genres into their own new games! Furthermore, you can take these games and challenge your friends.
The Vale (Developed by Falling Squirrel)
This is a story-driven action-adventure game that emphasizes its spatial auudio capacities. With realistic, immersive sound and combat, The Vale aims to revive medieval combat and hopefully provide a gaming experience accessible to both visually impaired and sighted players alike.
Spotlight 6
The Big Con (Developed by Might Yell)
A ’90s-themed adventure where a young woman con artist scams everyone she can find in order to rescue her family’s failing video store.
Hazel Sky (Developed by Another Indie and Coffee Addict Studio)
Shane is banished from his home in the flying city Gideon. Now on a distant island, he must complete the trials before him to become an Engineer or else never return home. With only a radio to connect him to his fellow trainee Erin, they form an illicit friendship that threatens to change Shane’s view of the world.
KungFu Kickball (Developed by Blowfish Studios and Whaleffood Games)
This is a fighting/sports game where you can compete with friends in a blend of soccer and over the top Kung-Fu movies.
Levelhead (Developed by Butterscotch Shenanigans)
This is a platformer maker that boasts an immersive, yet intuitive level editor. Once you’re done, share your creations with the world and see what kind of a following you can accrue.
Maid of Sker (Developed by Wales Interactive)
This is a first-person horror game set in a remote hotel with a bloody history… Wait, is this The Shining? Wait, no, the hotel’s history is steeped in Welsh folklore. Okay, now I’m interested. Here the Quiet Ones haunt the halls and threaten to turn your world into a horror you could never have imagined. If you see one, though, don’t panic. If you panic, you might make the mistake of breathing.
Mayhem in Single Valley (Developed by tinyBuild and Fluxscopic)
This title takes world-building advice from The Legend of Zelda franchise and pairs it with the darkness and supernatural atmosphere of Stranger Things. Jack is ready to leave home for a new life in the city when radioactive waste pours into the river and triggers the apocalypse.
A few games on the overall list won awards from us during PAX East 2020. Calico (Developed by Whitethorn Digital and Peachy Keen Games) won Best of Show at PAX East 2020 from Marooners’ Rock and Spiritfarer (Developed by Thunder Lotus) won a Writers Choice Award as well.
