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For any indie game lover, the Xbox Game Pass has gradually become a must-have over the past year. The Xbox Game Pass has been a boon to players worldwide with its library being constantly reinvigorated with day one launches and the addition of older titles.
Indie games are fertile grounds for innovation both in storytelling and gameplay mechanics. Recent years have seen a number of wonderful titles pushing the boundaries of the medium and becoming commercially and critically acclaimed. This article looks at the best indie games that Xbox Game Pass has to offer right now.
Note: This article reflects the writer's opinion.
10 indie games on Xbox Game Pass that players will love to jump into
With more and more titles being added every week to the subscription service, Xbox Game Pass offers a variety of indie games that cater to all kinds of experiences.
10 indie games to check out on Xbox Game Pass
- The Artful Escape
- What Remains of Edith Finch
- Subnautica
- Death's Door
- Firewatch
- Hollow Knight
- Outer Wilds
- Hades
- Twelve Minutes
- Unpacking
1) The Artful Escape
- Developer - Beethoven & Dinosaur
- Platforms - Microsoft Windows, Xbox One & Series X|S, PlayStation 4 & 5
A number of titles on this list are published by Annapurna Interactive who have consistently managed to produce games that are not vibrant and colorful but also have stories that move. The Artful Escape is one of them.
In this platforming game, players help Francis Vendetti make his own mark in life by finding his own identity. There is a heavy dose of music with psychedelic visuals running across the screen. The title is a unique experience that players should get a taste of.
2) What Remains of Edith Finch
- Developer - Giant Sparrow
- Platforms - Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4
This has become a cult classic, a yardstick for the heights of storytelling in video games. A walking simulator - What Remains of Edith Finch soon turns out to be a narrative weaved around pain and loss with deep emotional impact in the eerie, unnerving setting of the ancestral home.
Become Edith Finch as she returns to the house and relives her childhood while talking about the family's curse and deaths of her family members. This one bagged the BAFTA for the Best Game of 2017.
3) Subnautica
- Developer - Unknown Worlds Entertainment
- Platforms - Microsoft Windows, Xbox One & Series X|S, PlayStation 4 & 5, Nintendo Switch
Subnautica is a survival action-adventure game that has become a commercial success since its release back in 2018. The first-person perspective works wonderfully with underwater exploration being the key element of the gameplay.
Players are stranded on the alien planet 4546B where their spaceship has crashed. They must dive into the ocean and explore it to find resources and deal with various kinds of creatures. One has to keep an eye out for thirst, hunger and oxygen in the game, where most of the time is spent underwater.
4) Death's Door
- Developer - Acid Nerve
- Platforms - Microsoft Windows, Xbox One & Series X|S, PlayStation 4 & 5
Death's Door was one of the most interesting indie titles to come out last year. It received multiple nominations for the Best Indie Game accolade and won it at the 2021 Golden Joystick Awards. It also recently arrived on Xbox Game Pass on January 20.
What makes Death's Door a refreshing gameworld to dive into is its vibrant aesthetics and fast-paced combat. Players play as a crow who is a reaper collecting souls whilst working for the Reaping Commission Headquarters. When one of the souls is stolen and taken to an immortal realm, players have to embark on a journey to find out what is wrong.
5) Firewatch
- Developer - Campo Santo
- Platforms - Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4
Campo Santo's indie game, Firewatch, has a minimalistic aesthetic to it. Players work as a fire lookout in the Shoshone National Forest a year after the Yellowstone fires in 1988. There are strange things happening and the player has to uncover the mystery behind it.
The color palette of the game beautifully compliments its setting. One must take a gander at this underrated masterpiece before it leaves the subscription.
6) Hollow Knight
- Developer - Team Cherry
- Platforms - Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4
Players are eagerly waiting for the sequel to this indie game, Hollow Knight: Silksong, to be released and are hoping for an official announcement regarding it in the coming months. But before that, Xbox Game Pass offers both new players, and old, an opportunity to experience the beauty of the original Hollow Knight.
Become the Knight, a nameless protagonist, and explore the ruined kingdom of Hallownest. The artwork of the game stands out amidst a plethora of other things that the developers get right. This is an absolute must-pick.
7) Outer Wilds
- Developer - Mobius Digital
- Platforms - Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4
Outer Wilds is one of the best games of the past few years, providing a unique experience that would last any player for their lifetime. On the face of it, the game is simple - the player is stuck in a time loop that runs for 22 minutes and ends with the sun going supernova.
The unique beauty of this indie game lies in the story it tells and how it tells it. Hop from one planet to another, stumbling, fumbling and grumbling along - figuring out puzzles and where to go next as the game does not force you to play one way or the other.
Outer Wilds is an experience that is rewarding, affording not only the brilliance of this medium at its finest but also in providing a cathartic experience of wisdom, connections and loss accompanied by appropriate music.
8) Hades
- Developer - Supergiant Games
- Platforms - Microsoft Windows, Xbox One & Series X|S, PlayStation 4 & 5
Probably the most popular indie game of the past few years, Hades has managed to notch up one milestone after the other - recently becoming the first game to win a Hugo award.
In the roguelike, players take on the role of Zagreus who is struggling to break free from Underworld to reach Mount Olympus. The pantheon of Greek gods and other mythological characters appear in the game and provides boons to Zagreus. But the beauty of this indie game lies in the narrative it weaves within the mechanics of a roguelike.
9) Twelve Minutes
- Developer - Luis Antonio
- Platforms - Microsoft Windows, Xbox One & Series X|S, PlayStation 4 & 5, Nintendo Switch
The indie game Twelve Minutes does not offer a huge expanse of the map for players to roam around in or multiple characters to engage with. There are three primary characters, voiced by Willem Dafoe, James McAvoy and Daisy Ridley.
From a top-down perspective of an apartment, the game follows the husband stuck in a time loop, trying to figure out the mystery behind the death of his wife’s father and how he can affect the present where a cop arrives and kills his wife. The indie game offers a psychological thriller in which players will slowly unravel with each loop.
10) Unpacking
- Developer - Witch Beam
- Platforms - Microsoft Windows, Xbox One
Rounding off the list is an indie game that is simplistic in nature and aesthetics. Unpacking plays out at different stages starting in 1997 - focusing on unpacking the possessions of the character from boxes into a new place.
Players will get to learn about the character and their life while taking these things out and finding places to keep them. The emotional aspect of moving is beautifully depicted within the game.
