What you need to know
- It’s cold outside, so stay inside and try some exciting new game demos during the Xbox Indie Winter Game Fest.
- The event will run from December 10 to December 31 and will include 35 game demos of upcoming, unreleased games for the Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One.
- The game demos included in the event are “Show floor demos” that may not be indicative of the final product, as some games featured are still early in development.
- The demos are not a part of the regular Demo channel, and will only be available on the Xbox Dashboard during the event.
It’s cold outside. There’s arctic air blowing snow around, and in general it’s just a really good time to stay at home and cozy up with a good game. The winter season isn’t really known for it’s packed game release schedule, though (unless we’re talking about February. Every game comes out in February, now.) so if you’re looking for something new this season, look no further than the Xbox Indie Winter Game Fest demo event.
This year, the Winter Game Fest demo event will kick off on the Xbox Dashboard starting December 10 and will run through to December 31. Over 35 new demos will find their way to the dashboard throughout the event, featuring unreleased titles for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S consoles. While Xbox has not yet announced a full list of indies participating in the event, a post from Xbox Wire did tease some demos that will be available to play this month.
The Alters
11 Bit Studios‘ hotly anticipated The Alters is among the demos you can try out this month. The Demos is a sci-fi adventure, survival, and base-building game that puts players in the role of Jan Dolski, your average laborer who finds himself stranded on an inhospitable planet. To survive, Jan must create alternate versions of himself, exploring the ways the decisions of his past have led him to be the person he is today. Each Alter has his own quirks, personality, and agenda, but to survive they’re all going to have to work together.
The Alters has a 2025 release window and is heading to Xbox and PC Game Pass.
Cosmorons
Blind Squirrel Games will offer its upcoming “old-school, futuristic shooter” Cosmorons as a demo during the event. Cosmorons features a rag-tag cast of minions equipped with ridiculous weapons engaging in intergalactic shenanigans. With each new area, the Cosmorons explore, the rewards get better, but the challenge becomes more difficult. Will you be the one to make it through and conquer all the systems in your galaxy?
Section 13
Kakao Games and Ocean Drive Studios’ upcoming sci-fi mystery shooter, Section 13, will also be among the demos available. Section 13 was originally revealed as Blackout Protocol, but has since undergone a name change. It features twin-stick roguelike shooter gameplay with intense action, interdimensional terrors, and a company with an obsession for keeping secrets in a secretive facility. Sounds secretive, if you ask me. Fight or flee, and survive if you’re lucky. Section 13 has a 2025 release window.
Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo
Looking to warm up with a 3D adventure game where you meet the inhabitants of Limbo? Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo might just be the demo for you. The souls of Limbo are burdened with deep regrets and doomed to relive the same day for all eternity. But with your wit and keen observation, you can gather clues about the poor, sad saps stuck here and possibly help them unravel the mystery of Limbo. Can you help uncover what curse is keeping these souls stuck in their agonizing loops?
Only available for a limited time
Before diving into the indies on the horizon, it is worth remembering that many of these games are still in development, with some even earlier than others. The game you play during the demo event may not be indicative of the final product once the game is released.
Many developers hold off on releasing demos to the public until a game is closer to complete, but these demos are meant to serve as “show floor demos.” They are similar (if not identical) to demos that players would experience on show floors during major events like Gamescom, and can change a lot between now and full release.
The demos will also only be available for this limited-time event. Publishers and developers will have the option to repost their demos to the main Demo channel once Winter Game Fest has ended. However, some publishers may choose to just allow their demo to disappear at the end of the month when the event concludes. The event provides players a chance to give developers feedback on their game in its early stages, and players are encouraged to reach out to developers via social media or their respective websites with construction criticism.
The demos showcased in the event are free to play, and users are free to add them to their wishlist to be notified when the full release is made available. The Xbox Indie Winter Game Fest demo event is only available December 10 through December 31 on the Xbox Dashboard.
