ID@Xbox partnered with IGN to launch a new showcase today that highlighted a slew of new indie titles heading toward Xbox and Xbox Game Pass in the coming months. More than 20 new titles from a variety of genres were center stage during the showcase. Among all the new game reveals, an announcement that the indie card game with a cult following, Balatro, was joining the Xbox Game Pass service today.
Let’s take a look at everything revealed during the showcase:
Coming to Xbox Game Pass
33 Immortals gets a release date
The co-op action roguelike where players gather together to take on hordes of monsters and Gods alike finally has a release date—and it’s sooner than you might think! Players can join in with up to 32 of their closest friends (or pick up and play with randoms) for some intense co-op battles in this beautifully animated action adventure. It embraces frenetic, MMO-raid style gameplay, but in a way that is more accessible to players of all skill levels. 33 Immortals is set to release on March 18, and is playable on Xbox, PC, and Xbox Game Pass.
Balatro comes to Game Pass
Sometimes indie games find a way to capture the cultural zeitgeist of a moment, but Balatro’s rise to glory is certainly a case to be studied. Developed by a lone developer, this unique twist on classic card games has had a meteoric rise since it’s initial launch. Today, in a surprise announcement, the 4th update for Balatro was announced alongside the game’s launch into the Xbox Game Pass subscription service. The new “Friends of Jimbo” update features crossover collaborations with the following franchises:
- Critical Role
- Bugsnax
- Civilization VII
- RUST
- Assassin’s Creed
- Slay the Princess
- Dead by Daylight
- Fallout
That’s a pretty stacked crossover lineup, and you can check it out now on Xbox Game Pass.
Blue Prince gets a release date and Game Pass announcement
The mysteries of Mount Holly manor require you to literally put the rooms back together piece by piece in this puzzle, exploration, mapmaking, card game. Blue Prince is a stunningly illustrated and defies genre labels to create a unique gameplay experience. The latest trailer shown during the ID@Xbox showcase revealed an April 10 release date for Blue Prince, as well as the game’s day-one inclusion on Xbox Game Pass.
Buckshot Roulette is blasting onto Game Pass
Released for PC in April 2024, Buckshot Roulette is a horror experience inspired by the terrifying premise of Russian Roulette, made even more daunting by the inclusion of a shotgun and extra rules. There was no official release date for when Buckshot Roulette will make it to Xbox, but the game is on the way, with plans for a day-one launch on Xbox Game Pass when it does arrive.
Descenders Next slides in an official release date
The next big adventure game from RageSquid and No More Robots now has an official release date. Descenders Next will hit Xbox and PC, as well as Xbox Game Pass day-one, on April 9. Descenders Next is the follow up to RageSquid’s bicycle-powered roguelike, Descenders, from 2019. The sequel offers some significant changes compared to its predecessor, primarily that it no longer limits players to just hitting the trails on a bike.
Descenders Next offers new extreme sports gameplay with snowboarding and mountainboarding, while additional sports are planned to be added at a later date. Unlike the original Descenders, Descenders Next will offer online PvP and co-op experiences.
Echo Weaver time loops its way to Xbox and Game Pass
If you’re in need of a new sci-fi themed metroidvania to scratch that 2D side-scrolling action adventure itch, Echo Weaver has you covered. Developed by Moonlight Kids, the team behind The Wild at Heart, and published by Akupara Games, Echo Weaver will require players to piece together the story of a collapsed utopia across multiple time loops in an effort to escape a temporal prison. No official release date was given, but Echo Weaver will launch on Xbox Game Pass day-one.
Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault joins Game Pass this year
Digital Sun and 11 bit studios have unveiled a new look at the fully-3D, isometric sequel to 2018’s shopkeeping roguelike, Moonlighter. Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault doesn’t just have a new look, it offers deeper, expanded gameplay for both maintaining your shop and wild, dungeon crawling adventures. Moonlighter 2 has a broad 2025 release window, but the game will come to Xbox, Windows PC, and Game pass when it does launch later this year.
Revenge of the Savage Planet announces a day-one Game Pass release
One of 2020’s best co-op adventures to hit Game pass is getting a sequel, and it’s also coming to Xbox Game Pass day-one. Developed by Raccoon Logic Studios, Revenge of the Savage Planet is a wacky sci-fi adventure where you have been deemed a redundancy to your corporate overlords and been left abandoned at the far edge of space. With very little gear to your name, you and your buddy must explore and collect upgrades and other valuables in an attempt to get back home.
Revenge of the Savage Planet comes to Xbox and Game Pass on May 8.
Tanuki: Pon’s Summer scoots on to Game pass
Everybody loves a tanuki delivering mail on an adorable little bicycle, and now you can be one when Tanuki: Pon’s Summer hits Game pass later this year. This cozy mail delivery simulator will have you doing sick tricks on your delivery bike, meeting (mostly) delightful villagers, and practicing your sumo skills while (hopefully) remembering to deliver packages.
Tempopo drops a beat on Game Pass
The developers of Unpacking and Assault Android Cactus have a new game on the way, and it’s an adorable rhythm adventure where you must complete the puzzles while keeping up with the beat. Grow your garden while harmonizing with the tempopo on April 17 on Xbox and Game Pass.
Ultimate Sheep Raccoon parties up with Game Pass
Clever Endeavour Games, the developers behind Ultimate Chicken Horse, are back with their latest game — this time called Ultimate Sheep Raccoon — and it’s a delightfully weird party racer with your favorite animal pals. Players can build the ultimate tracks full of ramps, obstacles, and traps and then challenge their friends (up to 8 players locally or online with support for cross-platform play) to race to victory. There’s no official release date for Ultimate Sheep Raccoon just yet, but you will be able to play it on Game Pass whenever it is ready.
Coming to Xbox
Not all of today’s indie showcase games are heading to Xbox Game Pass, but there were some great indies that announced upcoming Xbox releases coming up in the next few months that are worth taking note of:
Woodo
This undeniably adorable indie from Tiny Monks Tales and Daedalic Entertainment is a cozy diorama puzzle game where players can assemble wooden scenes. As objects find their homes, the scene is slowly filled with color and comes to life with animations. There was no release date for Woodo, but it will be available on Xbox Series X|S.
Wax Heads
This one’s for the vinyl lovers. Wax Heads is a slice-of-life narrative game set in a struggling record store. Slack off with your colleagues or chat with customers to learn more about their musical tastes and get wrapped up in some band drama when Wax Heads come to Xbox in the summer of 2026.
TRON: Catalyst
Much loved indie publisher Devolver Digital partners with Big Fan Games and Bithell Games to bring Tron back to consoles with TRON: Catalyst, releasing on Xbox Series X|S on June 17. Meet Exo, who has the ability to loop time and detect a glitch that is tearing her home apart. Exo must survive the TRON arena and save the Arq Grid in a thrilling isometric, narrative adventure.
Rockbeasts
Sometimes, you just need that 90s nostalgia, and Rockbeasts is absolutely chocked full of it. With an art style reminiscent of 90s-era adult animation found on MTV, Rockbeasts has you serving as the manager of a legendary 90s band. The band is a menagerie of animals on their way to stardom, and it’s up to you to take them to the top in this story-driven role-playing game. There is no release date for Rockbeasts, but expect it on Xbox sometime later this year.
Ratatan
Looking for more rhythm roguelike strategy gameplay? The creators of 2007’s Patapon have you covered with their upcoming indie, Ratatan. Gather your ever-growing group of minions and travel through the world, keeping your attacks on beat if you want to stay alive. Up to four-players can join together for co-op gaming play, which puts over 100 minions on screen fighting at the same time. Can you keep up the beat?
Ratatan is scheduled to hit Xbox later this year.
Outbound
Outbound is likely to be one of my most anticipated upcoming games for Xbox, though it is stuck with a broad 2026 release window. Cooperative multiplayer gameplay meets open-world exploration in this cozy adventure where you build your own sustainable homestead around your empty camper van. Scavenge for materials, craft, and advance your technology skills to build in and on your vehicle, with new areas offering ever-changing environmental conditions.
The Lonesome Guild
An upcoming indie published by Don’t Nod (known for Life is Strange, Jusant, and Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden) was revealed during the ID@Xbox Showcase. The Lonesome Guild is a whismical action-RPG where players find themselves taking on the role of Ghost, a spirit with no memories. Players will need to build a team of heroes can help Ghost on his quest through the world of Etere by fighting and solving puzzles. Look for The Lonesome Guild on Xbox this fall.
Lies of P: Overture
Need more Pinnochio-inspired soulslike action? Lies of P is set to receive the Overture expansion, and a new trailer during the ID@Xbox showcase gave us a glimpse at Lea, the Legendary Stalker, in the upcoming DLC.
Jump Ship
A brand-new sci-fi themed adventure developed by veterans of Hazelight and Mojang is heading to Xbox Game Preview this summer. Jump Ship is a first-person shooter that puts you in charge of a spaceship while also tasking you to take on some on-foot combat missions. It’s over-the-top, tongue-in-cheek, and sure to be a good time with friends.
Hotel Barcelona
I love cozy games as much as the next time, but sometimes you need a blood-soaked horror platformer. If that’s your current vibe, look no further than Hotel Barcelona. This 2.5 action-platformer has a unique twist: players can call upon the Slasher Phantom, a summoning mechanic that calls to life the player’s past runs to help them on their current quest.
Hotel Barcelona is a gory and gruesome collaboration between Suda51 (No More Heroes, Lollipop Chainsaw) and SWERY (known for Deadly Premonition, D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die) that we didn’t know we needed, but we can’t look away from.
Herdling
When I think of indies that have had lasting impacts on me, Far: Lone Sails and Far: Changing Tides are often on the list. They’re stunning 2D side-scrolling puzzle adventures that are rich in story despite being light on dialog, a challenge plenty of indie devs are willing to take on, but few are able to execute well.
Okomotive has mastered the craft, however, and now the team is taking what they’ve learned from the Far series to create their first 3D title: Herdling. Players will need to guide a herd of cattle across a ruined world, overcoming dangers along the way. Herdling is expected to come to Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC this summer.
2025 is looking stacked for Xbox gamers
Today’s ID@Xbox showcase highlighted over 20 new games coming to the Xbox ecosystem in coming months, and yet it is still barely a drop in the bucket to all the games we can expect to see this year. Just before the ID@Xbox showcase kicked off, esteemed indie publisher Annapurna Interactive also hosted a showcase to feature indie titles that are currently in development. You can check out a list of all the Xbox games announced during the Annapurna showcase for more information on what was shown during that event.
As we creep into warmer weather, we can also expect to see more titles announced during the 2025 Xbox Summer Games Showcase and related events.
