Microsoft’s ID@Xbox program recently highlighted its selected indie titles for March 2025.
The six showcased titles span a variety of genres and were developed by an array of teams, including DON’TNOD — known for the original Life is Strange, Jusant, and Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden — and Aspyr.
The theme of ID@Xbox’s March 2025 indie selects is adventure and catharsis as the team highlights titles like Afterlove EP and Lost Records: Bloom and Rage.
Here are the six indie selects for March 2025:
Slime Heroes
Sometimes you’re in the mood for harrowing battles with unlikely odds against towering beasts, but a Dark Souls game just isn’t the vibe for Spring. So what are you to do when you’re craving adventure and a colorful game? You say hello to Pancake Games’ Slime Heroes.
In Slime Heroes, you and a (local) friend can cozy up on the couch together and become adorable, customizable little balls of slime tasked with saving the Slime Kingdom in a vibrant and lively open-world adventure.
There’s plenty of RPG mechanics and puzzle-solving to keep you busy, and the combat is approachable but with enough of a bite that you’re sure to feel that Dark Souls sting from the challenge.
Afterlove EP
Indie games have become an incredible medium for telling poignant stories about life, love, and humanity that we can all relate to. That is particularly true for Pikselnesia’s Afterlove EP, a heartwarming visual novel meets narrative adventure crossed with a rhythm game that explores life after the loss of a loved one.
Set in the heart of Jakarta, Indonesia, Afterlove EP follows a young man named Rama who has spent nearly a year in isolation after the death of his girlfriend, Cinta. But Cinta’s voice lives on in Rama’s head, complicating his grief process.
With just 28 days to write new music, reconnect with his band, and pull off the gig of a lifetime, players will help Rama navigate the city and mend his broken relationships or forge new ones. Shaping Rama’s day also shapes the game’s story and ultimately changes the potential outcome.
Ultros
Some journeys are easier than others. If you’re looking for a challenge to keep you busy, Kepler Interactive’s Ultros just might be the fight you’re looking for. With what could be called a hallucinogenic and captivating art style, Ultros is ultimately a challenging blend of metroidvania and roguelite gameplay.
Players will find themselves stuck in an eternally looping black hole where they must explore The Sarcophagus in search of an ancient demonic being known as Ultros in this unique sci-fi journey set in a vibrant alien world.
In its highlight of Ultros, the ID@Xbox team compared it to metroidvanias like Ori and the Blind Forest and Hollow Knight, but described the game as having its own unique flair while offering striking visuals. The gameplay is challenging and marked with exploration, combat, and puzzle solving.
Sorry We’re Closed
Sometimes, you just want a game that brings you back to your roots. If your roots are nostalgic old-school horror adventures, Sorry We’re Closed is probably for you. This retro survival horror adventure is inspired by the heydays of boomer shooters and even brings back fixed camera angles for an added challenge.
For even more challenge, à la mode games has introduced a first-person combat mechanic that leaves the player stunned in place while using the character’s demonic third eye to stun its demonic foes.
Sorry We’re Closed challenges players to collect and manage resources for its demon slaying protagonist, Michelle, and offers classic survival horror mechanics like optional tank controls and unique combat scenarios mixed with a tense narrative.
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
Coming of age stories and teen angst are narrative story staples, and nobody does the genre better than Life is Strange alum DON’TNOD. The team’s latest foray into the narrative adventure category centers on four girls coming-of-age during an unforgettable summer with mystery, intrigue, and plenty of angst.
Lost Records takes us back to the 90s for an episodic story broken down into episodes dubbed “tapes.” Tape 1, “Bloom” released in February, with Tape 2, “Rage”, slated for a mid-April release.
Set in a picturesque town in 1995 Michigan, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage leans heavily into the nostalgia factor to tell a story that many of us millennials can relate to, but with some classic DON’TNOD plot twists lurking amid the scenic views of dense woodlands and serene lakes. Don’t let the sleepy town of Velvet Cove distract you from the dark secrets between Swann, Nora, Kat, and Autumn.
Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered
There’s still a little nostalgia left to tap into for March, so ID@Xbox is leaning into highlighting Tomb Raider IV-V-VI Remastered as its sixth game for the month. The quintessential action-adventure game has been remastered, with Aspyr taking on the development and publishing of the second collection for the classic franchise.
Tomb Raider’s Darkness Trilogy has been carefully remastered in this collection, with options to dynamically switch between the original polygonal models or the new remastered graphics on the fly. Lara Croft, the original queen of adventure, is back to traveling the globe, visiting cities like Cairo, Rome, and Paris.
Survive being buried alive in an Egyptian tomb, overcome a murder accusation while being a fugitive on the run, and uncover mysterious and sinister conspiracies with all the charm of the original versions enhanced and improved for modern consoles.
