As the festive season descends upon us, the ID@Xbox team is bubbling with excitement to reveal their handpicked Indie Selects for this month. We want to start by expressing sincere gratitude to each and every one of you who have supported indie games on Xbox throughout the year. Indie Selects is a unique showcase celebrating games that are as quirky and diverse as they are captivating. It reminds us that a game doesn’t always have to be a blockbuster to resonate on a deep level—it might be a finely crafted narrative or something offbeat and extraordinary. We appreciate your enthusiasm for these gems and your support for brilliant game creators on our platform.
Now, shifting gears for a moment, instead of our usual week-long December Selects, we’re expanding it to cover three weeks of 2024 Indie Select Highlights. Starting December 11th, we’ll bring to the forefront 18 beloved titles from this year, with a fresh batch spotlighted every Wednesday. Head over to the Xbox Store, tap the Games Home tab, and slide a few rows down to immerse yourself in the world of must-have indies.
Come January 28, 2025, we’ll mark the one-year anniversary of this initiative with a special 2024 Anniversary Collection. Our team will curate six standout Indie Selects from the past year, giving these masterpieces a moment in the limelight. And while we’re brimming with plans for 2025—think fresh surprises, exciting sales, and more collections—our focus remains on the here and now.
We’ve crammed this month with incredible choices that push boundaries in creativity, from unusual designs and intriguing mechanics to captivating storytelling and sheer enjoyment. With so many incredible titles to champion, picking favorites was quite a friendly tussle among us! October had some of us craving a good fright, while others dreamt of adventuring with a mythical wolf as our steed. We also longed to lose ourselves in a mystical realm, wrestle with impossible decisions, or simply revel in our own creativity. Thankfully, our curated selection has something for everyone, and we’re confident you’ll discover something unforgettable. Here’s what’s in store for you this month:
Neva—a title that hits hard emotionally—is a moving experience with stunning visuals and a haunting score. As I played through last weekend, its beauty sometimes moved me to tears. This game is not just aesthetically pleasing but also a joy to play. Nomada Studio’s follow-up to Gris, Neva builds upon its predecessor’s emotional core, adding smooth platforming and engaging combat. Although a brief five hours from beginning to end, these moments are impactful, prompting thoughtful introspection. If you find the combat daunting, Story Mode is there to allow you a threat-free journey.
The game follows Alba and her bond with a wolf cub post-trauma. Their adventure through a crumbling landscape evolves their relationship, reflecting the cub’s journey from rebellious to independent. Together, they braves challenges in search of a safe home amidst a cursed world.
Animal Well is a captivating 2D pixel art Metroidvania pulsing with abstract puzzles in rich, animated settings. You play as a soft blob navigating a shadowy world, deciphering its quirky mechanics. Here, the environment, rather than your blob, takes center stage in a narrative teeming with secrets beyond its conclusion. It’s a game made for the curious, rewarding exploration and discovery, and defying you to uncover every secret.
This title envelopes you in its world, asking “What did developers envision here?” as you uncover each layer. Your objectives might evolve, but the feeling of satisfaction remains as you explore every inch.
Planet Coaster 2 is a strategic playground for those fascinated by theme parks. Its vibrant visuals greet you, with personalized guidance on park management, from staffing to guest satisfaction. This game lets your imagination run wild in crafting fantastic rides while grounding you in the real-world stakes of running a park.
Getting to share your creations—or even integrate others’—enhances this creative process. Whether you’re seasoned or new to theme-park management, Planet Coaster 2 blends community, creativity, and strategy in a marvelous mix.
Next up, Phasmophobia delivers a gripping horror adventure. Tasked with identifying ghosts by their supernatural antics using a variety of tools, you gain victory by noting the type correctly. The game creates genuine fear, pricking your sense of vulnerability with ambient horror and sound design, encouraging swift yet cautious detective work.
Playing with friends amps up the fun, sharing laughs and screams as you discover the ghostly mysteries together.
Fear the Spotlight pulls inspiration from the ’90s, focusing on puzzles with a gripping narrative. When a séance goes awry, Vivian must locate her friend Amy and unravel their school’s dark past, dodging the eerie man with a spotlight head. The slow-building tension and immersive experience make it a standout.
Lastly, we have Slay the Princess, a visual novel that questions your mission to eliminate a princess, challenging your preconceptions through interaction with a narrator. Each decision alters the narrative, shaping how the princess and story unfold.
With its artistic black-and-white aesthetic, gripping music, and outstanding voice acting, the game masterfully combines dark humor with mystery, inviting endless exploration of its branching storylines—just keep pushing through those traps and endings!
