October 5, 2023
Xbox Game Pass is Microsoft’s subscription service. It is the Netflix of games. Thanks to this service, gamers like me have access to hundreds of games, from triple-A to tiny and not-so-tiny indies.
Here are five indie titles you should try (if you haven’t already).
HOLLOW KNIGHT
It’s never a bad time to recommend Hollow Knight for those who haven’t played it yet. A great Metroidvania developed by Team Cherry that gives us great combat, good doses of exploration, a fantastic soundtrack, and unique environments and characters.
Hallownest is one of the most beautiful and melancholy worlds ever created in gaming. You’ll become very familiar with its passages and tunnels as you wander around looking for story clues and the right path to follow (and because you’ll die repeatedly).
With Hollow Knight: Silk Song on the way, now it’s the perfect time to discover this dark and moody world.
It’s hard to describe how masterfully made the game is, so you’ll have to give it a try and see for yourself, but if it serves as an incentive, it is one of my favorite games of all time.
TUNIC
Tunic is an isometric action game about a cute little fox on a great adventure. You’ll confront colossal beasts, gather strange and powerful objects, and uncover secrets lost in time. If you’re a Legend of Zelda fan, this one is a must.
As you travel, you’ll build up the game’s manual. Page by page, you will uncover maps, tips, special techniques, and deep secrets.
DEATH’S DOOR
Death’s Door is a game I mainly tried because of its graphics. I fell in love with the art style and, thanks to that, discovered an amazing game. It has very fast-paced combat, beautiful environments, and it reminds me a bit of Studio Ghibli at some points.
As always, there are secret paths around you, and the world glitters with hidden history. The combination of action and puzzle games is expertly made to feel natural and challenging.
NOBODY SAVES THE WORLD
Nobody Saves the World plays with the idea that nobody saves the world. And by “nobody,” it refers to our character: a humanoid-looking being with no memories, no remarkable features, and no clothes. Literally a nobody.
The game is a top-down dungeon crawler RPG that has you playing as Nobody. The magic wand allows Nobody to transform into new forms, such as a knight, horse, rat, etc. Each shape has its own abilities that you’ll need to unlock as you progress through the game, and it lets you customize your playstyle as you see fit.
You’ll thank this level of freedom as the game gets difficult and tests your skills in various forms. If you’re looking for unique mechanics in a game, Nobody Saves the World might be the right pick for you.
DEAD CELLS
Dead Cells is a 2D action-platform adventure with relatively large maps that we can explore at our leisure. You will find all kinds of secrets, upgrades, weapons, artifacts, and even abilities that will allow you to reach new areas.
Continuing with the rogue-like, we only have one life to finish the game, and if we die, we have to return to the starting point: the levels will change, and we’ll have to explore again. Every death is a lesson, and I’m sure we will all play better in the next life. It has an interesting and well-measured progression system that will allow us to unlock different permanent improvements for our following raids to give us a bit of breathing space.
Dead Cells is an entertaining game, unpredictable in each run, with a good level design and many possible combinations.