XBOX remains the console of choice for gamers on a budget, by not only being an affordable console but by supporting quite a few affordable games.
Microsoft has supported a number of indie projects over the years, giving people the option between triple-AAA and cheaper games.
A Plague Tale: Requiem was one of our favourite games this year.
We didn’t include Game of the Year Elden Ring on this list as we already added it to our list of the best PS5 games this year.
So here’s our list of great games that were released on Xbox this year:
AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative
Following on from the story of the original Nirvana Initiative starts when you find a body perfectly sliced in two.
Or should we say half a body, as the other half you already found six years ago.
This murder mystery has twists and turns that will keep you on your toes, and prevent you from guessing the killer right until the end.
Rogue Legacy 2
The original Rogue Legacy was a classic, and the sequel builds on how the roguelike genre has developed in the nine years since.
It keeps to the 2D platforming roots of the original, while also adding in some modern concepts.
If you are a fan of the genre, then this is one you have to try.
Immortality
From the creators behind Her Story and Telling Lies, you are shown clips from three ‘unreleased’ films to find out what happened to them.
The staging for this one is a huge step forward for the team which has worked on smaller, more condensed stories in the past.
It’s shockingly well-acted, and manages to be one of the most impressive FMV games ever made.
Pentiment
Adding to our list of unique games is Pentiment, a detective thriller set in 16th-century Bavaria.
Every detail matters, from the fonts characters use to speak with, to the secrets each one of them hides.
Like Disco Elysium, you carve Andreas’ background as the story develops, changing the outcome of conversations and situations.
Tunic
Despite looking like an old-school Zelda clone, Tunic brings its own unique twist on the genre.
Instead of gaining powers as you go on, they are all there from the start, you just don’t know how to use them.
Bits of the manual are collected along the way leading to some very tricky puzzle-solving and a game you just can’t put down.
A Plague Tale: Requiem
Launching on Xbox Game Pass is one reason why A Plague Tale: Requiem is best played on the platform.
But whichever way you play, Requiem tells not only a heartbreaking tale, but gives a dark atmosphere to the stealth genre.
All this is improved by gorgeous visuals previously not seen in the series.
Vampire Survivors
Vampire Survivors was the breakout success of the year, with an incredibly basic concept that proved to be genius.
All you do is walk, and the power-ups and weapons you collect do all the heavy lifting for you.
Stave off your foes, and collect more and more until they eventually overwhelm you.
As Dusk Falls
Another indie darling for your enjoyment, As Dusk Falls offers a shockingly engaging adventure game for your enjoyment.
The story features branching paths, multiple endings, and choices that matter.
It mixes this with surprisingly tense action scenes that will keep you gripped til the end or ends.
The Quarry
Like Supermassive Games’ previous hit, Until Dawn, every main character in The Quarry can and probably will die.
This is a horror adventure game where you use your instincts to try and keep everyone alive.
Best gone into blind; if you know nothing about this game, you’re exactly the person who should play it.
The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe
The Stanley Parable tells the story of the everyman trying to break free of his groundhog day style office life.
While this isn’t a sequel to the 2014 classic, it offers twice the content of the original making it worth a second try.
It’s one you have to play for yourself to understand, just remember that the narrator isn’t your boss.
Written by Dave Aubrey and Georgina Young on behalf of GLHF.
