Indie Picks for November (Plus Exciting Announcements!)

As we dive into the holiday season, everyone at ID@Xbox is beyond excited to present our December Indie Selects. For starters, a massive thank you to everyone who has shown love and support for indie games on Xbox this year. With Indie Selects, our aim is to shine a light on the wonderfully bizarre and unique creations out there. Not all great games need to be big-budget blockbusters; sometimes, it’s about a refined, touching story, an innovative new take on a familiar concept, or just something truly out of the ordinary. We’re grateful for your continued support and hope you enjoy discovering these gems.

In light of the festive spirit, instead of the usual one-week December Selects lineup, we’ve curated a diverse collection spanning three weeks of highlights for 2024. Starting December 11, every week we’ll roll out 18 top indie titles that made waves this past year. Make sure to check out the Indie Selects section in the Xbox Store (just glide over to the Games Home tab and scroll down a bit) every Wednesday—you won’t want to miss these indie must-haves.

As we look ahead, mark January 28, 2025, on your calendars, because that’s when we’ll celebrate our program’s first anniversary with a special 2024 Anniversary Collection. We’ll be handpicking six standout Indie Selects titles from last year—the must-haves, the crème de la crème—and placing them front and center. We’ve got more surprises, sales, and collections waiting for you in 2025, but let’s focus on enjoying the present for now.

This December’s lineup is jam-packed. Choosing from all the innovative, boundary-pushing titles was no easy feat. These select games stretch beyond the conventional, offering strange mechanics, dramatic narratives, and a good dose of pure fun. There were debates and passionate arguments over which games to endorse. Some folks on our team were still in a spooky October mood, craving something thrilling enough to get the adrenaline pumping. Meanwhile, others wanted to embark on an adventure with a giant rideable wolf, while several were drawn to lose themselves in mysterious realms or navigate impactful choices. In the end, the games list we settled on promises a little something for everyone, ensuring there’s an experience waiting for you that you won’t easily forget. Here’s what’s in store this month (in no particular order):

Neva hits all the emotional notes you’re looking for, perhaps even setting off a tear or two. I spent the weekend engrossed in its stunning visuals and haunting soundtrack. This moving experience is as fun to play as it is poignant.

Following in the graceful steps of Gris, Neva by Nomada Studio showcases their refined crafting skills. Gris was a masterpiece, and Neva picks up the torch, combining simple yet gratifying platforming and combat mechanics. This roughly five-hour journey will make you reflect deeply, touching your heart in a way few games can. If combat gets tricky, there’s a “Story Mode” to keep the experience accessible without the fear of dying.

Let’s talk about Animal Well, a delightful, enigmatic Metroidvania bursting with abstract puzzles and vibrant ecosystems. You play as a squishy little blob cavorting through a shadowy, wet world that whispers its rules in its own cryptic language. As you discover new areas, you unlock more paths through mysterious tools and their fascinating mechanics. The creatures in the well add to the intrigue, some being essential puzzle solutions, while others need to be cleverly avoided—turning evasion into its own exquisite puzzle. This game has a wealth of secrets, even long after the credits roll.

There’s something profoundly special about this one. It took me a moment to pinpoint what captivated me so deeply with every moment of gameplay. Eventually, I realized that while the tiny, lively blob was adorable, the real protagonist here is the environment itself. It continuously delighted me with its chain of small, wonderfully satisfying interactions. I found myself making goals shift as I uncovered more secrets, feeling rewarded for scrutinizing each pixel. If you love to uncover every nuance in a game without turning to guides, prepare yourself for a true test of your detective skills.

For all theme park strategy enthusiasts, Planet Coaster 2 is a dream. As a fan of strategy and creativity, this game pulls me in all the right directions. Right from the start, you’re immersed in a vibrant, colorful world with stunning visuals. The charming in-game characters are excellent at guiding you through the initial hoops of park management.

The freedom to create and operate your ideal theme park can keep you engaged for hours. The coaster construction feature is so intuitive that it encourages wild creativity, letting you construct rides as thrilling and imaginative as you can dream. However, you’re quickly reminded of the balance you need between creativity and reality, as you’re tasked with maintaining staff, finances, and visitor satisfaction.

The thrill of sharing your creations with other players adds another dimension of community and fun. It’s mind-blowing how creative people can get, and even better, you can incorporate their creations into your park. Whether you’re an avid park manager or just beginning, Planet Coaster 2 serves up the perfect mix of collaboration, strategy, and creativity.

Phasmophobia offers an intense horror journey, tasking you with identifying ghosts haunting various locations using a range of ghost-hunting tools. Each ghost has distinct traits that you must identify to solve the puzzle and win.

What stands out is the immersive experience during the clue hunt. The game brilliantly employs classic horror elements like sound and lighting to invoke that haunted house atmosphere, constantly reacting to your actions and keeping you on edge. Your only option, given the inability to fight back, is to swiftly gather clues while avoiding great danger.

This game truly shines when played with friends. There’s nothing quite like hearing your friends’ frantic screams over voice chat as they face impending doom, followed by eerie silence. This juxtaposition delivers hilarity and fear in equal measure.

Fear the Spotlight plunges you into a ’90s-style horror game that centers on puzzle-solving, a captivating storyline, and stealth. Vivian and Amy sneak into their school at night for a séance, leading to disaster as Amy goes missing. It’s up to Vivian to explore the school, unravel its secrets, and find her friend.

As you navigate the school, a creature—a man with a spotlight for a head—pursues you. Without any combat, your main job is staying unseen while solving puzzles and moving forward. While it’s not packed with jump scares, it builds a creeping tension that adds to its fantastic narrative.

Meet Slay the Princess, a visual novel that plays more like a choice-driven adventure aimed at killing a princess. But why? That’s for you to discern as you explore dozens of prompts issued by a “narrator.” Depending on how you approach the situation, your path alters, new narrators join in, and each scenario’s perception shifts.

Your choices impact how the princess’s form materializes, leading to an ending for one story and the start of another time and again. The striking black-and-white pencil art is complemented by a haunting score and top-tier voice acting. It’s dark, creepy, yet enticing and fascinating. And yes, you’ll meet your end several times. Just keep going; it’s thoroughly rewarding. Enjoy this ride of unexpected twists and turns, as your journey through this beautifully crafted world.