A year after the initial launch, the Avowed team is capping its post-launch roadmap with a special anniversary update that goes live for all today. This update, for which full details can be read over on the Obsidian site, brings with it a variety of community requested features, a host of quality-of-life fixes, and a few extra additions that the team wanted to get in just for the fans. Avowed is also launching on PlayStation 5 with the past year of updates included, allowing more players to get in and explore the Living Lands.

New Faces with New Races

To top the list of big new features being added to Avowed is the ability to choose from three new races during character creation. Joining the pre-existing human and elves are the stout and well-traveled Dwarves; the two-toned skin, hairy, and big ear having Orlans; and the large and uniquely strong Aumauan. Players will be able to choose as one of the five when starting off their adventure and bringing their envoy to the Living Lands.

If you are in the middle of your journey and want to try the new races, a new Magic Mirror has been added to the Party Camp that allows you to change your character at any time. With it you will be able to change to a new race, check out the new godlike feature variants, or—if you want a quick change of appearance —use one of the new character presets that have been put in, all without needing to create a new character.

And for those who may have completed the game but want to hop back in and try out one of the different races, you don’t have to start entirely from scratch…

Offering even more options, you can try out the custom game difficulty modifiers to make enemies hit harder (or softer), have more (or less) health, or even be faster. Modifiers can also be adjusted so that the player can do more damage, have more health, magic, and stamina resources, and even allow them to carry more items. The game can truly be played your way.

But That’s Not All!

Rounding out the anniversary update is the addition of a Photo Mode so you can capture all the best angles of your envoy, as well as your companions or just the Living Lands, and share them with your friends. A brand new weapon type – the quarterstaff – lets you fulfill your archmage dreams. Plus, there are a host of quality-of-life updates like improved lighting, the ability to skip previously unskippable conversations with a certain god, and some enemies respawning to keep areas lively.

For those who are making their return to Avowed to check out the anniversary update, welcome back. If this is your first time in the Living Lands, you are about to enter a world of wondrous flora and fauna, exceptional exploration, and satisfying combat. The team has added a ton to the game since its initial launch, from community requested features like more abilities for the fighter and ranger skill trees, arachnophobia mode, enemies being able to use player abilities, and a host of other changes. The fate of an island is up to you; forge it to your will.

Avowed is available now for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, ROG Xbox Ally handhelds, Xbox Cloud, PlayStation 5, Battle.net, and Steam for $49.99 for the standard edition and $59.99 for the premium edition. It is an Xbox Play Anywhere title and available with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

Avowed Premium Edition

Xbox Game Studios

☆☆☆☆☆
858

★★★★★

$59.99

$41.99

Get it now

Premium Edition includes:
– Avowed base game
– Up to 5 days early access
– Two Premium Skin Packs
– Access to Avowed Digital Artbook & Original Soundtrack

Welcome to the Living Lands, a mysterious island filled with adventure and danger.
Set in the fictional world of Eora that was first introduced to players in the Pillars of Eternity franchise, Avowed is a first-person fantasy action RPG from the award-winning team at Obsidian Entertainment.
You are the envoy of Aedyr, a distant land, sent to investigate rumors of a spreading plague throughout the Living Lands – an island full of mysteries and secrets, danger and adventure, and choices and consequences, and untamed wilderness. You discover a personal connection to the Living Lands and an ancient secret that threatens to destroy everything. Can you save this unknown frontier and your soul from the forces threatening to tear them asunder?

The Weird and Wonderful Living Lands
The Living Lands is a place that feels foreign yet somewhat intrinsic to you as it feels the island itself is calling out to you for help. Explore an island home to many different environments and landscapes, each with their own unique ecosystem.

Visceral Combat to Play Your Way
Mix and match swords, spells, guns, and shields to fight your way. Dig into your grimoire for spells to trap, freeze or burn enemies, bash them with your shield, or use range bows to attack from a distance.

Companions as part of your journey
Companions from a spread of species will fight alongside you, with their own unique set of abilities. From a former mercenary to an eccentric wizard, they will be part of your journey with your choices shaping them as you help them with their quests.

© Microsoft 2025. All Rights Reserved. Microsoft, Obsidian Entertainment, the Obsidian Entertainment logo and Avowed are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. Acceptance of Microsoft Services Agreement and Privacy Statement required to play. Microsoft account registration required for cross-platform play. Internet connection required. Features, online services, and system requirements may vary by country and are subject to change or retirement over time.

Avowed Standard Edition

Xbox Game Studios

☆☆☆☆☆
1306

★★★★★

$49.99

$34.99

Get it now

PC Game Pass

Xbox Game Pass

Welcome to the Living Lands, a mysterious island filled with adventure and danger.
Set in the fictional world of Eora that was first introduced to players in the Pillars of Eternity franchise, Avowed is a first-person fantasy action RPG from the award-winning team at Obsidian Entertainment.
You are the envoy of Aedyr, a distant land, sent to investigate rumors of a spreading plague throughout the Living Lands – an island full of mysteries and secrets, danger and adventure, and choices and consequences, and untamed wilderness. You discover a personal connection to the Living Lands and an ancient secret that threatens to destroy everything. Can you save this unknown frontier and your soul from the forces threatening to tear them asunder?

The Weird and Wonderful Living Lands
The Living Lands is a place that feels foreign yet somewhat intrinsic to you as it feels the island itself is calling out to you for help. Explore an island home to many different environments and landscapes, each with their own unique ecosystem.

Visceral Combat to Play Your Way
Mix and match swords, spells, guns, and shields to fight your way. Dig into your grimoire for spells to trap, freeze or burn enemies, bash them with your shield, or use range bows to attack from a distance.

Companions as part of your journey
Companions from a spread of species will fight alongside you, with their own unique set of abilities. From a former mercenary to an eccentric wizard, they will be part of your journey with your choices shaping them as you help them with their quests.

Happy Tuesday everyone – I know this day of the week is always better when it comes with a side of games coming soon, games available today, and updates you might have missed for some of your favorites. Let’s jump in!

Available Today

Aerial_Knight’s DropShot (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, and PC) – February 17
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

Available Day One with Xbox Game Pass! Aerial_Knight’s Dropshot is a high-speed, stylized FPS / Race where you play as Smoke Wallace. As a kid, he was bitten by a radioactive dragon, turning his skin purple and giving him the power to fire bullets from his fingertips. Race rivals, fight dragons, shoot smart, and look cool when you land.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, and PC) – February 17
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is a first-person, action-adventure game set in the never-before-seen Western Frontier of Pandora. You, a Na’vi, were abducted, trained and molded by the human militaristic corporation RDA to serve their purpose. Fifteen years later, you’re free but find yourself a stranger in your birthplace. Reconnect with your lost heritage, discover what it truly means to be Na’vi, and join other clans to protect Pandora from the RDA. Plus, enjoy the new third person update to experience Pandora from a whole new perspective.

Avowed (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC) – February 17
Now with Game Pass Premium

A year of updates comes to an end with new playable races, New Game Plus Mode, Photo Mode, custom game options, a new weapon type in the quarterstaff, and a host of gameplay fixes and improvements. This update offers a perfect time to both start or return to your journey in the Living Lands.

Coming Soon

Death Howl (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, and PC) – February 19
Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, PC Game Pass

Already available on PC in Game Pass, journey through the sorrowful spirit world in a soulslike deck builder. Craft cards and claim powerful totems to defeat the woeful spirits lurking in the mystical lands. Unravel the tale of a grieving mother in her desperate attempt to defy death and bring back her son.

EA Sports College Football 26 (Cloud and Xbox Series X|S) – February 19
Game Pass Ultimate

EA Sports College Football 26 is now on The Play List. Rep your colors across 136 FBS schools featuring over 300 authentic coaches, 2,700 new plays, and 10,000 college athletes with upgraded abilities. Ultimate subscribers can play now with EA Play, then score a Supercharge Pack from February 19–March 20 and save 10% on EA digital purchases.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition (Cloud and Console) – February 19
Game Pass Ultimate, Premium

Explore a legendary dark fantasy open world as monster slayer Geralt of Rivia in an epic quest to find his daughter — the Child of Destiny — Ciri. Follow a branching story full of choice and consequence across distinct regions, enjoying everything The Witcher 3 has to offer through the Complete Edition.

TCG Card Shop Simulator (Game Preview) (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, and PC) – February 24
Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, PC Game Pass

Open and manage your own local game store. Stock shelves with the latest booster packs or crack them and collect the cards for yourself. Set your own prices, hire staff, host events, and expand your card shop.

Dice A Million (PC) – February 25
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

Available Day One with Xbox Game Pass! Have you ever tried to roll 1,000,000 on a set of dice? No? Build the right bag of die, and you might just pull it off. The luck of the roll is in your capable Hand, decked out in powerful rings, with more than a few tricks up the sleeve.

Towerborne (Full Game Release) (Console, Handheld, and PC) – February 26
Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, PC Game Pass

Towerborne is launching as a complete game from an in-progress preview on February 26. The full release adds more story, areas, enemies, and progression, with updated difficulty and balance for different playstyles. Cosmetic rewards are now earned through gameplay, along with many polish and quality improvements. With launch you’ll also get offline play and optional online co-op.

Final Fantasy III (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC) – March 3
Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, PC Game Pass

With the power of light nearly eclipsed by the power of darkness, only the crystals’ four chosen adventurers can save the world.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC) – March 3
Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, PC Game Pass

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is a thrilling Action RPG, set amid the chaos of a civil war in 15th Century Bohemia. You are Henry of Skalitz – an ordinary man doing extraordinary things – caught in a gripping tale of revenge, betrayal and discovery as he embarks on an epic journey.

In Case You Missed It

Menace (Game Preview) (PC) – February 5
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

Command a strike force of marines, mercenaries, and criminals in the lawless Wayback system, cut off from the Core Worlds. Unite factions to face an unknown threat. Deploy tanks, walkers, and infantry with a massive selection of equipment to choose from, train your troops, plan operations, and engage in tactical battles.

Diablo II: Resurrected (Console and PC) – February 11
Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, PC Game Pass

See the latest updates with Diablo II: Resurrected here! Play the definitive Diablo II experience now with Xbox Game Pass, featuring remastered versions of Diablo II, the Lord of Destruction expansion, and more.

High on Life 2 (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC) – February 13
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

An intergalactic conspiracy threatens the fate of humanity! Team up with a wide cast of talking alien guns as you shoot, stab, and skate your way through exotic locales across the galaxy to take down the bad guys and save your favorite species (humans)!

Game Updates

Overwatch: Season 1: Conquest (Console and PC) – February 10
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

Season 1: Conquest launches Overwatch’s next big story as five new Heroes arrive together, bringing fresh playstyles and a faction-driven Conquest event. Choose your side as Overwatch and Talon collide, with evolving gameplay and a narrative that shapes the future.

In-Game Benefits

Microsoft Mahjong (PC) – February 24
Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, Essential, PC Game Pass

Find your focus in Microsoft Mahjong! Get in the zone with soothing sounds & tranquil scenes as you pair tiles to solve the board. Ramp up difficulty, tackle Daily Challenges, and increase clarity as you master Achievements. Lock into laid-back fun as you recharge with Mahjong.

Leaving February 28

The following games are leaving the Game Pass library soon. Jump back in to tie up any loose ends or save up to 20% off your purchase to keep the fun going!

• Monster Train (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Expeditions: A MudRunner Game (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Injustice 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Middle Earth: Shadow of War (Cloud, Console, and PC)

As always, we’ll be back here soon for more games, more updates, and if you keep an eye on @XboxGamePass, more memes. Talk soon!

For the last few weeks, Blizzard has been going big. Blizzard Showcase brought together the four key titles – Overwatch, Diablo, World of Warcraft, and Hearthstone – and gave the space to bring their updates, announcements (and some surprises!) in their own ways. It’s all a part of the road to BlizzCon 2026: the year of Blizzard’s 35^th anniversary, not to mention the 30^th anniversary of Diablo, and the 10^th anniversary of Overwatch. This is the perfect space in time to look back at the universes that have brought us together and look forward to the future.

For Blizzard President, Johanna Faries – speaking on the Official Xbox Podcast  – the Showcase has been a combination of careful planning and happy serendipity:

“We’ve been really thoughtful about [giving] our players what they’re hoping for, and hopefully delight them and surprise them in some big ways. I think those have landed. And we’ll just continue to sort of prime what we hope to be a very, very big year as we continue on here in 2026.

“Our franchise teams, and our game teams within those franchises, think a lot about, ‘What do we want to do next year? What do we want to do five years from now?’ Maybe, ‘What do we want to do 10 years from now?’ And we’ve organized our thinking and our strategic planning to make sure that comes together in a really thoughtful way. It’s very intentional how we’ve slate planned into the future.

“At the same time, the inorganic part was we sat back well over a year ago, and I said, ‘Look, there’s something bigger going on here, and I think we can marry this. I think we can make this a party on behalf of all of Blizzard Entertainment.’ And hopefully if you’re a fan of Blizzard, you’re gonna feel something bigger than just, ‘Oh, I got what I needed from Overwatch’ or, ‘I got what I needed from Diablo.’”

That idea – that this is a celebration of momentum across Blizzard, not just a series of game announcements – comes with a key extra detail: this is going to be a massive year. Showcase represents what Blizzard has to show us now, but its 2026 is far from over – not least with a return to the legendary BlizzCon later this year.

“Right now, we have a huge swath of announcements that our games have just brought forward. And why I say that is I think we’re pretty excited to say: There’s still BlizzCon coming in this calendar year, right? Imagine what else we’re stacking up.

“We’ve got to execute on that. We’ve got to make sure we’re delivering in a big way. But I think the teams are cooking. They’re very excited to bring some major announcements, maybe some surprises.”

We certainly haven’t seen everything Blizzard, and its games, will have to offer this year – but the wider point of this moment is to set the table for the future of the company. Blizzard is celebrating 35 years of existence by preparing for the next 35 years.

“I think there’s just an energy around this moment and how this is sort of a launching pad for a big future. It’s very fulfilling to be able to come into work and feel busy in that way, pressure in that way, stakes in that way. I think we’re all really proud of being able to try and pull it off. But again, it’s many years in the making.”

As Faries makes clear, that long-term thinking is being applied per-franchise, and per-game – making sure that it’s not just Blizzard’s future being considered, but how each individual title can thrive:

“What do we want the next 35 years to look like? What’s the vision? What’s the direction? We’ve set a lot in motion with respect to that, making sure we’re clear on it, making sure we’re coordinated on it, making sure that every year from this moment forward, there’s sort of a reliability that players can depend on us to launch in big ways, launch in surprising ways. Maybe take some zags!

“Not everything’s going to hit. That’s gaming. But in many ways, let’s understand where we are going – not only as a company, but by franchise, by game, right? I think at minimum, if you were to ask any of our major teams right now, ‘Hey, what’s your plan for the next three-, four-plus years?’, they have a very clear answer.

“I think this is just very much the beginning – I know you often kind of hear that – but I think ’26, in many ways, really represents a long road ahead of us in terms of things to be excited about.”

You can hear much more from Johanna Faries about Blizzard Showcase, BlizzCon, and Blizzard’s games on the Official Xbox Podcast right now

Legacy of Kain: Ascendance explores a new gameplay and stylistic direction for the franchise. Built as a fast-paced 2D action platformer, Ascendance blends tight combat, traversal, and a fully voiced, character-driven narrative that feels both familiar and unexpected within the Legacy of Kain universe.

Ascendance is designed around momentum. Combat and movement are closely intertwined, pushing you to constantly stay in motion as you fight, jump, fly, turn into a swarm of bats, and climb through Nosgoth’s dark, crumbling environments. Encounters often flow directly into platforming challenges, creating a rhythm that keeps the pace moving forward.

Combat and Movement in Constant Motion

Moment to moment, Ascendance asks you to think about how you move just as much as how you fight. Each playable character brings their own combat style and traversal tools, including aerial movement, gliding, special abilities, and evasive dashes. These mechanics are governed by a stamina-like resource that fuels nearly every action, from attacking to flying, forcing you to manage your momentum carefully.

Stamina management is the connective tissue between combat and platforming. Overextending in a fight or misjudging a jump can quickly leave you vulnerable, whether that means falling into a pit or being caught off guard by enemies. Defensive options like dodges reward timing and awareness, encouraging you to learn enemy behaviors rather than relying on button-mashing. The result is a gameplay loop that feels fast and reactive.

A New Format, A Familiar Identity

Visually and structurally, Ascendance represents a significant change from previous Legacy of Kain games. Despite the shift in format, Ascendance stays rooted in the franchise’s gothic tone. The world remains bleak and oppressive; the themes are heavy with fate, power, and consequence. The game’s narrative unfolds across multiple eras, connecting familiar characters and moments from the series’ history while expanding on ideas that were previously only implied.

Crucially, Ascendance does not sacrifice storytelling for speed. Mainstays of the franchise, including Simon Templeman as Kain, Michael Bell as Raziel, Anna Gunn as Ariel, and Richard Doyle as Moebius, return to provide fully voiced dialogue. Frequent narrative beats ensure that the game feels like more than a pure action experience. Story sequences are carefully paced, providing breathing room between bursts of combat without disrupting the game’s overall momentum.

A New Legacy

Ascendance’s 2D side-scrolling presentation and pixel art aesthetic immediately stand out, evoking the era when the series first emerged. That approach is paired with PS1-era-inspired 3D sequences and anime-influenced cinematics, bringing major story moments to life while nodding to the franchise’s first leap into 3D with Soul Reaver. The experience centers on combat and atmosphere, challenging you to master movement, read enemy patterns, and stay in control under pressure.

What to Watch for Early On

During the first hour of play, Ascendance quietly teaches its systems through action. You’re encouraged to experiment with movement, learn when to push forward, and pay close attention to story details. Like many Legacy of Kain entries, Ascendance does not spell everything out immediately. Clues are embedded in dialogue, environments, and character interactions for willing to listen closely.

The pacing is intentionally brisk. Most of the game is designed to be completed in relatively focused play sessions, with the story unfolding quickly and combat encounters arriving in steady succession. The story brings the gravity you expect from a Legacy of Kain game and amplifies the experience throughout.

A New Way to Experience Nosgoth

Legacy of Kain: Ascendance stands apart from the rest of the series in both form and feel, yet it remains unmistakably part of the same lineage. By combining fast 2D action, demanding traversal, and a story deeply tied to Nosgoth’s mythology, Ascendance offers you a new way to experience the franchise without losing what made it memorable in the first place.

Whether you’re a longtime fan or discovering Legacy of Kain for the first time, Ascendance delivers a focused, momentum-driven experience that reimagines the series while honoring its gothic roots.

Legacy of Kain: Ascendance is available on March 31, 2026, on Xbox Series X|S and will be cloud playable via Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Heart of Darkness Collection – Pre-order

Crystal Dynamics

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$44.99

Pre-order

The Heart of Darkness Collection is the ultimate Legacy of Kain experience, bringing together Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered Deluxe Edition and Legacy of Kain: Ascendance in one definitive bundle.
Return to the dark world of Nosgoth and relive the climactic struggle between Kain and Raziel in Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered Deluxe Edition, updated with modern enhancements and exclusive bonus content. Then step into Legacy of Kain: Ascendance, a fast-paced 2D action platformer that brings you Nosgoth in a brand new way.
Legacy of Kain: Ascendance will be available to play on March 31, 2026.

Legacy of Kain: Ascendance

Crystal Dynamics

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Legacy of Kain: Ascendance is a fast, 2D action platformer built around vertical movement, fluid combat, and skill-driven play.
Nosgoth’s dark fantasy world is brought to life through animated cutscenes and beautifully crafted pixel art gameplay. Each level is filled with environmental challenges and puzzles that flow seamlessly into combat. Fly, fight, and unravel the past in a world of collapsing kingdoms, haunted ruins, and shattered timelines.

2D Action Platformer
Chain melee strikes, evasive dashes, and supernatural attacks in fluid, vicious combat.

Multiple Protagonists
Overwhelm the battlefield with Kain’s vampiric powers. Play Raziel before his fall as a human Sarafan knight, then take flight for the first time in his vampiric form. The Vampire Elaleth introduces an aggressive playstyle focused on fast, relentless offense.

Original Score
Ascendance delivers a powerful original score by Celldweller.

Returning Voice Talent
Reunites iconic Legacy of Kain voice actors – Michael Bell, Simon Templeman, and Anna Gunn.

Color isn’t a barrier. While ChromaGun 2: Dye Hard is built on the language of color, it refuses to let color become a barrier. A unique symbol overlay system designed for color blind players earned ChromaGun 2: Dye Hard a Horizon Award for Technical Innovation at GG Bavaria 2025. It is a colorblind accessibility system that reimagines how players read and combine hues. Instead of relying solely on visual color differences, every color is paired with a distinct symbol: clean, intuitive shapes that overlay directly onto surfaces, objects, and even blended colors. When players mix hues, those symbols merge and stack in real time, creating a clear visual shorthand for every combination.

The result is a puzzle language that stays readable no matter how the player may see the world. Whether the player is navigating a monochrome chamber or juggling multiple color interactions at once, the symbol system ensures that every solution remains just as clever, challenging, and satisfying. With the goal that every player can experience the game on equal footing.

ChromaGun 2: Dye Hard features include:

• A One-Of-A-Kind Tool – The ChromaGun: Wield the titular “ChromaGun,” a versatile paint-gun used to shoot primary colors onto surfaces and objects, mixing them to manipulate the environment and outsmart puzzles. Mastering the color wheel is essentially to success. Mix and fire primary colors to bend environments to your will! Rewiring doors, redirecting drones, and unraveling puzzles that twist in increasingly clever ways. Every puzzle hinges on how well you can mix, match, and manipulate hues under pressure. Fire blue at a red block and watch it shift instantly into a purple, opening new paths or triggering mechanisms you couldn’t reach before. The deeper the game gets, the more the game asks you to think and juggle multiple color combinations on the fly. With deeper color physics, sharper puzzle logic, and environments that react in surprising layers, the sequel delivers its most ambitious, brain‑stretching 3D challenges yet.

• Magnetoid Chromatism: Master the proprietary core mechanic of Magnetoid Chromatism, a system where color isn’t just visual, it’s magnetic logic that governs how the entire world behaves. WorkerDroids, platforms, switches, and even environmental hazards react to color‑charged polarity, pulling toward or repelling away from whatever hue is applied. A single color can shift the flow of a room. ChromaGun 2: Dye Hard reimagines puzzle realities with ever-changing rules and visual styles, from comic-book labs to sci-fi facilities, keeping each challenge inventive and unpredictable. You interact with WorkerDroids, beams, tools and switches in flexible systems.

• Multiverse Puzzles: Set in the dangerously pristine world of ChromaTech Industries, the game’s stylized presentation and humor blend clever problem-solving with off-beat charm. Travel through time and space across five different dimensions and parallel universes, each with new physics, visual style and narrative tone. Inside the comic‑book dimension, every action explodes with over‑the‑top flair. Each shot from the ChromaGun triggers a burst of hand‑drawn onomatopoeia – Wham!, Boom!, Pow! – that pop in like a comic book. Then there’s the chicken universe, an entirely different flavor of chaos. Poultry-based problem solving. Here, puzzles revolve around a flock of hyper‑aggressive, feather‑ruffling chickens who charge the player on sight. Instead of traditional switches or drones, progress depends on coloring these furious birds mid‑attack, using their reactions and movement to trigger mechanisms, open paths, and of course solve puzzles.

The vibrant multiverse awaits. Chromagun 2: Dye Hard is available right now.

ChromaGun 2: Dye Hard

PM-Studios, Inc.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$19.99

$17.99

Get it now

Welcome to ChromaTec, the universe’s leading producer of the ChromaGun (patent pending)! Here at ChromaTec, colors are magnets! Well, not exactly. Magnetoid Chromatism—a physical property of the pandimensional realm—is a bit more complex than that. In layperson’s terms: Walls attract objects of the same color. All kinds of objects! Like large boxes. Or small boxes. Or medium boxes! Or super-safe, friendly, decidedly non-murderous WorkerDroids*. (List not exhaustive)

Use your refined painting and color-mixing skills to voluntarily solve intricate puzzles on the ChromaTec Testing Track for ChromaGun Research Purposes, Mark II — aka ChromaGun 2.

Please note the following are not valid reasons for non-participation:
– Not having participated in the Testing Track Mark I
(aka ChromaGun 1; no prior knowledge necessary)
– Color-blindness
(A color-blind accessibility mode is available at no extra charge)
– Fear of birds**
– Fear of magnets (They’re colors, not magnets)
– Fear of being involuntarily forced to perform tests on an experimental color-based firearm (this will never happen)

ChromaTec would like to remind you of the following important disclaimer:
Not solving tests as instructed is not advised.
Breaking the ChromaGun is not advised.
Activating a portal to a parallALTERNATEel uniREALITYverse is not ADVISEDadvised…

ChromaLABS would like to remind you of the following disclaimer:
ChromaLabs is the universe’s foremost—and only—manufacturer of the patented ChromaGun. Our world-class engineers are all [redacted] free [redacted] and [redacted] motivated [redacted] to [redacted] ensure that our testing grounds meet the following criteria:
– Unbreakable tests: No constant restarting of test chambers necessary
– Removable paint: Painting and mixing is fine, but undoing it is even better
– Advanced puzzles: Physics challengPUZZLes, clever paintPAINT mechanics, and even [redACTED] oh TWO i [REDacted] UNIVERSES have a CANNOT EXIST bad IN feeling THE SAME about REALITY this.

We hope you enjoy your brief, pleasant, VOLUNTARY participation in the ChromaLabs CHROMATEC Testing TRACK.

* WorkerDroids may be less non-murderous than implied.
** Except chickens

Every Wednesday, dive into the Indie Select Hub — your gateway to a fresh, curated indie collection plus four themed spotlights that rotate weekly! You can always find this collection hub in the Xbox Store and on Xbox.com/IndieSelects.

The ID@Xbox team felt February’s peculiar sparkle in the air, so we curated 6 offbeat adventures that match that delightfully strange charm. From a hand‑drawn British comedy to a psychological race against time to save a plague‑stricken town, this slate delivers bold hooks for every mood. Fight fairytale capitalism, settle into a magical farming life, brave a dread‑tinged fishing odyssey, or command a retro JRPG party through dungeon‑delving action. Whether you crave calm, comedy, chaos, or a fight for survival, we’ve got something uniquely – and unexpectedly – perfect for you this month (in no particular order):

Thank Goodness You’re Here!

Humor in video games is notoriously difficult to pull off, but the team at Panic may have cracked the code with Thank Goodness You’re Here! a comedy adventure game that lands joke after joke with remarkable confidence and impeccable timing.

Thank Goodness You’re Here! is a lively, hand-drawn comedy adventure game in the art style reminiscent of Terry Gilliam’s Monty Python’s and other surreal British animation from the 1960s and 70s, and it pairs this visual with sharp distinctly British humor. The result is a game that appears crude on the surface, but it’s clearly well designed with genuinely laugh-out-loud moments. 

From the opening cutscene, the game establishes its bizarre premise and rarely lets up. You play as a small, mostly silent salesman wandering the fictional Northern English town of Barnsworth. Progress is driven entirely by interaction: poking, pulling, slapping, and getting into increasingly absurd and strange situations. The game rewards curiosity, timing, and the willingness to lean into the absurd.

The voice acting is superb, including the unmistakable presence of Matt Berry who delivers the game’s tone perfectly. Thank Goodness You’re Here! trusts you to find the humor without over-explaining and handing you the control to let the comedic timing do the work.

Charming, strange, confident in its own silliness, and never overstaying its welcome, Thank Goodness You’re Here! stands out as one of the most memorable comedy games in recent years. Ta-ta for now. – Oscar Polanco

Thank Goodness You’re Here!

Panic

☆☆☆☆☆
27

★★★★★

$19.99

Get it now

After arriving early for a big meeting with the mayor of a bizarre Northern English town, a traveling salesman takes the time to explore and meet the locals, who are all very eager to give him a series of increasingly odd jobs…

“Thank Goodness You’re Here!” is a comedy slapformer, which unfolds over time as the players’ exploration and antics leave their mark on the strange town of Barnsworth. With each completed odd job, new areas of the town open up, stranger and stranger tasks become available, and the clock ticks towards our salesman’s big meeting. The town’s colorful inhabitants are brought to life with vibrant hand-drawn animation, fully voiced dialogue, and wall-to-wall double entendres.

Pathologic 3

Pathologic 3 is a game that lingers long after you put the controller down. The cult-classic psychological survival series from Ice-Pick Lodge returns with a new entry that reimagines its haunting world for modern hardware, while staying true to what makes Pathologic so distinct. This isn’t survival-horror built on reflexes or fear alone. It’s about pressure — the kind that builds quietly as time moves forward and the town refuses to wait for you. From the moment you arrive, the world feels hostile in subtle ways. Conversations are uneasy. Information is fragmented. Even simple decisions feel loaded. Playing Pathologic 3, I was constantly aware that every choice — where I went, who I helped, what I ignored — carried consequences I wouldn’t fully understand until much later.

You play as a doctor navigating a plague that can’t simply be cured. Resources are scarce, and the town’s residents feel less like quest-givers and more like people trying to survive alongside you. Saving one life often meant neglecting another, and there were moments where doing “the right thing” only made the situation worse. Combat is not the focus here. Survival comes from managing hunger, exhaustion, infection, and trust, both your own and the town’s. The tension doesn’t spike; it simmers. More than once, I found myself hesitating before making a decision, knowing the game wouldn’t stop me from making a mistake — it would just remember it.

On Xbox Series X|S, Pathologic 3 benefits from faster load times and enhanced lighting and environmental detail, keeping the experience uninterrupted and deeply immersive. The town feels oppressive, alive, and uncomfortably close. Pathologic 3 is a game that trusts players to sit with discomfort, ambiguity, and consequence. The plague is back on Xbox — and it’s watching how you choose to face it. – Steven Allen

Pathologic 3

HypeTrain Digital

☆☆☆☆☆
13

★★★★★

$34.99

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REBIRTH OF AN AWARD-WINNING STORY
Bachelor Daniil Dankovsky is a young doctor from the capital. His search for the secret of immortality brings him to a remote town, gripped by a mysterious plague that will destroy it in 12 days. Now it’s up to him to explore the town itself, its past, present, and future — to find answers to his numerous questions and try to stop the relentless epidemic.

(At least… that’s what he thinks this story is about. What it’s supposed to be about. What it’s always been about.)

PAVED WITH GOOD INTENTIONS
You are a real doctor. Your tools are knowledge and science. Examine patients and diagnose diseases. Cross-check symptoms and prescribe treatments. Enforce your rules: impose quarantines, confiscate medicine, vaccinate the population, deploy patrols, and impose curfews. See how your choices change the town, even if it means being hated along the way.

TIME IS RELATIVE
You have only 12 days to stop the lethal plague. But in your hands lies the most valuable resource—time. Travel into the future to witness the worst outcomes. Correct mistakes in the past to change them. Bend the fates of people around you to save or condemn you—in search of answers.

(How is it possible? What *is* time?)

TOWN ON THE EDGE
Delve into the darkest corners of the Town-on-Gorkhon to fight the disease. Face the Plague head-on. Cleanse the infected streets. Burn what can no longer be saved. What was lost in the fire will be found in the ashes.

THINK, THINK, THINK!
Dankovsky is a sharp mind in search of the truth, willing to do anything to find it. Anything you see can tell a story and become a piece of your mental map of the world. Explore the town for new insights, notice details, and connect the dots. Uncover the secrets of the town’s inhabitants. Shape their stories, decide their fates, and talk to their shadows.

Escape from Ever After

Escape from Ever After is a cozy, whimsical experience that proudly wears its inspirations on its sleeve. What begins as an atypical hero-goes-to-slay-the-dragon story quickly shifts into a buddy-cop-esque journey about capitalism, evil conglomerates, and climbing the corporate ladder to destroy a company from within. It’s very unserious and silly — yet somehow the most genius thing I’ve played in a while.

The premise is centered around hero Flynt Buckler, villain Tinder the Dragon, and their temporary truce to thwart Ever After Inc. — a “real-world” conglomerate bent on infiltrating beloved fairytales and folklore to farm resources and characters for labor. As a result, you’ll find Pinocchio working a desk job, Red Riding Hood manning a receptionist’s desk, the Three Little Pigs as an evil construction company, and Dracula as a… tailor. You’ll also see things like printers as save points, gold coins referred to as “wages,” and coffee as your mana pool. I love how much it plays into the theme of the corporate world blending into fantasy, and it left me eager to see what stories would be included and how they’ve been impacted by Ever After.

As for the core gameplay, it’s an approachable RPG with platforming, puzzles, and exploration balanced into the mix. The combat is turn-based but leverages timing-based mini games to enhance actions. Historically, I’ve never really been a big turn-based RPG person, so this helped keep the combat engaging and definitely felt satisfying to pull off. There’s also a bit of party management as you recruit characters from different stories, a leveling system, abilities to unlock, and mild customization through costumes and such.

This game is awesome, and I had an absolute blast playing it. Through its story, gameplay variety, and approachability, this feels like a game I can easily recommend to anyone. – Deron Mann

Escape from Ever After

HypeTrain Digital

☆☆☆☆☆
35

★★★★★

$24.99

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Escape from Ever After is an adventure RPG inspired by the classic Paper Mario games, where fairytale and storybook characters must fight back against capitalism!

When Flynt Buckler, a classic fairytale adventurer, storms the castle of his evil dragon arch-nemesis Tinder, he finds the once intimidating fortress has been converted into… corporate offices? The villainous dragon is nowhere to be found and her castle is full of mindless coffee-sipping, report-filing drones. What happened?

It turns out that storybooks are an untapped market ripe with valuable resources, cheap labor, and profit to be had—so naturally, real-world conglomerate Ever After Inc. found a way to intervene! With Tinder’s Castle as their new corporate headquarters, Ever After Inc. is hellbent on taking over every storybook they can. With no choice but to get a job, Flynt Buckler must team up with his former nemesis Tinder in order to climb the corporate ladder and take down Ever After Inc. from the inside!

Dive into storybook worlds packed to the brim with colorful characters, captivating locales, and electrifying secrets! One moment you’ll be fleeing Lovecraftian terrors while solving a noir murder mystery, and the next you’ll be up against villainous versions of The Three Little Pigs as they try to bulldoze a fairytale forest for their real estate developments. The rules are always changing!

Face off against hordes of wacky enemies in snappy turn-based gameplay! Perfectly-timed action commands allow Flynt to finish off his foes with style, and an assortment of items, badges, and partners ensure there’s always a trick up his sleeve.

Fight in a fun, fast-paced battle system that rewards experimentation and strategy
Build and customize your party—every character has unique skills that can be equipped and upgraded throughout your journey
Engage in office banter, help your storybook coworkers, and decorate your office as you climb the corporate ladder
Explore vast storybook worlds brimming with sidequests, treasures, and secrets
Stories within stories: experience a charming and lively narrative where the rules are constantly changing
A jazzy, big-band soundtrack that keeps the energy pumping throughout

Wylde Flowers

Wylde Flowers is a standout farming life sim that breaks from genre norms with its fully voice‑acted cast and story‑driven approach. Instead of creating your own avatar from scratch, you step into the shoes of Tara, who returns to her quiet island hometown after twenty years to help care for her grandmother’s farm. It doesn’t take long before Tara learns that her grandmother is actually a witch and that she may actually share the same abilities.

The gameplay blends farming, daily chores, witchcraft, and socializing with the townsfolk, delivering a satisfying loop that stays approachable but rewarding. You’ll harvest resources, upgrade tools, craft practical and magical components, and unlock new potions and spells. One especially clever design choice is the way seasons advance: they don’t run on a timer but instead shift only when you decide. That small twist removes a lot of pressure, giving you all the time you need to gather materials and finish tasks before moving on.

But the real magic of the game lies in its cast of unique characters. The town is filled with everyday villagers as well as a few supernatural‑leaning residents, all of whom initially see you as an outsider which means you will have to win them over. Each character has distinct stories, quirks, secrets, and requests, and the more time you spend with them, the more your relationships deepen, with some even blossoming into romance. These connections aren’t just optional side flavor; they actively push the story forward as you piece together what’s truly happening in the community and who’s genuinely on your side.

If you’re an Animal Crossing fan craving something with richer narrative layers wrapped in cozy farming gameplay, this one is absolutely worth your time. – Raymond Estrada

Wylde Flowers

Studio Drydock

☆☆☆☆☆
12

★★★★★

$24.99

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Wylde Flowers is a cozy life and farming sim with a witchy twist! Escape to a cute world of diverse folks, and magical spells, as you and the coven unravel a mystery!

Play as Tara, as she arrives at a cozy rural island to help out her grandma and the family farm.

Explore a wholesome world of magical realms, beautiful beaches, secretive forests and the friendly town of Fairhaven.

Meet a charming cast of fully voice acted characters, with intriguing back stories to reveal. Find friendship or maybe even romance?

Transform the Wylde family farm into a productive haven bursting with fresh vegetables, fruit trees and cute baby animals!

Wield your wand and broomstick as you nurture your magical abilities to tend the farm, control the weather, turn the seasons or transform into a cat!

Create hundreds of recipes for yummy food or artisanal goods to sell. Between fishing, mining, crafting and farming (plus a little magic) you’ll have lots to do.

Connect with the coven, fall in love and enjoy your cottagecore life as you uncover the mysterious goings-on in the heart of Fairhaven.

Reveal the hidden darkness which is affecting the town and discover how to bring everyone together.

Loan Shark

Quite possibly the most indie game to ever indie without being in voxels or 2D, in Loan Shark you play as a sad sack fisherman who owes a lot of money to a loan shark just waiting onshore to do serious damage to you and your loved ones if you don’t meet the payment deadline. To make a dent in a seemingly impossible debt ceiling, you just have to keep fishing like your life depends on it… because it does. Because this is a horror fishing game.

As a hapless fisherman desperate to pay off a debt, you’ll have to fish, fish, fish stuff out of the ocean from your ramshackle boat, gut your catch, and toss it in a chest for a payment that slowly chips away at an enormous bill you’ve racked up with the local crime-lord-slash-loan-shark. The waters are dark, the visuals are murky in a PS2 kind of way, and the controls are both simple and clunky at the same time. Don’t dive into this one expecting to marvel over technical gymnastics or pristine presentation – this is a game about making choices, being accountable for them, and of course, a creepy talking fish who offers you some potentially easy answers (which is also a choice for you to make). And that’s really it. Each run lasts around 45-ish minutes and, depending on how you handle yourself, can result in very different endings. I don’t really want to dish out any more info in order to avoid spoilers, as you kind of have to go into this one with an open mind, a willingness to persist with little to no guidance, and a robust imagination (to make up for those technical rough edges). But please do, fish away!

Loan Shark

Dark Product

☆☆☆☆☆
22

★★★★★

$4.99

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You’re an indebted angler, trapped in a vicious cycle of borrowing and desperation. One dark, endless night at sea you haul up something unnatural: a talking fish named Cagliuso. It promises you riches — but its bargains come with terrifying strings.
In LOAN SHARK, the nets you cast bring more than fish. They pull you toward sacrifice, secrets, and a deadline you may never meet. The “loan shark” isn’t just metaphoric — something is stalking the waters, your time is running out, and every deal you strike pushes you deeper into the unknown.

Hero Seekers

This game hits me with all the nostalgia dopamine. Late‑’90s and early‑2000s turn‑based JRPGs were absolutely my thing, and Hero Seekers takes that classic formula and elevates it with a clever premise, strong characters, and stylish presentation. Memory drives both the story and gameplay: you awaken in a world where humans have been enslaved by demons, and major historical events have been rewritten. You’re the only one who remembers the true past, and it’s up to you to recover forgotten heroes, restore what was erased, and save humanity.

Combat is turn‑based and built around smart party choices and resource management. You can field up to five unique heroes, and while most battles are straightforward, tougher enemies and status effects occasionally demand more strategy. Routine encounters can be handled automatically.

Where the game really shines is in its hero collection. You gain access to a wide roster early on, encouraging experimentation as you mix and match characters, build unique parties, and optimize skills so they complement one another. Along the way, you’ll meet several standout heroes with distinct backstories that unfold as you help them reclaim their memories.

Hero Seekers scratches that old‑school JRPG itch with intuitive gameplay and strong presentation, while adding its own twist through its hero‑collecting focus and memory‑driven narrative. I’d recommend it to anyone who loves memorable, classic‑style JRPGs. – Raymond Estrada

Hero Seekers

KEMCO

☆☆☆☆☆
1

★★★★★

$19.99

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The world has been rewritten, and the very name of “Hero” erased from memory. Once, three brave warriors defeated the Demon King and brought peace to the land—but now their deeds are lost to time. Lunette, the only one who remembers the true history, sets out on a journey to restore it by summoning the forgotten souls of heroes and reclaiming the light once stolen from the world.

Experience a full-fledged fantasy JRPG filled with classic turn-based battles, dungeon exploration, and strategic party building. Form teams of up to five heroes, combining unique traits and skills to create powerful synergies. Strengthen your allies through training, gear up at shops, and master the art of command battles where every move counts. With features like high-speed combat, dungeon escape spells, and smooth progression, enjoy an adventure that blends nostalgic JRPG charm with modern convenience.

We’re excited to invite all Xbox Insiders on Xbox Series X|S to join the Reforj playtest starting today, February 11. Limited space is available, so join now to secure your spot!

About the Game:

4J Studios – the Scotland-based team that brought Minecraft to consoles alongside some of its most memorable content additions – are inviting you to step into the world of Reforj! Have your say in the future of this community-focused pre-alpha title, currently exclusive to Xbox Insider.

Explore, sculpt, build, and survive in this open-world, voxel-based, survival sandbox. Journey through exotic, procedurally-generated biomes, establish settlements with advanced building capabilities and unlock the secrets of a lost civilization spanning multiple worlds. 

Become an Expansion Pioneer and start forj-ing the future of Reforj’s development, today!

*Reforj is in early development – join the Reforj Discord to keep up with any news and updates or to provide feedback/suggestions. Similarly, you can visit the Reforj website for further information about the game.

How to Participate:

1. Sign-in on your Xbox Series X|S console and launch the Xbox Insider Hub app (or install the Xbox Insider Hub from the Store first if necessary)
2. Navigate to Previews > Reforj
3. Select Join
4. Wait for the registration to complete and be directed to the Store and install Reforj Pre-Alpha

NOTE: Limited space is available and offered first-come first-served.

NOTE: This playtest is only available on Xbox Series X|S consoles.

How to Provide Feedback:

If you experience any issues while playing Reforj, don’t forget to use “Report a problem” so we can investigate:

• Hold down the home button on your Xbox controller.
• Select Report a problem.
• Select the Games category and Reforj Pre-Alpha subcategory.
• Fill out the form with the appropriate details to help our investigation.

Other resources:

• Get the Xbox Insider Hub app
• Xbox Insider FAQ
• How to provide feedback as an Xbox Insider

For more information: follow us on X/Twitter at @XboxInsider and this blog for announcements and more. And feel free to interact with the community on the Xbox Insider SubReddit.