Category: Xbox

Paramount Pictures’ upcoming “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” and Xbox is serving up a totally righteous gamers’ welcome for the fearless foursome. In celebration of the movie’s August 2023 release, we are giving away a limited number of exclusive ooze green, pizza-scented Xbox Wireless Controllers that pair perfectly with game content that immerses fans in the Turtles’ latest adventures.

Amp Up Your Gaming with TMNT: Mutant Mayhem Pizza-Scented Controller

Satisfy your hunger for kicking butt with the world’s first ever pizza-scented controller! Designed to deliver the smell of the Turtles’ beloved meal to your game time, these exclusive Xbox Wireless Controllers come with a built-in scent diffuser shaped like a slice of delicious New York ‘za. The controller comes in four variations, each representing the signature colors, weapons, and personality of a Turtle brother: Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo. Fans can enter to win the Wireless Controllers by following Xbox Game Pass on Twitter and retweeting the official Xbox Game Pass sweepstakes tweet. The giveaway will run from July 24 through August 13, 2023. For official rules and eligibility details, please visit here. For fans in NYC, you can join the celebration and check out in-person the pizza-scented controllers, load up on pizza and play on in the Xbox Gaming Lounge at the Microsoft Experience Center on Fifth Avenue from 4-7 pm ET on August 2, 2023.

Play With Your Favorite Turtles

These controllers are great for games like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, now available with Xbox Game Pass. In this timeless arcade game, you’ll rock back to the ’80s and choose your fighter, use radical combos to defeat your opponents, and experience intense combat loaded with outrageous ninja abilities. Stay sharp as you face off against Shredder and his faithful Foot Clan alone or play with up to six players simultaneously.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have also found their way into the Minecraftuniverse in a gnarly new DLC for Minecraft: Bedrock Edition, available for download in the Minecraft Marketplace on August 3, 2023. Show off your skills as you take down baddies like Leatherhead and Krang, explore iconic locations like the Turtle Lair, and save New York City from Shredder. Play as any of the four Turtles, choose from 20 TMNT skins, and be sure to head to the Dressing Room for a free Turtle T-Shirt (redeemable by September 1, 2023). Cowabunga!

About “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem”

After years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtle brothers set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers through heroic acts. Their new friend April O’Neil helps them take on a mysterious crime syndicate, but they soon get in over their heads when an army of mutants is unleashed upon them. “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” is in cinemas around the world August 2023. Pre-order “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” on the Microsoft Store starting August 2 to get great bonus content, and make sure to catch the digital premium release on September 5. For more information and to watch the trailer, visit teenagemutantninjaturtlesmovie.com.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge

Dotemu

☆☆☆☆☆
320

★★★★★

$24.99

$19.99

Get it now

PC Game Pass

Xbox Game Pass

HEROES IN A HALF SHELL

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge features groundbreaking gameplay rooted in timeless classic brawling mechanics, brought to you by the beat ’em up experts at Dotemu (Streets of Rage 4) and Tribute Games. Bash your way through gorgeous pixel art environments and slay tons of hellacious enemies with your favorite Turtle, each with his own skills and moves – making each run unique! Choose a fighter, use radical combos to defeat your opponents and experience intense combats loaded with breathtaking action and outrageous ninja abilities. Stay sharp as you face off against Shredder and his faithful Foot Clan alone, or grab your best buds and play with up to 6 players simultaneously!

TURTLE BOYS DON’T CUT KRANG NO SLACK

With Bebop and Rocksteady assaulting Channel 6 and stealing super gnarly devices to support Krang and Shredder’s latest twisted plan, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge sees the Turtles battling across a righteous range of timeless TMNT locations. From Manhattan and Coney Island, to city rooftops and dank sewers, help the fearsome foursome trounce Foot Soldiers, Triceraton Warriors, and Rock Troops all the way to Dimension X!

TURTLE POWER!!

Enjoy stunning full-color pixel art graphics and a vintage TMNT vibe that will rock you straight back to the awesome 80s. Every character, vehicle, weapon, item, and background is directly inspired by the 1987 TV show, making you feel like you hopped into the television — with a dope mix of killer humor and action-packed adventures!

Cowabunga!

Related:
Anime Month: Game Pass Ultimate Members Get Crunchyroll Premium Perk
Coming to Xbox Game Pass: Venba, The Wandering Village, Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem, and More
Introducing Xbox Game Pass Core, Coming This September

We’re excited to share that Antstream Arcade, a cross-platform streaming platform focusing on retro games, is now available on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, bringing its current library of over 1,300 retro games to Xbox consoles. Jump in today and play classics like Mortal Kombat, Pac-Man, Asteroids, and Earthworm Jim from your couch. Experience classic PS1 and Nintendo games such as Loaded, Indiana Jones Greatest Adventures, and Super Star Wars with your Xbox controller in hand. With Antstream Arcade you can experience these games today, fully optimized, and ready to go at the push of a button. Simply create an account, sign in, and start playing!

The Importance of Game Curation to Antstream

When the company was formed in 2013, one of the key motivations behind the product was preservation. There are decades of incredible games which are no longer available legally. Sure, many of these titles can be downloaded and played with emulators and ROMs but that experience is uncomfortable. The configuration of Emulators and ROMs is a technological barrier for many gamers.

Antstream’s easy ‘pick up and play’ mechanic makes these games accessible to everyone. In my position as Customer Support manager, I’ve had emails from six-year-old kids telling me that they’ve had a blast playing Double Dragon. Another recent email was from a 72-year-old who needed help completing Dizzy. Antstream is incredibly easy to use.

“Many of us grew up playing these games, so the ability to stream them on Xbox consoles and share these experiences with our friends and family is incredible,” said Sarah Bond, CVP of game creator experience and ecosystem at Microsoft. “We’re pleased that with Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub’s technology benefits and Azure cloud services we can help enable Antstream to reach more players.”

Coming back to the preservation aspect. It’s painful to see games lost to time. Antstream is a fantastic platform for people to experience games that they have never played before. Also, to find and discover games that were cancelled or not released. We are crafting a catalogue of titles which raise awareness of gaming history and keep the spirit of their creators alive.

This has been recognized by TIGA, Antstream has won an award for games curation.

New’ Retro Games on the Platform

A unique aspect to Antstream’s approach to game curation is how we support independent developers who are continuing to release games on retro platforms. For example, Turbo Tomato is an Amiga game released last year. It has become hugely popular thanks to Antstream. We also include these in our challenges and tournaments.

Challenges and Tournaments

Antstream is also creating longer lasting appeal with classic games with our unique challenge system. These titles are back-engineered to create a competitive system which allows you to experience these well-loved titles in new ways. These are ‘game modes’ such as ‘one-life challenges’ that extend the life of these titles and create new interest in the community.

In the past 12 months, we have introduced a new mode called Giant Slayer. This is centered around our growing community. One person sets up a challenge and then is presented to the community. They must try and beat the challenger for kudos and precious gems. Giant Slayer challenges are created by the players for other players. This keeps our community constantly engaged and involved in the product in a greater way than other streaming services.

We also feature tournaments. Here you can pit your high scores and feats against others in games like Dig Dug, Marble Madness, Double Dragon and Mortal Kombat. Scoring highly in these contests payout gems that you can spend on other games or for entering future tournaments.

The ‘power’ of Antstream

Speaking to Microsoft Game Dev Blog about how Azure powered Antstream, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Antstream Arcade Steve Cottam shared, “Microsoft was the right technical ally for us because it has a high density of servers globally, which was how we knew we could scale our service. By connecting gameplay to a nearby Azure virtual machine, we make sure that the time between a player pressing a controller button and something appearing on their screen is less than 50 milliseconds.”

Simply put – Antstream is the authentic arcade experience in your living room. I grew up in those halcyon days of big box cabinets, challenging your mates on Street Fighter or playing co-op on the X-Men arcade. Antstream delivers that experience with its emphasis on community and fun. That’s an aspect in modern gaming which seems missing now. Fun. Antstream delivers that in spades as well as a sense of achievement.

Antstream Arcade

Antstream Ltd

☆☆☆☆☆
41

★★★★★

$29.99

Get it now

Your ultimate gaming arcade is here with over 1300 classic games from the 80s, 90s, and 00s. Get a full year’s access to the world’s largest official retro gaming catalog of games. Antstream Arcade gives you unrestricted access to some of the best games ever made and new games are added every month. Feel the nostalgia by playing games from your childhood or discover new gems you never knew existed. Experience a world of gaming in a new way with:

* Over 600 original mini-game challenges, with new challenges every month. Take on your friends or the global leaderboards, or just try to earn gold in your favorite games.

* Participate in global weekly tournaments. Take on the world and show everyone your elite gaming skills.

* Set a community challenge with Giant Slayer. Take on the global community of retro gamers by setting a high score and challenging them to beat it. Will the community slay your score or will you be a giant amongst them?

* Pick up that second controller and enjoy some classic couch co-op action with some of the best Beat’em ups, Shmups, Fighters, Platformers, and more at your fingertips.

* Save your game at any point and pick up where you left off. Multiple people playing the same game? No problem, you have 4 save slots on every game to play with and a continue to pick up wherever you left off.

* Leave your mark by immortalizing yourself in the high score table of any game or challenge.

* Challenge a friend in Duel. Play any challenge and see if they can beat you.

Antstream Arcade is the largest Retro Gaming platform with the biggest catalog of classic games that can be streamed straight to you. The Arcade is constantly being updated with new games, challenges, features, and game modes. This purchase gives you a full year’s access and can be extended with 1-year subscription.

Related:
Next Week on Xbox: New Games for July 17 to 21

The wait is over and your journey deep in the Caribbean can begin! An exciting new expedition delivered across three of Sea of Thieves’ tried and tested Tall Tales, The Legend of Monkey Island was unveiled at last month’s Xbox Games Showcase and welcomes you to a whole new world on July 20. ‘The Journey to Mêlée Island’ is the first Tall Tale to arrive, but before we dive into more detail, let’s step back for a brief primer on The Legend of Monkey Island itself…

A Legend Sails In

Sea of Thieves: The Legend of Monkey Island is a collaboration between Rare and Lucasfilm Games that brings together two beloved casts of pirate characters to tell an original story. It’s designed to appeal to fresh-faced explorers and lifelong fans alike, immersing you in the world of Monkey Island in a hilarious and heartfelt love letter to the iconic adventure game series.

Across three new narrative-driven and voice-acted Tall Tales, released monthly, you’ll set sail in search of Guybrush Threepwood, go head-to-head with the ghost pirate Captain LeChuck and break a devious curse that has ensnared Mêlée Island.

Whether you’re solving puzzles, mastering Insult Sword Fighting or navigating through lava-filled catacombs with Guybrush as your guide, this is an opportunity to experience the world of Monkey Island like never before…

Not Just Any Journey

It all begins this month in the first new Tall Tale, ‘The Journey to Mêlée Island’. After you’ve stopped by Capsize Charters at your starting Outpost, you’ll be ready to start the search for Guybrush Threepwood, who’s gone missing while on his way to the Sea of Thieves.

Once you reach Mêlée Island, you’ll explore iconic locations and meet familiar faces as you discover that things are not as they should be. Why does everyone believe Guybrush to be the greatest pirate who ever lived – and why has nobody seen him in so long?

Explore the riches recently revealed on Sea of Thieves’ YouTube channel to learn more about the puzzles and perils wrapped up in ‘The Journey to Mêlée Island’, then get ready to sail some very different seas. Secrets, side-quests and new rewards await you…

Into the Emporium

As the first instalment of Sea of Thieves: The Legend of Monkey Island arrives, so too does a fresh batch of Pirate Emporium stock. Ready to strike terror into the hearts of your foes? Take inspiration from the ghost pirate Captain LeChuck and outfit your vessel with the LeChuck’s Legacy ship set. Captains can add the finishing touch with a matching Ship’s Crest!

Or take on a more personal veneer of villainy by dressing like Guybrush’s arch-nemesis with the LeChuck Costume Set. Including three variants and a Swordpoint Stance Emote, it ensures even mighty pirates will regret crossing your path – especially if you come wielding the LeChuck’s Legacy weapons.

A Piranha Poodle pet and new artistic ship Trinkets round out The Legend of Monkey Island celebrations this month. All available alongside this new update from July 20!

So set out on ‘The Journey to Mêlée Island’ today, and discover what’s in store for you, Guybrush and an array of colourful characters found deep in the Caribbean as The Legend of Monkey Island unfolds this summer. We’ll see you in the Scumm Bar…

Find Out More

For more information on the latest Sea of Thieves update, including full release notes, visit the Sea of Thieves website. The update is available for free to all Sea of Thieves players who have bought the game on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows 10/11 PC or via Steam, or players who have access to it with Xbox Game Pass. Simply download and install the latest Sea of Thieves update to get access.

New to Sea of Thieves? Find out about the latest free content updates on our What’s New page, get familiar with Who’s Who or pick up some gameplay tips from our Pirate Academy, which provides invaluable information on topics ranging from sailing to swordplay as you prepare for your maiden voyage. Learn more about Sea of Thieves here, or join the ongoing adventure at www.seaofthieves.com where you can embark on an epic journey with one of gaming’s most welcoming communities!

© 2023 MICROSOFT. © & ™ LUCASFILM LTD.

Sea of Thieves 2023 Edition

Microsoft Studios

☆☆☆☆☆
991

★★★★★

$39.99

$19.99

Get it now

Xbox One X Enhanced

PC Game Pass

Xbox Game Pass

Xbox Live Gold membership required to play on Xbox One; sold separately.

=========

2023 Edition Out Now
Celebrate five years since Sea of Thieves’ launch with this special edition of the game, which includes a copy of Sea of Thieves itself with all permanent content added since launch, plus a 10,000 gold bonus and a selection of Hunter cosmetics. The Hunter Cutlass, Pistol, Compass, Hat, Jacket and Sails will ensure you cut a formidable figure as you set sail for adventure!
About the Game

Sea of Thieves offers the essential pirate experience, from sailing and fighting to exploring and looting – everything you need to live the pirate life and become a legend in your own right. With no set roles, you have complete freedom to approach the world, and other players, however you choose.
Whether you’re voyaging as a group or sailing solo, you’re bound to encounter other crews in this shared world adventure – but will they be friends or foes, and how will you respond?

A Vast Open World
Explore a vast open world filled with unspoiled islands and underwater kingdoms. Take on quests to hunt for lost loot, forge a reputation with the Trading Companies and battle foes from Phantoms and Ocean Crawlers to Megalodons and the mighty Kraken. Try your hand at fishing, make maps to your own buried treasure or choose from hundreds of other optional goals and side-quests!

Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life
Play the Tall Tales to experience Sea of Thieves’ unique narrative-driven campaigns, and join forces with Captain Jack Sparrow in Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life, an acclaimed original story that brings Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean sailing into Sea of Thieves. These immersive and cinematic quests provide around 30 hours of the ultimate pirate adventure.

A Game That’s Always Growing
With each Season bringing in new game features every three months alongside regular in-game Events and new narrative Adventures, Sea of Thieves is a service-based game that’s still growing and evolving. Check back regularly to see what free content has been newly added, and see how far you can climb through each Season’s 100 levels of Renown to earn special rewards.

Become Legend
On your journey to become a Pirate Legend you’ll amass loot, build a reputation and define a unique personal style with your hard-earned rewards. Adventurer. Explorer. Conqueror. What will your legend be?

Related:
How Neverwinter Brings Classic Dungeons & Dragons Heroes And Villains To Life
Venba Is a Delectable Tale of Growth, Generational Divide, and Great Dishes 
The Legend of Monkey Island: How Sea of Thieves Is Translating Monkey Island’s Story, Gameplay, and More — an Exclusive Interview

For the last eight years on Xbox, players have been able to enter the Forgotten Realms and experience the world of Dungeons & Dragons for themselves, through the free-to-play MMO Neverwinter. Now, as Neverwinter brings its Menzonberranzan arc to an end with the latest release, The Demonweb Pits, we sat down with Neverwinter’s Lead Content Designer, Elliot Minner, to talk about the last decade of adventures.

The Forgotten Realms is a classic setting, and gave the Neverwinter team the chance to bring classic Dungeons & Dragons characters to life and let players interact with them. Doing this has allowed the developers to explore some of their favorite heroes and villains.

“We’ve been lucky enough to put some of our absolute favorites in the game,” Minner said. “Antagonists like Strahd von Zarovich and heroes like Drizzt Do’urden and the Companions of the Hall. In fact, we recently were able to partner with R.A. Salvatore and his son Geno Salvatore to write an original story involving Menzoberranzan and Drizzt.”

Many of Neverwinter’s updates, called Modules, are based directly on the modules released by Wizards of the Coast for the last two editions of Dungeons & Dragons. When crafting those stories into gameplay experiences, Minner says they’re careful to follow the original plotline, but put their own twist on it.

“We try to stay true to the character and story, but adapt it to what the game needs,” Minners explains. “So we’ll often change or add abilities to make a cool fight, or place the characters in a different version of the plot because we aren’t able to follow the module one to one. With everything we make, we work with Wizards of the Coast to make sure it matches their vision, and they’re very supportive when we add our own touches to the IP.“

Of course, bringing beloved D&D characters like Jarlaxle to life comes with its own responsibilities. Players can have their own vision of these characters that’s lived in their heads for literal decades. While no version can be perfect, the team are all giant Dungeons & Dragons nerds, and work to get as close as they can.

“Our content writers sit down and think about the characters and their plot lines, and write to the character’s history,” Minner says. “We have a huge bookshelf of Dungeons & Dragons novels in the office, if anyone needs to reference a character’s established voice. Then we send that writing to our talented audio team, who cast the right person for the job and direct them to give a satisfying performance.”

Neverwinter isn’t the first Dungeons & Dragons game, and it isn’t the first to bring these classic heroes and villains to life. Asked what sets Neverwinter apart from other games in the Forgotten Realms, Minner says: “As an MMO, Neverwinter is all about playing together. You can meet Elminster with your friends, and interact with him as a party. I love the feeling of getting a group of friends together to battle one of our epic bosses, like Lolth herself.”

When asked about one character he would add if given the chance, Minner laughs. “Bahamut, definitely,” he says. “The dragon god of justice. I mean, how cool would that be?”

Neverwinter’s The Demonweb Pits is available on Xbox consoles now.

Neverwinter

Gearbox Publishing

☆☆☆☆☆
1124

★★★★★

Get it now

Neverwinter is the premier Dungeons & Dragons MMORPG experience, featuring fast-paced combat and epic dungeons. Explore the vast city of Neverwinter and its surrounding regions, battle its many enemies, and be a part of Forgotten Realms history.

Experience Dungeons & Dragons Like Never Before – Neverwinter is an action MMORPG that bridges intense combat with classic D&D gameplay. Journey through the city of Neverwinter and the legendary subcontinent of Faerûn, and face off against the greatest adversaries from D&D legend.

Build Your Own Legend – Bring your adventures to life through iconic D&D classes and races, advanced paragon paths, companions, and a remarkable range of customization options. Whether you’re hunting dragons and beholders within crumbling dungeons or battling other players in the icy reaches of Icespire Peak, you’ll discover why Neverwinter is the definitive Dungeons & Dragons experience.

Optimized for Xbox One – Neverwinter inspires classic Dungeons & Dragons adventures with a fully optimized player experience for Xbox One. The fast-paced action gameplay of Neverwinter has been mapped to the Xbox One controller, giving adventures the ability to move around the battlefield and cast powerful spells with ease. Xbox One players can also use their Xbox One friends list to find and party up with others as they explore iconic locations of the Dungeons & Dragons universe.

This game supports English, French, German, Italian, and Russian.

Additional System requirements: Minimum broadband internet connection of 512 Kbps is required to access all features.

Related:
Venba Is a Delectable Tale of Growth, Generational Divide, and Great Dishes 
Reviving a Cult-Classic. Lisa: Definitive Edition Comes to Xbox
Xbox Launches New Voice Reporting Feature, Empowering Players with The Option to Capture and Report Inappropriate In-Game Voice Chats

Bringing Lisa to Xbox

Hey, I’m Austin Jorgensen, the creator of LISA , and  I’m excited to finally bring  LISA  to Xbox fans  around the world alongside Serenity Forge!

Lisa  is a side-scrolling RPG filled with quirky characters  and moral desolation, told in two parts:  The Painful and The Joyful. These games take you on a journey that forces you to confront  yourself through tragedy, comedy, and brutality.  Lisa takes place in Olathe, a place that’s still reeling from “The White Flash,” an apocalyptic event that wiped out all women. The resulting  land and its inhabitants vary wildly, from the quirky and funny to the cruel and twisted. Along your journey and all its encounters, there’s one constant: consequences. Whether you are greedy, selfless, risk-taking or shy, the game will make you remember those choices… Over and over again.

As far as the game itself goes, this is the definitive version of  Lisa. It has been completely rebuilt in a modern engine and filled with visual polish, never-before-heard music tracks  (including music from Lisa: The First ), and new content  across both The Painful and The Joyful.  Altogether, these additions express a final vision for Lisa. But I don’t want to say too much–I  hope you discover it on your own.

Revisiting a Cult-Classic Ten Years after Launch

Originally the project was just porting the game to consoles. Mentally, I thought I was done with the game–I had finished it years ago and had started on future projects. But as I worked with Serenity Forge, questions about certain design choices came up. As I started to address these issues, I had to explore what it meant for the game’s story. And after almost ten years away from  Lisa, I found myself facing down my old writing. Pretty soon, I started noticing there was a little more I wanted to say about Brad, Olathe, and its people.

Lisa deals with themes regarding mental health, personhood, and purpose, and the way those  interact with problems like generational trauma, suicide, and abuse. Behind this and all the humor, there’s a meaning. When I finished  Lisa, I left the story very open-ended. Revisiting the game with fresh eyes has given me the chance to really expand on the meaning I was originally aiming for. So alongside remastering the game, we started working on new content, the final piece of the puzzle, and I’m really excited for old and new fans to experience Lisa in its  complete form. At the end of the day, I hope that with the new story (in all its forms), perspectives are changed and someone out there is able to find meaning in the game–to find something that really resonates with them.

Delivering the ‘Pain’ with Xbox Features

Bringing the game to consoles has been a fun ride. The team at Serenity Forge has brought in features for the Xbox release like a 120 FPS mode and pixel-perfect upscaling for full HD displays and beyond. One of my favorite moments was testing the game and experiencing it with proper controller vibration for the first time. Every stumble, fall off a cliff, and machine-gun punch got more ‘oomph’ than ever. The pain felt even more real.

 Keeping True to the Original

Despite the new content, and remastering of the game, I want to assure old-time fans of the games that this is still Lisa. Serenity Forge and I have worked extremely hard to keep the game as close to the original as possible. That said, there were a few jokes in the original that we’ve updated, as I think they actually distract from the specific kind of humor that Olathe is known for (like the Black Salvation Ranger scene). Every change is one that I made personally. As a result, this new version is what I truly believe in, and I think the love I’ve poured into this title will be obvious to all.

Lisa has always been about perspective. With the release of the Definitive Edition, new fans will be welcomed into Olathe with fresh eyes, and returning fans get the chance to help Brad all over again–perhaps making different decisions along the way. I hope that everybody will learn something new about themselves. So please check out  Lisa: Definitive Edition  when it releases  on July 18th on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. Thank you all for the support throughout the  years. Lisa is finally complete.

LISA: Definitive Edition

Serenity Forge

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$24.99

Get it now

Explore Olathe and unmask its twisted secrets with LISA: The Definitive Edition, including the original narrative-driven RPG LISA: The Painful and its sequel LISA: The Joyful.

LISA: The Painful – Definitive Edition is the miserable, hilarious RPG of your wildest nightmares. Undertake a relentless journey through the post-apocalyptic wasteland of Olathe. Beneath its charming exterior is a world full of disgust and moral desolation, where you will learn what kind of person you are by being FORCED to make choices that permanently affect the gameplay. Make sacrifices to keep your party members alive, whether it’s taking a beating for them, losing limbs, or some other inhuman torture. In this world, you will learn that being selfish and heartless is the only way to survive…

LISA: The Joyful – Definitive Edition is the soul-twisting conclusion to the quirky side-scrolling RPG series, LISA. Explore Olathe in your quest to punish the world that has treated you wrong. Along the way, learn about this strange land, your family, and the monsters/men in power. The world’s out to get you… now, get it back.

Related:
Gylt is a Delicate Horror Game for All
Hitchhiker’s Guide to Doom & Destiny Worlds: Author’s Tips & Tricks Unveiled
An Insight on Your Computer Might Be at Risk, out Now on Xbox and Windows

There are many opportunities to brush up on our real-life skills through gaming this month, including puzzle solving, cooking, building a settlement on the back of a giant wandering creature to survive a post-apocalyptic world, and even photography! Let’s get to the games.

Available Today

Techtonica (Game Preview) (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Available on day one with Game Pass: Dig into the sub-surface, bioluminescent world of a rogue alien planet as you explore and construct sprawling factories in Techtonica. Work alone or in co-op to master automation, gather resources, research new technologies, mold the destructible terrain, establish a base of operations, and uncover long-forgotten secrets.

Toem (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Set off on a delightful expedition and use your photographic eye to uncover the mysteries of the magical Toem in this hand-drawn adventure game. Chat with quirky characters, solve their problems by snapping neat photos, and make your way through a relaxing landscape!

The Cave (Cloud and Console)
The Cave is an adventure game from Monkey Island and Maniac Mansion creator Ron Gilbert, and Double Fine Productions, the award-winning studio behind Psychonauts and Brütal Legend. Assemble your team of three from seven unlikely adventurers, each with their own unique personalities, and then descend into the mysterious depths.

Coming Soon

Maquette (Console and PC) – July 19
Maquette is a first-person recursive puzzle game that takes you into a world where every building, plant, and object are simultaneously tiny and staggeringly huge. Maquette makes it possible by twisting the world into itself recursively in an MC Escher-esque fashion.

Figment 2: Creed Valley (Cloud, Console, and PC) – July 20
Figment 2: Creed Valley is an action-adventure game set in the human mind. Nightmares are spreading chaos and have overrun once-peaceful lands. Join Dusty, The Mind’s courage, as you make your way through puzzles, musical boss fights, and unique environments.

The Wandering Village (Cloud, Console, and PC) – July 20
The Wandering Village is a city-building simulation game on the back of a giant, wandering creature. Build your settlement and form a symbiotic relationship with the colossus. Will you survive together in this hostile, yet beautiful post-apocalyptic world, contaminated by poisonous plants?

Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – July 25
Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem is a new stand-alone expansion to the world of the classic FPS series. Join the fight against Notorious Mental on a journey through the wild lands of Russia and find your way through this lost chapter of Sam Stone’s adventures.

Venba (Console and PC) – July 31
Available on day one with Game Pass: Venba is a short narrative cooking game, where you play as an Indian mom, who immigrates to Canada with her family in the 1980s. Players will cook various dishes and restore lost recipes, hold branching conversations, and explore in this story about family, love, loss, and more.

Celeste (Cloud, Console, and PC) – August 1
Celeste makes a return to the Game Pass library! Help Madeline survive her inner demons on her journey to the top of Celeste Mountain, in this super-tight platformer from the creators of TowerFall. Brave hundreds of hand-crafted challenges, uncover devious secrets, and piece together the mystery of the mountain.

DLC / Game Updates

Naraka: Bladepoint Deluxe Edition Upgrade – Available now
Naraka: Bladepoint is now free to play, and all Game Pass members will get free conversion from the current Standard Edition to the new Deluxe Edition along with in-game rewards. Learn more here.

League of Legends Champion: Naafiri – July 20
Game Pass members can instantly unlock the newest League of Legends Champion, Naafiri, on July 20 with their membership. Her pack will always find the lone prey. So, the choice is yours: starve or feast.

Sea of Thieves: The Legend of Monkey Island – July 20
Voyage deep into the Caribbean with Sea of Thieves: The Legend of Monkey Island – an original story told in installments across three Tall Tales, the first of which arrives July 20, it’s a hilarious, heartfelt love-letter to the iconic adventure game series!

Dead by Daylight: Nicolas Cage DLC – July 25
Game Pass members save 10% off this DLC! You know him well. A legend with over one hundred film credits to his name, Nick Cage has seen it all and done it all. Yet never did he anticipate that upon taking a role in the film “Descend Beyond”, he’d find himself falling into the clutches of The Entity, forced to live out an eternity of endless Trials alongside co-stars that may or may not be hellbent on hanging him from a meat hook.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks

Crunchyroll Premium Perk – July 20
For a limited time, get 75 days of Crunchyroll Premium (Mega Fan Plan) with your Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership. Stream the world’s largest anime library of more than 1,000 titles ad-free, anywhere you want. Press play on music videos, concerts, manga, and more!

FIFA 23 EA Play Ultimate Team Pack – July 21
Get your EA Play FUTTIES Super Loan Pack, featuring one loan Player Item for your FIFA 23 Ultimate Team! Game Pass Ultimate and EA Play members can claim this Pack from July 21 to August 21, 2023.

Naruto Shippuden Uncut Season 1 – Available Now   
Enjoy the first season of “Naruto Shippuden Uncut” with your Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Membership. Naruto returns to the Village Hidden in the Leaves and takes on his old Sensei. Get other seasons of Naruto and hundreds of other Anime series on sale during Microsoft Movies & TV’s Anime month.

Leaving July 31

The following games are leaving the Game Pass library soon, so there’s no better time to jump back in. If you want to keep the fun going, remember to use your membership discount to save up to 20% off these games to keep them in your library.

• Dreamscaper (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Expeditions: Rome (PC)
• Marvel’s Avengers (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• The Ascent (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Two Point Campus (Cloud, Console, and PC)

That’s a wrap! You know we’ll be back soon with more games, but in the meantime follow us at @XboxGamePassPC and @XboxGamePass on Twitter for the usual memes and updates. See you next time!

Related:
Feel the Thrill of the Race in Need for Speed Unbound – Available on The Play List
Introducing Xbox Game Pass Core, Coming This September
Xbox Insider Release Notes – Xbox App for Windows [2307.1001.4.0]