Retro gaming has always had a peculiar charm. There’s something about the chunky pixels, the bleepy chiptunes, and the stripped-down mechanics that feels both nostalgic and oddly refreshing in today’s era of sprawling open worlds and cinematic realism. The Gruniożerca Trilogy, now available on Xbox, taps directly into that vein of nostalgia. Originally born from the NES homebrew scene, these three puzzle-platformers have been lovingly remastered by Take IT Studio!, bundled to

When Zumba – Treasure of the Marble Sea arrived on Xbox, it promised to rekindle the addictive magic of the marble-shooter genre while draping itself in a swashbuckling pirate theme. Developed by EpiXR Games and released in August 2025, the game sets out to be a spiritual successor to Zuma, one of the most beloved puzzle titles of the early 2000s. On paper, the concept sounds enticing: a vibrant pirate mascot guiding players through tropical beaches, treasure caves, and myste

Horror games often live or die by their atmosphere, and Death Park: 4K Remastered on Xbox leans heavily into its carnival of nightmares. Originally released in 2021, the game has now been given a fresh coat of paint for modern consoles, with developer EpiXR Games promising sharper visuals, smoother performance, and a more immersive soundscape. The setting a dilapidated amusement park haunted by a murderous clown remains the heart of the experience, and the remaster aims to ma

When you first boot up PLAGUN – The Plague Goes On, it’s clear you’re stepping into a world that thrives on chaos. Developed by Talkinguns and published by indie.io, this roguelike shooter doesn’t waste time with lengthy tutorials or hand-holding. Instead, it throws you headfirst into a plague-ridden kingdom where immortality experiments have gone horribly wrong, leaving behind a grotesque landscape of husks, vampires, robots, and other twisted creations. The premise alone se

When you first boot up Schematic Void, it doesn’t feel like a typical point-and-click adventure. Instead, it greets you with a wink and a smirk, daring you to take part in a game that knows it’s unfinished, knows it’s absurd, and knows you’re here for the ride. Developed by Meowton Games, this indie release bills itself as an “anti-horror adventure,” and that tagline is more than just clever marketing. Rather than leaning into the usual tropes of eerie soundscapes and sudden

Ball x Pit is one of those rare indie titles that manages to take a simple concept and elevate it into something far more compelling than you’d expect at first glance. On the surface, it looks like a quirky brick-breaker with roguelite elements, but once you dive in, you quickly realize it’s a layered experience that blends arcade nostalgia with modern progression systems. The game invites you into its chaotic yet strategic world, where every run feels like a fresh puzzle to

As Long As You’re Here is not the kind of game you play for flashy mechanics or endless replayability, it’s a quiet, intimate experience that feels more like stepping into someone’s memories than playing a traditional video game. From the moment you begin, the atmosphere is heavy with emotion, and it quickly becomes clear that this is a story about fragility, love, and the painful erosion of identity. The game centres on Annie, a woman living with Alzheimer’s, and it invites

There are games that entertain, games that challenge, and then there are games like Indika, titles that feel more like philosophical experiments than traditional entertainment. Developed by Odd Meter and published by 11 Bit Studios, Indika is set in a surreal version of late 19th-century Russia, where players step into the shoes of a troubled nun navigating both the physical world and the labyrinth of her own conscience. From the very first moments, the game makes it clear th

Few holiday stories have endured quite like Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The tale of a green curmudgeon whose icy heart thaws in the warmth of community has been retold countless times across books, films, and television specials. In 2023, Outright Games and developer Casual Brothers brought the Grinch into the world of interactive entertainment with The Grinch: Christmas Adventures, a family-friendly platformer designed to capture the whimsy and mischief of th

As someone who has sunk countless hours into Vampire Survivors, I approached Halls of Torment on Xbox with both excitement and skepticism. Could another auto-shooter roguelite really capture that same addictive magic without feeling like a shallow imitation? To my surprise, Halls of Torment not only embraces the familiar loop of mowing down endless hordes, but it layers on a grim, gothic atmosphere and a deeper progression system that makes it feel like a natural evolution of

The Tech Power Pack DLC for Formula Legends is a fascinating tribute to motorsport’s most daring experiments. Rather than simply adding more cars to the roster, this expansion dives into the history of racing innovation, bringing three radical machines to life in a way that feels both nostalgic and fresh. Each vehicle is inspired by real-world engineering gambles that once shook the racing world, and the developers have done an impressive job of translating those quirks into

When Heroes of Mount Dragon landed on Xbox, it came with a bold promise: to rekindle the magic of classic fantasy beat ’em ups while adding a modern twist. Developed by RuniQ, the game positions itself as a spiritual successor to the likes of Golden Axe and Castle Crashers, but with its own fiery hook, the ability for heroes to transform into dragons mid-battle. That premise alone is enough to spark curiosity, and the opening hours deliver a spectacle of vibrant fantasy lands

When you first boot up Dark Quest 4  on Xbox, it’s hard not to feel a wave of nostalgia wash over you. Developed by Brain Seal Ltd, this latest entry in the series is unapologetically steeped in the spirit of classic tabletop dungeon crawlers like HeroQuest . It doesn’t try to hide its influences and in fact, it celebrates them, leaning into the dice-roll drama, miniature-inspired visuals, and the sense of camaraderie that comes from tackling a dungeon with friends. Yet, whil

Arcade shooters have always thrived on simplicity: tight controls, relentless waves of enemies, and the thrill of survival against impossible odds. Void Source , developed by Lovixsama and published by Xitilon, embraces that tradition wholeheartedly while carving out its own identity on Xbox. At first glance, it looks like a straightforward twin-stick shooter, but beneath its neon explosions and chaotic energy lies a game that feels like a love letter to the golden age of arc

On the surface, Shaman’s Mask of the Rune Magic  might look like just another budget indie title tucked away in the Xbox store, but it has a curious charm that makes it worth a closer look. Developed by myHazards and published by Xitilon, the game was released in August 2025 at a very low price point (from £2.49), clearly designed to appeal to players who enjoy quick bursts of gameplay or those chasing Gamerscore milestones. You step into the role of a mystical shaman who don

Horror games often thrive on the unknown, and The Cabin Factory leans into that idea with a premise that is as unsettling as it is unusual. Developed by International Cat Studios and published by Feardemic and Future Friends Games, the title has now arrived on Xbox after first making waves on PC. Rather than relying on jump scares or elaborate storylines, it places players in the role of an inspector at a factory that produces cabins. Your job is deceptively simple: determine

There’s something immediately disarming about Winter Burrow. From the moment you step into its snow-dusted forest as a small birch mouse returning home, the game establishes a tone that is equal parts cosy and melancholic. Unlike many survival titles that thrive on punishing mechanics and relentless danger, Winter Burrow invites you into a world where survival is less about brute endurance and more about emotional resilience. The Xbox version captures this atmosphere beautifu

There’s something instantly striking about CLAWPUNK the moment you boot it up on Xbox. Developed by Kittens in Timespace and published by Megabit Publishing, this roguelite brawler doesn’t waste time easing you in as it throws you claws-first into a neon-soaked cyberpunk dystopia where cats are not just survivors, but warriors. Released in November 2025, the game feels like a love letter to the arcade chaos of the ’90s, yet it’s dressed in a modern roguelite framework that ke

When I first played Last Outpost, I wasn’t sure what to expect. At a glance, it looks like a straightforward survival strategy game, but once you dive in, it reveals itself as something more layered and surprisingly addictive. Set in a bleak, zombie-ravaged world, the game puts you in charge of defending humanity’s final stronghold. It’s not just about building walls and placing turrets, it’s about making tough choices under pressure, balancing scarce resources, and adapting

There’s something undeniably appealing about games that let you step into the shoes of a shopkeeper in a magical world. Tiny Witch takes that familiar formula and gives it a whimsical twist, casting you as a pint-sized witch who suddenly finds herself responsible for running a shop that supplies dungeon masters with freshly brewed minions. From the very first moments, the game sets a playful tone with its colourful art style and quirky premise. It doesn’t try to overwhelm you