Modern ‘AAA’ adventure games demand a lot from you. They often want more than 40 hours of your time, investment in complex game systems, knowledge of multi-game lore or multiplayer capabilities. But sometimes all you want from a video game is a short and beautiful journey that leaves lasting memories. A game that wraps you in a blissful, self-contained story that never lasts longer than its welcome. That’s where indie video games come in.
While the definition of “indie games” has become less clear of late, these are titles developed by smaller teams. They are typically not as budget or expectation driven as AAA adventure games, meaning they can explore more niche ideas and experiment with creativity. They can be weird and surreal, diving deeper with more personal stories.
Xbox Game Pass has become an unlikely hub for this type of game, with plenty of weird, likable, and wonderful indie adventure games available to everyone. If you’re an existing subscriber looking for your next heartfelt gaming journey, then look no further than these excellent indie adventure games.
Tunic
Tunic is a beautiful indie adventure game that follows a cute fox on a journey through forests full of intriguing puzzles and powerful enemies. You’ll discover strange mysteries, fight towering beasts and even stumble across secret paths in Tunic. The game is designed with The Legend of Zelda in mind, and the inspirations shine through in every facet of the gameplay.
Read: Tunic Review – A furry little hero in a big isometric world
The game has a deep combat system and also encourages exploration, with players being given few clues as to where to go and what to do to solve each puzzle in the game. It has led to Tunic with its own puzzle-solving community – one that should come in very handy if you get stuck somewhere along the way.
garden story
garden story is a wholesome action role-playing game where you embody a young grape trying to protect their village from the evil Rot. Like Tunic, it also draws inspiration from The Legend of Zelda series – but it leans more heavily in a cartoonish, cutesy style that makes exploration an absolute delight at every turn.
As Concord (the grape hero), you travel across a pastel colored map, collecting various weapons and tools and taking out enemies like the ghostly Octopihi, rolling and dodging to unleash the most effective attacks. If you’re not fighting enemies, you can also spend your time on garden story completing daily quests and upgrading the local town. If you’re looking for an adorable adventure for all ages on Xbox Game Pass, garden story is a real gem.
NORCO
NORCO is a phenomenal point-and-click adventure that explores the prevailing scars on American society – issues of slavery, murder, economic collapse and inequality. It’s a pretty tough game in that regard, but with an extremely engaging, self-assured story and a tendency towards magical realism, it’s an eye-opening adventure game that’s well worth checking out.
Read: NORCO Review – Refinery Eyes
Here’s what GamesHub reviewer Nicholas Kennedy had to say about the experience:
‘NORCO is a confrontational video game; a confident, biographical and mind-boggling point-and-click narrative experience that feels more like something you breathe in rather than play, with an effective cocktail of magical realism, social heartbreak and bummer coolness.”
Even if this title wasn’t on Xbox Game Pass, we’d heartily recommend it.
Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling
Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling is a colorful adventure that takes a lot of inspiration from the Paper Mario series. You embody three insect warriors on this journey: Vi, Kabbu and Leif, all of whom have special abilities for fighting and solving puzzles. Use their skills together and you will be able to conquer the Bugaria region and its many deadly warriors.
The Paper Mario comparison is best suited for this game, not only because of the game’s cel-shaded art style, but also because it uses a similar hybrid combat system. Not only is it turn-based, you can also maximize the damage of your attacks by timing the button presses and performing frenetic moves. Even if you’ve never played a classic Paper Marioyou will definitely enjoy this compact and delightful adventure game.
Hollow Knight
Hollow Knight, from Australian studio Team Cherry, is one of the most acclaimed indie adventure games on Xbox Game Pass — and for good reason. With spirited battles, incredible locations and deeply satisfying storytelling, Hollow Knight is a complete triumph. You owe it to yourself to try this game whether you think side-scrolling adventures are for you or not.
You can reach a point in Hollow Knight where the action gets a little at heavy, and everything seems hopeless – but the joy of finally beating that a boss makes the whole experience worth it. Plus, you can enjoy brilliant visuals and a great score on the go. Australia makes great games, and Hollow Knight is a fantastic example of this.
The artful escape
Speaking of great Australian games on Xbox Game Pass, The artful escape is another that should be noted. In this romping, musically inspired adventure, you play as a young man named Francis Vendetti, a musician who struggles to escape the shadow of his famous uncle – all while walking a path filled with cool, neon-soaked imagery. and a lot of spice.
Read: The Artful Escape Review – A feast for the eyes
Here’s what GamesHub reviewer David Wildgoose had to say about the story:
‘A triumphant journey of transformation, The artful escape is a joyful musical odyssey of self-discovery that sweeps you along with breathless enthusiasm and leaves you wide-eyed and grinning from ear to ear. It’s the story of someone coming to terms with who they are and realizing it’s okay to dream about being someone else. But it’s mainly about how folk music is trash.’
Paradise killer
Paradise killer is the kind of game we wish we could forget and play all over again. In this vaporwave-inspired story, you play as a detective working to solve a futuristic murder on an island considered to be paradise. But while the facade of this city is perfect, the cracks soon start to show – and they get deeper with every step you take.
While Paradise killer has a linear finale, it is not a linear game. In the first moments you are thrown into a wide open world, and it is really up to you to use your detective skills and discover every secret lurking in the game. There’s no hand-holding and no real clues to start with – but the further you travel into this world, the more the threads begin to unravel. Paradise killer is a fantastic experience, and having it on Xbox Game Pass is a real blessing.
forager
If you enjoy the other games on this list – especially Tunic and garden story – chances are you will enjoy it too forager, a pixel-perfect adventure game that combines exploration with city management. Unlike other sandbox games, forager actually has a story-based final state, where players must travel far and wide to defeat big bosses, collect certain artifacts, and complete a variety of unique missions.
The game is best described as a combination of The Legend of Zelda and Stardew Valley, with a bit of room for your own sense of personality in between. It’s a fun experience no matter what aspect of the game you want to focus on, and having an end goal helps tie the whole adventure together.
Xbox Game Pass is a subscription service from AU $10.95 per month that gives you access to a range of the best games for Xbox consoles and PC at no extra cost. You can browse the service’s entire games library here.
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