When the ID@Xbox team decides what titles to include for our monthly selects, sometimes there is a clear favorite or a genre that really resonates with the team that month. This was not that month. We all needed different things from our games at the end of this summer and this month\u2019s six handpicked Indie Selects really reflected that.<\/p>\n
There are incredible narratives with wonderful, handcrafted art, action-packed platforming with unique maneuvering, anxiety-riddled survival horror, and some much-needed silly cat puns. Whether you need to end your summer with a laugh, a good cry, and\/or just some really dope gameplay, August\u2019s Indie Selects has you covered. Here is our list (in no particular order):<\/p>\n We\u2019re so excited about the release of the long-awaited Cat Quest 3<\/em>, letting players take to the open seas in this brand new 2.5D feline swashbuckling action-RPG. Explore the Purribean \u2013 a vast open world full of zany characters, exciting quests, treasure, adventure, and dastardly Pi-rats. Fight on land across a wide variety of dungeons and biomes, and for the first time ever, in the sea with your very own ship.\u202f Expect a boatload of cat puns, loot to collect from weapons to spells and costumes, and deadly bosses to take on including the fur-ocious Pirate King. Best of all, you can play Cat Quest 3<\/em> solo or in local co-op with a buddy.<\/p>\n Kepler Interactive<\/p>\n
The first full release from Squid Shock Studios is a breathtaking action platformer inspired by the rich tapestry of Japanese folklore. The striking art style combines hand-drawn animation with traditional Japanese papercraft. The gameplay initially feels familiar and appealing with minimal handholding, but the movement mechanics create a unique and rewarding means of traversal. Players gain a midair jump and dash upon hitting an enemy or other object which results in very satisfying and free-flowing combat. Pair that with excellent level design, an enchanting world, and memorable characters, and suddenly you have a can\u2019t miss Metroidvania-style game.<\/p>\n Humble Games<\/p>\n
Pepper Grinder<\/em> is an action-packed adventure game, starring a pirate named Pepper and her super powered drill, Grinder. It\u2019s equally easy to pick up and play for ten minutes\u2026 or lose hours in. The game is reminiscent of Celeste<\/em>, with precise jumps needed, hidden treasures and challenging puzzles. The puzzles were just easy enough to keep me from feeling frustrated while also being challenging enough to give a great sense of satisfaction when figured out. The boss battles add another layer of depth to the game, forcing me to think through new strategies for movement. I also thoroughly enjoyed cashing in my loot at shops to power up Pepper, open new paths on the world map, and snag collectible stickers for my stickerbook.<\/p>\n Devolver Digital<\/p>\n
Shipwrecked and robbed of her treasure, Pepper must spin up her trusty sidearm to reclaim what the mischievous Narlings stole. Armed with Grinder, Pepper burrows through terrain & water, controls machines, and pulverises all enemies blocking the way towards recovering her missing fortune \u2013 with interest!<\/p>\n Pepper’s progress will not be that simple, however, as mysterious beings begin to emerge from the shadows\u2026<\/p>\n Gritty Gameplay Thrilling Drilling Conquer & Collect The open-world, first-person shooter, roleplaying, survival horror, base-building game has finally seen a console re-release. 7 Days to Die <\/em>spent 11 years in early access on PC and had a console release in 2016, but hasn\u2019t seen updates since 2017. The 1.0 update brings the game back to Xbox on par with the PC version, which has seen some major (and well-received) changes. Your goal in this game is to gather resources, build shelter, craft weapons and tools, survive the horde, repeat. Maximize your characters skills in areas like scavenging, looting, and base building while exploring huge, unique biomes with cities, lakes, mountains, valleys, and roads. The much-needed quality-of-life improvements made over the years make a huge difference to this console version of the game. Believe me, it was worth the wait.<\/p>\n The Fun Pimps Entertainment LLC.<\/p>\n
How long will you survive? With over 18 million copies sold, 7 Days has defined the survival genre, with unrivaled crafting and world-building content. Set in a brutally unforgiving post-apocalyptic world overrun by the undead, 7 Days is an open-world game that is a unique combination of first-person shooter, survival horror, tower defense, and role-playing games. It presents combat, crafting, looting, mining, exploration, and character growth, in a way that has seen a rapturous response from fans worldwide. Play the definitive zombie survival sandbox RPG that came first. Navezgane awaits! <\/p>\n GAME FEATURES * Craft \u2013 Handcraft and repair weapons, clothes, armor, tools, vehicles, and more with over 500 recipes. Learn more powerful recipes by finding schematics.<\/p>\n * Build \u2013 Design your fort to include traps, electric power, auto turrets, automated doors, gadgets and defensive positions to survive the undead in a fully destructible and moldable world.<\/p>\n * Cooperate or Compete \u2013 Work together to build settlements or against each other raiding other player\u2019s bases, it\u2019s really up to you in a wasteland where zombies and outlaws rule the land.<\/p>\n * Create \u2013 Unleash your creativity with access to over 800 in-game items, and over 1,300 unique building blocks and a painting system that offers infinite possibilities.<\/p>\n * Improve \u2013 Increase your skills with a multitude of perks under 5 main attributes. Gain additional skills by reading over 100 books. 7 Days to Die is the only true survival RPG.<\/p>\n * Choose \u2013 Play the campaign world, or dive back in a randomly-generated world with cities, towns, lakes, mountains, valleys, roads, caves and over 700 unique locations.<\/p>\n * Combat \u2013 Encounter nearly 60 unique zombie archetypes including special infected with unique behaviors and attacks progressing in difficulty to provide an infinite challenge.<\/p>\n * Survive \u2013 Experience real hardcore survival mechanics with nearly 50 buffs, boosts and ailments that will impact the gameplay in ways that can both challenge and aid in your survival.<\/p>\n * Destroy \u2013 Buildings and terrain formations can collapse under their own weight from structural damage or poor building design with real structural stability.<\/p>\n * Loot \u2013 Scavenge the world for the best weapons, tools, and armor with 6 quality ranges providing thousands of permutations. Augment items with a multitude of mods.<\/p>\n * Quest \u2013 Meet several Trader NPCs who buy and sell goods and offer quest jobs for rewards. Enjoy many unique quest types supported by over 700 locations.<\/p>\n * Customize \u2013 Create your own character and customize your character further in-game with a huge selection of clothing and armor you can craft or loot in the world.<\/p>\n * Drive \u2013 Enjoy the badass vehicle system where you find all the parts, learn the recipes, craft and customize your own bicycle, minibike, motorcycle, 4\u00d74 or gyrocopters and ride with friends.<\/p>\n * Farm or Hunt \u2013 Plant and grow gardens for sustainable resources or head out into the wilderness and hunt over a dozen unique wild animals.<\/p>\n Full details on the latest status of the game, how you can give feedback and report issues can be found at: https:\/\/7daystodie.com\/\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n The Star Named EOS takes players on a gorgeous hand-drawn adventure to help Dei uncover the mystery of his missing mother, through beautifully crafted spaces, intricate puzzles that require keen observation and photographs that let him tap into emotionally charged memories. Lovely voice-acting, unexpected narrative twists and turns, and a gorgeous soundtrack will keep you hooked through its pacey runtime.<\/p>\n![\"Cat](\"https:\/\/xxboxnews.blob.core.windows.net\/prod\/sites\/2\/2024\/08\/4294411-catquest3keyart-d3f89f56322c18c9badb.jpg\")
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\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\nCat Quest III<\/h2>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t$19.99<\/span>
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\n\t\tGet whiskered away on a hearty catventure in Cat Quest III, the third installment in the award-winning Cat Quest series!
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\nPlay as a swashbuckling purrivateer in this 2.5D open-world action RPG set in a fantastical pirate-themed world \u2013 the Purribean \u2013 an archipelago swarming with Pi-rats searching for the Northern Star \u2013 a long-lost mythical treasure. Alongside your trusty spirit companion, set sail through the Purribean in your very own ship! But beware, the seas are dangerous, and a meow-tiny is nigh as the hordes of Pi-rats under the order of the Pirate King hunt you down\u2026
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\nRETURN OF THE CAT
\nThe cutest action RPG you know and love returns for a colorful adventure filled with furr-iously fun gameplay! Delve into a paw-geous new world with varied dungeons and biomes to explore, and encounter fierce battles with the newly refined combat system featuring tighter attack combos and weapon swapping. Playable in either solo or local co-op!
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\nSAIL THROUGH THE PURRIBEAN
\nFor the furr-st time in the series, sail the seas and battle in your very own ship! Explore the waters on your ship, seamlessly zip to shore, and traverse the land on paw to hunt booty in the paw-esome pirate world \u2013 the Purribean! There’s treasures galore to be found, including new weapons, like the blunderpuss, furr-ocious spells, gla-meow-rous costumes, and more!
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\nX MARKS THE SPOT
\nEmbark on your very own treasure hunt and craft your own story with complete furr-eedom! Choose to explore the deepest corners of the Purribean at your leisure, or say ahoy to a quirky cast of characters and aid them in their quests along the way, in any order! The meow-steries of the Northern Star reach far and wide, and it\u2019s up to you to investigate, gather clues and uncover the many secrets of the Purribean. This (cat\u2019s) tale is yours to make, so weigh anchor and let\u2019s go!\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"Bo](\"https:\/\/xxboxnews.blob.core.windows.net\/prod\/sites\/2\/2024\/08\/bo-path-of-the-teal-lotus-6ed9aad6df6d8d0cfd2e.jpg\")
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\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\nB\u014d: Path of the Teal Lotus<\/h2>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t$19.99<\/span>
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\n\t\tFlow with acrobatic grace and agility through a mysterious world of myth and legend in B\u014d: Path of the Teal Lotus, a colorful hand-drawn adventure inspired by Japanese folklore.
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\nUndertake a mystical journey as B\u014d, a celestial blossom (fox tentaihana) descended from the heavens to play a key role in an ancient and mysterious ritual. Use your legendary b\u014d staff to bounce and glide fluidly through an otherworldly realm of hand-drawn, dreamlike landscapes, strange and adorable yokai, and massive monsters summoned from ancient legends of Japan.
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\nDiscover a mysterious and haunted world
\nExplore a diverse and interconnected world in a 2.5D side-scrolling action-platformer with Metroidvania elements. Journey to a haunted castle, a thriving Japanese-inspired metropolis, and many more strange and wondrous places\u2014then find ways to travel back and fully explore newly unlocked paths and surprises.
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\nFind your flow
\nNavigate the world\u2019s platforming challenges with acrobatic precision, elegance, and finesse. Use B\u014d\u2019s distinctive move-and-reset system to reach new areas efficiently or recover when your footing flounders.
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\nMaster new staff transformations
\nBrew and drink arcane teas to unlock powerful new abilities for B\u014d\u2019s shapeshifting staff. Mash foes with the Mochi Mallet, unlock new movement techniques like the Lotus Dash and Grappling Gun, and gracefully power up along your journey.
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\nCollect powerful Daruma allies
\nEach colorful Daruma doll you discover can be upgraded and summoned to the battlefield, where these adorable and powerful allies can deploy spells and other spectacular abilities to aid you in combat.
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\nDrawn from a dream
\nExplore a vibrant 2.5D vision that blends the beauty of paintings, the personality of hand-drawn illustrations, and the elegance of papercraft.
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\nSpirited cast of allies and enemies
\nEngage with a larger-than-life cast of bizarre and adorable yokai (supernatural spirits from Japanese folklore) and other original characters inspired by Japanese myth, all brought to life with traditional hand-drawn 2D frame-by-frame animation. Help them with their side quests\u2014or just stop by for a chat and a cup of tea.
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\nMythic boss battles
\nChallenge massive, awe-inspiring monsters drawn from Japanese folklore! You\u2019ll need to call upon all of the knowledge and acrobatic skill you\u2019ve gained to vanquish these powerful adversaries and advance further in your quest.
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\nMove to the music
\nDrift along to the music of a gorgeous original score composed by Mois\u00e9s Camargo, blending traditional Japanese instrumentation with modern orchestral music.\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"Pepper](\"https:\/\/xxboxnews.blob.core.windows.net\/prod\/sites\/2\/2024\/08\/Pepper-Grinder-99d935889ebe4589a558.jpg\")
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\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\nPepper Grinder<\/h2>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t$14.99<\/span>
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\n\t\tPepper Grinder is an action-packed pirate adventure starring the titular Pepper, a seafaring soul with a passion for prospecting, and Grinder, her super-powered drilling device.<\/p>\n
\nCruise through a colorfully animated world with precise movements, fluid drilling, and thrilling leaps.<\/p>\n
\nChew through the world with Grinder and find new drill bits to ramp up the chaos and solve clever puzzles.<\/p>\n
\nPick up jewels and other riches during your adventure and cash them in at shops to power up Pepper, open up new paths on the world map, and snag collectible stickers for your stickerbook.\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"7](\"https:\/\/xxboxnews.blob.core.windows.net\/prod\/sites\/2\/2024\/08\/7-Days-to-Die-2eb572b301bb14b77c7c.jpg\")
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\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n7 Days to Die \u2013 Console Edition (Game Preview)<\/h2>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t$44.99<\/span>
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\n\t\tThis game is a work in progress. It may or may not change over time or release as a final product. Purchase only if you are comfortable with the current state of the unfinished game.<\/p>\n
\n* Explore \u2013 Huge, unique and rich environments, offering the freedom to play the game any way you want, featuring 5 unique biomes and worlds up to 100 square kilometers in size.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/xxboxnews.blob.core.windows.net\/prod\/sites\/2\/2024\/08\/Star-Named-EOS-f4fca4848db038dcaab8.jpg\")
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