New year, new you. New you, new games to play. In November, we announced that we will celebrate the one-year anniversary of this program with a 2024 Anniversary Collection. Each year, we\u2019ll add 6 indie titles, not available on Xbox Game Pass, that we believe are absolute must-haves to this collection.\u00a0 Every year we\u2019ll add 6 more, never removing the titles from previous years, slowly growing our shrine to indie greatness.\u00a0 Think of it as our yearly \u201cIndie Hall of Fame\u201d in the Xbox Store. We have another big surprise next week, so stay tuned. <\/p>\n
But before <\/em>all that, we have a new list of titles to kick off your 2025, just before the party begins next week.<\/p>\n Sometimes, amazing indie titles that launch in December don\u2019t get the visibility they deserve. This month, we rectify that with a crazy good list of long-awaited remasters, strange puzzles, stranger puppets, and watery adventures, both chaotic and relaxing. Here\u2019s what we\u2019ve got for you this month (in no particular order):<\/p>\n \u201cCraft a floating base out of trash to survive,\u201d they said. \u201cWho needs friends? Go it alone,\u201d they said.\u00a0\u201cWhat\u2019s the worst that can happen?\u201d they said. Turns out, sharks can happen.\u00a0<\/p>\n Next time, I\u2019m definitely gathering some people up for aquatic survival game, Raft<\/em>. The first hours of this game were stressful for me.\u00a0 My tools broke several times, I was always dehydrated, and I didn\u2019t seem to grasp steering.\u00a0 The game gave me direction, but I felt like it was always leading to my death.\u00a0 In some ways, I felt like maybe this game wasn\u2019t for me.<\/p>\n And then, I started to unlock blueprints.\u00a0 Then I started to improve my tools, the water became drinkable, my raft got bigger. I can do this, I\u2019m going to live! Hours passed. I suddenly was able to steer and stop my now-giant raft.\u00a0 I was getting way more confident exploring reefs and following the debris.\u00a0 Suddenly, I\u2019m seeing a humongous outpost and I\u2019m finding puzzles to solve, and now I\u2019m going on quests.\u00a0 Oh, and I fought a bear! I didn\u2019t win, but I fought it.\u00a0 It became extremely satisfying to progress \u2013 even empowering. I haven\u2019t tried this with other people yet, but I am very excited to share this game with my friends.\u00a0 I\u2019m still working on my raft and making it more functional, but I no longer feel like Tom Hanks waiting in the middle of the ocean for someone to save me, which is a good start.<\/p>\n Axolot Games<\/p>\n
There are countless tales online about the development of this series and how it was left unfinished, but today fans can rejoice in this remastered compilation of Soul Reaver 1 & 2<\/em>, the crown jewels of the epic series.\u00a0 The Legacy of Kain is infamous for\u00a0 its unyielding twists and turns, shaping the lore of Nosgoth and its tale of Humans, vampires, corruption, and prophecy. In the real world, these games had a dramatic impact in the early 2000s game industry in a couple of ways. Besides the incredibly deep lore and delightful puzzle solving, the environment-shifting gameplay mechanic they introduced was entirely new ground at this point.\u00a0 Though it\u2019s not so unusual to find these days, the idea of going back and forth between two versions of an environment to proceed forward had just started to be explored in adventure games.<\/p>\n Remastering older video games has now become its own discipline, or even genre.\u00a0 The limitations, the legalities, the lost knowledge, can present a myriad of unsolvable problems to both developer and publisher. However, the past 5-10 years have seen some truly inspired work to preserve, reimagine, and sometimes rebuild from scratch the work of previous decades. This is one of those remasters. The models and environments are meticulously updated to bring this title up-to-date by several generations.\u00a0 That includes a modern version of the in-game controls, updated camera controls, and even a map (which would have been nice 20 years ago). There\u2019s also behind-the-scenes footage, never-before-seen cutscenes, a lore map, and even cut levels that were removed from the games, which is an impressive inclusion.<\/p>\n Some of the best and most famous art pieces, literature, and music in human history are unfinished.\u00a0 Sometimes the negative space or the dead air feels purposeful, haunting, as if it were calling out to you asking what you would put here.\u00a0 Maybe it\u2019s for someone else to finish, or maybe it was never meant to be finished at all.\u00a0 Whatever the case maybe, Soul Reaver was a masterpiece of its time and deserved the careful restoration it received.\u00a0 As someone who\u2019s beaten these games multiple times, I can\u2019t wait to have more conversations with even more people experiencing it for the very first time.<\/p>\n Aspyr<\/p>\n
Included Game Titles Experience the Legendary Narrative Wield the Powers of a Wraith Shift Between Realms Let\u2019s be real: who doesn\u2019t want to gently reunite little lost ducklings with their mothers? Or help passing fishies swim into new waters? If that\u2019s on your wavelength (it\u2019s definitely on mine), then Naiad\u00a0<\/em>is here to deliver what\u2019s basically a haven for very chill, sometimes incredibly mysterious, puzzling that\u2019ll have you drifting along streams, creeks, and rivers. In this minimalist, colorful exploration adventure, you play as a lovely little mermaid-like creature who nudges around the waters, helping, nurturing, and stumbling into new scenarios.<\/p>\n Each new body of water includes what\u2019s pretty much a dialogue-free toybox in which you can complete a bunch of very opaque objectives that give little instruction \u2013 or simply complete a main task to slip into the next chapter. It\u2019s a mostly serene, subdued journey that lets you choose how deep you want to dive into the mysteries of each of these water-laden toyboxes. Created by a solo dev, Naiad <\/em>scoots along like a quiet daydream but harbors just enough complexity to satisfy the more curious.<\/p>\n HiWarp<\/p>\n
Everything about this unique puzzle game is so charming to me. The character designs, their personalities, the world building, and the hilarious dialogue kept me entertained as I played through this tale of a mail-carrier for the gods in a world on the brink. Great God Grove<\/em>\u2019s core mechanics revolve around players leveraging pieces of dialogue to interact with other characters and solve puzzles, but in a way I\u2019ve never seen before \u2013 you literally just suck the words straight from dialog boxes with your Megapon vacuum tool and release them in places that make sense.<\/p>\n I also cannot stress how silly this game is! Right off the bat, you meet a captain who seems to know much about the Grove, while simultaneously losing his mind every second. So far, each character I\u2019ve interacted with has done or said something that felt reminiscent of a cartoon I\u2019d watch \u2013 whether it was a character eating a missing beach ball or a muscular woman threatening a man who\u2019s too scared to profess his love for her. It\u2019s fun, it\u2019s weird and it\u2019s awesome!<\/p>\n Fellow Traveller<\/p>\n
Once in a generation, the gods come together to postpone the apocalypse. But this time, the god of communication started a bunch of heavenly fights and then went awol.<\/p>\n With the sky splitting and the gods in disarray, who\u2019s gonna join the Bizzyboys to help SAVE DA WORLD FROM A-POCKY-LIPS???<\/p>\n \u2022 SUCK UP AND LAUNCH DIALOGUE! As the gods\u2019 new mail-carrier, you can suck up speech bubbles and fire them at anyone to communicate! Solve puzzles! Flirt! HURT GODS\u2019 FEELINGS! Aww\u2026 For as relaxing and cozy as this game\u2019s aesthetic is, I didn\u2019t realize how difficult, challenging, and chaotic running my own airport network would be. This complex management sim\u2019s true challenge wasn\u2019t opening airports, adding new routes, or upgrading planes. It was managing the money to complete objectives and dealing with random events that truly tested my strategic skills. Fans of management simulation games will feel right at home with the challenging but rewarding nature of this unexpected gem.<\/p>\n Out of the multiple modes, I found the most fun in \u201cDiscover The World,\u201d where you\u2019re tasked with unlocking a new territory every 6 minutes, or your run is ended. This forced me to quickly understand the game\u2019s flow \u2013 which routes are most cost-effective, when to upgrade and add planes and airports, and whether to accept high-risk, high-reward events. Honestly, this was a nice break from my usual action-oriented titles and has made me curious about what else this genre offers. Whether you\u2019re a casual gamer or a fan of strategy games, Fly Corp<\/em> is an engaging experience worth exploring!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/xxboxnews.blob.core.windows.net\/prod\/sites\/2\/2025\/01\/Raft-537fbfb45da5eb5b57cc.jpg\")
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\n\t\t\t\t$24.99<\/span>
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\n\t\tRaft\u2122 throws you and your friends into an epic oceanic adventure! Alone or together, players battle to survive a perilous voyage across a vast sea! Gather debris, scavenge reefs and build your own floating home, but be wary of the man-eating sharks!\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/xxboxnews.blob.core.windows.net\/prod\/sites\/2\/2025\/01\/Legacy-of-Kain-b1b6deb2bfd92b40233c.jpg\")
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\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\nLegacy of Kain\u2122 Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered<\/h2>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t$29.99<\/span>
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\n\t\tCelebrate Soul Reaver\u2019s 25th Anniversary
\nExperience the epic conflict of Kain and Raziel in original form or with remastered graphics.<\/p>\n
\nLegacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
\nLegacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2<\/p>\n
\nCenturies after your former master, Kain, betrays and executes you, you rise again and embark on a relentless quest for revenge. <\/p>\n
\nSlay your former vampire brethren with your claws, bolts of telekinetic energy, and the elemental Wraith Blade. Grow stronger by devouring the souls of your enemies.<\/p>\n
\nThe Elder God has granted you the ability to shift between the Spectral and Material Realms. Traverse the realms to solve puzzles, reveal new paths, and defeat your foes.\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/xxboxnews.blob.core.windows.net\/prod\/sites\/2\/2025\/01\/Naiad-5d03f602ed2f5a9c9ce9.jpg\")
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\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\nNAIAD<\/h2>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t$19.99<\/span>
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\n\t\tFlow with Naiad across a mysterious river and interact with its fauna and flora to discover little secrets.
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\nEnjoy a wholesome experience with a dreamy and original visual style.
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\nLearn to swim like a duck, dive like a fish, dash like a frog and meet other adorable friends like butterflies, rabbits, turtles, snakes and crocodiles. Help them find their way and avoid obstacles.
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\nNavigate your way through 16 episodes that will take you through beautiful and strange places like a deep forest, a dark cave, a joyful creek, a calm lake and more \u2013 until you reach the sea.
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\nNaiad is truly a personal and unique game created with love by a solo dev.\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/xxboxnews.blob.core.windows.net\/prod\/sites\/2\/2025\/01\/Great-God-Grove-4210ddf92dfb21901eed.jpg\")
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\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\nGreat God Grove<\/h2>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t$19.99<\/span>
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\n\t\tTHE WORLD IS ENDING AND THE GODS ARE SQUABBLING! Suck up and launch speech bubbles in a wacky world of puzzles, puppets, and weird gods\u2026 or THE RIFT WILL CONSUME US ALL!!<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 DISCOVER BIZARRE GODS: The god of teamwork? The god of LOVE SONGS? Drain it, who\u2019s in charge around here\u2026?
\n\u2022 Experience talking scarecrows! Cooking puppets!! THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT!!!\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/xxboxnews.blob.core.windows.net\/prod\/sites\/2\/2025\/01\/Fly-Corp-253cc12dd115787ddb45.jpg\")
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