1 Stardew Valley
Cosy, great for unwinding
A relaxing farming sim with village life, friendships and a co-op mode.
1,129 games
The best indie games on Xbox
Small studios, big ideas: games made away from the big publishers, often bolder, more personal and more playful than the next sequel.
How to find games that really suit you: Select up to 5 games you have played and enjoyed. Playalike compares 36 traits such as combat, story and atmosphere and suggests games that hit exactly the same spot, even across genres.
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1 Stardew Valley
- Cosy, great for unwinding
- Sandbox with your own goals
- Co-op or multiplayer
A relaxing farming sim with village life, friendships and a co-op mode.
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2 Terraria
- Lots to discover
- Building and crafting
- Sandbox with your own goals
A 2D sandbox adventure where you dig, build and craft while ever-tougher bosses unlock new gear tiers and biomes. Its huge item pool and hidden secrets make it a near-endless experience, especially with friends.
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3 Hades
- Runs that play out differently every time
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Melee combat with weapons or fists
Escape from the underworld as a roguelike with fast-paced combat and a story that grows with every run.
2 Terraria
Lots to discover
A 2D sandbox adventure where you dig, build and craft while ever-tougher bosses unlock new gear tiers and biomes. Its huge item pool and hidden secrets make it a near-endless experience, especially with friends.
2 Terraria
- Lots to discover
- Building and crafting
- Sandbox with your own goals
A 2D sandbox adventure where you dig, build and craft while ever-tougher bosses unlock new gear tiers and biomes. Its huge item pool and hidden secrets make it a near-endless experience, especially with friends.
3 Hades
Runs that play out differently every time
Escape from the underworld as a roguelike with fast-paced combat and a story that grows with every run.
3 Hades
- Runs that play out differently every time
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Melee combat with weapons or fists
Escape from the underworld as a roguelike with fast-paced combat and a story that grows with every run.
4 Hollow Knight
Lots to discover
A hand-drawn Metroidvania in a ruined insect kingdom full of secrets.
5 Vampire Survivors
Strong character progression
A minimalist auto-attacking roguelite where you only steer while your weapons fire on their own, snowballing through clever upgrade synergies into a screen-clearing force against thousands of monsters. Short runs and constant unlocks make it wildly addictive.
- Strong character progression
- Runs that play out differently every time
- Fantasy setting
A minimalist auto-attacking roguelite where you only steer while your weapons fire on their own, snowballing through clever upgrade synergies into a screen-clearing force against thousands of monsters. Short runs and constant unlocks make it wildly addictive.
6 Celeste
Jumping and platforming
A precise platformer about climbing a mountain and overcoming inner fears.
6 Celeste
- Jumping and platforming
- Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
- Challenging difficulty
A precise platformer about climbing a mountain and overcoming inner fears.
7 Totally Accurate Battle Simulator
Lots of humour
A chaotic physics battle sandbox where you place wobbly units from eras ranging from the Stone Age to fantasy and watch them hilariously clash. Figuring out the perfect army on a tight budget meets glorious slapstick absurdity.
7 Totally Accurate Battle Simulator
- Lots of humour
- Sandbox with your own goals
- Distinctive, stylised art style
A chaotic physics battle sandbox where you place wobbly units from eras ranging from the Stone Age to fantasy and watch them hilariously clash. Figuring out the perfect army on a tight budget meets glorious slapstick absurdity.
8 Undertale
Strong, story-driven narrative
A charming indie RPG where every fight can be resolved without violence, blending turn-based menus with bullet-hell dodging. Its quirky humor, memorable monsters and a story that remembers your choices made it a cult classic.
9 Subnautica
Lots to discover
Stranded on an ocean planet, you dive ever deeper into a gorgeous yet terrifying alien sea. You build bases and submarines while piecing together the planet's mystery, and the dark depths themselves become the real source of dread.
10 The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
Runs that play out differently every time
A frantic top-down roguelike shooter where Isaac fires tears through randomly generated basements. Hundreds of items stack into wild combinations, making every run different and grotesquely strange.
10 The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
- Runs that play out differently every time
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Shooting and gunplay
A frantic top-down roguelike shooter where Isaac fires tears through randomly generated basements. Hundreds of items stack into wild combinations, making every run different and grotesquely strange.
11 Inside
Dark, serious atmosphere
A wordless, oppressive puzzle-platformer in which a boy slips through a bleak dystopia, controlling bodies with his mind along the way. Masterful atmosphere and a disturbing finale make it unforgettable.
11 Inside
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Lavish presentation
- Puzzles and brain teasers
A wordless, oppressive puzzle-platformer in which a boy slips through a bleak dystopia, controlling bodies with his mind along the way. Masterful atmosphere and a disturbing finale make it unforgettable.
12 Life Is Strange
Strong, story-driven narrative
As photography student Max, you discover you can rewind time and dig into a disappearance in a sleepy coastal town, with your choices shaping friendships and fates. It's a heartfelt coming-of-age drama with an unforgettable indie soundtrack.
- Strong, story-driven narrative
- Choices with consequences
- Dark, serious atmosphere
As photography student Max, you discover you can rewind time and dig into a disappearance in a sleepy coastal town, with your choices shaping friendships and fates. It's a heartfelt coming-of-age drama with an unforgettable indie soundtrack.
13 Stray
Sci-fi setting
You play a stray cat lost in a decaying, robot-inhabited neon city, climbing, sneaking and poking around to uncover what happened to it. Its charming feline interactions and dense cyberpunk atmosphere make this short adventure stand out.
13 Stray
- Sci-fi setting
- Lavish presentation
- Post-apocalyptic setting
You play a stray cat lost in a decaying, robot-inhabited neon city, climbing, sneaking and poking around to uncover what happened to it. Its charming feline interactions and dense cyberpunk atmosphere make this short adventure stand out.
14 Dead Cells
Runs that play out differently every time
A fast, fluid 2D roguelite with Metroidvania structure, where tight, punchy combat and a huge arsenal of weapons make every run feel different. Permanent unlocks and new routes give you a real sense of progress even as you die again and again.
14 Dead Cells
- Runs that play out differently every time
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Melee combat with weapons or fists
A fast, fluid 2D roguelite with Metroidvania structure, where tight, punchy combat and a huge arsenal of weapons make every run feel different. Permanent unlocks and new routes give you a real sense of progress even as you die again and again.
15 Slay the Spire
Cards and deck-building
A deckbuilding roguelike in which every run demands new card combinations and strategies.
16 Slime Rancher
Cosy, great for unwinding
As rancher Beatrix, you vacuum up adorable slimes on a distant planet, feed them and sell their plorts to expand your ranch. It pairs a laid-back farming loop with relaxed exploration of a colorful world full of secrets and new slime species.
17 Deep Rock Galactic
Co-op or multiplayer
Play as gruff space dwarves carving through fully destructible procedural caves with up to three friends, mining minerals and holding off massive alien swarms. Complementary classes, dry humor and a famously wholesome community make every dive a blast – Rock and Stone!
- Co-op or multiplayer
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Playing together in co-op
Play as gruff space dwarves carving through fully destructible procedural caves with up to three friends, mining minerals and holding off massive alien swarms. Complementary classes, dry humor and a famously wholesome community make every dive a blast – Rock and Stone!
18 Balatro
Cards and deck-building
An addictive poker roguelike where Jokers, card upgrades and wild synergies push your scores to absurd heights. Every run plays differently, and the hunt for the perfect build never gets old.
18 Balatro
- Cards and deck-building
- Tactical depth
- Runs that play out differently every time
An addictive poker roguelike where Jokers, card upgrades and wild synergies push your scores to absurd heights. Every run plays differently, and the hunt for the perfect build never gets old.
19 Cuphead
Lavish presentation
A brutally tough boss-rush shooter animated like a 1930s cartoon, where precise dodging, parrying and shooting decide every fight. A swinging big-band jazz score and local co-op round it out.
19 Cuphead
- Lavish presentation
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
A brutally tough boss-rush shooter animated like a 1930s cartoon, where precise dodging, parrying and shooting decide every fight. A swinging big-band jazz score and local co-op round it out.
20 A Short Hike
Cosy, great for unwinding
Play as Claire, a young bird climbing and gliding through a charming park toward its summit, chatting with quirky hikers and stumbling on little secrets everywhere. A short, heartfelt, pressure-free adventure with a lovely pixelated low-poly look.
20 A Short Hike
- Cosy, great for unwinding
- Lots to discover
- Open world
Play as Claire, a young bird climbing and gliding through a charming park toward its summit, chatting with quirky hikers and stumbling on little secrets everywhere. A short, heartfelt, pressure-free adventure with a lovely pixelated low-poly look.
21 Dispatch
Strong, story-driven narrative
An episodic superhero workplace comedy from former Telltale developers: as a dispatcher you assign a chaotic crew of reformed villains to city emergencies while making choices that shape relationships and the story. Sharp writing, a strong voice cast and a cartoon-like animated look carry the experience.
21 Dispatch
- Strong, story-driven narrative
- Lots of humour
- Choices with consequences
An episodic superhero workplace comedy from former Telltale developers: as a dispatcher you assign a chaotic crew of reformed villains to city emergencies while making choices that shape relationships and the story. Sharp writing, a strong voice cast and a cartoon-like animated look carry the experience.
22 Hotline Miami
Action-packed real-time combat
A brutally fast top-down shooter where one hit kills and every floor is mastered through rapid trial, error and instant restarts. Its neon visuals, pulsing synthwave soundtrack and unsettling, surreal story about violence make it unforgettable.
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
- Dark, serious atmosphere
A brutally fast top-down shooter where one hit kills and every floor is mastered through rapid trial, error and instant restarts. Its neon visuals, pulsing synthwave soundtrack and unsettling, surreal story about violence make it unforgettable.
23 Outlast
Dread and tension
As a defenseless journalist armed only with a night-vision camcorder, you creep through a nightmarish asylum where hiding and running are your only options. Relentless, unfiltered terror with no way to fight back.
23 Outlast
- Dread and tension
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Sneaking and hiding
As a defenseless journalist armed only with a night-vision camcorder, you creep through a nightmarish asylum where hiding and running are your only options. Relentless, unfiltered terror with no way to fight back.
24 Katana Zero
Action-packed real-time combat
A blistering neo-noir action platformer where one hit kills and each room plays like a puzzle solved with your katana, slow-motion and deflected bullets. It's wrapped in a twisted, fragmented story with dialogue choices and a superb synthwave soundtrack.
24 Katana Zero
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
- Melee combat with weapons or fists
A blistering neo-noir action platformer where one hit kills and each room plays like a puzzle solved with your katana, slow-motion and deflected bullets. It's wrapped in a twisted, fragmented story with dialogue choices and a superb synthwave soundtrack.
25 Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Turn-based combat
Turn-based RPG with real-time parrying and dodging, set in a melancholic Belle Époque–inspired fantasy world.
25 Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Turn-based combat
- Strong, story-driven narrative
- A party of several characters
Turn-based RPG with real-time parrying and dodging, set in a melancholic Belle Époque–inspired fantasy world.
26 Inscryption
Cards and deck-building
A creepy card game played against a shadowy figure in a dark cabin, mixing deckbuilding with escape-room puzzles while constantly breaking its own rules. Beneath the surface lies a surprising, fourth-wall-bending mystery.
26 Inscryption
- Cards and deck-building
- Turn-based combat
- Dark, serious atmosphere
A creepy card game played against a shadowy figure in a dark cabin, mixing deckbuilding with escape-room puzzles while constantly breaking its own rules. Beneath the surface lies a surprising, fourth-wall-bending mystery.
27 Gris
Cosy, great for unwinding
A poetic platformer about grief, almost wordless and with a watercolour look.
27 Gris
- Cosy, great for unwinding
- Distinctive, stylised art style
- Jumping and platforming
A poetic platformer about grief, almost wordless and with a watercolour look.
28 American Truck Simulator
Driving or flying
A relaxed trucking simulator where you haul freight across the American landscape, grow from hired driver to company owner, and simply enjoy the open road.
29 Omori
Turn-based combat
A surreal RPG that contrasts bright dreamlike worlds and childhood friendship with psychological horror and heavy themes. Its emotional story and memorable soundtrack stand out, and turn-based battles use emotions as a core mechanic.
29 Omori
- Turn-based combat
- Strong, story-driven narrative
- Dark, serious atmosphere
A surreal RPG that contrasts bright dreamlike worlds and childhood friendship with psychological horror and heavy themes. Its emotional story and memorable soundtrack stand out, and turn-based battles use emotions as a core mechanic.
30 Don't Starve
Open world
A merciless survival game with a gothic, Tim Burton-esque hand-drawn style, where you scavenge, craft and fend off hunger, insanity and monsters in a procedurally generated wilderness. Death is permanent, but every run teaches you something new.
30 Don't Starve
- Open world
- Lots to discover
- Distinctive, stylised art style
A merciless survival game with a gothic, Tim Burton-esque hand-drawn style, where you scavenge, craft and fend off hunger, insanity and monsters in a procedurally generated wilderness. Death is permanent, but every run teaches you something new.
31 Castle Crashers
Co-op or multiplayer
A chaotic, hilarious cartoon brawler best enjoyed with up to four friends on the couch. Light RPG hooks like leveling, weapons and animal orbs keep you coming back between its absurd boss fights.
32 BattleBlock Theater
Lots of humour
A hilariously irreverent platformer from The Behemoth where you play a prisoner forced through tricky block-based stage levels, solo or in co-op. The sarcastic narrator, cartoon style and chaotic fun with friends define it.
33 Outer Wilds
Lots to discover
Explore a solar system caught in a 22-minute time loop and unravel a cosmic mystery.
33 Outer Wilds
- Lots to discover
- Sci-fi setting
- Open world
Explore a solar system caught in a 22-minute time loop and unravel a cosmic mystery.
34 A Hat in Time
Jumping and platforming
A charming 3D collectathon platformer in the vein of N64 classics, where a tiny girl uses magical hats to bounce through varied, wonderfully weird worlds. Its chapters, from a mafia-run town to dueling bird film studios, overflow with humor and creativity.
- Jumping and platforming
- Lots of humour
- Distinctive, stylised art style
A charming 3D collectathon platformer in the vein of N64 classics, where a tiny girl uses magical hats to bounce through varied, wonderfully weird worlds. Its chapters, from a mafia-run town to dueling bird film studios, overflow with humor and creativity.
35 Chants of Sennaar
Puzzles and brain teasers
You climb a Babel-inspired tower and decipher the distinct languages of its peoples by observing symbols and deducing meanings yourself. The striking comic-like art and the satisfying feeling of truly learning to communicate make it special.
- Puzzles and brain teasers
- Lots to discover
- Distinctive, stylised art style
You climb a Babel-inspired tower and decipher the distinct languages of its peoples by observing symbols and deducing meanings yourself. The striking comic-like art and the satisfying feeling of truly learning to communicate make it special.
36 Neon White
Action-packed real-time combat
A fast speedrunning first-person shooter where card-based guns double as movement abilities. You optimize routes through short levels, wrapped in anime style, dating-sim-style dialogue and a driving soundtrack.
36 Neon White
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
- Shooting and gunplay
A fast speedrunning first-person shooter where card-based guns double as movement abilities. You optimize routes through short levels, wrapped in anime style, dating-sim-style dialogue and a driving soundtrack.
37 Toem
Cosy, great for unwinding
Toem is a laid-back photography adventure set in a hand-drawn black-and-white world, where you help quirky locals by snapping pictures and solving small tasks. Charming, friendly and completely stress-free.
37 Toem
- Cosy, great for unwinding
- Distinctive, stylised art style
- Lots to discover
Toem is a laid-back photography adventure set in a hand-drawn black-and-white world, where you help quirky locals by snapping pictures and solving small tasks. Charming, friendly and completely stress-free.
38 What Remains of Edith Finch
Strong, story-driven narrative
A moving narrative game where you wander the sprawling Finch family home and relive each relative's final moments through short vignettes, each with its own inventive gameplay twist. Melancholic, creative, and unforgettable in just a couple of hours.
38 What Remains of Edith Finch
- Strong, story-driven narrative
- Lavish presentation
- Dark, serious atmosphere
A moving narrative game where you wander the sprawling Finch family home and relive each relative's final moments through short vignettes, each with its own inventive gameplay twist. Melancholic, creative, and unforgettable in just a couple of hours.
39 Broforce
Action-packed real-time combat
A chaotic run-and-gun platformer starring parodies of action movie heroes, where nearly everything is destructible and explosions tear levels apart. With up to four friends in co-op, the mayhem becomes gloriously over-the-top fun.
39 Broforce
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Shooting and gunplay
- Lots of humour
A chaotic run-and-gun platformer starring parodies of action movie heroes, where nearly everything is destructible and explosions tear levels apart. With up to four friends in co-op, the mayhem becomes gloriously over-the-top fun.
40 Return of the Obra Dinn
Puzzles and brain teasers
As an insurance investigator, you use a magical pocket watch to relive the final moments of a ghost ship's crew and deduce the identity and fate of every sailor. Its striking 1-bit visuals and brilliant deduction design make it a one-of-a-kind detective game.
- Puzzles and brain teasers
- Strong, story-driven narrative
- Distinctive, stylised art style
As an insurance investigator, you use a magical pocket watch to relive the final moments of a ghost ship's crew and deduce the identity and fate of every sailor. Its striking 1-bit visuals and brilliant deduction design make it a one-of-a-kind detective game.
41 Phasmophobia
Co-op or multiplayer
You and your friends play ghost hunters, using EMF readers, spirit boxes and cameras to work out which kind of ghost haunts a location. Voice recognition and sudden hunts make for genuine panic and plenty of hilarious co-op moments.
41 Phasmophobia
- Co-op or multiplayer
- Playing together in co-op
- Dread and tension
You and your friends play ghost hunters, using EMF readers, spirit boxes and cameras to work out which kind of ghost haunts a location. Voice recognition and sudden hunts make for genuine panic and plenty of hilarious co-op moments.
42 Palworld
Open world
Palworld mashes creature collecting together with survival crafting and base building. Captured Pals fight beside you, carry you across the islands or toil away in your factory while you explore an open world armed with guns. Its cheeky, slightly macabre humor gives the whole thing a flavor of its own.
42 Palworld
- Open world
- Building and crafting
- Sandbox with your own goals
Palworld mashes creature collecting together with survival crafting and base building. Captured Pals fight beside you, carry you across the islands or toil away in your factory while you explore an open world armed with guns. Its cheeky, slightly macabre humor gives the whole thing a flavor of its own.
43 Soma
Sci-fi setting
A harrowing combat-free horror journey through a ruined deep-sea research station that confronts you with unsettling questions about consciousness and identity. Its philosophical story lingers long after the credits roll.
43 Soma
- Sci-fi setting
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Strong, story-driven narrative
A harrowing combat-free horror journey through a ruined deep-sea research station that confronts you with unsettling questions about consciousness and identity. Its philosophical story lingers long after the credits roll.
44 To the Moon
Strong, story-driven narrative
Two doctors travel backward through a dying man's memories to fulfill his final wish. It's a short, deeply moving story with warm humor and an unforgettable piano soundtrack.
44 To the Moon
- Strong, story-driven narrative
- Distinctive, stylised art style
Two doctors travel backward through a dying man's memories to fulfill his final wish. It's a short, deeply moving story with warm humor and an unforgettable piano soundtrack.
45 Gorogoa
Puzzles and brain teasers
Gorogoa is a short, hand-drawn puzzle game where you stack, zoom and shift illustrated panels to uncover hidden connections. Its wordless tale of longing and a life's journey unfolds entirely through this inventive mechanic.
45 Gorogoa
- Puzzles and brain teasers
- Distinctive, stylised art style
- Lavish presentation
Gorogoa is a short, hand-drawn puzzle game where you stack, zoom and shift illustrated panels to uncover hidden connections. Its wordless tale of longing and a life's journey unfolds entirely through this inventive mechanic.
46 Enter the Gungeon
Shooting and gunplay
A tough, pun-filled bullet-hell roguelike where you dodge-roll and flip tables through procedural floors with hundreds of wildly creative guns. Every run plays differently, and mastering the dense projectile patterns is deeply rewarding.
- Shooting and gunplay
- Runs that play out differently every time
- Action-packed real-time combat
A tough, pun-filled bullet-hell roguelike where you dodge-roll and flip tables through procedural floors with hundreds of wildly creative guns. Every run plays differently, and mastering the dense projectile patterns is deeply rewarding.
47 Crime Scene Cleaner
You work as a mob crime scene cleaner, scrubbing away evidence and dodging the police between jobs. A humorous, laid-back simulator wrapped in a shady criminal premise.
48 Cult of the Lamb
Distinctive, stylised art style
As a possessed lamb you found your own cult, managing a village of adorable woodland followers between fast roguelike dungeon runs. Its charm comes from the clash of cute visuals and gleefully macabre humor.
- Distinctive, stylised art style
- Melee combat with weapons or fists
- Runs that play out differently every time
As a possessed lamb you found your own cult, managing a village of adorable woodland followers between fast roguelike dungeon runs. Its charm comes from the clash of cute visuals and gleefully macabre humor.
49 Bastion
Post-apocalyptic setting
An isometric action RPG where a gravelly narrator reacts to everything you do as you mix weapons and rebuild a refuge in a gorgeous hand-painted, shattered world. Its soundtrack and poignant ending choices make it unforgettable.
49 Bastion
- Post-apocalyptic setting
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Distinctive, stylised art style
An isometric action RPG where a gravelly narrator reacts to everything you do as you mix weapons and rebuild a refuge in a gorgeous hand-painted, shattered world. Its soundtrack and poignant ending choices make it unforgettable.
50 Cookie Clicker
Cosy, great for unwinding
The classic idle game where you click a giant cookie and spend the proceeds on ever more absurd bakeries, portals and upgrades. There is no true ending, just ballooning numbers and quirky humor.
51 Kerbal Space Program
Sandbox with your own goals
You assemble rockets and spacecraft from parts and send the endearing Kerbals to moons and planets under realistic orbital physics. Failure is part of the fun and often as entertaining as success.
52 Fran Bow
Dark, serious atmosphere
A dark point-and-click adventure in which you play a young girl with a mental illness who shifts between a brutal reality and a disturbing alternate world. Nightmarish hand-drawn art and inventory puzzles carry a bleak, emotional story.
52 Fran Bow
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Puzzles and brain teasers
- Dread and tension
A dark point-and-click adventure in which you play a young girl with a mental illness who shifts between a brutal reality and a disturbing alternate world. Nightmarish hand-drawn art and inventory puzzles carry a bleak, emotional story.
53 Dusk
Action-packed real-time combat
Dusk is a fast, 90s-style boomer shooter with eerie atmosphere and maze-like levels full of secrets. It focuses on fluid movement and punchy weapons against hordes of cultists and worse horrors.
53 Dusk
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Shooting and gunplay
- Dark, serious atmosphere
Dusk is a fast, 90s-style boomer shooter with eerie atmosphere and maze-like levels full of secrets. It focuses on fluid movement and punchy weapons against hordes of cultists and worse horrors.
54 One Finger Death Punch
Melee combat with weapons or fists
A lightning-fast kung-fu brawler played with just two buttons: you click left or right to hit enemies at exactly the right moment. The result is fluid, movie-like fight choreography that feels like a rhythm and reflex test.
- Melee combat with weapons or fists
- Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
- Action-packed real-time combat
A lightning-fast kung-fu brawler played with just two buttons: you click left or right to hit enemies at exactly the right moment. The result is fluid, movie-like fight choreography that feels like a rhythm and reflex test.
55 Hades II
Runs that play out differently every time
As Melinoë you fight through the Underworld and the surface world of Greek myth in fast, fluid runs, growing stronger with witchcraft, divine boons and weapons. The story unfolds with every attempt, backed by striking art and a great soundtrack.
55 Hades II
- Runs that play out differently every time
- Fantasy setting
- Action-packed real-time combat
As Melinoë you fight through the Underworld and the surface world of Greek myth in fast, fluid runs, growing stronger with witchcraft, divine boons and weapons. The story unfolds with every attempt, backed by striking art and a great soundtrack.
56 Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun
Sneaking and hiding
A real-time tactics stealth game set in Edo-period Japan where you command a team of five specialists and chain silent takedowns with Shadow Mode. Each mission is an intricate puzzle of sight cones, guard patrols and character abilities.
56 Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun
- Sneaking and hiding
- Tactical depth
- Historical setting
A real-time tactics stealth game set in Edo-period Japan where you command a team of five specialists and chain silent takedowns with Shadow Mode. Each mission is an intricate puzzle of sight cones, guard patrols and character abilities.
57 PowerWash Simulator
Cosy, great for unwinding
You blast grime off vehicles, houses and quirky locations with a pressure washer until every surface sparkles. It is a deeply relaxing, satisfying experience that works solo or in co-op.
58 Kingdom Rush
Tactical depth
A charming fantasy tower defense game where you protect your kingdom with towers, spells and heroes against orcs, trolls and monsters. Tower placement and upgrade choices create crisp tactical decisions.
58 Kingdom Rush
- Tactical depth
- Fantasy setting
- Distinctive, stylised art style
A charming fantasy tower defense game where you protect your kingdom with towers, spells and heroes against orcs, trolls and monsters. Tower placement and upgrade choices create crisp tactical decisions.
59 The Talos Principle
Puzzles and brain teasers
A meditative first-person puzzler where you play an android solving laser and block puzzles across ancient-looking ruins while grappling with questions of consciousness, humanity and free will. Brilliantly designed puzzles meet philosophical terminal conversations and a haunting atmosphere.
- Puzzles and brain teasers
- Sci-fi setting
- Strong, story-driven narrative
A meditative first-person puzzler where you play an android solving laser and block puzzles across ancient-looking ruins while grappling with questions of consciousness, humanity and free will. Brilliantly designed puzzles meet philosophical terminal conversations and a haunting atmosphere.
60 Little Nightmares
Dark, serious atmosphere
As tiny Six you sneak through the Maw, a nightmarish vessel full of grotesque giants, solving environmental puzzles while evading capture. Its dollhouse-like, unsettling art style and wordless storytelling make this short adventure unforgettable.
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Dread and tension
- Lavish presentation
As tiny Six you sneak through the Maw, a nightmarish vessel full of grotesque giants, solving environmental puzzles while evading capture. Its dollhouse-like, unsettling art style and wordless storytelling make this short adventure unforgettable.
Nothing matches this selection.
What matters: Indie games
Indie games on Xbox cover a lot of ground, from relaxed farming to punishing platformers. What they share is a clear, personal idea, often built around one mechanic that gets refined until it works. The first thing to decide is how much challenge you want. Celeste, Hollow Knight and Slay the Spire are all tagged as difficult, while Stardew Valley is cozy and relaxing, and Subnautica is exploration-driven with an atmospheric, sometimes horror-tinged mood.
Next, think about pace and session length. Roguelikes such as Hades, Vampire Survivors and Balatro are built around repeated runs, which suits short sittings, and Hades adds a story-rich, stylish layer on top of its action. If you prefer a longer, steadier journey, Terraria and Subnautica reward exploration in open worlds. Story-driven players should look at Undertale, which pairs turn-based combat with comedy and choices that matter.
Co-op matters too. Stardew Valley, Terraria and Vampire Survivors all carry a co-op tag, so they are good picks if you want to play with a friend. For a pure laugh, Totally Accurate Battle Simulator mixes strategy with comedy and bright colors. Every game on this list is available on Xbox, so the choice comes down to mood and how much difficulty you enjoy.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good indie game on Xbox for relaxing?
Stardew Valley is the obvious pick, as it is tagged cozy and relaxing and also supports co-op. Subnautica is calmer in its exploration, though it has horror elements.
Which indie games on Xbox are the most difficult?
Celeste, Hollow Knight, Slay the Spire and The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth are all tagged as difficult. Celeste tests precision platforming, while Slay the Spire tests deckbuilding strategy.
Are there indie games on Xbox to play with a friend?
Yes. Stardew Valley, Terraria and Vampire Survivors are all tagged with co-op. Stardew Valley is the gentlest of the three, while Vampire Survivors is fast-paced action.
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