This 12 months, We’re Leveling Up with Indie Video games: Indie Selects for January

Each Wednesday, dive into the Indie Choose Hub — your gateway to a recent, curated indie assortment plus 4 themed spotlights that rotate weekly! You may at all times discover this assortment hub within the Xbox Retailer and on Xbox.com/IndieSelects.

Our objective for 2026? Make it the very best yr but for Indie Selects! Late November and early December indie releases usually fly below the radar, so this month we’re giving them the highlight they deserve. Our assortment is stacked: a classy techniques RPG, a difficult roguelite creature collector, a retro-inspired metroidvania with trendy twists, a gripping text-based political sim, a mind-bending 47-minute time loop journey, and sure—the psychic-powered child simulator you by no means knew you wanted. Right here’s what we’ve obtained for you this month (in no explicit order):

Demonschool is a joyride of a tactical RPG that follows the charismatic demon hunter Faye, on an apocalypse-preventing quest crammed with gangsters, quirky lecturers, classmates, and, properly… demons. Gamers are tasked with exploring a mysterious island and faculty campus via numerous missions and minigames, managing relationships and faculty schedules, discovering new expertise, and consistently preventing waves of enemies. Whereas all of it was enjoyable, I believe the fight captivated me essentially the most! It contains a two-phase turn-based construction that leverages motion sequencing in a approach that appears like fixing choreography puzzles. Every character has totally different skills, and if moved to the correct house and triggered in the correct order, you may maximize injury throughout the motion part. This carries an identical depth and degree of participant expression to that present in its friends, however its distinctive presentation enhances the satisfaction when profitable. Paired with numerous enemy sorts, a mission rank system, and a forgiving rewind function, the expertise felt thrilling, difficult, rewarding, and approachable.

Apart from fight, I used to be delighted by the element proven via interactivity and easter eggs inside every setting. Pet the canine and it would offer you one thing. Throw a coin in a fountain. Speak to an NPC on the docks and find out how their great-grandpappy died as a demon-hunting fisherman. I discovered myself interacting with all the things I may to seek out one other mini-game or learn one other hilarious one-liner, like the child who claimed they “marked their seat” throughout orientation. As a gamer who doesn’t usually play RPGs, I satirically discovered myself glued to this. The soundtrack is FIRE, the modern-retro aesthetic is fantastically designed, and the storytelling via its various character personalities and allure saved issues recent and entertaining.

– Deron Mann

My first few runs in Morsels taught me an vital lesson: getting too hooked up is a quick observe again to the beginning display. Developed by Furcula and printed by Annapurna Interactive, Morsels is a roguelike motion sport that rewards flexibility, experimentation, and the flexibility to confess when your present plan isn’t working. Moderately than committing to a single character, gamers gather a number of “Morsels,” every with its personal skills and fight fashion. I rapidly realized that success depended much less on selecting the “greatest” creature and extra on understanding when to modify. Stubbornness, it seems, is just not a viable technique.

The sport follows acquainted roguelike conventions, together with procedurally generated rooms, escalating issue, and protracted development between runs. What helps Morsels stand out is its deliberately unusual visible fashion. Creature designs are unsettling in one of the simplest ways, and the gritty environments really feel like they have been designed to maintain you barely on edge—simply in case the enemies weren’t already doing that. Development is pushed by unlocking new Morsels and card-based modifiers. A few of these techniques took a couple of runs to click on, however experimenting with totally different mixtures usually led to these satisfying moments the place issues all of the sudden begin going your approach—proper earlier than they don’t.

Morsels doesn’t reinvent the roguelike style, however its deal with adaptability offers it a transparent character. For Xbox gamers who take pleasure in studying via trial, error, and the occasional giggle at their very own expense, it’s a fascinating and memorable expertise.

– Steven Allen

Let’s be sincere: hauling round an enormous sword is about as impractical because it will get for an adventurer—particularly when vertical traversal is concerned. I may write a hundred-page thesis on why that’s absurd, however actually, GigaSword says all of it. This action-puzzle Metroidvania from single-developer-led Studio Hybrid, feels prefer it leapt straight out of an NES traditional assortment, difficult your fight and technique expertise whereas confronting the cruel actuality of our childhood dream: “the most important sword ever.” Spoiler alert: swords are heavy, and also you’re nowhere close to as agile as Cloud Strife led you to imagine.

When you dive in, you’ll rapidly notice the GigaSword’s weight is each a blessing and a curse. Fight feels simple but honest—each swing is deliberate, and that additional wind-up means you’ll have to time assaults fastidiously or danger consuming injury mid-swing. Issues escalate whenever you face huge bosses that demand sample recognition and precision.

However the sword isn’t only for preventing—it’s central to the sport’s intelligent environmental puzzles. Detaching from it turns into important as you navigate obstacles, utilizing its heft to set off strain plates and even as a makeshift lever to shift platforms. The vibe? Suppose Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest meets the ingenious puzzle mechanics of Legend of Zelda.

The sport doesn’t pull its punches with regards to its stiff fight, however not like its NES predecessors, you’ve obtained save factors to protect your sanity. The sword’s weight consistently reminds you that speedrunning isn’t an possibility—however then come these moments whenever you deal with a complete dungeon with out the blade, introducing an entire new layer of problem. For those who’re a fan of intricate puzzle platformers like Animal Nicely, this can be a distinctive expertise value including to your assortment.

– Raymond Estrada

Oh child! What a sport!  Not sufficient individuals are speaking about this one.  Goodnight Universe is just not a child sim… it’s a supernaturally gifted child sim. You tackle the position and perspective of Isaac who’s a sensible, keenly conscious, and succesful toddler, in a position to deal with surprisingly complicated issues.  That and the telekinesis skill, of which an evil company could be very conscious and wish to use for their very own functions.

Earlier than we even contact gameplay, the voice appearing and writing are very good and charming.  The narrator connects with the participant as we each witness so many performances between totally fleshed out characters highlighting their household dynamics, their struggles, and their successes. The writing is heartwarming and enjoyable, exploring themes of the messiness of home life and what it means to be human.  The general narrative is, for me, the spotlight of the sport.

Gameplay begins out easy, seen via the infant’s eyes in first particular person. You click on on objects for narration or interplay, however as soon as powers kick in, that’s when issues get attention-grabbing.  It is possible for you to to maneuver objects along with your thoughts and even dive into somebody’s ideas. As the sport progresses, you unlock new powers and deal with sequences the place you need to use your powers on the proper time. 

The console model lacks the eye-tracking function Good Dream launched in Earlier than Your Eyes. I examined it on Steam, and whereas the mechanic provides an intimate twist to the first-person expertise, albeit with occasional awkwardness, it isn’t important right here. Not like Earlier than Your Eyes, skipping it doesn’t compromise the core gameplay. The sport took me about 4-5 hours to finish and I can’t advocate this sufficient, particularly for anybody that loves distinctive, narrative-driven video games… and infants.  Gamer dad accredited.

– Raymond Estrada

Suzerain is a critically acclaimed, narrative-driven authorities simulator that’s much more addictive than its area of interest style suggests. At 11 p.m., I reminded myself that I used to be solely speculated to play for a couple of hours. Consider it as a choose-your-own-adventure the place you’re the newly elected president of a fictional nation, tasked with shaping its future. Will you lead with integrity and construct a brighter tomorrow or plunge into corruption, spark wars, and line your personal pockets? The selection is yours.

It is a text-based journey, so count on loads of studying as occasions unfold and characters converse, adopted by dialogue decisions that form your path. Nevertheless it’s not all dry coverage.  Past signing payments or reviewing financial studies, you’ll navigate scandals, shady offers, and ethical dilemmas. The intro alone lays out 50 years of wealthy lore on your homeland, and as soon as I obtained into it, it felt like studying a really nice novel. Fortunately, the writing, presentation, and UI are top-notch.  In any other case, I actually haven’t learn this a lot since my deep dive into Blue Prince.

Suzerain’s biggest energy is its replayability. The depth of the characters round me and detailed lore make each selection impactful, with every resolution reshaping the course of my presidency. My first run centered on financial and social reforms that aligned with my precise ideology, however on this new run I’m at present going full corrupt chief, bribing my approach via scandals and taking each unsavory side-deal that comes my approach. With a 6-to-7-hour marketing campaign, a number of playthroughs can simply triple your time. For those who love strategic decision-making with out twitch reflexes, that is for you—board players, I’m speaking to you!

– Raymond Estrada

Rue Valley is a comfortable, narrative pushed thriller journey with a splash of life sim taste—assume mild exploration, quirky character encounters, and environmental puzzles tucked into each nook. It’s a sort of small-town thriller sitting someplace between Night time within the Woods and Oxenfree, however carrying its personal soft-spoken allure. You arrive because the city’s latest resident, slowly studying the rhythms, secrets and techniques, and oddball personalities that make you’re feeling welcome… and it’s simply uncanny sufficient to maintain you leaning in. Oh, and naturally you’re trapped in a wierd time loop that causes you to relive precisely 47 minutes in perpetuity.

I’ve spent numerous hours wandering Rue Valley’s winding streets—half exploring, half getting delightfully sidetracked by a neighbor who simply had yet another story to share. Someplace between chatting up townsfolk and stitching collectively the city’s quiet mysteries, the sport actually pulls you into its world. The characters don’t behave like NPCs ready to dispense quests; they really feel just like the acquainted faces you at all times appear to stumble upon at your favourite café, every with quirks that make the city really feel genuinely lived in.

And sure, there’s a studying curve—particularly whenever you’re juggling exploration with dialogue decisions—nevertheless it’s the sort that appears like easing into a brand new neighborhood. Just a little complicated at first, then unexpectedly rewarding as soon as all the things clicks into place.

What saved me hooked most was the ambiance. Rue Valley is the sort of place the place you sit down for “simply ten minutes” and lookup hours later. It’s cozy, a contact mysterious, and at all times prepared with a mild shock whenever you least count on it. For those who take pleasure in narrative adventures, small-town tales, or slow-burn video games the place the enjoyment comes from noticing the little issues—a flickering streetlight, a half-finished sentence, a lingering query—Rue Valley suits fantastically. It’s a world that invitations you to decelerate and let it reveal itself at its personal unhurried tempo.

– Jessica Ronnell

STAY TUNED: Indie Selects Anniversary is coming quickly!

Mark your calendars for January 28 and prepare for our large Indie Selects Anniversary Celebration, full of giveaways, reductions, and loads of surprises!