The icy grip of winter is finally fading, and there are finally chirping birds and fresh grass. But where there was once a blanket of snow, there is now a fresh coat of pollen, and allergies are making sure we still don’t want to go outside.
Thankfully, there’s an incredible lineup of new indies that have recently launched on Xbox to keep us busy. These are the standout indie games from the last month that are nothing to sneeze at.
Absolum
Originally released to Steam last year, this roguelite beat ‘em up from Dotemu has finally made its way to console. Steeped in nostalgia and crafted by a team with a rich history in side-scrolling beat’em ups, Absolum is an epic modern roguelike with fantasy vibes.
Set in the shattered world of Talamh, a world where magic is no longer trusted by commoners and a crazed Sun King has conquered the realms, but a plucky team of outcasts harnesses their individual fighting styles to overthrow the Sun King.
Absolum centers around Galandra, a powerful necromancer armed with a colossal sword, and the last free dwarf Karl, who wields an ancestral blunderbuss and the fury of his own two fists. These two heroes are joined on their quest to abolish the Sun King by a prodigy wizard and nimble skirmisher. Players can tackle Azra’s elite guard using rapid combo chains and spellcasting powers in classic beat em up fashion.
There’s also a secret behind Absolum — you can play it with a friend. Both local and online coop for 2 players is supported, and since the game launched day one on Xbox Game Pass, it’s easier than ever to grab a pal and topple the Sun King Azra’s regime. Absolum is available now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC, and Xbox Cloud with support for Xbox Play Anywhere.
Grimoire Groves
Spring is for plants, and there’s no better steward to a fledgling garden than a friendly witch. Grimoire Groves, developed and published by Stardust LLC, is a perfect witchy farming sim to settle down with this spring. When the forest spirits of Grimoire Groves mysteriously disappear, taking plant life with them, it becomes the player’s responsibility to revive the magical forest to its previous grandeur.
Unlock new spells to fill out your grimoire and then mix and match those spells to master the elements. If you’re looking to spend your spring crafting, foraging, and befriending mythical forest creatures while solving the mystery of the fabled Rainbow Socks, Grimoire Groves is for you.
Grimoire Groves is available now on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.
Voidwrought
There’s always room for a good metroidvania in the backlog, especially one that’s perfect for speedrunning. Developed by Powersnake and published by Kwalee, Voidwrought is a hand-drawn 2D metroidvania and action platformer with Hollow Knight and Ori vibes that centers around sharp controls, engaging exploration, and deep lore.
Deep below the surface, players will find a vast world of traversal obstacles and eleven challenging boss battles in a world where the freshly emerged Simulacrum is driven to collect the blood of the gods.
Collect over 50 relics and souls by defeating 70 different enemies, excavate the city, and construct a shrine for your loyal followers so that you can discover even more treasures. Voidwrought offers New Game Plus and Hardcore modes for those who want an even tougher challenge. The game is available now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC, and compatible handhelds with support for Xbox Play Anywhere.
Only Up Rush
In 2023, SCKR Games released Only Up!, a difficult parkour game where the player had to run, climb, and jump their way to the top of a massive obstacle course. Beds served as trampolines, and one misstep would lead to a gutwrenching tumble back down to the bottom. The game went viral when it was released on Steam and garnered a large audience on Twitch, but was removed permanently just a few months after its initial launch.
In the void left behind, Nostra Games LTD has created Only Up Rush, a brand-new parkour experience where players once again are attempting to make a mad dash to the highest point in the world by parkouring their way across an insane obstacle course made out of junk.
Only Up Rush is available now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC, and compatible handhelds (just in case trying to parkour over traffic cones wasn’t already difficult enough on a large screen). It also features support for console mouse and keyboard inputs, has achievements, cloud saves, and is Xbox Play Anywhere compatible.
Project Songbird
Remember when we said the birds were chirping? Their song doesn’t have to be a cheerful one just because it's spring. There is still plenty of room for the macabre. Project Songbird is a cinematic psychological horror game with a focus on narrative storytelling, developed by Conner Rush and FYRE Games, and published by Pdpartid@games.
Players experience the world of Project Songbird as Dakota, a musician suffering through writer’s block, who isolates themself in a log cabin nestled away in the creepy forest of West Virginia. It's the perfect setting for trying to survive the horrors of the Appalachian mountains, where a natural environment meets hellish dreamscapes in a short but emotional horror experience.
Dakota must survive using upgradeable weapons, both ranged and melee, if they’re ever going to record the best album of their career. Permadeath certainly puts a damper on one’s creative output.
Project Songbird is a 4-5 hour adventure that features an all-star voice cast, including Valerie Rose Lohman (What Remains of Edith Finch, Wolfenstein: Youngblood), Jonah Scott (Dying Light 2: Stay Human, Beastars), and Aleks Le (Persona 3: Reloaded, Demon Slayer) along with musical talents from members of the band Auric Echoes on a beautiful soundtrack that just adds to the haunting dramatic atmosphere.
Project Songbird is available now on Xbox Series X|S.
