10 Best Indie Games on Xbox Game Pass (November 2024)

Some indie developers do wonders with their limited resources to create impressive, exemplary indie games. Some of the best indie games put AAA games to shame with their sophisticated gameplay mechanics. They come in diverse genres and offer exciting gameplay features like adventure, action, storytelling, crafting, puzzle-solving, character development, and more.

Accessing games via Xbox Game Pass is convenient, as you can play multiple indie games for a fixed monthly subscription fee. The growing catalog of games on Xbox Game Pass includes some of the latest and best indie games. Here is an overview of the ten best indie games available via Xbox Game Pass.

What is Indie Game Development?

10. Celeste

Celeste is a game anyone can relate to, as it involves learning to overcome your inner fears. In this case, you help Celeste overcome her fear of climbing a mountain. Scaling the mountain is tricky; you will die and respawn several times before you master it. Interestingly, you can view and scale the mountain from a 3600 perspective, as the game features over 700 pictures of the mountain. Interestingly, it was voted the Best Independent Game at the 2018 Game Awards.

9. Inside

Inside excels at atmospheric storytelling despite the main character not saying one word throughout the game. The story unfolds as you explore more of the grim world. Notably, it elicits many emotions over time, mostly sadness and horror as you realize the character’s awful predicament. In addition to storytelling, the game also features thrilling action and challenging puzzles. Notably, the game is critically acclaimed for its grim atmosphere, ambient soundtrack, and moody art style.

8. Death’s Door

Notably, Death’s Door is often compared to Dark Souls, another popular Soulslike game. However, it is unique in many aspects. Your job is to collect souls from bosses, who you must fight in epic combat. The game’s combat system is quite versatile and incorporates melee weapons, ranged weapons, and magic. Besides action, you also enjoy a surreal adventure through a beautiful but bleak world. Additionally, while the game features minimalistic storytelling features, it still tells an intriguing narrative as you unravel a dark mystery.

7. Amnesia: The Bunker

Amnesia: The Bunker boasts sharp graphics, a fun, unique concept, and overall intriguing gameplay. It is a first-person shooter horror game that ought to make you jump in fear now and then. You play as a French soldier trapped in a WWI bunker. You are not alone, as an AI-powered monster stalks you at every turn. Unfortunately, you have limited resources and must find tools and craft items that you can use to survive. Notably, each playthrough is unique, and every decision changes the game’s outcome.

6. Cocoon

Cocoon delivers a fun, beautiful, and action-packed adventure across multiple worlds. Each world exists within another world. The overall objective is to figure out how the different worlds are interconnected. You must then manipulate, rearrange, and combine them to solve intricate puzzles and unlock more worlds. Moreover, the worlds feature unique biomes and environments that you can explore at your pace while interacting with their environments and biomechanical devices. Moreover, you can enjoy epic action when fighting the monstrous Guardians protecting each world.

5. Among Us

Among Us is credited as the game that revived interest in the social deduction genre. The concept is quite engaging, as it involves trying to find imposters hell-bent on killing everyone in a space crew. There are lots of enjoyable activities to do as you try to prepare your spaceship for departure. You can play as one of the good guys or imposters for either team. As such, you can be the one trying to fix the ship and uncover the imposters or the one sabotaging the ship and killing people.

4. Dead Cells

Dead Cells always feels fresh because of its ever-changing 2D world, making each run unique. Moreover, it is one of the most challenging action-platformers, with no checkpoints. As such, you must kill the final boss in one go or start all over again. However, you don’t lose it all, as you get to retain unlocked weapons, new levels, new abilities and mutations, unlocked paths, and more. The versatile souls-lite combat system features fast-paced action with diverse weapons and abilities. Besides intense action, you can also enjoy an intriguing story behind the mystery of the ever-changing world.

3. No Man’s Sky

Set in an infinite, procedurally generated universe, No Man’s Sky presents an endless adventure through space. You can settle and establish bases on any of the many planets across the universe. There are many activities to enjoy, depending on your class and playstyle. For example, you can be a pirate preying on the weak or a bounty hunter fighting pirates and other criminals. The game is also story-rich, and you must unravel the mystery behind the pulse coming from the galaxy's center.

2. Lies of P

Lies of P builds upon the concept of Pinocchio but turns it upon its head to deliver an action-packed gameplay experience. It is set in a dark, cruel, yet elegant world filled with dangerous puppets. You must fight these monstrous puppets as you explore the world in search of your creator. The action is intense, and the fighting and playstyles vary depending on your current weapons and abilities. Interestingly, like Pinocchio, you can choose whether to tell the truth or lie as you interact with other characters, considering that what you say affects your path.  

1. Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley is so famous and impressive that it almost feels wrong to categorize it as an indie game. Interestingly, it is the brainchild of one developer with a meager budget. Categorized as a farming sim, the core activity entails restoring your rundown farm to its former glory. You can grow various crops, rear animals, and go fishing. However, it is more than a farming sim and feels more like a life sim. There is lots more to do, including exploring the open world and interacting with NPCs.

So, what’s your take on our picks for the ten best indie games on Xbox Game Pass? Let us know on our socials here or in the comments below.