Xbox Game Pass adds A Short Hike, Limbo & More

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Xbox Game Pass is a service you can get on your PC or Xbox consoles, and it’s earned a reputation nowadays for having a ton of indies.

I’m not complaining, and seeing their lineup for August of the new games coming to the service, they’re picking some of the best indies you’ll get to play for no extra cost, which I’d recommend trying.

Games of the Year 2019: A Short Hike is a love letter to one of the most satisfying things in games | Eurogamer.net

Unlike the usual fare, all five titles being added are indie games. Now that Celeste joined the service on August 1st, you should focus on more of the games coming in August, namely A Short Hike, Broforce Forever, Limbo, Airborne Kingdom, and Everspace 2.

The Release Dates

  • August 1st – Celeste (Cloud, Console, PC) – A holdover from last month’s announcement that just hadn’t got added to Game Pass till August 1st, Celeste is a tough-as-nails 2D platformer with one of the best stories in gaming.
  • August 3rd – A Short Hike (Cloud, Console, PC) – This cute, short, and sweet little game is about climbing up a mountain, meeting friends, driving a boat, flying around, and just taking in this adorable game’s charming vibe and aesthetic.
  • August 8th – Broforce Forever (Cloud, Console, and PC) – This game is a side-scrolling shoot-em-up like Contra, but with a bunch of overly-patriotic military band of a bunch of bros, boasting a bunch of great visuals and a ton of explosions.
  • August 9th – Limbo (Cloud, Console, and PC) – This is a dark, quite scary puzzle sidescroller, with one of the most influential aesthetics of any video game, being entirely covered in shadow and using black and white throughout the game.
  • August 10th – Airborne Kingdom (Cloud, Console, and PC) – If you’ve ever wanted a simulation city builder like Cities Skylines that takes place entirely in the sky well above any people on the ground below, then Airborne Kingdom is precisely that.
  • August 15th – Everspace 2 (Cloud and Xbox Series X|S) – This is one of those games that try to do everything at once; it’s a spaceship shooter with exploration, RPG elements, mining, crafting, and a lot of flying between planets and trying to shoot down other ships. It’s very well-rated, though, so give it a shot.

The Extras

Image from Humble Games

With every game announcement comes the announcement of the games that will be leaving Game Pass and the games that will get their DLC or updates added for free. To touch on the latter, Microsoft Flight Simulator is getting its DLC, and PUBG Battlegrounds, Neverwinter, and Phantasy Star Online 2 are all getting their updates added for free.

Unfortunately, four games are leaving the service on August 15th, which includes some well-loved titles. Namely, Death Stranding and Warhammer 3 on PC, with Edge of Eternity and Midnight Fight Express leaving on Cloud, Console, and PC. If you want to keep playing these games, you can buy them now for a Game Pass discount.

Further Reading

If you’d like to read more about the games coming to Game Pass or keep up with the new things added to the service, we’ve got you covered.

Xbox Indies Set To Appear At Gamescom 2023 Revealed

Celeste All Strawberries Guide

Best Indie Platformers – Jump into Something Special

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