Monday, December 23, 2024

New Xbox Games — August 12 to 18

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We hope you’ve got some space in that backlog (and money in your wallet) as 26 new Xbox games launch next week across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC. For the Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass subscribers out there, sadly, there are no new day-one upcoming Game Pass games to look forward to next week.

Despite the lack of day one Game Pass games, Xbox fans will have plenty of new games to be excited about. Notable releases include Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse on August 14, Hunt: Showdown 1896 and Kena: Bridge of Spirits on August 15, and EA Sports Madden NFL 25 on August 16.

Here’s everything coming to the world of Xbox next week. Let us know which of these you’re planning on picking up in the comments!

August 13th

Hidden Through Time 2: Discovery — Xbox Series X|S

Hidden Through Time 2: Discovery is a cozy hidden object game that has you searching for hidden objects in hand-drawn, interactive landscapes. Ignite your imagination, unleash your inner artist with the editor and share your masterpieces with the world!

Mad Devils: Damned-finitive Edition — Xbox Series X|S

Mad Devils is a co-op, retro arcade shooter set in a twisted WWII setting. What does an Allied special forces squad who hunt Nazi occultist do when betrayed, killed and resurrected as demons? Their job.

HEROES NEVER DIE, THEY JUST REDEPLOY IN HELL!
In the final days of WW2, a desperate Nazi war machine embraces the occult. The maniacal Major Strauss plans to open the gates of Hell itself. The Mad Devils are deployed to thwart this unhinged plan, but sometimes, heroism isn’t enough. Defeated and damned, the Mad Devils regroup in the underworld for one final mission.
EIGHT DEMONIC GI’s, EIGHT SETS OF POWERS, EIGHT PATHS TO VICTORY
Cast into the abyss, the revenant Sergeant Jack Asher explores hell to reassemble his fallen squad. Each team member has been warped here, twisted and gifted demonic powers. Your expert crew are now armed with elemental and ethereal magics. Master them all and finish your fight.

FIGHT FIRE WITH HELLFIRE
It’ll take more than guns to smash the Nazi’s demonic ambitions. You’ll need the most chthonic weapons you can get your hands on and enough magic to light up the stygian void. Collect demonic crystals to empower weapons, develop your powers, and earn experience through violence.
HELL ITSELF: MORE THAN FIRE AND BRIMSTONE
The netherworld is a strange and varied place. Large parts are a perpetually-burning wasteland, others are twisted reflections of the mortal world, dense with choking overgrowth, frozen by sombre winds or fortified by damned Nazi legions.

NAZIS: WORTH KILLING TWICE JUST TO MAKE SURE
Hell was bad enough before WWII. Now it’s a warzone, populated with undead, ravenous demons and a legion of infernal Nazis. They didn’t get the message when they died the first time – time to repeat the lesson, loud and clear.

Pizza Bar Tycoon — Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One

Look out! This pizzeria will soon become the talk of the town!

Well… at least that’s the plan.

Your customers are already queuing up, so you’ll have to serve them as quickly as possible. However, that’s easier said than done!

Everyone’s in a hurry and you’ll have to prepare each order correctly, or else your customers are going to get crossed!

Give it your all and you’ll come out on top!

IN PIZZA BAR TYCOON YOU WILL FIND:

* 80 levels to explore, 70+ dishes to serve.
* Great cartoonish graphics, music and sound effects.
* Countless upgrades you can apply to ingredients and bar decorations.
* 47 Achievements to complete.
* Easy to play and hard to master.

August 14th

Cat’s Request — Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows

The fantastic detective story about an extraterrestrial cat named Ash and his virtual assistant, living in a metropolis governed by artificial intelligence.

One day, their peaceful existence is disrupted by the sudden appearance of a computer virus that threatens all sentient programs. Ash takes on the role of a detective to unravel the mystery of this virus.

You can switch between Ash and his virtual assistant. Only one character can access certain locations.

Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse — Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One

The final game in Telltale’s Sam & Max trilogy, beautifully remastered! Explore odd locales, meet eccentric characters, and solve brain-tickling puzzles in this bizarre paranormal adventure with a surprise around every corner. Jump into Max’s brain and use the Toys of Power to see the future, teleport, and read minds.

Thief Simulator 2 — Xbox Series X|S

Thief Simulator 2 will transport you to a world full of valuables, expensive cars, and rustling banknotes. As long as you find a way to steal them.
Know that a thief’s trade is not a piece of cake. In order to get some practice, you’ll start with petty theft. This is how you’ll gain the experience required to access more and more risky – and most importantly, more profitable – jobs.

Gain levels and unlock new possibilities. Get useful tools. Together with newly acquired skills, they will pave the way to expensive items, which you can then sell on the black market. The tools of your trade include a crowbar and binoculars, as well as advanced equipment that becomes available as you progress, such as a laptop for hacking through security systems.

The creators of Thief Simulator 2 have prepared two unique locations with houses, banks, restaurants, and other special places that you’ll get to strip of money, valuables, and other items. But before you do, examine the surroundings: find out when the building empties out, learn the tenants’ or the employees’ schedule. Then you just need to prepare a strategy and it’s gone time.

Just be quick and efficient. You don’t have much time, so you’ll need to immediately assess which item to take and which one to leave. Can you handle the pressure, or will you panic?

Make sure to work on cars between robbing buildings. Start with small family sedans and make gradual steps towards mastery, which will allow you to steal the coolest sports cars.

Remember to keep your eyes around your head. Even the best plan can fall apart, and the local police are just waiting for a chance to put you in handcuffs. Don’t get caught. Always be one step ahead of law enforcement.

Feature list:
-Two neighbourhoods, with over 20 houses to break into. Learn tenant’s routines, pick the right time to break in, and then rob them
-Three heists, each with a unique location. Make your way into a resort with 6 houses full of loot, a warehouse crawling with guards, and a central bank with gold waiting to be snatched from the vault.
-Get better and better tools, ranging from a crowbar or binoculars to hacking laptops, stethoscopes, etc.
-Make your way into houses undetected, or run in welding a baton and knock everyone out. Alternatively, put them to sleep using sleeping gas or a tranquilizer gun. The choice is up to you.
-Payphone missions – rob certain locations in a specified amount of time
-Over 15 contracts requiring you to steal unique items
-Level up your thief and acquire new skills, which allow a number of new possibilities. Learn special skills, and activate unique abilities.
-Escape the police – intense chases with police cars and helicopters. Be careful to not get shot.
-Upgrade your car, change its color, give it more power – or just buy a sports car and be no match for the police.
-Steal cars – begin with a small, family sedan, and work your way up to a sport’s dream car

Tiny Pixels Vol. 1 – Ninpo Blast — Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One

Jump on your hoverbike and blast off for unlimited ninja-themed bullet hell mayhem!

Get ready for retro vertical shoot’em up action where you’ll face off against swarms of mythical insect baddies using shuriken, bombs and more in the ultimate fight for survival! Switch between spread and focus shot types, unlock 4 unique hoverbikes, pick up coins and permanently upgrade weapons to stack the deck in your favor for the next exciting run.

The more you play, the stronger you get! Stage elements are randomized to keep you on your toes across uniquely themed levels, each with dedicated original background music! Take down 6 unique boss types and challenge online leaderboards. Can you become a true ninpo master?

Tiny Pixels Vol. 1 – Ninpo Blast is the first in a line of pixel art titles inspired by arcade and console classics!

August 15th

Cricket: Jae’s Really Peculiar Game — Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One

Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines — Xbox Series X|S

Hunt: Showdown 1896 — Xbox Series X|S

Hunt: Showdown 1896 is a new era of the addictively unforgiving extraction shooter. In corrupted backwaters lost to history, fight back alone – or with friends – against timeless evil. Twisted monsters and other ruthless Hunters stand between you and your Bounty. Risk everything as Hunt consumes you.

Bounty Hunt: Take rich bounties and kill anyone that tries to stop you – and they will try. Race competing Hunters to track down bosses, send them to hell, claim their bounty, and fight your way to extract. If others only slow you down, go alone. If you find strength in numbers, take up to two teammates along.

Progression and Permadeath: Risk everything to unlock dark powers and forbidden wealth. Every bullet counts. Every wound hurts. And every death is permanent. But if you succeed, every victory will be unforgettable.

Just Crow Things — Xbox Series X|S

You’re a little crow trying to prove herself to the world. Make new animal friends, poop on unsuspecting hoomans, and steal all the shiny trinkets! Each level is a little sandbox full of fun items to discover and puzzles to solve, while leaving a bit of chaos behind. Why? Just caws!

Kena: Bridge of Spirits — Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One

Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a story-driven action adventure set in a charming world rich with exploration and fast-paced combat. Players find and grow a team of tiny spirit companions called the Rot, enhancing their abilities and creating new ways to manipulate the environment.

Kena, a young Spirit Guide, travels to an abandoned village in search of the sacred mountain shrine. She struggles to uncover the secrets of this forgotten community hidden in an overgrown forest where wandering spirits are trapped.

Find the Rot
Timid and illusive spirits scattered throughout the forest. They maintain balance by decomposing dead and rotting elements.

Key Features
• Build Your Team: Find and collect Rot to gain powerful abilities, make discoveries, and transform the environment.
• Explore: A forgotten village and a strange curse. Draw on the power of the Spirit Realm to restore this once-majestic world.
• Fast-Paced Combat: Spirits have become corrupt, trapped and unable to move on, challenging Kena at every turn.

Overboss — Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One

Build the most powerful and dangerous land in all of Arcadia! Stake forests, swamps, graveyards, and volcanoes, recruit monsters and create the best combinations to collect the most points to become the Overboss. Be careful – each terrain type is scored differently, and your minions must be arranged on them strategically to maximize their value!

Step into the shoes of 12 iconic bosses from the renowned board game Overboss, who want to attain supreme power by building their kingdom. The value of your dominion hinges on the arrangement of terrain tiles and the strategic placement of your monstrous minions. Each tile type and its positioning can either bolster or hinder your ascent to dominance.

Digital version not only boasts captivating pixel-art graphics reminiscent of retro video games but also immerses in a beloved universe that has captured the hearts of enthusiasts worldwide. It’s a puzzle tile-laying adventure for gamers of all skill levels, with intuitive and straightforward rules.

Phantom Spark — Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One

Dive into the captivating high-speed world of Phantom Spark. Engage in precision time-trial racing to best the champions in the single-player campaign, challenge your friends in split-screen local multiplayer, or make your mark on the global online leaderboards.

Sokolab — Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows

Get ready to dive into an electrifying cerebral challenge with the incredible game Sokolab!

Discover a world full of puzzles and excitement, where your goal is to guide a skilled robot through 50 engaging levels, each more challenging than the last.

Sokolab is a sokoban-style puzzle game that will test your strategic skills and problem-solving abilities. You’ll need to carefully consider each move, plan your strategy, and find the perfect path to push the boxes to their specific positions on the map.

As you progress through the levels, be prepared to encounter innovative mechanics that will surprise and further challenge your brilliant mind. Experience explosive potions that can open new paths, use elevators to access unreachable areas, master block teleportation, and explore the secrets behind special blocks!

Are you ready to overcome increasingly complex obstacles and prove your mental prowess? Sokolab will push your skills to the limit! Enhance your logical reasoning and overcome the challenges of this electrifying game.

Find the perfect solution, unlock new exciting levels, and showcase your mastery in Sokolab to the world. Awaken the strategist within you and become the ultimate champion of this challenging puzzle game!

White Day 2: The Flower That Tells Lies – Complete Edition — Xbox Series X|S

Return to Yeondu High School and uncover the dark truth that remained hidden in this direct sequel to the Korean horror classic. Investigate bizarre phenomena, evade bloodthirsty killers, and unravel a twisting narrative spread across three unnerving episodes.

August 16th

Bloodhound — Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One

Crush the cult of Astaroth and vanquish her hellspawn, make them squeal and hide where they came from. Enjoy a Fresh Look & Old Fun in this arcade horror FPS game inspired by the legends of the 90s.

Castaway — Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One

Retrieve your weapons, face bosses to save your dog in a retro adventure focused on 3 dungeons. Finish the Story mode to unlock the Survivor mode: a 50-floor “Death Tower”. You’ll enjoy classic mechanics, charming visual style, and an enchanting soundtrack.

EA SPORTS Madden NFL 25 — Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One

Pre-order* EA SPORTS™ Madden NFL 25 today and receive:

Includes Xbox Series X|S & Xbox One versions of the game**
Christian McCaffrey Elite Player Item
Choice of 2 Strategy Items
Superstar Drip Gear (Xbox Series X|S only)
Legendary XP Boost (Xbox Series X|S only)

**Game progress may not transfer between platforms. Xbox Series X|S version features and content not available on Xbox One version.

Pre-order* EA SPORTS™ Madden NFL 25 and hit like you mean it with FieldSENSE™ powered by BOOM Tech on Xbox Series X|S. Experience how the new physics-informed dynamic tackling system unlocks realistic collisions & new gameplay animations on both sides of the ball. With a reengineered Hit Stick, perfect hit indicator, a new Ball Carrier Balance System, and physics-driven dives, trucks and stiff arms, timing has never been more important as each interaction reflects true-to-life motion and physical outcomes. (BOOM Tech, FieldSENSE™, Superstar mode, and certain updated features described here only available on Xbox Series X|S.)

FRANCHISE IMMERSION
Recharged Franchise mode provides a rebuilt NFL Draft experience featuring Roger Goodell, team and rookie records, new environments, personalized storylines, more ways to customize your NFL team and season, a fresh Super Bowl celebration experience, and Franchise Central with simplified league creation tools and more information at your fingertips so you can drive your Franchise to victory. (Franchise updates on Xbox Series X|S only)

LIVE UPDATES IN ULTIMATE TEAM & SUPERSTAR
New rewards, feature releases, themed programs, and the ability to customize your style and skills in Superstar bring refreshed experiences across Ultimate Team™ and live game modes. (Superstar and certain content described here on Xbox Series X|S only)

PLAYBOOK EXPANSION
Evolve your strategy with a brand new set of featured plays, from some of the game’s most inventive team playbooks. (Updated playbooks on Xbox Series X|S only)

TEAM BUILDER
Create your own NFL franchise using Team Builder, a web-based customization tool that allows you to design a team that perfectly matches your style. (Content usable in-game on Xbox Series X|S only)

Team Builder content can be used in Franchise mode on Xbox Series X|S. Internet connection & EA account required. Applicable platform account may be required. Age restrictions may apply.

This game includes optional in-game purchases of virtual currency that can be used to acquire virtual in-game items, including a random selection of virtual in-game items.

Farewell North — Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One

Restore color to the desolate islands of Farewell North, an atmospheric journey where you play as a border collie on an adventure with your human. Explore land and sea, uncover hidden paths and free wildlife to bring color back to her world, while revealing an emotional story about saying farewell.

House of Golf 2 — Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One

Embark on an unforgettable golfing adventure with House of Golf 2 – not just a game, but an invitation to create lasting memories with family and friends. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a newcomer to the virtual greens, dive into a world brimming with challenges and excitement.

Challenge your skills across a variety of engaging environments where every twist and turn presents a new test of your abilities. With countless obstacles to conquer, each play session promises fresh thrills to keep you hooked for hours on end.

Couch Play for 4 Players
Gather up to four players for the ultimate couch play experience. House of Golf 2 is tailor-made for lively gatherings and family fun, delivering seamless multiplayer action that’s perfect for parties and game nights. Who will reign supreme in your household?

Over 100 Holes
With over 100 meticulously crafted holes to conquer, the game offers endless entertainment and surprises. Each hole presents a unique puzzle waiting to be solved with the perfect swing.

Trick Score System
Unleash your creativity and skill with our innovative Trick Score System. Showcase your mastery with jaw-dropping shots, ricocheting around corners and defying gravity to earn impressive scores and wow your friends.

Live Tournaments and Holes
Ready to test your mettle? Dive into Live Tournaments and compete on a variety of dynamic courses for exciting prizes, from coins to exclusive skins and golf balls. There’s always a new challenge to conquer and rewards to claim.

Don’t miss out – grab your virtual clubs and prepare to leave your mark on the world of House of Golf 2!

Mute Crimson DX — Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows

Mute Crimson DX

Mute Crimson DX is an action-packed precision-platformer where you guide Ninja on his quest to climb up walls, slice through bad guys and overcome great evils!

Rewind or Die — Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One

Just another day at a video rental store… right?

Mike thought his dead-end job at the local video rental place would be easy, until a serial killer starts carving up his fellow clerks! Deal with irate customers, horrible bosses, and keep your store clean (well, as clean as it can be.) Don’t worry about the occasional creepy phone call or that person watching you through the front window, it’s all part of the job.

Be kind and rewind…
OR DIE!

SunnySide — Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One

Find harmony in the Japanese countryside as you help Sparky uncover lost memories in this modern take on the farming and life simulator. Build a thriving homestead, cultivate new relationships, and chase your own happiness in SunnySide.

Turn to Mine — Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows

You are a space mining apprentice with a bright future ahead. However, your superior Commander Neek would rather watch a movie than teach you anything. Can you collect crystals and survive on your own?

Take control of your seeker and become the space miner you always wanted to be.
Turn grid squares to destroy enemy drones before they destroy you.
Solve space-themed puzzles and try to survive!

Unleaving — Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One

When everything seems hopeless a child is awakened by the whispers of the last leaf, drawn into an imaginary world. Unleaving invites the player into a narrative-driven puzzle platformer where each challenge unfolds within a hand-painted landscape, exploring perception and meaning.

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