Creatures of Ava launches on August 7, joining Xbox Game Pass on the same day, and sees us saving creatures in a gorgeous magical world under threat from an unknown infection. We recently spoke with developer Inverge Studios about Creatures of Ava’s story and gameplay, learning about the team’s ambitions to focus on empathy instead of battling the cuddly critters.
Alongside Creatures of Ava, this week also sees SteamWorld Heist 2, Volgarr the Viking 2, The Lullaby of Life, and more arrive on the Xbox platform. Let us know which games you plan on playing down in the comments.
August 6
Bleak Faith: Forsaken — Xbox Series X|S
Explore the last remnants of civilization in this vast, unforgiving, and interconnected world. Learn what is left of its history. Discover pockets of civilization in the perpetually expanding Omnistructure. Lose yourself in a journey unlike any other.
CYGNI: All Guns Blazing — Xbox Series X|S
An unrelenting onslaught of eye-popping visuals, ear bursting soundscapes and mind-melting action makes CYGNI the vanguard for the next generation of shoot-em ups. Outgunned, outmanned and out on your own, plunge into a sky full of hell in a last-ditch battle for survival.
Eden Genesis — Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One
Eden Genesis is a 2D platformer and an action-adventure game set in a cyberpunk world. Take control of Leah, a young cyborg lady, and overcome challenging trials to liberate her corrupted mind!
Pepper Grinder — Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One
Pepper Grinder is an action-packed 2D adventure blending traditional platforming with an alternate drilling mode that allows you to dive in and out of the earth like a dolphin swims through water.
Seed of Life — Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One
Will you be the light that conquers the darkness?
Völgarr the Viking II — Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One
More than a decade after Volgarr the Viking’s chaotic, challenging debut, the barbarian king’s story continues in an uncompromising new form.
Volgarr the Viking II is a hardcore, 2D action-platformer where precision is everything and one false move can spell a brutal death. Players of the original game will feel right at home on this relentless voyage, even with the addition of new power-ups, new forms of magic, new enemy types, and a chest-thumping new soundtrack.
August 7
Cattie — Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One
Get ready for platforming action of the retro kind as you take the role of a nimble kitten named Cattie! Run, jump, hop from wall to wall, crouch, pounce and swipe at enemies as you make your way through side-scrolling pixel art pixel art stages with feline precision. Inspired by genre classics of the ’80s, Cattie is presented in minimalistic black-and-white style and fluid 2D animation.
There are 100 levels to explore, all set to a nostalgic 8-bit soundtrack! Challenge will ramp up as you progress, gradually introducing new enemies and stage mechanics. Do you have the skills to help Cattie reach the end?
Creatures of Ava — Xbox Series X|S, Windows
Let your empathy guide you as you play an exciting action-adventure, creature saver game. Understand and tame the creatures of Ava and let them lead you through a variety of ecosystems – all in the hopes of saving the planet from a life-consuming infection.
I Want To Go To Mars — Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One
Robyn & Teddy want to go to a place that never rains, that’s always sunny, that never runs out of sand. They want to go… to Mars!
Embark on an award-winning imaginative adventure that’s perfect for the whole family. Build your rocket, pass Moon customs, dodge asteroids and collect star fuel in this short and heartwarming tale of adventure and growth.
The Lullaby of Life — Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One
Play musical notes to solve timing-based puzzles in a journey where you bring dormant beings to life. Explore colorful environments and create harmonious sounds to navigate through this tranquil puzzle adventure inspired by the origins of life.
Tilting Tiles — Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One
Tilting Tiles is a unique movement based puzzle game. Guide the tile through each level’s environment while collecting every item within the move limit.
August 8
Cat Quest III — Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One
In Cat Quest III you play as a purrivateer in a freely explorable 2.5D open-world swarming with Pi-rats. You can sail the seas in your ship for treasures galore! But prepare for peril, as the Pirate King aims to hunt you down…
Cultist Simulator: Initiate Edition — Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One
In this roguelike narrative card game, what you find may transform you forever. Every choice you make, from moment to moment, doesn’t just advance the narrative – it also shapes it.
Dead Age II — Xbox Series X|S
10 years after the initial outbreak of the zombie apocalypse, the members of Jack’s camp fled to Freedom City, where a cure for the zombie plague was developed. But the news brings more suffering than relief. New factions have sprung up in the region, in constant battle for dominance. The merciless Military, the shady Smugglers and the Independents made up primarily of civilians.
HoneyLand — Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows
Discover HoneyLand, a wonderful and alive island. A paradise where the greatest honey worshipers seek to feel satisfied and happy. Who else could show up here? Yes, Mr. Fluff, a naive bear with a monstrous appetite.
Help Mr.Fluff to drink all the honey, and of course, reach the fabulous honey volcano!
SteamWorld Heist II — Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One
Join Captain Leeway and his ragtag crew as they uncover the enigmatic menace threatening the Great Sea. Equip and upgrade your crew for turn-based gunfights packed with ricochet action and engage in real-time naval combat. Get ready to aim, plot, and plunder in this uproarious Steambot adventure!
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime ISEKAI Chronicles — Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One
• Action-Packed Battles with Exhilarating Combo Attacks
Players can enjoy thrilling action battles that combine flashy special moves and powerful combos. Through leveling up bonds with friends, Rimuru will learn Special Attacks, and even have allies join in to back up Rimuru’s attack. Finish off formidable enemies that are coming to destroy Tempest with Secret Skills animated in retro 8-bit style!
Deathbound — Xbox Series X|S
The fallen are individual characters with their own unique skill sets, combat styles, and rich history. By absorbing their essence, you inherit the fiber of their very being. Conflicts and synergies between characters greatly impact gameplay, so relationships must be balanced. Strong synergies may offer combat buffs that can spell disaster for the ruthless boss awaiting your steel and magic.
Throughout combat, you will charge a sync meter shared across all characters. During an opportune moment, dispel your sync meter and unleash a devastating Morphstrike using the combined power of the bound fallen warriors. When faced with a formidable abomination, a precisely executed Morphstrike can be the deciding factor between life and death.
The world of Deathbound has been lovingly crafted and influenced by the developer’s homeland of Brazil, a vibrant culture brimming with life, creativity, rhythm, and a rich history. From the Afro-Brazilian martial art of capoeira to the sweeping music cascading through Akratya, Trialforge’s origins shine throughout every aspect of Deathbound.
August 9
Gravitators — Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One
Old-school challenge and style collide with modern advancements and mission design in Gravitators, a twin-stick shooter that puts you in control of 4 different ships as you defend mankind against invasion! Complete a vast array of mission types as you travel to Earth, the Moon, asteroids, planets and exoplanets, the depths of outer space and even black holes! Explore to unlock hidden objectives and rewards, but always be mindful of which power ups will serve the mission at hand.
Inspired by genre classics, Gravitators holds to the basic principles of maneuvering through tight spaces while carrying heavy objects, fighting enemy spacecraft and preserving fuel. Each ship you pilot changes the experience with variations in thrust, rotation and combat strategy, while gravitational forces and environmental factors threaten to slow you down or bring your mission to a crushing end. Do you have the skill see it through?