Xbox Game Pass offers something for every kind of gamer, whether they enjoy fast-paced competitive titles or not. Those who prefer calmer, more relaxing games can also find plenty of hidden gems on the service that encourage exploration and reminiscing, making them prime candidates to play after a long day.
Often overshadowed by more popular titles, indie games are usually the ones that take on a more mellow approach to gaming. From rediscovering an old hometown to sucking an entire county into a hole, these five games are perfect for escaping the repetitiveness of daily life or the burnout from more stressful and action-packed titles.
Garden Story Is a Charming and Nostalgic RPG
Fans of Stardew Valley, The Legend of Zelda and Terraria will adore Garden Story. Centered around Concord the grape's heroic journey, players must fight against the ever lurking Rot to save the Grove. There's a vast amount of things to do in-game, like exploring dungeons, fighting the Rot, building, harvesting, protecting the town and fulfilling requests.
What makes Garden Story stand out from other RPGs is its charming style, chipper music and unique combat system, which evoke a sense of nostalgia as the player explores the Grove. Smaller details, like the way the environment reacts to Concord walking or how light reacts in the night, bring Garden Story to life. As one of the longer games on this list, Garden Story is more likely to resonate with RPG fans who like to explore, spend time doing short quests and interacting with townsfolk.
Donut County Is a Quirky Puzzle Game
Created by Ben Esposito, Donut County is a light puzzle game where the player must swallow items into a seemingly endless hole. From coffee mugs to ceramic kilns to an entire town, players must capture the items in order, the hole widening with each new addition. Each level pieces together the story of how BK, the dense raccoon, put all of Donut County underground using a hole-making phone application.
Fans of Untitled Goose Game will appreciate the chaotic nature of Donut County as Mira and BK backtrack the app's misgivings and find a way to get the townspeople back to the surface. Donut County's carefully thought out level design, hip soundtrack and humorous nature make it a perfect pick to play after a long day.
Moonglow Bay Is Perfect for Animal Crossing & Stardew Valley Fans
Moonglow Bay is an RPG about fishing, family and community. Those who enjoy Animal Crossing: New Horizons and other sandbox games will appreciate Moonglow Bay the most. When the protagonist gets caught in a deep depression after losing their spouse, they are pushed into productivity by their daughter. The protagonist begins to spend their time fishing to bring revenue to the dying town, trying to overcome their grief by helping others.
Moonglow Bay is one of the few games that manages to pull off the blocky 3D artstyle, and it's all the more memorable for it. From the buildings to the fish to the water itself, everything is made with squares and rectangles. The indie-folk soundtrack is the perfect companion to fish with, immersing the player in the Bay and all the small-town problems in it.
A Memoir Blue Tells a Powerful Story in a Vivid Way
A Memoir Blue is an interactive story about a competitive swimmer named Miriam who contemplates her estranged relationship with her mother. The majority of the game exists within a dream where Miriam swims through various memories with her mother that are deep in the depths of her mind. As Miriam reflects on her childhood through an adult's eyes, she begins to understand her single mother's difficult position in life and takes the first step towards reconciliation.
Ethereal depictions of Miriam's dreams versus reality make this game worth every moment. There is no complex gameplay in this tale. Players are only expected to interact with meaningful objects and make their own interpretations about the story. Misunderstanding parents when viewing them through a child's eyes is something that everyone can relate to, and A Memoir Blue does an excellent job of telling this complicated and universal story through vivid imagery.
Lake Provides a Calming Story About a Small Town
The simplicity of Lake makes it the perfect game to relax to. The story follows Meredith Weiss as she returns to her hometown in Oregon to work as a letter carrier for two weeks. During Meredith's stay in Providence Oaks, she reconnects with the townsfolk and, based on the player's choices, has to make a decision at the end of her stay: Will she return to her busy life in the city, or remain in the comfort of her hometown?
Providence Oaks offers a brief respite for both Meredith and the player through the menial task of delivering mail. The dialogue between Meredith and the townsfolk as she makes her rounds are earnest and tangible, solidifying Providence Oaks as a real and unchanging place in the mind of the player. The multiple endings, resulting from the dialogue choices, add replay value to Lake, encouraging the player to come back for another visit.