Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Stardew Valley and more indies are coming to Xbox Game Pass

Today’s ID@Xbox stream was packed with indie games galore, but the highlight of the show came from Stardew Valley developer Concerned Ape. During an interview on the stream, Eric Barone, the sole developer of Stardew Valley announced that the game will be coming to Xbox Game Pass.

Stardew Valley was originally released in February 2016 but has since exploded in popularity. The game, heavily inspired by the Harvest Moon franchise, gives players a farm to call their own, and a small town to live in. The game is currently available on PC, Switch, PlayStation consoles, and Xbox consoles, and will arrive on Xbox Game Pass later this fall. A concrete release date for the game on Xbox’s subscription service was not announced.

Chopping down a tree in Stardew valley.

Along with Stardew Valley, a decent number of other indie titles are coming to Xbox Game Pass. Aragami 2 hits the service on September 17, Pathfinder Wrath of the Righteous arrives on March 1, 2022, Evil Genius 2 is set to launch on Game Pass in fiscal Q4 of this year, and Pupperazi is rolling onto the service sometime soon.

The ID@Xbox stream wasn’t just about the indie games coming to Xbox Game Pass though. You can find a list of every game that appeared during today’s showcase down below.

  • Lightyear Frontier
  • Lab Rat
  • the Legend of Wright
  • OlliOlli World
  • Inked
  • Sam & Max Save The World Remastered
  • Aeon Drive
  • The Big Con
  • The Vale: Shadow of the Crown
  • Aragami 2
  • Pathfinder Wrath of the Righteous
  • Pupperazi
  • Evil Genius 2
  • Stardew Valley
  • Library of Aruna
  • Spacelines from the Far Out
  • The Artful Escape
Otto Kratky
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Otto Kratky is a freelance writer with many homes. You can find his work at Digital Trends, GameSpot, and Gamepur. If he's…
Xbox Game Pass adds one of 2022’s best racing games this month
A man leans against a car in Need for Speed Unbound.

Microsoft has revealed that games that will be coming to Xbox Game Pass throughout the rest of June and even into early July. While the list lacks any major exclusives or first-party games, a solid racing game from 2022 and some intriguing indies make it an interesting batch. Thankfully, the losses the service will suffer at the end of the month aren't too bad either.
The most notable game to hit Xbox Game Pass Ultimate during the back half of June will be Need for Speed Unbound. Coming to the service via its EA Play connection, this is a solid racing game that I gave a three-and-a-half-star review last year. At the time, I said it was "a surprisingly entertaining racer in a year that hasn’t seen much racing game excitement since Gran Turismo 7." On the indie side of things, The Bookwalker: Thief of Tales will be a day one Xbox Game Pass release on June 22. It's an isometric adventure game where the main gimmick is that players can enter the worlds of books they come across.
Former PlayStation console exclusive F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch will also come to Xbox Series X/S via Xbox Game Pass on June 27. This is the full list of titles you can expect to come to the subscription service between today and July 5.

Need for Speed Unbound -- June 22
The Bookwalker: Thief of Tales -- June 22
Bramble: The Mountain King -- June 27
F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch -- June 27
Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town -- June 29
Arcade Paradise -- July 3
Sword and Fairy: Together Forever -- July 5

Read more
You should play the year’s most beautiful game on Xbox Game Pass right now
Mimi paddles down a river in a kayak in Dordogne.

When I was a child, I hated Cape Cod. My parents would often spend a bulk of the summer there, which meant I did too -- until I was old enough to be left on my own. My frustrations about that routine came to a head one year when my parents said we were going to spend a full month on the Cape. I protested, saying that I didn’t want to waste so much of my summer away from my friends, but my requests were shot down. I remember the arguments clearly, but I’ve fully blocked out the actual month I spent there. It’s a lost memory in my most formative years.

Dordogne - Launch Trailer

Read more
PC Game Pass will leverage GeForce Now in the coming months
GeForce Now logo

During the "What's Next For Gaming" panel with team Xbox at the 2023 Xbox Games Showcase, corporate Vice President Sarah Bond said that PC Game Pass members will soon be able to play their catalog on GeForce Now devices.

"I'm thrilled to share with you that in the coming months, we're actually going to bring GeForce Now as something you can leverage with PC Game Pass," explained Bond.

Read more