Microsoft XNA is a freeware set of tools with a managed runtime environment that Microsoft developed to facilitate video game development. XNA is based on .NET Framework, with versions that run on Windows and Xbox 360. XNA Game Studio can help develop XNA games. The XNA toolset was announced on March 24, 2004, at the Game Developers Conference in San Jose, California. A first Community Technology Preview of XNA Build was released on March 14, 2006.
Braid is a puzzle-platform video game developed by Number None and considered an indie title. The game was originally released in August 2008 for the Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade service. Ports were developed and released for Microsoft Windows in April 2009, Mac OS X in May 2009, PlayStation 3 in November 2009, and Linux in December 2010. Jonathan Blow designed the game as a personal critique of contemporary trends in video game development. He self-funded the three-year project, working with webcomic artist David Hellman to develop the artwork. An anniversary version is planned for release for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Windows, Mac, and Linux with updated graphics and developer commentary.
Xbox Live Indie Games are video games created by individual developers or small teams of developers released on Microsoft's Xbox Live Marketplace for the Xbox 360. The games were developed using Microsoft XNA, and developed by one or more independent developers that are registered with App Hub. Unlike Xbox Live Arcade titles, these were generally only tested within the local creator community, had much lower costs of production, and generally were less expensive to purchase. The service was released to widespread use alongside the New Xbox Experience, and as of November 2014, over 3,300 games had been released on the service, many receiving media attention. All Indie Games currently require the user to be logged into their Xbox Live account to initiate the start-up of each game. Indie Games were not available in Australia, due to the requirement for all games to be rated by the Australian Classification Board, and the prohibitive expenses involved. The Xbox Live Indie Games program did not continue with the release of the Xbox One, and the marketplace for these games was shuttered on October 7, 2017.
Galaga Legions is a 2008 twin-stick shooter video game developed and released by Namco Bandai Games for the Xbox 360. It is the twelfth game in the Galaxian series, and the third developed for home platforms. The player controls a starship, the AEf-7 "Blowneedle", in its efforts to wipe out the Galaga armada. The objective of the game is to clear each of the five stages as quick as possible. Stages have a heavy emphasis on puzzle solving and chain reactions, which are necessary to clear out enemy formations. The Blowneedle has a pair of satellites at its disposal, and can place them anywhere on the screen to fend off enemies.
Third-person shooter (TPS) is a subgenre of 3D shooter games in which the gameplay consists primarily of shooting. It is closely related to first-person shooters, but with the player character visible on-screen during play. While 2D shoot 'em up games also employ a third-person perspective, the TPS genre is distinguished by having the game presented with the player's avatar as a primary focus of the camera's view.
Limbo is a puzzle-platform video game developed by independent studio Playdead and originally published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360. The game was released in July 2010 on Xbox Live Arcade, and has since been ported by Playdead to several other systems, including the PlayStation 3, Linux and Microsoft Windows. Limbo is a 2D side-scroller, incorporating a physics system that governs environmental objects and the player character. The player guides an unnamed boy through dangerous environments and traps as he searches for his sister. The developer built the game's puzzles expecting the player to fail before finding the correct solution. Playdead called the style of play "trial and death", and used gruesome imagery for the boy's deaths to steer the player from unworkable solutions.
The Indie Games Uprising is a developer led event designed to promote the "best of the best" Xbox Live Indie Games. The promotion was originally conceived by Robert Boyd of Zeboyd Games and Ian Stocker of MagicalTimeBean, when they noticed that they both had games coming out in the same time frame.
Rime is an adventure puzzle video game developed by Tequila Works. The game was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in May 2017, for Nintendo Switch in November 2017, and for Amazon Luna in October 2020. The game follows a boy arriving at and searching a mysterious island with a fox-like spirit as a guide. The player guides the boy in solving environmental puzzles across five large levels.
Monochroma is a cinematic puzzle-platform video game, and the first title by Istanbul-based developer Nowhere Studios. It was released on Xbox One on June 24, 2016.
Donut County is an indie video game developed by American indie designer Ben Esposito and published by Annapurna Interactive. In the game, the player moves a hole to swallow objects, which makes the hole increase in size. The concept originated in a game jam that used video game pitches from a Twitter account parody of game designer Peter Molyneux, and later added a mechanic similar to that of Katamari Damacy. Other inspirations for the game included Hopi figurines—a theme Esposito later relinquished—and locations from Bruce Springsteen songs. Donut County was released in August 2018 for iOS, macOS, PlayStation 4, and Microsoft Windows platforms while versions for Xbox One and Nintendo Switch were released in December 2018. It also released for Android in December 2020.
Firewatch is an adventure game developed by Campo Santo and published by the developer in partnership with Panic. The game was released in February 2016 for Linux, OS X, PlayStation 4, Windows, and for Xbox One in September 2016, and for Nintendo Switch in December 2018.
Pillar is an independent video game designed by Michael Hicks for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. Described as a collection of minigames where each game represents a different type of personality found in people, each level in Pillar has different gameplay mechanics to examine various personality traits and themes. Reviewers noted the game's exploration of themes such as love, religion, capitalism, aging and regret.
Inside is a puzzle-platform game developed and published by Playdead in 2016, and was released on June 29, for Xbox One, Windows, on July 7, and August 23, for PlayStation 4. The game was released for iOS in December 2017 and Nintendo Switch in June 2018. A macOS version was released in June 2020. The player controls a boy in a dystopic world, solving environmental puzzles and avoiding death. It is the successor to Playdead's 2010 Limbo, with similar 2.5D gameplay.
Soul Axiom is a first-person adventure-puzzle video game developed and published by Wales Interactive. The game is set inside a "Digital Soul Provider" called Elysia, and combines exploration with puzzle solving elements to unlock the mystery of your character's digital afterlife. It follows a similar visual style from its predecessor, Master Reboot, and while it is not a direct sequel, it is set in the same world but with new characters, a new story and new set of game mechanics. The game was released on February 29, 2016. PlayStation 4 and Xbox One ports were released in June 2016. The Wii U version launched on September 29, 2016. The game was released on February 27, 2020 for Nintendo Switch as Soul Axiom Rebooted.
Compulsion Games Inc. is a Canadian video game developer and a studio of Xbox Game Studios based in Montreal. Established in 2009 by ex-Arkane Studios developer Guillaume Provost, the studio developed the 2013 puzzle-platform game Contrast and the 2018 survival horror game We Happy Few.
Michael Hicks is an American game designer, musician, programmer and writer. His most notable works include 2018's The Path of Motus and 2015's Pillar. Described as a "lone auteur", Hicks is noted for his innovative game concepts. His soundtrack work has also been critically acclaimed.
Tunic is a 2022 action-adventure game developed by Isometricorp Games and published by Finji. Set in a ruined fantasy world, the player controls an anthropomorphic fox as they journey to free a fox spirit trapped in a crystal. The backstory is obscured, with most text given in a constructed language that the player is not expected to translate. Similarly, Tunic's isometric perspective hides numerous pathways and secrets. The player discovers the gameplay and setting by exploring and finding in-game pages of a manual, which offer clues, drawings, and notes.
Little Nightmares II is a puzzle-platform horror adventure game developed by Tarsier Studios, published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. It is the prequel to Little Nightmares (2017). The story follows Mono, who must work together with Six, the protagonist from the previous game, to survive the horrors of the Pale City and discover its dark secrets. The game was released for Google Stadia, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows and Xbox One on 11 February 2021. An upgraded version, titled Little Nightmares II: Enhanced Edition, was developed by Supermassive Games and released on 25 August 2021 for PlayStation 5, Windows and Xbox Series X/S.
The Wild at Heart is an open world exploration video game developed by Moonlight Kids and published by Humble Games. It was released on May 20, 2021 for Windows, macOS, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4. It follows two runaway children as they unravel the mysteries of a lost realm.
