ID@Xbox Showcase — 3 awesome indie games to look out for in 2025

There were an incredible amount of reveals and Game Pass news to cover at the latest ID@Xbox Showcase, but now we’ve had a bit of breathing space, we’ve been able to round up the TrueAchievements team highlights from the ID@Xbox Showcase to highlight some of our favorite announcements from the show.

TrueAchievements team highlights — ID@Xbox Showcase

The showcase was absolutely packed with announcements for new Xbox titles and upcoming Game Pass games alike, so here are a few games in particular which stood out for us…

• Developer: Denkiworks
• Release window: late 2025
• Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC
• Joining Game Pass: Yes

Games where you play as an adorable creature living its best cozy life are always a winner in my eyes. There’s something charming about combining their day job (farming, baking, making sushi, or in this case, delivery by BMX wizardry) with helping out their neighbors and restoring the town, even though it means your overworked character (be they tanuki, cat, or harassed farmer) often ends up doing everything by themselves.

In Tanuki: Pon’s Summer, Pon is a delivery tanuki seeking to earn enough money before the Tanuki Festival to be able to restore the Great Tanuki God’s shrine. He’s got a part-time job at the Post Office to help with those efforts but goes about those delivery jobs in his own fashion with BMX skills. In the midst of all this work, Pon also takes the occasional break to play at some baseball, sumo wrestling, or the drums, and making new friends.

We don’t have a release date for this one yet, just that it’s out in late 2025. But when it does arrive, it’ll come to Game Pass on day one!

• Developer: Keepsake Games
• Release date: Launching into early access this summer
• Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC
• Joining Game Pass? No

Jump Ship caught my eye a couple of years ago when it was being developed under the name of Hyperspace. It’s a four-player co-op FPS that sees you traveling the universe in your spaceship and exploring planets on foot, battling enemies as you scavenge for parts to upgrade, repair, and maintain your ship.

It looks like awesome fun, and developer Keepsake Games says we’ll be able to embark on a “variety of hand-crafted missions with random elements,” seamlessly switching between operating our ship, exploring planets on foot, and even spacewalking. It’s a PvE game, and while co-op is there, you’re free to explore Jump Ship alone if you prefer. I’m looking forward to this one!

• Developer: Mike Klubnika
• Release date: “Soon”
• Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC
• Joining Game Pass? Yes

I love weird little horror experiences like The Exit 8 and Inscryption, and it’s good to see Xbox getting another one with Buckshot Roulette. If you’re unfamiliar with the game, it’s a tabletop horror game where you play Russian roulette against a mysterious dealer with a shotgun. It’s a game of high stakes that requires some strategic thinking, thanks to various power ups, and it’s all wrapped up in this weird gritty visual art style that I love.

It caused quite a buzz among PC players when it first released on itch.io back in 2023, and I’ve played a lot of it since then. What I haven’t checked out is the multiplayer that was added in a recent Steam update, but I can imagine it’s a wild ride filled with tension and betrayal.

An Xbox release date hasn’t been announced for Buckshot Roulette — all we know is that it’s coming soon to both Game Pass and PC Game Pass. Hopefully, we won’t have too long to wait.