This February, let the ID@Xbox team set the vibe. In this, the month of Valentine’s Day, indie game developers are competing to be your next love – but don’t stress, because our team of wingmen and wingwomen have handpicked six Indie Selects that can meet what anyone’s heart desires.
If you’re looking for some tasty food for the soul, satisfying beats that really pop, dangerous exploits to get the heart pumping, and unbelievable deliveries that really soar, February Selects had you at hello. Here’s what we’ve got for you this month (in no particular order):
This game answers the question,” What if you had to earn your meal by engaging it in a fight to the death?”. Cuisineer is the first food-focused action roguelite that I’ve ever played and I am very much obsessed. I’ve spent an embarrassing amount of time bashing cute (but hostile) creatures in its dungeons to restock my fridge back in my character’s hometown. The demand for more wood, more types of stone, and various grades of meat never ends and the loop of “spend a day cooking for fussy customers, then return to a dungeon, then come back and upgrade your tools, etc.” is constant. It’s a hustle that I’m hooked on, to be honest, and Cuisineer delivers up this cycle in a way that’s both cozy and challenging.
Those monsters in the various dungeons aren’t joking around and you’ll be battling through multiple floors and bosses to get to the end of each gauntlet (though there are options to exit early). You’ll also be plunking down hard-earned gold (from your restaurant’s till) to upgrade your backpack and eatery capacity to continue growing and progressing through the game. It’s a soothing, dopamine-hit formula that Cuisineer does incredibly (and adorably) well, but it’s not absent of difficulty and learning curve. So, think of it as equipping cutesy cat ears while prepping for a lengthy workout. Give yourself some time to onboard and you’ll be harvesting fuzzy little fluffballs for “fatty meat” in no time.
Cuisineer
XSEED Games
$29.99
Upon receiving a startling letter from her parents, the independent adventurer Pom swiftly returns home to Paell, only to find her parents gone and their beloved restaurant abandoned. Now left with mounting debts and a village in dire need of some fine cooking, Pom will have to delve into the deepest dungeons for the scarcest spices, rarest meats, and the most valuable vegetables she can find to keep her parents’ dream alive. Dive into dungeons and cook up a storm as Pom, an adventurer-turned-restaurateur! Cuisineer‘s food-focused action challenges you to build your dinner the hard way: by dungeon-diving for materials and ingredients. Wield your cooking utensils against giant chickens, artillery shrimps, fire-breathing peppers, and other pesky perils, sipping boba tea along the way. Work with local artisans to customize your kitchen, and tailor your dining hall to the needs of loyal patrons eager to experience the rare recipes you’ve cooked up. The Xbox Series X/S and Windows Store release of Cuisineer plates its enticing gameplay with fresh ingredients like new weapons, year-round festivals, a wardrobe feature, and more tasty inclusions that are sure to spice things up. A Smorgasbord of Dungeons
Explore procedurally generated biomes such as the Green Ruins, Frozen Fjord, and Konpeito Swamps that change their size, shape, and resources every time you visit. Craft Your Own Culinary Experience Cook over 100 different recipes from around the world, from crunchy Popiah rolls to rich Kaya jam, from double-fried crispy chicken with zesty lemon, to sweet treats piled high with berries. Get the right dishes to the right customers and customize your kitchen and dining hall with the help of local artisans. Master the Flavors of Fighting
Knock out monsters and rivals with Salty, Sour, Sweet, Bitter, Umami, Frosty and Toasty powers that unleash flame, poison, chain lightning, and other fantastic effects. You can also fight with unique utensils and gourmet gear, like Spatula, Smackerel, Swordfish, and the newly added Konpeito Fist weapons! Take Quests to Go
From Naicha the Bubble Tea seller to Alder the big friendly carpenter, Paell is full of sweet and spicy townsfolk to befriend. While you’re dungeon diving, be on the lookout for items the townsfolk need. You’ll be rewarded with gold, new items, and even more recipes to take your cooking and adventuring to new heights.
Turbo Overkill is an FPS game that invokes the spirit of ’80s cyberpunk media and classic shooters such as Quake & Doom. By modern definition, you might categorize it as a “boomer shooter” – a game that either IS a retro FPS or a newer title that’s designed to create a similar feeling. Yes, this is a real thing, and no, we didn’t make it up, but we can agree that it’s fitting! As much as I love modern FPS games, I’m a huge fan of the classics, and Turbo Overkill does this subgenre justice in as many ways that it can.
Taking place in a futuristic, cyberpunk city called Paradise, players control a cybernetic bounty hunter by the name of Johnny Turbo who, paired with his trusty chainsaw leg and large arsenal of weapons, is set to take down rogue AI, Syn, and their augmented minions. The gameplay revolves around fighting various enemies and bosses, exploration, puzzle solving, upgrading Johnny and his weapons, and platforming. But what I love most is its pacing and combat flow. Players can leverage Johnny’s chainsaw leg by crouch sliding (a staple in most modern FPS games) to not only maneuver but also take down most enemies in one hit. Pairing this movement with jumps, air dashes and cycling through the various familiar weapons, makes the game feel like a classic arena shooter on top of its retro heritage.
In homage to the classics, Turbo Overkill features a single player campaign with several difficulties to choose from, secret levels to find, and unlockables to keep you busy. There’s also two additional modes, Endless Mode and Arcade Mode, both of which add a medal and scoring system for additional replayability. If you’re a fan of FPS games, whether modern or classic, then you must check this one out!
Turbo Overkill
Apogee Entertainment
$19.99
Turbo Overkill is the most savage FPS ever released by Apogee. You play as Johnny Turbo, augmented with hidden arm rockets and a chainsaw that extends from your lower leg allowing you to slide-slice enemies wide open. Johnny returns to his hometown of Paradise and finds its entire population possessed by Syn, a rogue AI, and its army of augmented minions. Desperate for enough money to outrun his past mistakes, Johnny takes on the impossible job of destroying the greatest AI ever created. Rival bounty hunters want to claim the prize first. Nothing is easy in paradise. TURBO TIME, WALL-RUNNING, DASHING AND GRAPPLING HOOKS, OH MY
Turbo Overkill takes over-the-top to never-before-reached heights. Activate Turbo Time(™), a new form of slow motion with a twist. Build incredible speed by wall-running and dashing. Slide on your chainsaw leg, eviscerating foes and opening up bosses for critical damage, and go car-surfing on the hoods of flying cars. Blast away with the Twin Magnums, which lock-on and instagib several foes, the Boomer Shotgun and its attached grenade launcher, or the Telefragger sniper rifle, which teleports Johnny inside an enemy before they explode from within. Race through two dozen stages packed with secrets, bonus arena stages, and white-knuckle combat puzzles. Find game-changing collectibles to unlock punishing modifiers like triple-monster-speed and insta-kill. Combine all of Johnny’s weapons and powers to outsmart, outgun and outrun the corrupted legions.
Tails of Iron 2 is a gritty and challenging 2D action-RPG that mixes Soulslike combat with Metroidvania elements. I’ve been interested in this series since the first entry, but I never picked it up – my backlog is infinite! After playing this one though, I feel like I owe it to myself to try it out! It helps that, while the new story shares the same world, the sequel features a new protagonist, Arlo meaning you don’t need to play its predecessor to catch up. As the heir to the Warden of the Wastes, Arlo must avenge his father’s death, taking on threats like the merciless Dark Wing Bats and other creatures as he fights to restore his homeland. Oh… and Arlo’s a rat.
I won’t get too deep into the gore, but all I’ll say is, don’t let this game’s storybook-like appearance fool you – the themes in this game are grim. The hand-drawn visuals remind me of a hidden gem you’d find digging through the Xbox Live Arcade library, in all the best ways. It has that nostalgic charm that makes it feel familiar, yet ultimately fresh and unique. And the world? Absolutely awesome. Viking themes aren’t new, but Viking rats? They’re adorable, and at the same time, so metal.
After spending hours fighting bosses, I can confirm this game is challenging. You’ll have to backtrack, platform, upgrade your gear, and parry and roll… a lot. You’ll need patience, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll probably die more than you survive—unless you switch to Fairy Tale mode, where enemies have less health and do less damage.
If you’re a fan of Metroidvanias, Soulslikes, or just really love the idea of rats in Viking armor, I recommend giving this a shot. Oh, and they got Doug Cockle (Geralt from The Witcher game series) to narrate the story, which only adds to the appeal.
Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter
United Label
$24.99
Just as the Rats of the South start to piece their lives together, following the great war between Rodent and Frog, an old and unspeakable evil stirs in the North; wings black as death; fangs sharp as steel; and a thirst for blood rivalled only by their insatiable hunger… for vengeance. As Arlo, young heir to the Warden of the Wastes, journey through the vast, snow-ravaged lands of the North in an epic quest to overcome the Dark Wings once and for all. Hunt down giant beasts. Unite disparate clans. Upgrade your settlement. And discover a terrible secret of blood and crown… The time for heroes is over. For the Kingdom needs a warrior; forged of the North and as cold as the snow that shrouds these lands. A rat… carved from iron. And so, a new tail begins. Explore a Vast, Wintry Kingdom
Fully narrated by RPG-legend, Doug Cockle, prepare to embark on an epic adventure across the northern realms of the Ratdom; an expansive, frost-bitten land on the brink of all-out war. Hunt down Giant Beasts
Track down and defeat the legendary monsters of this realm, and be rewarded with rare resources with which to craft devastating equipment. But be warned, these colossal creatures won’t go down without a fight… and then some. Master Brutal Combat
The lands of the North are a perilous place, so you’ll need to master the fast, challenging combat for any chance of survival. Evade attacks with a dodge roll, nail split-second parry bashes, and unleash an array of gruesome executions. Customise your Attack
Craft your own extensive arsenal of upgradeable weaponry, ready to fight as you see fit; strike quick with a spear, afar with a bow, or go claw-to-claw with a heavy-hitting mace. Alternativity, gain a tactical advantage with a range of new, deadly traps… Upgrade your Settlement
As Warden of the Wastes, defending your lands is only half the battle. Construct and upgrade your settlement with hard-earned gold to gain access to more powerful items from the Smithy, tastier meals at the Kitchen, a wider range of powerful traps from the shoppe, and more! Unleash All-New Sorceries
Unlock the devastating ‘Elementa’ sorceries of Electric, Poison, Fire, and Ice in an all-new magic system. Bestowed upon you by the gods themselves, these arena-devastating powers can quickly turn the tides in battles.
Rhythm games are back, baby! Robobeat is (deep breath) an innovative, fast-paced, futuristic, roguelite rhythm boomer shooter. To say this game is in a league of its own is putting it mildly. There are not many games that combine slick combat mechanics with music-centric gameplay in procedurally generated environments, and I would say even fewer that do it well. You play as Ace, a famous bounty hunter, chasing after an eccentric cyborg named Frazzer. However, in order to stop Frazzer in his tracks, you’ll have to make your way through his distorted techno playground, which is comprised of five randomly generated “pathways” where you will need to shoot, wall-run, slide and bunny hop, all in sync with the beat of the soundtrack.
The most unique part of Robobeat, and probably my favorite part, is the ability to change songs as you play. Switching between energetic metal, jazz-like grooves, and frantic EDM allows you to set the pace of your run. Sometimes a slower pace is needed in order to get the hang of the next stage. The enemies become tougher and the hordes become more intense the further you go, and throughout your runs you’ll collect blueprints that can be unlocked using currency – however if you die before cashing in your blueprints, you’ll have to reacquire them. Once a weapon or ability is unlocked, it can appear in any future run.
The tunes are great, the gunplay is manically intense, and roguelite mechanics set Robobeat apart from its peers across several genres. This was a bold bet that paid off.
ROBOBEAT
Kwalee
$19.99
Beat. The. Bot. You’re Ace – a famous bounty hunter after your latest target, the eccentric robot-showman Frazzer. To find your way through his twisted techno-playground, you’ll have to master the art of shooting, wall-running, sliding, and bunny hopping, all in sync with the beat! Get ready to dance till you’re dead and then suit up for the remix in rogue-like rhythm shooter ROBOBEAT. Move to the Music
You’ll want some slick moves to go with those slick new weapons. Your enemies aren’t going to wait around for you to take a dance break, so you’ve got to keep moving if you want to survive. Wall run, slide, double jump, bunny hop, and grapple hook your way through technicolour levels to give your enemies the runaround. Keep it fluid, keep it funky, and keep it moving. Rewind, Remix, Replay
ROBOBEAT is a rogue-like remix. Fast forward through procedurally generated levels, equip an arsenal of finely-tuned weapons, and accompany your arsenal with a symphony of modifications. Your playstyle is on continuous shuffle, so you never know what each new run is going to bring! Will you have what it takes to break the infinite loop and stop Frazzer in his tracks?
Mexico, 1921: A Deep Slumber is a narrative adventure game inspired by true events. You’ll step into the shoes of Juan Aguirre, a photojournalist in post-revolutionary Mexico City. The game not only entertains but educates players by involving historians and cultural institutions in its creation. This collaboration transforms the game into an interactive archive of Mexican history. I was absolutely fascinated as the game transported me to a tumultuous period in Mexican history, allowing me to uncover the truth behind President Álvaro Obregón’s assassination.
You’ll navigate through Mexico City, interviewing and photographing subjects, which I found created a deep feeling of involvement in the storyline and historical events. It’s a layer of authenticity only added to by the photography mechanic, which requires you to master early 20th Century photographic techniques. The game follows a classic point-and-click adventure style, where you examine objects, gather clues, and engage in conversations with various characters, and I was deeply captivated by the connection to the historical events and cultural aspects of post-revolutionary Mexico. is a compelling and emotionally engaging game.
Mexico,1921: A Deep Slumber
Mácula Interactive
$19.99
Mexico, 1921. A deep slumber is an intriguing narrative adventure where you try to solve a hundred-year-old mystery: who planned the assassination of President Álvaro Obregón? You play as Juan Aguirre, a photojournalist who will interview and photograph subjects, collect historical data and report the news that will shape Mexican history. Join Juan in post-revolutionary Mexico City to discover why Mexico ain’t no place for the weak. Developed hand in hand with the National Newspaper Library and the Popular Arts Museum, this game will be an interactive archive of Mexican post-revolutionary history.
Mika and the Witch’s Mountain is a charming E-rated adventure game. You play the role of aspiring young witch Mika, who is declined admittance to witch school and has to take a job delivering packages to fund her broom repairs. The game takes place in a small open world, the Island of Winds, asking you to fly from point to point by way of broomstick– opening more of the world as you unlock additional traversal abilities for your broom.
With a Studio Ghibli-inspired art style, the charm of this island location and its many inhabitants is infectious. There are dozens of residents that you get to know and help on your journey to ascend the mountain to witch school. The main story does not overstay its welcome, but there are additional puzzles, races, and secrets to extend your time on the island. The simplified control scheme and cute aesthetic means this is suitable for all ages and skill levels of gamers. The art style, the characters and the music elevate a game that is almost exclusively a series of fetch quests into an endearing, relaxing and memorable adventure.
Mika and The Witch’s Mountain
Chibig
$19.99
Mika and the Witch’s Mountain is a fantasy adventure about an aspiring witch who delivers packages to the townspeople of a small island. Explore every cranny and soar through the sky with your magic broom.
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