Xbox announced its first wave of August Game Pass titles in an August 1 blog post, and it looks like players have some great under-the-radar games to look forward to, including the cozy fan-favorite A Short Hike.
That adventure game, which comes to Game Pass on cloud, console, and PC August 3, “captures the playful joy of walking on winding paths and meeting folks along the way,” Harper Jay MacIntyre writes in a 2019 Kotaku review. Celeste, another indie game about (emotionally, physically) scaling a mountain, is another highlight from Xbox’s August offerings, and Game Pass subscribers can check it out on cloud, console, and PC starting today, August 1.
“Celeste excels in gameplay, but it also succeeds with a heartfelt narrative,” MacIntyre writes in a 2018 Kotaku review. “It brims with likable characters, from a cackling old hermit to a selfie-taking hiker with a heart of gold.”
Read More: A Game About Meeting Cool Folks On A Hiking Trail
Xbox Game Pass beginning of August 2023
Then, you can expect to get your hands on a variety of games, including the depressive (in a good way) puzzle game Limbo and sci-fi shooter Everspace 2, as early August rolls on.
Here’s all of it:
- Celeste—“Help Madeline survive her inner demons on her journey to the top of Celeste Mountain”; out now on cloud, console, and PC
- A Short Hike—“Hike, climb, and soar through the peaceful mountainside landscapes of Hawk Peak Provincial Park”; available on cloud, console, and PC August 3
- Broforce Forever—“An action-packed side-scrolling run ‘n’ gun ode to freedom”; available to play on cloud, console, and PC starting August 8
- Limbo—“Its dark, misty spaces and haunting narrative will stay with you forever”; coming to cloud, console, and PC August 9
- Airborne Kingdom—“A stunning airborne city building and management game”; you can find it on cloud, console, and PC August 10
- Everspace 2—“Step into the pilot seat in this fast-paced single-player space shooter”; reaching cloud and Xbox Series X/S on August 15
More sadly, the following titles are leaving Game Pass on August 15:
- Death Stranding (PC)
- Edge of Eternity (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Midnight Fight Express (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Total War: Warhammer III (PC)
What are you most looking forward to playing, and what are you disappointed to see go?