Break out the beach blankets, dust off the ice chest, and unfold those camping chairs because summer is here. The barbecue grill is out and the ID@Xbox team is serving up our hottest indie game picks. It wasn’t easy putting together these Monthly Selects as everyone on the team wanted something different for this cookout.

Being the considerate cook, I made sure to ask everyone the important questions, “How do you like your stakes: cozy or world-ending? Who wants puzzles in their game? I can add RPGs, but let me know if you want skill tree leveling or just upgrades? How many would like some terraforming? How many birds should I throw on? Who brought the duck?” When it was all said and done, our handpicked indie games for June turned out to be quite the spread.

Here’s what we’ve got for you this month (in no particular order):

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is what happens when a life sim and an RPG collide with a dash of time travel for good measure. Developed by Level-5, this sequel to the beloved Fantasy Life lets players take on one (or all) of 14 different Lives, from combat-oriented classes like Mercenary or Paladin to creative paths like Woodcutter, Cook, or Alchemist. The twist? You’re not just leveling up, you’re also building and rebuilding an island across two timelines.

What keeps me coming back is its sheer sense of freedom. Want to fish all day? You can. Want to dive into dungeons? Absolutely. Feel like forging armor in the morning and baking cakes at night? Go for it. Each “Life” (class) feels rewarding and distinct, and the ability to switch between them whenever you like means no playstyle ever feels locked in.

As someone who loves optimizing systems and exploring interconnected mechanics, I was drawn in and captivated. Every Life has its own skill tree, equipment, and crafting systems, and they all feed into each other in clever ways. For example, leveling up as a Miner means you can gather rare ore to use as a Blacksmith, which you can then sell as a Merchant. It’s a gameplay loop that rewards multitasking without being overwhelming.

I’ve found great satisfaction building out my village, experimenting with classes, and diving into both timelines, and it’s the kind of game that scratches multiple itches. Want a bit of combat? Explore a dungeon. Want to relax? Go fishing or furnish your home. The pacing is gentle but steady, with just enough story to keep you curious.

If you’re a fan of games like Dragon Quest Builders, My Time at Portia, or even Stardew Valley, this offers a similarly satisfying sense of progression and control. While the tone is lighthearted and accessible, the depth is there for anyone willing to explore it. Fantasy Life i is more than just charming, it’s cleverly designed and genuinely rewarding. – Steven Allen

FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time

LEVEL5 Inc.

☆☆☆☆☆ 136

★★★★★

$59.99

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Step into this Slow-Life RPG where you can freely switch between 14 unique jobs, so called "Lives," and enjoy a carefree life in a fantasy world. Fish, cook, shape the island to your liking, or team up with friends to battle monsters across the vast world. It's up to you to choose what kind of Life you'll live! ■A Dragon Guides You to a Mysterious Island You are an adventurer who sets sail with the archaeologist Edward and his team. Following the light emanating from a dragon's fossil, you discover an uncharted, deserted island. A vast abyss, a dragon made of bone, and a girl's message that begs you to save the world… Travel between the island that thrived 1,000 years ago and the present-day island to unravel the mystery of its downfall! ■14 Unique Lives to Make Yours Brighter In this world, a "Life" is the equivalent of a job. Each has its own characteristics and provides various ways to enjoy yourself. Collect ingredients or materials with Gathering Lives, create weapons or cook dishes with Crafting Lives, or fight monsters with Combat Lives. You can switch between any Life at any time, creating a life that's uniquely yours. ■Shape the Island! Create Your Town! Use Lives to gather materials and restore the island to its former glory! Not only can you place houses and objects, but you can also alter the landscape and draw rivers and roads to create a truly unique island. Expand your house, place some furniture, and decorate the interior however you like! ■Embark on an Open-World Adventure! Freely explore the largest continent in the series! Climb ledges, swim across rivers and lakes, or ride on mounts – With these new actions you can explore the world without limits! ■Endless Fun with Multiplayer! Enjoy multiplayer with up to 4 players! Invite friends to your island, explore dungeons, or find your own ways to have fun together! If you have two controllers, you can also use the 2 Player Family Co-op feature where one player can join the adventure as your travel companion without needing to connect online!

30 Birds

Part 2D-ish narrative puzzle adventure, part creative mythmaking, 30 Birds is a journey through a super fantastical world built based on Persian art and music, asking you to find all the birds to help a world restore their goddess to her rightful throne. If you need something a little more chill, look no further than this quasi-psychedelic, diorama-style adventure that puts you smack dab in the middle of a teeming, incredibly beautiful world as Zig, an intrepid explorer and kind-of-detective.

You’ll navigate a rotating set of panels meant to artfully represent a visually dense metropolis populated by all manner of trippy citizens while attempting to rescue the goddess, Simurgh, from the clutches of a mysterious captor called The Scientist. Is this some parable about Science vs. Art? Possibly, but with its five hour-ish run time, I was more captivated by all the sights and sounds of the ongoing festival that the wildly inventive 30 Birds is stuffed with.

There are puzzles to solve (failure isn’t punitive in this game, you can try as much as you want to solve any given puzzle) and curious creatures/people to meet. You’ll fiddle with musical instruments, collect dropped feathers and paintings, and complete quests in order to restore Simurgh to her rightfully dreamy place in the game’s equally dreamy world. The pace is sedate – all the better to lull you into this game’s imaginative clutches. If you’re looking for a short narrative experience, with some extremely creative design and surprisingly funny, well-written dialogue, then 30 Birds needs to be on your itinerary.

30 Birds

ARTE France

☆☆☆☆☆ 2

★★★★★

$17.99

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A court of feathers In 30 Birds, you play as Zig, a young detective sent to bustling Lantern City to track down The Scientist. Alongside Hoop, a talented hoopoe stand-up comedian, you'll encounter a whole madhouse of feathered friends and quirky characters as you explore dazzling Lantern City from top to bottom. Solve a variety of puzzles to foil the plans of the obnoxious Scientist behind the kidnapping to save the bird Goddess Simurgh. A dazzling burst of art Experience a seamless blend of 2D and 3D in this mesmerizing narrative adventure, with hand-drawn visuals inspired by Persian miniatures. Wander through the gorgeous neighborhoods of Lantern City while enjoying a ska – dub – reggae inspired soundtrack and help Zig gather thirty charismatic and chatty birds to save Simurgh! But beware, you might come across puzzling challenges on your way… A mind-spinning adventure Discover a gorgeous universe laid out on the surface of rotating lanterns. Wander through a beautiful city inspired by Middle Eastern ****legends, meeting the local goofs, quirky djinns, and regular weirdos along the way. Solve puzzles and interesting challenges to help Zig rescue Simurgh! Key features – Meet riotous and (not-so) charming birds, collect your new feathered friends' contacts on your phone. Thwart diabolical and (not-so) powerful foes and find the fabulous Goddess, Simurgh. – Explore a mythical, colorful, and beautifully hand-drawn world inspired by Persian art! Uncover Lantern City's stunning sights and fantastic characters. – Take on all kinds of thrilling challenges to advance the story! Solve intriguing and fun puzzles, wander around bars and cafes, create funky music using synthesizers, and play cards to gather clues and bring light to Simurgh’s kidnapping. – Vibe out to the energetic ska – dub – reggae soundtrack, sprinkled with unexpected twists, as you stroll down the bright streets of Lantern City. History 30 Birds is developed by Ram Ram Games, a Belgium-based studio whose founders, Coline and Laurent, went through many ideas before this video game came to fruition: "The project started 10 years ago after a trip to Istanbul. Originally, we were making an interactive travel diary using a Persian miniatures-inspired art style to tell people about our journey. But our concept evolved towards a whole new interactive experience of this art through gaming." "Persian miniatures are vertical pictures used as book illustrations, and we came up with the idea of connecting them through a cube layout. By doing so, we connected and expanded the miniatures, introducing a third dimension of depth to the setting at the same time. Halfway between a kamishibai—a Japanese paper theater—and a projection lantern, we created a magic 3D city ready to be explored." "From the lively city of Istanbul to the mystery novel 'My name is Red' by Turkish author Orhan Pamuk, our inspirations are many. The character of Simurgh, a giant god-like bird, comes directly from Persian and various Middle Eastern mythologies. Even, the title of the game—30 Birds—is a play on words with the name "Simurgh", which means “thirty birds” in Farsi. This title is also echoed in the mystical poem, "The Conference of the Birds", by Attar of Nishapur. The poem tells the story of a group of birds led by a hoopoe who go on a journey to meet their god, Simurgh. Thirty of them make it to the ultimate valley only to find a big lake in which they can see their own reflections…" "30 Birds takes inspiration from mythological and philosophical aspects of Middle Eastern and ancient Persian cultures to create Lantern City, and invites players from all over the world to experience the city's mesmerizing atmosphere."

Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping

Eugene McQuacklin is back in this sequel to the acclaimed Duck Detective: The Secret Salami. In this narrative detective adventure, you’ll need to interview a cast of animal suspects, thoroughly inspect every piece of evidence, and quack this case. And yes, there are more duck puns in this game. If you haven’t played the first game – which was a previous Monthly Select – just go do it. You don’t need to play the first in order to enjoy or understand this standalone sequel, but it’s just a great series.

These games are bite-sized, super fun, wholesome, and silly. It has all the great film noir detective tropes you could ever ask for, funny writing, great animation, and solid voiceover work. I got through the game over the course of a weekend in around 3 hours, and it’s an experience I absolutely loved.

In this sequel, you’ll explore a glamping site (glamorous camping for the uninitiated), talking to various characters and interacting with the environment in order to solve a set of cases. Using your magnifying glass, you can hover over objects and characters to unlock words that can be used when you’re ready to solve a case. There’s a hint system and the game also lets you know how many words you have wrong, so the game leans more into being entertaining than frustrating. You’ll also find other puzzles you’ll have to figure out like passwords and lock combinations. The gameplay is identical to the first game though a bit more refined, with the big difference being that you now have a sidekick who adds some new puzzles to work through.

Duck Detective is a series I would love to see more of every year. The games are so charming, self-aware, and light-hearted, that you just want to tell everyone to play these games for a long afternoon. If you need something cozy, short, and fun, this fits… the bill (pause for applause). – Raymond Estrada

Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping

Happy Broccoli Games

☆☆☆☆☆ 13

★★★★★

$9.99 $8.99

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BREAD RED REDEMPTION This campsite might have ghosts, but the real thing haunting Eugene McQuacklin is his failed marriage and bread addiction. Can he escape the shadows of his past? EVERY DETECTIVE NEEDS A SIDEKICK To the annoyance of the Duck Detective, he is joined by a new partner in (solving) crime. Work together to unravel the truth and nibble on the crumbs of justice! THE DETECTIVE RETURNS The Duck Detective is back! Get ready to interview suspects, inspect evidence, and deduce the truth in another stand-alone mystery!

Preserve

Preserve is an eco-terraforming puzzle game that invites you to slow down and build beautiful biomes. It’s a peaceful, meditative experience that rewards curiosity and care. The core gameplay revolves around creating biomes on a map, but it’s far from rigid. You have cards representing terrain, flora, fauna, and even structures and objects, how you place them determines how your biomes evolve. Grouping three of the same kind forms a habitat, which lets you introduce species and earn harmony points. As your harmony points increase new cards are added to your deck and the map expands.

There are two main ways to play: Puzzle Mode and Classic Mode, the latter of which lets you gradually expand your map and unlock new cards by reaching harmony point milestones. I started with the tutorial and was surprised to realize I’d quickly spent hours building, adjusting, and just enjoying the moment before I even started the main game. There’s also a Creative Mode letting you build your perfect ecosystem.

Preserve offers four major environments: Continental, Marine, Savanna and, my personal favorite, Jurassic. The visuals are beautiful without being overwhelming, and the music soft, ambient, and spa-like. Camera controls can feel tricky at first, but it quickly becomes natural. The game trusts you to learn naturally – for example bees are placed in open and flowery fields, not forest or rocky terrains.

Preserve is more than a strategy game, it’s an open invitation to slow down, listen to nature, and create something beautiful. If you’re looking for a thoughtful escape with stunning visuals and a deeply calming atmosphere, Preserve brings harmony, one biome and habitat at a time. – Oscar Polanco

Preserve

Grindstone

☆☆☆☆☆ 4

★★★★★

$14.99

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Preserve is a puzzle nature-building game that takes players on a journey into a harmonious ecosystem. The objective is to foster and sustain a thriving and diverse biomes, where each component coexists in a symbiotic harmony. By utilizing strategic thinking and a keen eye for balance, players are granted the power to position a wide array of plants and animals, curating an environment that caters to their preferences and aspirations. Vertical map expansion – In Preserve, you can expand the map not only horizontally, but you also posses an ability to stack layers of nature, forming a vertical network of interconnected habitats. Diverse biome habitats – From alpine forests and savannas to carribean reefs, each biome will have its own unique set of plants, animals, and environmental challenges to discover and overcome. Multiple Game Modes – Besides regular harmony and puzzle game modes, creative mode lets you build the land without limitations and photo mode allows you to capture and share your creations at the end of each session. Natural Wonders – Nothing can beautify your map more than natural wonders like the snowy Alps, lavender fields or redwood forests, which you can acquire thanks to a unique card upcycle system.

Fuga: Melodies of Steel 3

Fuga: Melodies of Steel 3 is the finale of a series of tactical, dramatic RPGs that began on Xbox back in 2021. The series has received critical and audience praise, so if you have some room on your backlog, we’d recommend picking up the Fuga: Melodies of Steel 1 & 2 Double Pack. However, if you’re like me and struggle with way too many games to play and too little time, it’s not necessary to play the first two games, as the game does a great job of trying to catch you up with a summary of both games.

The main plot revolves around a group of anthropomorphic children that discover Taranis, a giant super-tank, after their village and families had been attacked by an evil empire. They use the tank to take down the empire along with some dark gods and other formidable foes. This game immediately picks up after the 2nd game’s true ending, where our main character is kidnapped and the remaining children must rescue him and prevent a new war.

The game is split into 12 chapters, with each chapter seeing our group of a dozen or so kids hitting major plot twists, mysteries, and character moments along the way. You take control of the Taranis in turn-based combat –  the tank has three gun slots, each controlled by two characters. Depending on who you have slotted will determine the type of gun (machine gun, cannon, grenade launcher) and the gun’s passive boost. The enemies have different weaknesses based on one of those three gun types. You can swap characters at any time, but there is a cool down period, so you have to be careful not to do so at inopportune time.

There’s also a combo system that rewards you with bonus damage each time you attack enemy weak points. Between missions you will hit intermission periods for a chance to regroup and interact with all the characters to build affinities between characters. You can also take the opportunity to unlock new skills and upgrade your tank.

The most unique and dark aspect of the gameplay I found was the Soul Cannon ability, which will allow you to win any fight of the game, but you have to sacrifice the life of one of the characters (yeah, dark). Even worse, if you’re under half health, the longer a fight goes on, the more likely the game will force you to pull the trigger in order to escape the loss. Here’s the real kicker: the game instantly saves once you use the Soul Cannon in order to prevent you from redoing the fight. When this finally happened for me, it felt truly tough, but the game really pushes you to press on even with the loss. This gameplay aspect created a very distinctive set of stakes that I don’t think I’ve experienced before.

Visually and musically the game is very appealing, with fantastic character designs and a score that always seems to match the tone. Turn-based RPG fans with a love for dramatic narratives need to jump into this series, but if you’re already a fan of the series, this is the conclusion you’ve been waiting for –  it’s a no-brainer to pick up. – Raymond Estrada

Fuga: Melodies of Steel 3

CyberConnect2

☆☆☆☆☆ 7

★★★★★

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Pre-Order Bonus: Receive this bonus content by pre-ordering Fuga: Melodies of Steel 3 – Standard Edition ・Fuga: Melodies of Steel 3 – 10000 In-Game Currency ・Fuga: Melodies of Steel 3 – Early Game Upgrade Materials Unveil the Source of the World's Despair! Malt has vanished without a trace! The children are led by a mysterious voice into the forbidden cave, where they discover the Taranis—the powerful tank thought lost in the sea of clouds. Determined to save Malt, the children reboard the Taranis and set off on a daring mission to infiltrate the heart of the Berman Empire. However, the Crimson Knights stand in their way, strongest of the Berman! Brand-New Battle System The battle system has undergone substantial changes. Weakness combos allow you to exploit enemy weaknesses and deal escalating damage with every hit, and assist attacks allow erstwhile enemies and a legendary warrior from past games to join forces and turn the tide of battle! Upgraded Intermission Intermission now features an upgraded system to evolve the Taranis to its ultimate form! Unlock its hidden powers with the Omega Terminal and master new Taranis Skills to aid your journey! Strategic Route Progression and Event Battles Explore new strategic features like Power Spots to unlock the Taranis's hidden abilities and Assist Transmissions that allow you to interact with supporting characters. Discover secret events through the Akasha Panel, which lets you navigate a timeline to change your fate! Step beyond despair, anger, and tragedy in Fuga: Melodies of Steel 3, where heart-wrenching decisions lead to the series' most emotional and shocking story yet! *It's not necessary to play Fuga: Melodies of Steel or Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2 to enjoy Fuga: Melodies of Steel 3.

The Sinking City Remastered

The Sinking City Remastered is a 3rd person, eerie, investigative horror game that blends survival elements with a heavy dose of Lovecraftian weirdness. You play as Charles Reed, a private investigator whose string of disturbing visions lead him to the partially submerged city of Oakmont, Massachusetts. As soon as you arrive, you can tell something is off with Oakmont. Beyond the obvious, “our city was destroyed, and our economy has been whittled down to bullets, cigs and booze” energy displayed by all the characters, the atmosphere always gives off the impression that there’s something else going on behind the scenes.

At its core, The Sinking City is an open-world detective game. Investigations are central to the experience, and the game leans into that with mechanics like the Mind’s Eye and Mind Palace – Mind’s Eye lets you uncover hidden clues in the environment, while the Mind Palace allows you to connect evidence and draw conclusions. These systems work well together and make clue-gathering feel like a real part of the gameplay loop—not just a checklist.

Combat is available, but limited by design. Ammo is scarce and resources need to be crafted, meaning you’ll spend just as much time avoiding conflict as you will confronting it. This engaged me with the core work of investigation, allowing me to dive deeper into the exploration aspects rather than running through guns blazing. You’re eventually introduced to the Infested Zones which are high-risk areas full of enemies and rewards, forcing you to weigh every decision before stepping inside. The first time I entered one, I saw a chest, looted it, and dipped. I’m the type that will survive the horror movie – but, of course, I eventually became curious as to what really lurked in them.

What I love most about the game is the atmosphere. The city is layered with tension – political, supernatural, and social. The flood didn’t just reshape the geography; it reshaped how people live, interact, and treat outsiders. It’s a small and often overlooked detail in most games, but it adds weight to the worldbuilding and left me wanting more as the story developed.

If you’re into slow-burn mysteries, survival horror, and games that prioritize investigation over action, The Sinking City is one worth exploring. Just be prepared, Oakmont doesn’t hand out answers easily. – Deron Mann

The Sinking City Remastered

Frogwares

☆☆☆☆☆ 80

★★★★★

$49.99 $24.99

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Experience the Lovecraftian horror of The Sinking City in a whole new light. This Unreal Engine 5 remaster brings the game's eerie atmosphere to life with stunning visuals and enhanced features. Dive into Oakmont's mysteries and unravel the city's descent into madness. Remaster Highlights: – Lumen Global Illumination and ray tracing – 4K textures and extra environmental details – Performance (prioritizes frame rate) and Quality (prioritizes visual fidelity) modes – Photo mode – Improvements to controls, combat, game balance, crowds, and tutorials Game Description: The Sinking City is an adventure and investigation game set in an open world inspired by the universe of H.P. Lovecraft, the master of Horror. The half-submerged city of Oakmont is gripped by supernatural forces. You're a private investigator, and you have to uncover the truth of what has possessed the city… and the minds of its inhabitants. Game Pillars: – An oppressive atmosphere and story inspired by the universe of H.P. Lovecraft. – A vast open world that can be explored on foot, by boat, in a diving suit… – High replay value thanks to an open investigation system: each case can be solved in a number of ways, with different possible endings depending on your actions. – An arsenal of weapons from the 1920s with which to take on nightmarish creatures. – Manage your mental health to untangle the truth behind the madness.