Aside from a handful of hits, Xbox Game Pass was having a somewhat slow month – until yesterday. during one Showcase Focusing on indie games, Microsoft announced that two more games would be added to the Game Pass library: tunic and Paradise Killer. Better yet, they’re both already available.
I know, I know… I’m already eating my words. But hey, at least Words make a fine breakfast!
Paradise Killer, developed by Kaizen Game Works, is one of the most unique games of recent years. Part visual novel, part detective game, and three parts weird, you’re tasked with solving a murder in a sun-drenched pocket universe full of wacky characters with names like Lady Love Dies. But the main attraction was the irresistibly catchy synthwave soundtrack by Barry “Epoch” Topping. As you play, you’ll unlock more music and slowly build up a jukebox menu that allows you to switch tunes at any time (all bangers, no bangers). Kaizen Game Works added additional songs for yesterday’s Xbox and PlayStation release.
tunicmeanwhile is one zelda-inspired adventure game that just came out yesterday and is already being hailed as one of the best of the year. You play as a little fox who wakes up empty-handed on a white sand beach. From an isometric perspective, you’ll plunder dungeons and knock down enemies in a fantasy setting. You’ve done all of these things before, and that’s what makes it so special tunicThe core quality of stands out: it completely trusts the player. The in-game menus and characters are written in a runic language that explains very little, so you’ll have to rely on your instincts and internalized knowledge from other, similar games. Try this first half hour of the gameif not sold yet.
but tunicThe surprise release of on Game Pass underscores a growing strategy for the popular games-on-demand service. In December, the service saw three games –Cityscaper, generation zeroand Ernst Sam 4—added out of nowherecontrary to Microsoft’s year-long format of announcing new inclusions weeks before they arrive.
Still in January (via Wayback Machine), tunicThe publisher of , Finji, was adamant that the game wouldn’t be coming to Xbox Game Pass, so it’s unclear when the Game Pass deal was signed. When asked for comment, a Finji representative said igamesnews that the company does not discuss business with the press.
Well, it’s not like there’s anything nefarious going on at all – quite the opposite. You couldn’t buy tunic until yesterday, long after it was available as part of the Game Pass library. There was no way to pre-order the game, so there was no way for players to buy it early and then feel burned. But that’s an editor’s decision, and not a salve against future additions to the service’s library. The new normal now is that clearly anything can hit Game Pass at any time. So what happens when the next surprise game has been pre-ordered by countless players?
Microsoft officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
