Microsoft has revealed the next shimmering cluster of offerings heading to its Xbox Game Pass subscription service on console and PC, which this month include the likes of sub-zero survival game The Long Dark and adorable bite-sized Metroidvania Gato Roboto.
Hinterland’s wonderfully atmospheric The Long Dark, which comes to Xbox One Game Pass on 16th April, has been doing the rounds for quite some time now, having launched in early access back in 2014. It’s still a superb survival experience though, absolutely nailing the inescapable freeze – all crunching snow and howling winds – of its post-apocalyptic wilderness setting. If you’d rather more structure to the expansive sandbox challenge, you can also play the first three chapters of its still-in-development story mode.
The Long Dark is followed by developer Doinksoft’s delightful Gato Roboto, which comes to Xbox One Game Pass on 21st April. It distills the classic exploration and upgrade tropes of countless Metroidvanias down into a brisk, and immensely enjoyable deep space adventure, in which you just so happen to take control of a mech-suited cat. Eurogamer’s Christian Donlan loved this one, even awarding it a Recommended badge, when it released last year.
Next for Xbox One, on 23rd April, is Deliver Us The Moon, a striking narrative-driven adventure by KeokeN Interactive that follows the lonely exploits of an astronaut as they attempt to save humanity from extinction. Then, 30th April brings HyperDot and Levelhead to Xbox One, the former being a minimalist arcade experience where the goal is to dodge everything, while the latter is a co-op platformer with an emphasis on level creation and sharing.
The Long Dark, Deliver Us The Moon, Gato Roboto, HyperDot, and Levelhead will also be making an appearance over on Xbox Game Pass for PC, although there’s no release date for these yet beyond a non-committal “soon”. They’ll be joined by Amanita Design’s wonderful robot-themed point-and-click adventure Machinarium, and Gears Tactics, a fast-paced, turn-based strategy spin on the Gears of War formula.
As for this month’s Game Pass departures, The Banner Saga 2, Bomber Crew, Full Metal Furies, Ruiner, Smoke and Sacrifice, and Silence: The Whispered World 2 all say goodbye on PC, while – in addition to the titles listed above – Braid, Fallout 4, Metal Slug 3, and Wolfenstein: The New Order are all leaving Xbox One.
For everything else currently on the service, see our Xbox Game Pass games list page.
