There has already been plenty of great Xbox Game Pass news in recent weeks, from the impressive February line-up to all the big upcoming games announced for the service like Indiana Jones. However, don’t let the reveal of the cozy yet creepy Hauntii pass you by. This hand-drawn adventure is confirmed to be arriving on Xbox Game Pass on day one later this year.
With the Xbox Game Pass February 2024 games steadily arriving – plus one epic RPG that was mistakenly revealed early – it’s easy to miss out on hidden gems. And that’s without even considering the wild rumors that three epic Xbox exclusives are possibly coming to PS5 soon.
Among all this Xbox news, developer Moonloop Games and publisher Firestoke have revealed that Hauntii will be coming to Xbox Series X|S and will be available with Game Pass at launch. “It’s been hard to keep it quiet,” says Moonloop founder Leo.
While there’s no exact release date quite yet aside from a vague Q2 2024 window, development appears to be coming along well. In fact, there’s a demo available on PC via the Steam Next Fest event. With its enchanting style, we think Hauntii could sneak under the radar as one of the best Xbox Game Pass games added to the service this year.
As a ghost, Hauntii is all about using your – you guessed it – haunting powers to control the environment and its inhabitants. This gives you the ability to “craft an array of solutions to puzzles, and devise endless approaches to combat scenarios”, according to the developers.
Combining classic twin-stick shooting with a “slower, more contemplative pace”, Hauntii looks to strike a fine balance between engaging gameplay and sublime coziness. This bleeds into the game’s stunning visuals, with its hand-crafted, otherworldly environment giving you a view that’s hard to look away from as you hunt for secrets.
Sadly, we’ve got to wait a few months before we can get our hands on this charming and unique adventure, though it’s not like there aren’t heaps of new Xbox games to dig into until then. That includes the remarkable Final Fantasy 14 at long last – though FF14 will cost twice as much on Xbox as it does on PS5 thanks to one strange difference. And if you’re eager to find out more about the impact of Xbox’s rumored new strategy, take a look at why Halo Infinite on PS5 is just what the Xbox-exclusive FPS needs right now.