The holidays are sadly firmly behind us, but if you grabbed a nifty Xbox gift card over the Christmas period, we have some suggestions for you.
A Game About Digging A Hole™
The last couple of years have been a boon for meme games — unique but addictive, and relatively inexpensive titles that are worth way more time than their price tag would insinuate. Games like Peak, Vampire Survivors, and Clover Pit come to mind. During the spring and summer months of 2025, A Game About Digging A Hole™ joined the ranks of viral meme games.
The premise is simple. You’ve bought a house, and you’re digging a hole in the backyard. From there, things become increasingly chaotic. The soil is rich with resources, which you can then sell to pay for upgraded equipment, which will eventually lead to you uncovering a mysterious secret.
Developed by a lone developer in their spare time, A Game About Digging A Hole™ debuted on consoles on December 9. Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass subscribers can start digging as part of the subscription service, but if you are paying out of pocket A Game About Digging A Hole™ will cost you just $5 — that makes it the perfect gift to give out to your besties on your Xbox friends list or as a gift to yourself to use up the last bit of change on that gift card from grandma.
A Game About Digging a Hole™ supports the Xbox Play Anywhere program, meaning you only have to buy this $5 gem once to enjoy it on your Series X|S, Xbox PC, the cloud, and compatible handhelds.
Fort Solis
The holidays certainly didn't have to be limited to the holly and jolly. Creepmas can be a lot of fun, too, and nothing is creepier than a solid horrific walking simulator. Developed by Fallen Leaf and published by Feardemic, Fort Solis is a former PlayStation title that has finally made its way to the Xbox storefront.
Fort Solis is a sci-fi horror adventure where players become Jack Leary, a senior engineer in the distant future who finds himself responding to an unusual emergency call coming from a remote mining base. A dangerous storm is fast approaching, and Jack must race against the forces of nature to uncover the mystery of Fort Solis’ missing crew — that is, if he can survive the night.
This one’s packed with an all-star voice cast, including Roger Clark (Red Dead Redemption 2, Smite) and Troy Baker (Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Marvel Rivals) paired with some intense visuals and immersive storytelling. Fort Solis is available now on Xbox Series X|S.
Thank Goodness You’re Here!
Developers Coal Supper and publisher Panic dubs Thank Goodness You’re Here a comedy slapformer, and that’s a pretty fitting title for a game that just wants to embrace everything bizarre. Players can explore the quaint and quirky Northern English town of Barnsworth as a traveling salesman. The locals in Barnsworth are — well, they’re something alright — and they’re more than ready to give you a series of increasingly odd jobs that you simply must finish before your very important big meeting.
Thank Goodness You’re Here! is a delightful journey full of humor and absurdities set in a vibrant and lively world where everything is carefully crafted via hand-drawn animation. Fully voiced dialogue adds to the humor and brings the inhabitants of Barnsworth to life. The game’s cartoonish art style might seem inviting and nostalgic, but the double entendres are definitely intended for a more mature crowd.
If you’re looking to inject some humor into your end-of-the-year festivities, Thank Goodness You’re Here! is available now on Xbox and supports Xbox Play Anywhere entitlements so you can get your giggles in on your Series X|S, Xbox PC, or compatible handheld.
Routine
We’re doubling up on the sci-fi horror this month, but if you check out Routine, developed by Lunar Software and published by Raw Fury, you’ll understand why. This first-person sci-fi horror title takes us into an 80s era imagining of the future to an abandoned lunar base. What kicks off as casual exploration devolves into a chaotic attempt to survive in a world where you are seen as the primary threat.
While Fort Solis offers a casual “walking simulator” take on sci-fi horror, Routine veers into the hardcore survival side of horror gameplay. There are no way points to help you find your way around the base, and the ability to explore effectively is just as much a part of your survival as breathing.
There’s no rushing through here — Routine requires you to explore your surroundings with care if you plan to survive and escape. The game’s minimal UI is paired with diegetic audio and full body awareness to crank up the atmospheric horror of it all as you attempt to survive by hiding or defending yourself.
Routine is available now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC, the cloud, and compatible handhelds with support for Xbox Play Anywhere. It's also available to Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass members as part of the subscription service.
Wylde Flowers
On the opposite end of the genre spectrum, Studio Drydock’s Wylde Flowers offers us a cozier way to get through the cold of winter. And admittedly, we’ll never miss an opportunity to share a witchy life sim. Like any good game in the witch life/farming genre, Wylde Flowers puts players in the shoes of a young woman named Tara who has arrived on a cozy rural island with the goal of helping out her grandma on the family farm.
The island of Fairhaven has plenty of beautiful biomes for players to explore, including sparkling beaches and secretive, mystical forests. The village is bustling and alive with a creative cast of characters who are all fully voiced and offer friendship and even romantic storylines for Tara to explore. Since its original release to Apple Arcade in 2022, Wylde Flowers has grown exponentially with new features, including the ability for players to customize Tara’s looks, add sweet (and magical) baby animals to the farm, and experience exciting new festivals.
Wylde Flowers is available now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC, and compatible handhelds with Xbox Play Anywhere support. A spin-off of Wylde Flowers, titled Wylde Society, is currently in development by Studio Drydock.
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