These 30+ Games Are Coming To Xbox Next Month in August
August is shaping up to be another busy month for Xbox players, with more than 30 games arriving across the platform and a particularly packed run of releases between August 17 and August 21.
There are two especially notable single-player releases leading the way in The Sinking City 2 and Mortal Shell 2, both of which should appeal to players looking for darker, more demanding adventures. Elsewhere, Backyard Baseball brings back a much-loved arcade-style sports series, while STALKER 2: Cost of Hope expands one of Xbox’s biggest recent releases with a substantial new journey into the Zone.
And that’s before taking Xbox Game Pass into account. The currently confirmed lineup is relatively small, but more additions are expected to be announced very soon, giving subscribers another reason to keep an eye on the service as August continues.
Here’s everything coming to Xbox next month:
A Big Week For New Xbox Releases
Xbox players have plenty of variety to choose from over the next few days. Horror fans are particularly well served, but the lineup also stretches across roguelikes, platformers, shooters, puzzle games and family-friendly releases.
The biggest names may naturally attract most of the attention, but there are also plenty of smaller games in the schedule that could be worth a look if you’re searching for something a little different.
Here’s what’s coming to Xbox next week:
On this page: These 30+ Games Are Coming To Xbox Next Month (August)
- New Xbox Releases
- Xbox Game Pass Titles
New Xbox Releases (August)
August 17
Black Flower (August 17): “Black Flower is a strategic roguelike about survival and growth in a fragile garden. Guide your garden through a magical calendar, making daily choices between unpredictable weather conditions.”
Black Flower gets the week underway with a much calmer premise than many of the games that follow. Its mix of strategy, roguelike mechanics and garden management gives the lineup an unusual opening, particularly for players who enjoy making careful decisions and adapting to unpredictable conditions.
August 18
Backyard Baseball (August 18): “The arcade-style classic is back – and it’s leveling up. With enhanced gameplay, new game modes, and all the humor & charm of the original, this is Backyard Baseball like it was always meant to be played. Are you ready to play like a kid again?”
For longtime fans, Backyard Baseball could be one of the week’s most nostalgic releases. The new version aims to retain the personality and approachable arcade gameplay of the original while introducing additional modes and refinements.
Starsand Island 1.0 (August 18): “Tired of the city grind? Escape to Starsand Island and embrace the simple joys of country life! Live alongside capybaras, cats, and dogs, reel in a big catch, and explore the enchanting Moonlit Forest. Leave the hustle behind and experience the charm of this seaside paradise.”
Starsand Island offers a very different kind of escape, leaning into relaxed country living, animals, fishing and exploration. It could be an appealing counterpoint to some of the considerably more intense releases arriving this week.
The Sinking City 2 (August 18): “The Sinking City 2 is a third-person survival horror set in 1920s Arkham. Deliberate, tense, and resource-lean: pressure builds as you push deeper, relief comes in brief refuge, and fear is something you manage.”
The Sinking City 2 is easily one of the biggest releases on the list. Its survival-horror focus puts resource management and tension at the heart of the experience, while its 1920s Arkham setting should provide plenty of unsettling atmosphere.
Players who prefer horror built around pressure and vulnerability rather than constant action may find this one particularly intriguing.
August 19
Arcade Archives 2 CYBER CYCLES (August 19): “CYBER CYCLES is a racing game released by NAMCO LIMITED (current Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.) in 1995. This game featured a large bike-style cabinet design that stood out at arcades at the time.”
Retro enthusiasts get another piece of arcade history with CYBER CYCLES, bringing Namco’s mid-’90s motorcycle racer to modern Xbox hardware through the Arcade Archives line.
Archerio (August 19): “Archerio is a fast-paced action roguelite where precision, reflexes, and smart upgrades decide your fate.”
Archerio keeps things simple and action-focused, promising a roguelite experience built around quick reactions, accurate attacks and meaningful upgrade choices.
Cloudy Day (August 19): “Cloudy Day is a hand-drawn 2D casual platformer game. Take on the role of a lonely cloud embarking on a journey to learn how to fly and keep up with the other clouds!”
Cloudy Day provides one of the week’s gentler platforming options, pairing hand-drawn visuals with a lighthearted story about a cloud trying to find its way.
Hidden Cats in Barcelona (August 19): “It’s time to have a snack at a local Churreria and take a long stroll through Park Güell, because the Hidden Cats have arrived in ever beautiful and sunny Cat-alonia!”
Fans of hidden-object games have another city to explore, with Hidden Cats in Barcelona bringing its familiar search-and-find formula to one of Europe’s most recognisable destinations.
WonderCat Adventures (August 19): “The Wonder Cat needs your help to find his cat buddy and escape the strange mines where they crash-landed! No trace of your UFO spaceship.”
WonderCat Adventures rounds out August 19 with another colourful platforming option, this time involving a crashed spaceship, mysterious mines and a missing feline companion.
August 20
August 20 is easily the busiest day of the week, with a broad mix of indie releases joined by two of the schedule’s biggest names.
Berry Bury Berry (August 20): “Berry Bury Berry is a surreal first-person incremental game about growing berries and putting them in a hole. Lots and lots of berries.”
It’s difficult to accuse Berry Bury Berry of hiding its premise. This surreal incremental game revolves around growing berries and putting them into a hole, leaning firmly into the sort of strangely compelling concept that often finds an audience on Xbox.
Dark Reflection (August 20): “When your best friend vanishes, you must enter the Dark Reflection—a hostile, warped copy of your own reality. Here, familiar places are dangerous, and friendly faces cannot be trusted.”
Dark Reflection adds another dose of horror to the week’s lineup, taking players into a distorted version of reality where familiar surroundings become threatening and appearances cannot necessarily be trusted.
Driving is Hard (August 20): “Challenge yourself in Driving Is Hard! Drive a bathtub on wheels through steep, unforgiving terrain where every mistake costs you progress.”
The name says almost everything you need to know. Driving is Hard turns a bathtub on wheels into the centrepiece of a deliberately punishing traversal challenge where a single mistake can undo plenty of progress.
Dungeon Antiqua 2 (August 20): “Dungeon Antiqua 2 is a 2D dungeon hack-and-slash RPG featuring SNES-style pixel art and sound. A retro-flavored adventure awaits you, blending strategic exploration with a highly flexible character-building system.”
Dungeon Antiqua 2 goes firmly after the retro RPG crowd, combining SNES-inspired presentation with dungeon exploration, action and flexible character development.
Educational Family Games (August 20): “Educational Family Games brings everyone together with a local 1–4 player experience where children learn, adults compete, and the whole family plays in the same room.”
For households looking for something to play together, Educational Family Games offers local multiplayer for up to four players, mixing learning activities with competitive family play.
Find the Cats 2 (August 20): “Discover even more adorable cats hidden across charming, handcrafted scenes in Find The Cats 2!”
Find the Cats 2 delivers exactly what fans of the first game are likely to want: more handcrafted environments filled with hidden cats waiting to be spotted.
Gallipoli (August 20): “Take part in the historic beach landings at Gallipoli and fight for survival on unforgiving shores and sun-scorched deserts! This is a hardcore, one-shot-one-kill PVP environment that demands teamwork in intense objective-based battles.”
Gallipoli takes the lineup in a much more serious direction, centring its multiplayer action on objective-based battles and a lethal one-shot-one-kill approach that places a strong emphasis on teamwork.
Grim Trials (August 20): “Grim Trials is a heavy metal action roguelite where you craft and customize your own weapons and equipment to embrace Death your own way.”
Grim Trials mixes heavy-metal styling with action roguelite mechanics, letting players build and customise equipment as they develop their preferred approach to combat.
Ground Zero Hour (August 20): “Ground Zero Hero drops you into a radioactive wasteland overrun with mutated creatures. Every enemy you destroy becomes fuel for your evolution.”
Ground Zero Hour embraces the familiar survivors-style loop of defeating increasingly large numbers of enemies while steadily becoming more powerful, this time against a radioactive wasteland backdrop.
Mexican Ninja (August 20): “Fast chaotic and full of attitude, Mexican Ninja is a 2.5D roguelike beat ’em up where you carve through Narkuzas in Nuevo Tokyo with tight combos, wild spirit powers and Mexican Jutsus. Slice, dodge, upgrade and become the one and only Mexican Ninja.”
Mexican Ninja looks like one of the more energetic games in the lineup, combining beat-’em-up combat, roguelike progression and an intentionally over-the-top setting.
Mortal Shell 2 (August 20): “Mortal Shell II is a standalone sequel to Mortal Shell that significantly expands on the original with faster and unforgiving combat, deeper weapon design with extensive upgrade options, and an emphasis on free exploration within a compact open-world.”
Mortal Shell 2 is the other major single-player release to watch this week. The sequel promises faster combat, more involved weapon progression and greater freedom to explore, while maintaining the uncompromising approach that helped define the original.
For players looking for a demanding action RPG, this could end up being one of August’s standout Xbox releases.
Puppergeist (August 20): “Play as Claire, a witch who journeys into the mysterious Doggie Underworld with one simple goal: Finding her lost Pup!”
Puppergeist offers one of the more charming premises of the week, sending a witch named Claire into the Doggie Underworld in search of her missing pup.
STALKER 2: Cost of Hope Expansion (August 20): “Head out on a new expedition into the Zone in this massive, non-linear expansion. Dozens of gameplay hours are packed with unforgettable stories and twisted characters – all wrapped in the signature atmosphere of decay with a flicker of hope.”
The Cost of Hope expansion is another major addition to the August schedule. Returning players can expect a substantial new expedition into the Zone, with more stories, characters and non-linear exploration packed into the familiar atmosphere of STALKER 2.
For anyone already invested in the base game, this could easily be one of the most important Xbox releases of the month.
Wings of Beyond (August 20): “Wings of Beyond is an intense shoot ’em up that throws you into thrilling space battles filled with challenges and powerful upgrades.”
Wings of Beyond gives shoot-’em-up fans something to look forward to, promising fast space combat alongside upgrades designed to help players survive increasingly difficult encounters.
Yet Another Zombie Survivors 1.0 (August 20): “The Horde is coming, but you’re ready to fight it! Assemble your squad, choose their upgrades, and build powerful synergies against thousands of undead. Survive. Then evolve. Then break every limit in this deceptively simple but addictive bullet heaven game.”
Yet Another Zombie Survivors reaches its 1.0 release with a squad-based take on the bullet-heaven formula, challenging players to combine characters and upgrades into increasingly powerful builds while enormous undead hordes close in.
August 21
The week closes with another sizeable collection of smaller Xbox releases covering horror, puzzles, shooters and platformers.
Creepy Shift: Uncle Joe’s Motel (August 21): “This is a sim-horror with a strong focus on narrative, which becomes increasingly dramatic and dark with every step.”
Creepy Shift: Uncle Joe’s Motel continues the week’s surprisingly strong horror theme, with a narrative-led structure that promises to become darker as the story progresses.
Dark Dungeon Head Haze (August 21): “Dark Dungeon Head Haze breaks conventions in puzzle games by… turning off the lights!? In this 3D low poly isometric puzzler, your intuition and memory will be put to the test.”
Dark Dungeon Head Haze puts a neat spin on traditional puzzle design by taking away one of the player’s most useful tools: visibility. Its emphasis on memory and intuition should make for a distinctive challenge.
Emoji Killer – Casino Massacre (August 21): “This rogue-like first-person shooter throws you into a wild casino environments, fast-paced combat against gambling addicted emojis wearing funny hats and wielding powers.”
Emoji Killer – Casino Massacre is among the week’s stranger releases, combining roguelike FPS action with weapon-wielding emojis and a chaotic casino setting.
KeyQuack Quest (August 21): “KeyQuack Quest is a pixel art platformer where you control a clever mallard on a mission to collect keys, avoid deadly traps, and reach the exit door.”
KeyQuack Quest keeps things straightforward with pixel-art platforming, collectible keys and plenty of traps standing between your mallard hero and the exit.
Mega City Force (August 21): “Choose your agent and dive into a deadly battle against the criminals and brutal bosses to unleash the beast of justice in the darkest corners of the city.”
Mega City Force delivers another dose of action, putting players up against criminals and bosses across the darker corners of its urban setting.
No More Slimes!! (August 21): “Small and adorable slimes have started a bouncing rebellion, filling up the entire screen. Dive right into this unstoppable commotion!”
No More Slimes!! looks to turn a screen full of cute creatures into complete chaos, with increasingly large numbers of bouncing slimes threatening to overwhelm the player.
Pay to Path (August 21): “Help adorable piggy banks find their way to their bank vaults by rearranging roads, removing obstacles, and carefully planning every move.”
Pay to Path provides a more thoughtful alternative, asking players to manipulate routes and obstacles to guide piggy banks safely towards their vaults.
With Eyes of Ice (August 21): “Dying of frostbite, Gréta Egilsdóttir is left to wonder how she found herself in such a dire situation. Perhaps it began with Steina’s baby, or with Kai agreeing to stay the night, or with that kiss she almost shared with Nataníel.”
With Eyes of Ice closes out the current release schedule with a much more narrative-driven premise, beginning in a desperate situation and tracing the events that may have led its protagonist there.
Xbox Game Pass Titles
Watch on YouTube
The Xbox Game Pass side of the schedule is much lighter for now, although that is unlikely to be the full picture.
Note: We’re expecting more Xbox Game Pass titles to be revealed next week, most likely on Tuesday.
Egging On (August 18) – New to XGP Premium
With further Game Pass announcements expected, subscribers may want to hold off on assuming this is the complete August lineup. Xbox typically adds more games throughout the month, and another batch would make an already busy release week even more crowded.
Which Xbox Games Stand Out This Week?
If you’re mainly interested in the week’s biggest releases, The Sinking City 2, Mortal Shell 2 and STALKER 2: Cost of Hope are the obvious names to watch.
The Sinking City 2 should appeal most to survival-horror fans, Mortal Shell 2 offers a tougher action-RPG experience, and Cost of Hope gives existing STALKER 2 players a reason to head back into the Zone.
But one of the strengths of this particular lineup is its range. Players looking for something lighter have Backyard Baseball and Starsand Island, retro fans have CYBER CYCLES and Dungeon Antiqua 2, while the numerous smaller roguelikes, platformers and puzzle games leave plenty of room for unexpected favourites.
