In 2021, the Xbox One games you didn’t know were coming

The Xbox One may still have plenty of big releases on the calendar, but today we’re spotlighting the games you might not have known were coming.

This list takes a look at some of the upcoming releases for the Xbox One that you might have lost in the next-gen hype of E3. There are some familiar names here, as well as a few that we think you might not have heard about.

While games for the Xbox Series X/S might be getting underway during 2021, there are still many releases planned for the Xbox One. The ongoing success of the Games Pass promises some fantastic deals this year, including Day One releases and console exclusives.

10
The Ascent (July 29th)

Developed by Neon Giant and published by Curve Digital, The Ascent is a game that is graphically striking, featuring detailed futuristic city streets cluttered with neon lights. The gameplay is described as a Diablo-like shooter, with ample amounts of loot and in-depth RPG mechanics. It arrives on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on July 29th.

It seems fitting to start the list off with a game that is arriving on Game Pass on Day One. The Ascent is a solo or co-op shooter set on the cyberpunk world of Veles, and it arrived with a great trailer at this year’s E3.

9
Lemnis Gate (August 3rd)

Lemnis Gate is a mindboggling strategy FPS where players take turns to compete against each other over the course of the same 25-second turns. Sound complicated? Well, it is. Think of it as a little bit like Chess, but with guns.

As mentioned, players take turns to make their moves. Characters continue their actions in an endless loop, with each player adding in another character each turn. Honestly, it’s completely beyond comprehension unless you go and watch some gameplay. Just do it. Lemnis Gate is out on Xbox One and all other platforms on August 3rd. 8
Monster Harvest (August 19th)

Buckled by continuous delays, it’s no wonder that Monster Harvest might have flown under your radar. It was first meant to be released in May 2021, then July 2021, and it’s now facing a further delay until the end of the year. Monster Harvest is an indie title that combines the farming mechanics of Stardew Valley, adds in the battling and creature-collecting mechanics of Pokemon, and gives it a coat of Octopath Traveller’s retro 16-bit paint. The concept of Monster Harvest a bit surreal. You basically grow Pokemon (called Planimals in the game) that mutate from beans and berries into creatures that will fight for you. It’s cute, has a great art style, and will appeal to fans of games like Stardew Valley and Forager. The developer, Merge Games, has stated that they want the game shipped by August 19th. It will arrive on Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

7
Twelve Minutes (19th August) Twelve Minutes looks fascinating, like many games from Annapurna Interactive. Developed by Luis Antonio, a Portuguese indie developer and writer previously of Rockstar Games, Twelve Minutes is a top-down point-and-click game that follows the story of a man stuck in a twelve-minute time loop, featuring James McAvoy, Daisy Ridley, and Willem Dafoe as voice actors.

Inspired by cinematic classics like The Shining and Memento, the game takes place over the course of twelve minutes in real-time, but it’s been confirmed that the game will likely take between six to eight hours to complete. The game was shown at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival alongside the news that it will release on August 19th, 2021 for Xbox and PC. 6
Sable (September 23rd)

E3, followed up by a demo on Xbox that received heavy praise from pretty much everyone that played it. We even thought Sable was a game of the year contender, and that was just the demo. Though it has an art style and gameplay that is a bit reminiscent of Journey, comparing Sable to that game seems a bit unfair. While the worldbuilding of Journey was one of its greatest successes, it’s pretty clear (even from the short demo available on Xbox) that Sable takes it to another level with bikes, sand pillars, and gliding mechanics. Sable is a game to watch out for when it releases on September 23rd, 2021.

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