Xbox Game Pass subscribers now have two more indie games to enjoy, Firework and Rolling Hills, adding to the ever-changing selection of titles offered through the service. Though Xbox Game Pass regularly removes games from its catalog, it also replaces them with new titles, many of which are available on launch day.

Xbox Game Pass went through a bit of a transformation in recent months, doing away with the long-lived Xbox Live Games With Gold, which offered two free games every month to subscribers. It was an incredibly enticing offer for gamers that was replaced by Xbox Game Pass Core, which instead provides a selection of around 25 titles that are switched out a couple of times per year. While this change was mourned by many as the end of an era that also removed an enticing perk of Game Pass, many still consider the subscription service to be a worthwhile investment.

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Part of the appeal of Microsoft's subscription service is that it introduces gamers to releases that they might not otherwise be aware of, and such is the case with the first June additions to Xbox Game Pass. Firework and Rolling Hills: Make Sushi, Make Friends are both indie games that might have passed under the radar of many people, and they are definitely worth checking out.

Xbox Game Pass Confirmed Releases for June 2024 So Far

• Firework (PC only) - June 4
• Rolling Hills - June 4
• Still Wakes the Deep - June 18

Firework, developed by Shiying Studio, was released on PC in 2021 and currently sits at an Overwhelmingly Positive rating on Steam. Years ago, a massacre took place in a remote village, and players take on the role of a rookie police officer who’s been sent to re-open the investigation. Of course, there’s more to the tragedy than it seems, and the horror puzzle game slowly reveals the victims’ mysterious pasts. Presented in a whimsical watercolor art style, Firework offers an engrossing story along with puzzles that are just the right amount of challenging. It is available through Game Pass on PC only.

Developer Catch & Release has simultaneously launched its cozy life sim, Rolling Hills, on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series consoles, adding it to Xbox Game Pass from day one. Players are Sushi Bot, a cute little robot whose dream is to become a famous chef. Setting up shop in the eponymous town of Rolling Hills, the ambitious robot opens a small sushi restaurant, and players must collect ingredients, discover recipes, and transform the small startup into a world-renowned culinary destination.

Xbox hasn’t yet revealed many of the titles slated to join Game Pass in June, but the current list is already appealing. June 18 will see the release of Still Wakes the Deep, the latest horror game from Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs’ The Chinese Room. And a leaker has resurfaced an old rumor that 2023’s Octopath Traveler 2 may be coming to Xbox Game Pass sometime this month as well. Microsoft attempted to quash that idea all the way back in September, however, so that leak should of course be taken with a pinch or two of salt.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is the highest tier of Microsoft's flagship game subscription service that offers over 100 game titles that you can play with a single purchase, making it one of the most outstanding value propositions of the Xbox ecosystem to date.

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