
Earlier this week, Microsoft used the official Xbox website blog to celebrate four upcoming ID@Xbox games that were featured at GDC 2023 - and three of them have all previously been confirmed for Xbox Game Pass!
The first of these is Planet of Lana, which still has a release window of Spring 2023 according to the blog. We've seen a lot from this game already, and here's a bit of what the Xbox team had to say about it:
Planet of Lana (Spring 2023)
"Tom Davis of publisher Thunderful said the game was as “if Studio Ghibli made Inside.” I was also reminded at times of Ori and the Will of the Wisps… if any of those references made you perk up, you’ll want to keep an eye out for Planet of Lana, which it comes to Xbox consoles and PC with Game Pass this spring."

Next, we've got The Lamplighters League, which was revealed at the Paradox Announcement Show earlier this month. This is another 2023 release, which the Xbox team says is initially reminiscent of "Indiana Jones meets XCOM":
The Lamplighters League (2023)
"Lamplighters League is “a globetrotting adventure” set in a stylized take of the 1930s. Initial vibes are very “Indiana Jones meets XCOM“, though after playing for an hour I believe the closer comparison is the excellent Mutant Year Zero."
"The flexibility in choosing when or even if to engage enemies, paired with the not-often-seen setting make Lamplighters League a must-play for strategy fans..."
The third upcoming release on this list is Venba, which was literally confirmed for Xbox Game Pass last week. Something we didn't know about this one is that it has artwork inspired by the likes of Dexter's Laboratory and Powerpuff Girls!
Venba (2023)
"Also coming to console and PC with Game Pass this year is Venba, a cooking/puzzle game where players experience the lives of an Indian couple who immigrate to Canada via interactive, stylized food prep."
"With art inspired by cartoons like “Dexter’s Laboratory” and “Powerpuff Girls,” but more serious, Venba will bake a place in your plans this summer."
As mentioned, all of these had previously been confirmed for Xbox Game Pass in 2023, but it's nice to get a bit more information about each of them from Team Xbox - you can read up on all of it, along with details about a fourth non-Game Pass game called Botany Manor, over on the official Xbox Wire website.
Any of these upcoming Xbox Game Pass additions taking your fancy? Tell us down below.
[source news.xbox.com]
Comments 14
Planet of Lana looks lovely. The other 2 look less up my street, but the beauty of Game Pass is we can give them a try.
I'm excited for Lamplighters league.
Mutant: Year Zero is an absolutely brilliant game, so I'm really looking forward to Lamplighters League, although I'm not sure how I feel about the Indiana Jones style setting.
100% of the time I see someone refer to a game as being like Ori, it is nothing at all like Ori other than having pretty visuals which is a superficial comparison that completely misses what made Ori a great game, top notch platforming.
Planet of Lana and Lamplighters League for me
Lamplighters league looks fantastic, exactly my type of game
So... Venba, looks like a game I'd never be interested in, yet "a cooking/puzzle game where players experience the lives ... via interactive, stylized food prep" made me think of Unpacking. I never thought I would like Unpacking and ended up loving it.
Lana I already thought looked great, will try. Lamplighters sounds interesting, I like tactics games like xcom, but I agree 1930's doesn't grab me right away.
@AverageJoseph Agreed, Venba now has my interest for the same reason.
Unpacking seemed so simple a game, unpacking her boxes every time she moved, but for example trying to squeeze her stuff in when her boyfriend left so little room, compared to the space given later, plus her having a walking stick and baby later on.
It had a narrative when I hadn't expected one, and actually touched me much more than I thought such a game could.
I've had my eye on Planet of Lana for years. Looks like an emotional ride ...
@Widey85 totally. Unpacking had such a simple yet satisfying little loop and told the story so unobtrusively. Not really sure what to expect from Venba but that line just reminded me of that.
I was not emotionally mature enough to handle the boyfriend level. She was just a little girl only a couple levels ago. Then this jerk with all his gray underwear and her diploma can't even go on the wall! I couldn't handle it, had to put it down for a couple days before I came back lol
I just read about Lamplighters on another site. Did not realize it would be on gamepass. That's great news!
@AverageJoseph Yep lol the diploma really makes you realise he wasn't good enough - the return to her childhood bedroom is crushing but at least she's away from him.
The ending though puts it all right, I found it cathartic in the same way as Lake and a few similarly chill games
Planet of Lana impresses yet again. I’m curious about Venba. Perfect title for Gamepass, in that I can try it without risk!
If Lana isn't a metroidvania it's nothing like Ori. If it is I'm all over it. Second one sounds cool too if it's actually like mutant year zero.
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...