The ID@Xbox Summer Demo Event 2023 has kicked off, allowing you to try a variety of upcoming Xbox indie games for free over the next week, with the demos being made available until July 17th.
These demos weren't supposed to go live until Friday, so you'll need to wait a bit longer until they appear on the Xbox dashboard, but you can already find them via the "demos" section of the Xbox Store or by searching for them manually.
Update: It's now Friday, and we've added a few more demos to the list below!
"These 'game demos' are not the norm. Typically, the demos you see in our Demo channel are created after the game is completed (or nearly completed) and represent an almost final version. Think of these as akin to “show floor demos” and not necessarily indicative of the final product."
- A Duel Hand Disaster: Trackher: "A Duel Hand Disaster: Trackher is the only split screen single player twin stick risk 'em up in which your score is meaningless unless you exist."
- Aaero2: "This demo version features 2 tracks, playable in both single player and local co-op modes. (Full release will include local and online co-op and PvP modes)."
- Alchemist: The Potion Monger: "Alchemist: The Potion Monger is a mixture of simulation puzzle and RPG game, in which you can leave your lab, venture into the world and change it with your brews!"
- Alisa Developer's Cut: "Alisa is a classic late-90s style horror-themed action adventure game set in a fantasy universe inspired on the 1920s. You play as an Elite Royal Agent called Alisa. While she is chasing a wanted criminal, she ends up in an old Victorian mansion."
- Astrea: "An all new dice-deck-building roguelike, Astrea, has you chart a path through the ruins of a lost civilization as one of six brave Oracles. Using an ever-changing deck of dice and enchanted Sentinels, Purify waves of Corrupted foes and a decayed goddess to save the Star System."
- Bang On Balls: Chronicles: "Bang-On Balls: Chronicles rolls onto the stage! A 3D platformer inspired by some of the best games of the genre including some Italian plumbers, a blue hedgehog, or a bear with a bird on his backpack!"
- Battlecakes: "Indulge in a delicious adventure as you choose to battle or befriend your enemies to save the day your way! Personalize your cupcake hero and meet charming friends along the way. Leave the world better off than you found it in this turn-based RPG demo."
- Black Skylands: "Dive into the skies and experience the excitement of Black Skylands with our new exclusive demo! Discover the captivating blend of open world, sandbox, top-down shooter, and steampunk, all in one skybound adventure!"
- Born Of Bread: "Play as a flour golem who possesses a never-ending childlike wonder and a set of odd abilities in this 2.5D adventure game! Explore the different regions of a wonderful world ripe with mysteries and team up with a colorful cast of fleshed-out characters. With the help of your buddies, face off against menacing and weird baddies and engage in a fun and quirky turn-based combat system."
- Boxville: "Boxville is 2-in-1: an animated film and a puzzle game. An adventure and puzzle game, with more than 300 hours of artists’ time spent on every scene."
- Bunny Battle Nemesis: "Sci-fi, bloodthirsty bunnies, and the powers of a goddess at your disposal! This is Bunny Battle Nemesis. Experience intense action, explosions, and chaos as you defend the Bunny Kingdom from certain doom at the hands of a vengeful demigod and her army of mercenaries and robots."
- Cell Scientists: Beyond: "Save a sci-fi world from the dangerous Chaga virus in Cell Scientists: Beyond, an exciting puzzle game with 100 levels story mode and easy to pick gameplay mechanics. Embark on an adventure to destroy viruses using futuristics nano ships and help the patients. Save the day using your puzzle-solving skills!"
- Cross Tails: "Immerse yourself in the gripping tale of Cross Tails, a tactical strategy RPG set in a war-ravaged world. For over a decade, the canine Kingdom of Ranverfurt and the feline Republic of Hidiq have clashed, their deep-rooted animosity etched in the memories of their people."
- Dark Deception: "Death awaits you in Dark Deception, a story-driven first-person horror maze game. There's nowhere to hide & nowhere to catch your breath. Run or die - it's your choice. Trapped in a realm of nightmarish mazes with a mysterious woman, your only hope of survival is to find a way to escape."
- Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle: "Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle is a third-person story-driven survival horror game prequel to the critically acclaimed Daymare: 1998. Step into the shoes of special agent Dalila Reyes, a former government spy now in the service of a unit called H.A.D.E.S. (Hexacore Advanced Division for Extraction and Search), and get ready to enter the most advanced experimental research center in the United States of America."
- Death Relives: "Death Relives is a first-person survival horror game developed by a team that loves mythology and horror. Run, hide, and survive. That's all you can do, but it won't be easy while an Aztec god like Xipe Totec is after you."
- Demonschool: "Demonschool is a new-style tactics RPG where motion equals action. Defeat big weirdos in between the human and demon worlds as Faye and her misfit companions, while navigating university life on a mysterious island."
- Deserted: "Deserted is a stylized 3D low poly, action adventure with light RPG and narrative elements. Inspired by the alien atmosphere of Out Of This World, Deserted combines narrative storytelling with survival and fast paced strategic combat to deliver a thrilling adventure supported by a tailored musical score and sound design to maximize the experience."
- DREAMERS: "DREAMERS is an adventure featuring three protagonists on an epic journey through a vast world. Get ready to traverse breathtaking landscapes, unravel intricate puzzles, uncover captivating stories, and delve into mysterious secrets. Engage in meaningful conversations with numerous NPCs, take flight with upgradable drones, and indulge in irresistible mini-games that will test your skills."
- Dynacat: "Dynacat's home has been invaded by an army of robots who are draining energy from the land and storing it in the form of magic crystals. Follow Dynacat on an adventure to fight back against the robots and protect the land from withering."
- Evil Wizard: "Evil Wizard is a humor-filled action RPG that puts you in the shoes of a former Final Boss. Rise from defeat, rediscover long lost powers, and fight to reclaim your castle from an army of so-called heroes."
- Exhausted Man: "Play as an ordinary person who is exhausted but refuses to sleep, complete everyday challenges, and earn a better life."
- Fall Of Porcupine: "New jobs can be tense – especially when you’re about to become a doctor! Join Finley on an original narrative adventure as you take your first steps in a fresh and exciting world. Together, experience the “Last Days of Summer” before a change of seasons stirs up the sleepy town of Porcupine."
- Frank And Drake: "Frank and Drake is the modern gothic fable that puts players at the heart of a supernatural mystery through its non-linear branching paths, mini-games and puzzles, and unique rotoscoped art. Take your time, explore and soak up every word."
- Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective: "This long-awaited HD remaster of Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, the classic mystery puzzle game directed by Shu Takumi, creator of the Ace Attorney series, features upgraded visuals and sound."
- Knights Of Braveland: "Join the Heroes Guild and travel the path from a rookie to the hero of the kingdom. Head on a hunt for the vicious boss solo or with your friends. Your adventure will be randomly generated from hundreds of different events."
- Let's Cook Together 2: "Embark on a gripping cooperative journey to save the planet and its food from the regime of Nutri Inc. – a powerful group of zero waste maniacs seeking to turn life on Earth into a tasteless dystopia. Become an Ohmie – member of Weldon Ohm’s resistance movement seeking to liberate the world from Nutri Inc’s food and mind control."
- Lies of P: "You are a puppet created by Geppetto who’s caught in a web of lies with unimaginable monsters and untrustworthy figures standing between you and the events that have befallen the world of Lies of P."
- LUNARK: "Set on a distant planet ruled by a totalitarian regime, LUNARK is a modern take on the 2D cinematic platformer genre of the '90s."
- Marble It Up! Ultra: "Marble It Up! Ultra is the pinnacle of marble platforming from the minds behind Marble It Up! and Marble Blast. World-class level design, buttery-smooth controls, gorgeous visuals, and exhilarating multiplayer - welcome to the ultimate marble experience!"
- Metaball: "The Metaball League was born from a conflict that arose among all the civilizations of the heliocentric system as solar energy began to deplete. After much discussion, leaders of each planet finally agreed on a novel approach: a new sport modeled on Earth's basketball."
- Metal Mind: "Equip your body, core and actuator parts with over 100 weapons to equip. Create your own build with multiple modifications including heat, weapon spin speed, cooldown, power, armor pieces and more. Use your creation to turn this small robot into a lethal monster weapon!"
- Oaken: "The world of Oaken is a mythical place, existing in a not-easily-defined space and time. It is stretched among the branches of the Great Oak. Its inhabitants are spirits, who all listen to the same voice called the Oak Song."
- Overpass: Rhythm Roadtrip: "Microsoft and Activision have agreed with the CMA that a stay of the litigation in the UK would be in the public interest."
- Pixel Cafe: "Dive into this captivating blend of an arcade time manager and visual novel. Help a small-town girl navigate life in a big city, and take part in her coming-of-age story as she forges connections, overcomes difficulties, and struggles to find her worth."
- Pocket Bravery: "Inspired by classic fighting games from the 90's such as Street Fighter, Fatal Fury and The King of Fighters, 'Pocket Bravery' channels the 'Neo Geo Pocket' aesthetic for a modern fighting game with a retro twist!"
- PolyFury: "You thought geometry was difficult? Now it's got a gun! Fly circles around the Seven Deadly Shapes and shoot your way through a barrage of bullets and lasers."
- Punch Club 2: Fast-Forward: "Welcome to the Punch Club 2: Fast Forward demo! In this demo, you can try out the first 40 minutes of the game and get a taste of what it's like to survive in a gritty futuristic cyberpunk city and start your journey as a future champion fighter."
- Raging Bytes: "Planned by Jiro Ishii, and developed by Hit-Point, Raging Bytes offers a story-driven plot akin to zombie movies, a bite of horror without excessive gore, attractive characters filled with drama, turn-based battles with strategic depth and diverse scavenging locations. Rise above the undead, shape destinies, and embrace a thrilling adventure!"
- Rain World: "Inspired by the simplicity and aesthetics of 16-bit classics, this survival platformer requires clever decision-making, both to catch your own prey and to avoid the jaws of hungry predators. Each ravenous foe in your path will be cunning, vicious and always on the hunt – eager to sink their teeth into you, or even each other."
- Sea of Stars: "Sea of Stars tells the story of two Children of the Solstice who combine the powers of the sun and moon to perform Eclipse Magic, the only force capable of fighting off the monstrous creations of an evil alchemist known as The Fleshmancer."
- Sker Ritual: "Face hordes of new and familiar enemies, supercharged elites with unique supernatural powers, upgradeable steam-punk weapons, interchangeable spine-chilling masks and mysterious story objectives from writing talent behind Maid of Sker, Battlefield 1 and Total War: Rome II."
- Slave Zero X: "From the top of Megacity S1-9, the Sovereign Khan rules with fists of iron and flesh. Beneath the city’s rotting foundations, a vengeful warrior embarks on a journey to murder him."
- Space Boat: "'Space Boat' is an investigative narrative adventure set on an intergalactic cruise-ship inhabited by various carpet-based lifeforms. Play as a cleverly disguised space cat, traverse the perils of time and space, and track down an elusive shape-shifting jewel thief before it's too late!"
- Spirit Hunters: Infinite Horde: "Spirit Hunters: Infinite Horde is a rogue-lite, action game in which you fight huge waves of monsters using passive attacks and abilities. Slay thousands and thousands of endlessly encroaching monsters to stay alive! Collect souls to level up and to increase your power and abilities both in the field and in the Oracle’s vast, permanent upgrade system."
- Spirit Of The Island: "There’s an old tradition running in your homeland: to become an adult and complete the coming of age ritual, you must go on a journey of discovery. Your adventure begins on a distant island, deep in a tropical Archipelago."
- STONKS-9800: Stock Market Simulator: "Make your fortune in the high-stakes world of the Japanese stock market with STONKS-9800. As a businessman in the 80s & 90s, you'll buy & sell stocks, manage your finances, & watch your profits grow. But beware - your actions will have consequences on the market. Can you rise to the top?
- The Isle Tide Hotel: "An absent father must rescue his teenage daughter from an eclectic cult before their final night at the Isle Tide Hotel. Players investigate the strange events that unfold to save Eleanor Malone in this live-action interactive mystery game, where every decision affects the story."
- The Night Of The Rabbit: "Lose yourself in a tale of magic and wonder, where anything is possible and where nothing is quite as it seems: Join young Jerry and follow a peculiar white rabbit to the wondrous realm of Mousewood, a land where critters can speak and where mystery abounds."
- The Wandering Village: "In a world where mysterious plants are spreading all over the earth, emitting toxic spores as they grow, a small group of survivors seeks shelter on the back of a giant, wandering creature they call 'Onbu'. Become their leader, build their settlement and form a symbiotic relationship with the creature to survive together in this hostile, yet beautiful post-apocalyptic world that now surrounds you."
- Trinity Fusion: "Take control of your parallel selves on a mission to save the dying multiverse. Explore dark, sci-fi worlds and engage in fast-paced, smooth and precise combat."
- Worldless: "In this 2D Action Adventure Platformer, players will jump, glide and dash through an indeterminate setting, uncovering its secrets and finding their place within a mind-bending reality."
- WrestleQuest: "THE ULTIMATE PRO WRESTLING ADVENTURE – Powerbomb and piledrive your way through a massive pixel art universe where professional wrestling and RPG fantasy collide."