Xbox highlights six indie games for November, from Boltgun 2 and Ratatan to two very different horror adventures

A detective exploring a mysterious town, a graveyard manager recruiting zombies, an Ultramarine fighting Chaos and an army marching to the beat of a song might not appear to have much in common.

They are, however, part of the same November Indie Selects collection.

Microsoft announced the six games on November 4 through Xbox Wire, continuing its monthly ID@Xbox initiative designed to highlight independent titles that might otherwise struggle for attention in a crowded storefront.

This month's selection includes Silver Pines, Graveyard Keeper 2, Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2, Colorbound, Ratatan and Tenebris Somnia.

The games are available through their respective Xbox Store listings, while the Indie Selects hub brings the recommendations together.

The collection should not be confused with Xbox Game Pass additions or a giveaway. Microsoft is highlighting games for players to discover and purchase.

Silver Pines combines detective work and survival horror

Silver Pines is one of the most distinctive selections.

Developed by Wych Elm and published by Team17, the game places players in the role of a detective investigating a disturbing town.

Its design combines survival-horror conventions with Metroidvania progression. Exploration gradually reveals interconnected areas, while equipment and newly discovered information allow players to revisit previously inaccessible locations.

One of its strongest ideas is the in-game camera.

When players discover a blocked passage or an unresolved puzzle, they can photograph it and attach the image to the map.

The result is a visual record of places worth revisiting after obtaining additional tools or clues.

It is an elegant way to make backtracking more manageable without giving away the solutions.

Silver Pines also features a striking visual presentation that combines rotoscoped characters with carefully drawn two-dimensional environments.

Those scenes connect through an explorable three-dimensional map, creating an unusual relationship between the game's appearance and spatial structure.

Its references to Resident Evil and Twin Peaks are clear, but the photographic navigation system gives the experience an identity of its own.

Graveyard Keeper 2 offers another kind of zombie experience

Graveyard Keeper 2 has a very different approach to the undead.

The original game combined graveyard management, resource gathering and crafting with a distinctly dark sense of humor.

Its sequel maintains those systems while introducing a town overwhelmed by zombies.

Players gather materials, grow crops, build facilities and complete quests while developing a network of increasingly interconnected production systems.

Zombies can also become useful workers, helping automate repetitive tasks rather than simply threatening the player.

The sequel introduces an improved quest system intended to make its many overlapping objectives easier to understand.

Some resource gathering remains repetitive, but the appeal lies in watching initially separate activities develop into an efficient and productive operation.

With detailed pixel art and fully voiced story scenes, Graveyard Keeper 2 retains the strange balance between cozy management and morbid comedy that made its predecessor memorable.

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 embraces old-school action

For players looking for something faster, Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 offers a direct alternative.

Published by Devolver Digital and Big Fan Games, the sequel returns to the retro first-person shooter formula of the original.

Combat emphasizes movement, powerful weapons and relentless attacks against enemies drawn from the Warhammer 40,000 universe.

The new game features two playable characters.

Returning Ultramarine Malum Caedo is joined by Sister of Battle Nyra Veyrath, whose equipment and fighting style provide a different approach to encounters.

The campaign also includes branching paths, giving players more variety as they progress through its hostile environments.

Boltgun 2 makes no attempt to disguise its inspirations. Its fast shooting, heavily armed protagonist and retro presentation draw on the legacy of classic FPS games.

The Warhammer setting contributes an unmistakable atmosphere of gothic architecture, armored soldiers and monstrous Chaos forces.

It is a particularly suitable choice for players who enjoy shooters built around aggressive movement rather than cautious cover-based combat.

Colorbound paints a heartfelt adventure

Colorbound takes the collection in a gentler direction.

Its protagonist, Anku, is a young Aymara boy searching for the former members of his late grandfather's musical group.

He hopes to reunite the musicians for one final tribute performance.

The journey unfolds through colorful environments inspired by watercolor paintings, with puzzles that depend on changing the properties of objects using different colors.

Lighter shades can make painted objects float, while heavier colors cause them to fall.

These effects form the basis of environmental puzzles and light platforming challenges.

The game's musical identity is closely linked to the zampoña, a traditional Andean panpipe that Anku carries on his journey.

Colorbound began as a project created during the 2025 Latin American Games Showcase Game Jam.

Its creator, Chilean developer Isaías Arrué, drew on his Andean heritage to shape the story, imagery and music.

The result is an independent adventure that connects an accessible puzzle mechanic with a personal story about family, memory and cultural identity.

Ratatan brings rhythm to roguelike combat

Ratatan is an unusual mixture of rhythm game, side-scrolling action and roguelike progression.

It is also a spiritual successor to Patapon, the series remembered for turning musical beats into military commands.

Players control the titular character while issuing rhythm-based orders to an army of small creatures.

Attacks, defensive actions and movement need to follow musical patterns as the group encounters enemies and bosses.

The roguelike elements introduce a different layer of decision-making.

During each journey, players collect temporary upgrades and elemental bonuses that alter their abilities.

Ratakaruta provide additional effects, while returning to Rataport allows players to unlock permanent upgrades, craft stronger equipment and expand their forces.

The system gives players a reason to experiment with different combinations rather than approaching every expedition in exactly the same way.

Early runs can be challenging, although permanent progression gradually expands the tools available for overcoming difficult encounters.

Its bright cartoon presentation and energetic soundtrack are not simply decorative.

In Ratatan, the music is part of the control system itself, making rhythm central to the moment-to-moment gameplay.

Tenebris Somnia mixes pixel-art horror and live-action cinema

Tenebris Somnia offers the collection's second major horror experience, although its approach differs significantly from Silver Pines.

It combines two-dimensional adventure gameplay with survival-horror encounters, resource management and live-action cinematic sequences.

The story follows Julia, an independent filmmaker troubled by nightmares involving her former boyfriend.

Her decision to investigate his disappearance leads her back to their former apartment and eventually into a disturbing alternate dimension.

Witches, demons and other threats inhabit the environments she must explore.

The game draws on the traditions of early survival horror, demanding careful management of limited resources and attention to environmental puzzles.

Its live-action scenes bring a different dimension to the presentation.

The cinematic influence of 1970s Italian horror, particularly giallo and supernatural films, is visible throughout the game's visual identity.

Tenebris Somnia is not simply an interactive film, however.

Its encounters and puzzles require careful decisions, making it particularly interesting for players who enjoy demanding, atmospheric horror adventures.

Indie Selects is not a Game Pass announcement

The distinction between the monthly Indie Selects program and Xbox Game Pass is important.

Microsoft's November collection is a curated showcase within the Xbox Store.

It does not mean that all six games are being added to Game Pass, nor that they are temporarily free.

The US storefront information accompanying the announcement lists Silver Pines, Graveyard Keeper 2, Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 and Tenebris Somnia at $24.99 each.

Colorbound is listed at $14.99, while Ratatan is listed at $34.99.

These are US storefront prices at the time of the announcement, not guaranteed prices for every country or later date.

Several games also support Xbox Play Anywhere, including Silver Pines, Colorbound, Ratatan and Tenebris Somnia.

For compatible digital purchases, this feature allows access across supported Xbox and Windows devices, with shared progression.

Xbox Play Anywhere does not, by itself, mean that a title is included in a subscription service.

Microsoft confirms another monthly selection for December

The Indie Selects program offers more than its monthly group of six featured games.

The Xbox Store hub also provides weekly curated collections and rotating themed spotlights, updated every Wednesday.

Microsoft has confirmed that the monthly selection will continue into December 2026, marking the program's first December edition.

The games for that future collection have not yet been revealed.

November's lineup illustrates the variety that independent developers can bring to the Xbox ecosystem.

Silver Pines and Tenebris Somnia offer two very different approaches to horror. Boltgun 2 focuses on pure action, while Ratatan experiments with music-driven strategy.

Colorbound introduces puzzle-solving through painting and a family story, while Graveyard Keeper 2 turns an undead crisis into an unusual management challenge.

There is no single genre or design philosophy connecting all six games, and that is the point of the selection.

For Xbox players interested in something beyond the biggest releases, November's Indie Selects provide six very different places to start looking.