Back in the day, the most prominent games were always the ones that people would see on the shelves of the local video game or tech store. That's because most of these games had the backing of triple-A publishers who had the money to physically distribute them.
While that is still the case today, the rise of digital storefronts has not only allowed games to be sold through a different method, but it has even allowed them to thrive. On the Xbox Series X, while there are quite a few games available physically, there are a handful of great games players can get that are available only digitally.
10 Nobody Saves The World
Drinkbox Studios has been known for other indie hits, but the latest entry from the developer has them shifting gears to the top-down action RPG genre with their title Nobody Saves The World. The game casts the player as Nobody, a creature with the ability to transform into various other beings.
With Calamity threatening to destroy the world, it is up to Nobody to use their ability to conquer quests that will push players to take on the most challenging foes. Luckily, the transformation system in Nobody Saves The World is highly customizable so that players can even mix and match different abilities.
9 FAR: Changing Tides
There are a lot of games out there about a world left abandoned, thanks to apocalyptic events. These tend to be more action-focused, but FAR: Changing Tides is a narrative journey rather than a jam-packed sequence of fights.
A boy is in control of a strange vessel that players will need to learn how to pilot as they help him try to find a new home after the world has been flooded. FAR: Changing Tides focuses on the management of the ship, exploring new locations, and unique puzzle designs that will keep a player engaged in the boy's goal.
8 The Artful Escape
Walking simulators can sometimes get a bad reputation for not being engaging enough to even be considered video games, but The Artful Escape is an example of how the genre can include some really amazing gems. Players take on the role of Francis Vendetti, a musician who is looking to make a name for himself outside his uncle's shadow.
To do this, he ends up on a journey that involves being abducted from his home planet and traveling the galaxy, rocking out all the way through various gorgeous landscapes. Players will be able to customize Francis to be whatever superstar they want him to be, culminating in a concert that is out of this world.
7 Knockout City
When looking for a good multiplayer game, there are a ton that one could find digitally. A game that gained a lot of popularity for a short time was Knockout City. This unique take on a sports game from EA puts its own spin on dodgeball.
While there are many modes, the core gameplay revolves around players running and jumping around a decent-sized arena picking up different kinds of balls and trying to chuck them at players. Win conditions for Knockout City could include getting a certain amount of hits as a team or a player as well as many other ways to play dodgeball in a new way.
6 Tunic
It's fun to discover a game digitally that leads to a wonderful adventure filled with mystery and intrigue. Solving the mysteries of the world is a central premise for Tunic, a game that describes itself using a cryptic language and an old-school game manual.
Tunic starts with a small fox waking up on a beach. The goal of the game is to wander around, take on various enemies, and collect pieces of the game manual to help piece together the ultimate goal of the game. There is a lot more to say about how the plot unfolds, but that would potentially ruin the experience.
5 OlliOlli World
Going back to sports for a bit, one sport that is always fun to both watch and play is skateboarding. It is always impressive to see what kind of tricks people can pull off, but it sometimes feels a bit intimidating to get into. With OlliOlli World, they welcome new skaters with open arms.
This tricky 2D platformer does everything it can to help players understand the game with various tutorials during the main campaign. Each level is very colorful, with fun paths to go down that include wall-riding and jumping over large gaps. There is also a whole section of OlliOlli World's menu dedicated to teaching tricks.
4 Death's Door
Another action-adventure game that dabbles in some dark humor is the latest game from Acid Nerve called Death's Door. Players are a crow whose job it is to take the souls of those who have long overstayed their welcome being alive. However, when one soul gets away behind a large door, it's up to the crow to get enough major souls to open that door up.
Death's Door revolves around exploring different areas of the world, fighting creatures, and completing puzzles that will help them get closer to taking down the tyrants who have made living in each of those areas a miserable one. The game has been lauded for its art style and writing, so it's worth picking up digitally.
3 Psychonauts 2
Sometimes, even a game that is being made by a triple-A developer will release digital-only. That was the case for Psychonauts 2 as developer Double Fine promised the people who backed the game on Kickstarter would be getting the only physical copies in the world.
Psychonauts 2 is a 3D platformer that is the continuation of the story that centers around a boy named Raz as he grows his psychic abilities. Now a member of the Psychonauts, his goal is to get to the bottom of a mystery that centers around why the head of the organization was kidnaped near the end of the events of the first game.
2 Tetris Effect: Connected
When thinking about the early days of video games, it's hard to look over the puzzle sensation that is Tetris. It is one of the most sold video games of all-time thanks to its numerous re-releases and remakes. One of the new iterations of the game is a gorgeous reimagining called Tetris Effect: Connected.
Modes in this game include a 30-stage single player along with co-op and competitive options. However, the heart of this game is the wild visual effects that happen on and around the Tetris screen to make playing the classic falling-block game a feast for the eyes.
1 Rogue Legacy 2
The roguelite and roguelike genres have flourished in recent years with various entries looking to outdo each other. However, a game that takes a more straightforward, yet still difficult, approach is none other than Rogue Legacy 2.
The game revolves around the player looking to conquer enemies in a long series of hallways while only having one life to do it. However, upon death, players will be reincarnated as an heir to the fallen individual. By trying again and dying constantly, players can keep improving their skills and builds to help each heir have a better opportunity of conquering it all.