New Inclusive, Accessible, Easy-Going Games Revealed for Xbox During the Whitethorn Winter Showcase

Hi, Xbox Wire readers! Today, we held our annual Whitethorn Winter Showcase, where we shared some fantastic new trailers and new details about our upcoming games coming to Xbox this year! Also, the team from the ID@Xbox Developer Acceleration Program joined us to share some information about how the program helps empower underrepresented creators to bring their games to Xbox, and revealed a new title to join our line-up of inclusive, accessible, easy-going games.

In case you missed the premiere, you can catch the replay by visiting the Whitethorn Games YouTube channel.

Now, let’s take a look at some of the announcements:

ID@Xbox Helps Whitethorn Games Reveal Pancake Games Partnership

ID@Xbox Developer Acceleration Program Lead, James Lewis, sat down with CEO and Founder of Pancake Games, Tomas Gomez, to talk about how the program has worked with the studio to bring their upcoming 3D action-adventure game Slime Heroes to Xbox and announce Whitethorn Games partnership to help bring the title to launch. But wait — there’s more! Whitethorn revealed a new trailer, showing off a terrifying (and yet somehow adorable) new boss and new area players will get to explore at launch!

Slime Heroes takes you on a journey through a whimsical world entrusted to an unlikely hero — a slime — who must save it from a mysterious corruption. You’ll journey through the expansive 3D world — alone or with a friend — encountering ferocious enemies, challenging but approachable puzzles, and uncovering forgotten treasures. Help your slime become the hero they were meant to be by consuming magical gems and dynamically combining them to create unique and powerful magical skills to help you take down even the most corrupted minions and bosses. Discover a touching story of overcoming expectations, friendship, and forgiveness as you progress because even slimes can be heroes!

Botany Manor Gets a Release Date

The wait is almost over for Balloon Studios’ stunning first-person plant-puzzle game. Botany Manor is coming to Xbox — available day one with Xbox Game Pass — April 9, 2024! During the showcase, the studio released a new trailer revealing some new forgotten flora for players to bring to bloom.

In Botany Manor, you’ll travel back in time to the 19th century and take on the role of retired botanist Arabella Greene, researching long-forgotten plants that require some very unusual conditions to make them blossom. You’ll get to explore a majestic English manor house and its beautifully cultivated gardens to uncover Arabella’s decades of research and solve puzzles to figure out the exact conditions each plant requires. As you explore the tranquil homestead, you’ll also learn more about Arabella’s life and struggles as a woman in the botanical sciences during that era.  

Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island is Coming to Xbox at Launch

Your Island getaway is close at hand — Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island is coming to Xbox this summer! In a new video, Polygon Treehouse’s Alex Kanaris-Sotiriou shared an in-depth look at more of the gameplay, including a comprehensive look at the central friendship mechanic, treasure hunting, and much more!

Summer can’t come soon enough because we’re so eager for you to walk the beautiful sandy beaches of Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island. Playing as backpacker Alex, who finds herself shipwrecked on a stunning Mediterranean Island, you explore a gorgeous vacation-worthy setting and meet the many residents of the Island — who just so happen to be the gods of Greek myths and legends! Something is amiss, however, as you discover the gods have forgotten who they are. It’s up to you to befriend them, search for clues and treasures to gain their trust, and help them recover their memories so they can help you in your search to find your way back home!

New Magical Delicacy Gameplay Revealed

We’re gearing up to cook up a storm this year with the cozy Metroidvania-lite cooking game Magical Delicacy — coming to Xbox, available day one with Xbox Game Pass this year! To get you ready to venture off on your own culinary adventure, solo developer sKaule dropped by the showcase with a special message and a new gameplay trailer showing off more of the town, its community of adventurers, ingredients, and of course, delicious recipes!

Journey as the young witch Flora to the charming harbor town of Grat, and whip up and deliver some tasty treats for the town’s eclectic residents. As you traverse the 2D platformer inspired by Metroidvanias, you’ll visit shops, meet the interesting townsfolk, and take on quests to collect recipes and gather exotic ingredients. A good chef is resourceful, so you’ll be able to take your customizable recipes to the next level by foraging throughout the town and growing yummy veggies in your garden. With secrets, mysteries, and drama to unravel in the bewitching linear story, Flora’s adventures in Grat are sure to whet your appetite and leave you saying, “Bon Appetit!”

Accessibility in Games Matters

Making sure that gaming is an inclusive experience is an important part of the games we publish, so as part of our showcase, our Chief Accessibility Officer, Britt Dye, outlined some of the accessibility features that will be available in our upcoming games. From high contrast and color-blind visual accommodations to dyslexia-friendly fonts, multiple control configurations for two- or one-handed play, adjustable camera settings, non-narrative descriptive text and more, we are dedicated to making sure that as many players as possible can enjoy their gaming experience. In addition to the showcase, you can also find more detailed information about the accessibility features for each of our games on our website.

We hope you enjoy the showcase and announcements. We’re looking forward to sharing even more news about each of our 2024 titles coming to Xbox, so stay tuned!