From the creators of the hit animated sci-fi showRick and Morty,High On Life is a surprising shooter that delivers a fun, space-y adventure with that classic hit-or-miss Justin Roiland humor. The story finds a nameless protagonist and their sister flung in the middle of an alien conflict while their parents are on vacation. We won’t spoil the story here but it’s a lovely little adventure full of hijinx, shootouts, and in-jokes.

Bethesda’s latest RPG sends players into space to pilot their own spaceship and explore hundreds of star systems. While the game may not be as expansiveas players had originally hoped, it has beena massive success. ANo Man’s Sky doppelganger with aFallout 4style, anyone who has enjoyed previous Bethesda titles or loves sci-fi adventures will enjoy losing themselves in this game.

If there’s one franchise just about everyone wants but can only get on one console, it’s Nintendo’s Zelda titles. While we can’t actually get the official adventures of the tunic-wearing hero of Hyrule, we can get games heavily inspired by them, with one of the best beingTunic.This game has you take control of a little fox in a green, well, tunic, wielding a sword and shield. If you imagine Link, only with fox features, that’s the main character. And the inspiration doesn’t just stop at the visual design, but the gameplay, too. You explore a big, confusing world full of puzzles and monsters to fight while learning the distinct language of the land. The twist of collecting the game’s manual in the game itself is a simple but fantastic way to really engross you in the experience.

In a year that lacked many compelling Xbox Series X exclusives,Pentiment stands out as a narrative-focused adventure RPG set in 16th Century Europe. Sporting a unique art style and engaging story for murder, mystery, and impactful choices,Pentiment is one of the best games published by Xbox Game Studios in some time. Its a bit subtler on the RPG front with its persuasion system and character backgrounds, but it should appeal to fans of that genre just as much as it would to adventure game fans.

If you had asked us in the first yearCyberpunk 2077came out if we would recommend playing it on your Series X and we’d say no way. Now, multiple years, patches, and updates later, it has become the amazing RPG that was always there, but was bogged down in technical issues. The world of Night City is lively and full of interesting sights and sounds, and all the quests raise interesting questions about the line between humanity and technology as the two begin to blend. ThePhantom LibertyDLC could even be the best part of the experience with its more espionage-focused story.

The less you read aboutBlue Princebefore you play it, the better. Just know that this is a puzzle roguelike where progress isn’t determined by arbitrary upgrades, but instead your own ability to understand and solve the game’s mysteries. This game starts out simple but has so much to discover within its walls. Your initial goal is to reach the hidden 46th room in a mansion whose layout changes each day you explore it, but the secrets and puzzles go far beyond that. This game is all about observing, experimenting, and using your own logic to make progress. This is a roguelike where you do get better each and every run, but only if you as the player are paying attention and learn.