Double Fine’s new game marks rapid post-Xbox pivot

Double Fine has moved quickly since leaving Xbox, launching a low-cost experimental title under its new independent label.

Thank You Bus Driver

Developer: Double Fine Productions | Publisher: Double Fine Action Labs
Platforms: Steam (Windows; Steam Deck Verified), Epic Games Store, Itch.io, GOG, Humble Store, Game Jolt
Price: $5

The studio’s first release after the Microsoft separation is a chaotic bus-driving sim. Players enforce arbitrary rules—preventing passengers from clipping toenails or falling asleep—while racing against time limits. Combat involves slaps and kicks to eject unruly riders.

Valor Mortis

Developer: One More Level | Publishers: Lyrical Games, One More Level
Platforms: Steam (Windows), Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5
Price: $40 (Game Pass available); Deluxe Edition $60

One More Level shifted from the high-speed Ghostrunner series to a first-person Soulslike set in the Napoleonic Wars. Vincent Cassel voices a corrupted Napoleon reviving a presumed-dead British soldier amid a plague-induced horror landscape. The game blends melee and firearms with Metroidvania-style ability gating.

Ratatan

Developers: TVT Co. Ltd., Ratata Arts | Publisher: Game Source Entertainment
Platforms: Steam (Windows), Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Nintendo Switch 2
Price: $35

Hiroyuki Kotani, creator of Patapon, returns with this rhythm-action roguelite. Players direct minions via beat-based commands to attack, defend, or reposition. Early access versions exhibited framerate instability on PS5, though the core loop demands precise timing between musical loops to execute moves.

Colorbound

Developer: Panpipe Studio | Publisher: Whitethorn Games
Platforms: Steam, Epic Games Store, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Switch 2
Price: $15 (10% discount until Oct. 26)

This platformer uses color manipulation to solve puzzles, where lighter hues float platforms and darker ones drop them. Set against Chilean cultural backdrops, the story follows Anku, a boy trying to reunite his late grandfather’s band for a final performance.

Enshrouded

Developer/Publisher: Keen Games
Platforms: Steam (Windows), PS5 (Xbox coming spring 2027)
Price: $40 (10% discount until Oct. 29)

Leaving early access, Enshrouded expands its co-op survival RPG with a full map, new biomes, and higher level caps. The standout addition is Sparkworks, a logic system allowing players to build and share custom dungeons and interactive bases.

Pixel Washer

Developer: Valadria | Publisher: Acclaim
Platform: Steam (Windows; early access)
Price: $13 (15% discount until Oct. 22)

Acclaim, formerly a major AAA publisher now operating as an indie label, released this power-washing simulation. Players control a piggy equipped with a pressure washer to clean environments. The launch trailer features narration by Tim Kitzrow, known for NBA Jam.

Penguin Colony

Developer: Origame Digital | Publisher: Fellow Traveller
Platforms: Steam (Windows; Steam Deck Verified), GOG, Humble Store
Price: $15 (10% discount until Oct. 30)

A follow-up to Umurangi Generation, this horror title adapts H.P. Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness through a penguin perspective. Set in the 1930s Antarctic, players navigate encounters with Nazis and Maori guardians seeking an ancient entity.

Tenebris Somnia

Developers: Andrés Borghi, Saibot Studios | Publisher: New Blood Interactive
Platforms: Steam, Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Switch
Price: $25

Directed by Andrés Borghi, this pixel-art survival horror integrates live-action cutscenes. Borghi previously worked on visual effects for films like When Evil Lurks. The game relies on FMV sequences to reveal narrative secrets alongside retro gameplay mechanics.

Hubert

Developer/Publisher: Brocap Studio
Platforms: Steam (Windows; demo available), PS5 (later in October)
Price: $20 (10% discount until Oct. 28)

A short shepherding adventure lasting three to four hours. Players guide sheep through harsh terrain while fending off wolves. Though not officially Steam Deck Verified, developers claim optimization for Valve’s handheld hardware.