Xbox Just Dropped 37 Free Indie Demos and You Have Until Dec 31 to Try Them

Xbox is closing out 2025 by putting indie games front and centre. The new ID@Xbox Indie Selects Demo Fest is live now, letting players download 37 free demos from indie developers around the world.

Most of these demos are on Xbox Series X|S, with a few also on PC and handheld-style devices. All of them are free to try until 31 December 2025, which makes this a neat end-of-year sampler if you’re in the UAE and not in the mood to pay full price for yet another big release.

Xbox is clear that these are work-in-progress builds, so expect bugs, missing features and balance tweaks by the time the full games launch. That’s the trade-off for trying them early.

What is the Xbox Indie Selects Demo Fest?

Xbox is using its Indie Selects label to spotlight a bundle of curated indie demos for a limited time. It’s part of the wider ID@Xbox programme, which helps independent studios self-publish on Xbox.

• Branded as “ID@Xbox Indie Selects Demo Fest”. Features 37 demos from indie teams worldwide.
• Focus is on curated, standout indies, not just everything on the store.
• Connected to the ID@Xbox self-publishing programme.
• Presented on a dedicated Indie Selects Demo Fest page on Xbox.com and the Xbox store.

Xbox describes Indie Selects as its “go-to destination” for highlighting standout indie games inside the Xbox Store, with a curated list chosen by its internal team rather than just algorithmic recommendations. The Demo Fest takes that idea and turns it into a time-limited event: a pile of free demos you can grab right now, then decide what’s worth wishlisting or buying later.

How long are the 37 demos available?

There’s a clear timer on this one. The event is live now and the demos are only guaranteed to stick around until the end of 31 December 2025. After that, Xbox says many of them will be removed from the store.

• Demos are free to download and play during the event period.
• Available now and running through 31 December 2025.
• After that, many demos will disappear from the Xbox store.
• Expect regional store timings, but plan as if they’ll vanish by New Year’s Eve in your local region.

If you’re in the UAE, that basically means you’ve got the rest of December to download whatever looks interesting, and you shouldn’t wait until the last minute. Once the event ends, some devs may leave their demos up, but Xbox is already warning that many will not, so treat everything as temporary.

What games are in the Indie Selects line-up?

The full list includes 37 titles, ranging from cosy slice-of-life vibes to weirder experiments and strategy games. The VGC report and Xbox’s own post line up on the key demos and platforms.

• Console-focused: Almost all demos are on Xbox consoles – only two skip console entirely.
• PC and handheld support: Games like Raging Bill, Realm of Ink and Reef Defense support PC and/or handheld-style devices.
• Recognisable names: Titles in the list include:
  • Coffee Talk Tokyo
  • Pathologic 3
  • Mark of the Deep
  • Knuckle Jet
  • STONKS-9800: Stock Market Simulator
• Mix of studios: Some games are from solo or small teams, others from better-known indie publishers.

If you want the full list with store links, Xbox has a dedicated Indie Selects Demo Fest hub on its site and within the Xbox Store interface, listing each demo and platform support. From the UAE, you’ll see regional pricing as “Free” during the event, just like any other demo, so you can grab them without worrying about surprise charges.

How to download the Indie Selects demos on Xbox and PC

There isn’t a special app to install. Xbox is serving these like normal demos, just grouped under the Demo Fest banner.

• On Xbox Series X|S:
  • Open the Store.
  • Look for the Indie Selects / Demo Fest section on the home or Games tab.
  • Or search for a specific game name, e.g. “Coffee Talk Tokyo”, and grab the demo.
• On PC:
  • Go to the Microsoft Store app or the Fest page in your browser.
  • Sign in with the same Xbox account you use on console.
  • Hit Get on the demo; it’ll either download on that PC or queue to your linked Xbox.
• On handheld-style devices (Windows handhelds):
  • Same as PC – you’re essentially just using the Microsoft Store on a small Windows device.

Once installed, the demos behave like any other game on your console or PC: they show up in your library, they get updates if the dev pushes one during the event, and they can be uninstalled as normal when you’re done.

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