Studio Ghibli-esque Xbox freebie has you build a utopia atop a city-sized creature; no Game Pass required

Xbox Game Pass has a near-endless supply of excellent games to play, but there are plenty of options for those without a subscription, too.

While free game trials are largely a thing of the past, there are some developers/publishers that still like to give you the chance to try before you buy, unlike Sony, which asks you to pay, then try, then buy with PlayStation Plus Premium…

Over on the Xbox Store is a little game called The Wandering Village, and it’s worth a play if you like a Studio Ghibli vibe.

We stumbled upon this game through a video by Bonfire Gaming on TikTok, and it’s a cosy city-builder set atop an enormous creature.

Its synopsis reads: “In a world where mysterious plants are spreading all over the earth, emitting toxic spores as they grow, a small group of survivors seeks shelter on the back of a giant, wandering creature they call 'Onbu'.

“Become their leader, build their settlement and form a symbiotic relationship with the creature to survive together in this hostile, yet beautiful post-apocalyptic world that now surrounds you.”

If anyone reading has seen Doctor Who, it’s a bit like the Season 5 episode The Beast Below, which saw the last surviving remnants of planet Earth take to the stars on gargantuan Star Whales.

There’s only a finite amount of space on Onbu’s back to build on, so managing your resources and the borders of your city becomes essential for survival.

You can ally yourself with the creature for what could be the perfect partnership, or perhaps you’ll choose to exploit it for the betterment of your people. The choice is ultimately yours, and we’ll only judge you a little bit if you’re cruel to your new home.

Stray Fawn Publishing, WhisperGames

For those into city-builders, it sounds like a perfect new game for you to play, but even those with little to no experience with the genre are encouraged to try it for free on Xbox. You don’t need an Xbox Game Pass subscription.

The Wandering Village is titanic in scale, but won’t take too much of your time

It’s not even a long game. HowLongToBeat reckons the main story will take around 13 hours, whereas the longest playthroughs could take 37 hours.

A DLC called The Last Leviathan is also on the way, which will allow your settlement to travel the seas on an aquatic creature instead.

The Wandering Village is free to try on Xbox, but for those who’d rather buy it instead, it’ll cost you $29.99/£24.99.

Alternatively, you can get it cheaper on PlayStation, where it’s currently listed for a discounted price of $20.99/£17.49. The discount ends on August 13. No free trial is available on this platform, though.

You can also find the game on the Nintendo Switch eShop and Steam for the same retail prices. It’s even Steam Deck verified for those that’d rather play on the go.

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