At GDC 2015, exploration appeared to be a recurring theme for games at Microsoft's ID@Xbox showcase.

ID@Xbox itself is a program built on exploration and discovery, attempting to bring a wide breadth of indie games to Xbox One and introduce players to unique experiences not typically found with risk-averse blockbuster game studios.

Team17



In that spirit of discovery, three games from the showcase stood out in how they embodied game exploration, both through rich worlds and unique play styles among the Xbox One library.

By far the most stunning game at Microsoft's ID@Xbox showcase was Beyond Eyes. The game puts players into the role of a young girl who lost her sight at an early age, and is venturing far from home for the first time in search of her runaway cat.

Beyond Eyes is beautiful in motion, using a watercolor art style to fill in the world based on what she touches and hears in the environment. Clucking chickens and chirping frogs highlight pockets of scenery while the girl holds out her hands to brush against bushes and fences to 'see' her more immediate surroundings.

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However, the little girl's frame of reference is limited to what she knew before losing her sight, leading to unique juxtapositions of perspective. At one point in the demo a rhythmic tapping sound in the distance appeared on the screen as a woodpecker on a tree, only to transform into a ticking crosswalk sign at a street intersection once the girl got close enough to touch it.

Beyond Eyes is a game that focuses more on exploration and perception than puzzles and fail states, which seemed to position it as the Xbox One's answer to the sorts of games usually put out by Sony Santa Monica like Hohokum and The Unfinished Swan.

What makes the game even more fascinating is that indie developer Sherida Halatoe has found a publisher for her game with Team 17, a studio known more for games with a focus on traditional game mechanics than for more abstract representations like in Beyond Eyes. It marks a mature turning point for the publisher, and for the Xbox One, with games like Beyond Eyes expanding the idea of what games can accomplish.

Uppercut Games



Elsewhere in the ID@Xbox showcase, Submerged from Uppercut Games offered another unique game world to explore.

As the name suggests, the world of Submerged has been almost entirely engulfed by water, as skyscrapers overgrown with vines jut out of the water to form a series of islands where a city once stood.

Like Beyond Eyes, Submerged emphasises exploration at the expense of combat and fail conditions.

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Nevertheless, it offers a more traditional game experience as you navigate a small boat through the canals of the city and climb ruins in a way reminiscent of 2013's Tomb Raider, all the while searching for supplies and uncovering story secrets about what happened to the world.

There was only a short time to demo Submerged at the showcase, but even from that brief session it's clear that the game world is absolutely engrossing; the gorgeous visuals help bring it to life in a way that begs to be explored as a leaping dolphin in the distance or the glint from the top of a skyscraper constantly piqued my curiosity.

Finally, the exploration theme of Microsoft's ID@Xbox showcase leads to The Flame in the Flood, a game that blends elements of Oregon Trail and Don't Starve to make a survival adventure all of its own.

The Molasses Flood



The Flame in the Flood sees players rafting down a river trying to outrun a torrential rainstorm, stopping at various islands along the way to gather supplies and find some respite from the wet weather conditions.

The game's most striking feature is the tangible sense of momentum pushing you onward down the river. The constant threat of a storm at your back makes hypothermia just as likely to kill you as starvation or the local wildlife.

Even with shelter and a campfire, each island is relatively small and has limited supplies, which makes it impossible to settle in one place for long before returning to the river.

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The river has its own dangers, with rapids and obstacles that can knock you into the water and put you at even greater risk from the elements.

From their diverse play styles to their prominent female protagonists, Beyond Eyes, Submerged and The Flame in the Flood all show great promise for the future of exploration-focused games on Xbox One, and expand the horizon for the types of games players can expect on Microsoft's console this year.

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