Next Week On Xbox (January 12–16): New Horror, Cozy Cats, Club Tycoons, And More Hit Xbox Series X|S And PC

Next Week on Xbox: January 12–16 overview

Xbox is loading up the middle of January with a surprisingly stacked “Next Week on Xbox” drop covering January 12–16 across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC. Players can expect everything from ultra‑realistic sims and cozy puzzlers to grim psychological horror and neon‑lit action platformers, with many titles Optimized for Xbox Series X|S or supporting Smart Delivery and Xbox Play Anywhere. If you’re planning your next week of gaming, here’s a clean breakdown of every game, what it offers, and a direct link to its Xbox Store page.

January 12: Realistic bus sim kicks things off

Bus Driving Simulator: EVO (January 12)

Platforms/Features: Xbox Series X|S, PC, Optimized for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Play Anywhere.
Xbox Store: https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/bus-driving-simulator-evo/9MWPSMN6N7JK

Bus Driving Simulator: EVO puts you in the driver’s seat as a professional bus driver, transporting passengers across three detailed cities: Rio de Janeiro, Munich, and Los Angeles. The sim leans into realism with a next‑gen physics engine, dynamic weather, day–night cycles, and a mix of city and suburban routes that demand careful, rule‑abiding driving.

You can progress in a structured Career mode to unlock additional buses and more complex lines or relax in Freeride while still being scored on safety and punctuality. With multiple vehicle types—including standard diesel buses, an electric bus, and a school bus—this one is squarely aimed at fans of deep, methodical driving sims.

January 13: Debt, railways, and tavern life

Loan Shark (January 13)

Platforms/Features: Xbox Series X|S, Optimized for Xbox Series X|S.
Xbox Store: https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/loan-shark/9P6V3JB95XLX

Loan Shark is a narrative‑driven horror experience where you play an indebted angler stuck in a desperate cycle of borrowing on a dark, seemingly endless sea. Everything changes when you haul up Cagliuso, a talking fish that offers riches—if you’re willing to accept increasingly unsettling bargains that pull you deeper into danger.

Each deal you strike affects your situation as something monstrous stalks the waters and your deadline closes in, making “loan shark” more literal than metaphor. It’s a tense, atmosphere‑heavy pick for players who like horror with a strong narrative and moral choices.

SimRail – The Railway Simulator (January 13)

Platforms/Features: Xbox Series X|S, PC, Optimized for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Play Anywhere.
Xbox Store: https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/simrail-the-railway-simulator/9N4KGH8QWH5R

SimRail aims to usher in a new era of realistic railway simulation, offering about 500 km of real‑world routes recreated using geodetic data. You can operate modern European high‑speed, long‑distance, and commuter services or travel back to the 1980s and run steam trains on the industrial lines of Upper Silesia, Poland.

Between advanced train physics, highly detailed environments, and extensive multiplayer options, SimRail is clearly built for players who crave authenticity and system depth in their simulators.

Tavern Manager Simulator (January 13)

Platforms/Features: Xbox Series X|S, Optimized for Xbox Series X|S, Smart Delivery.
Xbox Store: https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/tavern-manager-simulator/9PMQNL927S85

Tavern Manager Simulator hands you a rundown tavern and asks you to rebuild, expand, and turn it into a thriving hub. You’ll redesign rooms, manage supplies, make staffing and service decisions, and respond to external challenges that can shift customer behavior.

The game rewards experimenting with different management styles, letting you carve out your own unique tavern story rather than following a single “correct” path.

January 14: From cozy cats to full‑on horror

Bob The Brick Breaker (January 14)

Xbox Store: https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/bob-brick-breaker/9P2JV1SG0C70

Bob The Brick Breaker modernizes classic brick‑breaking gameplay with waves of increasingly tough bricks, minions, and boss fights that ramp up the challenge as you climb. Local co‑op lets you tackle stages with a friend, or battle head‑to‑head to see who survives longest.

If you’re into chasing scores, online leaderboards give you a global stage to prove your skills and optimize your runs.

Cats Around Us: Giant Cat (January 14)

Xbox Store: https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/cats-around-us-giant-cat/9P9KPR2ZFS9L

Cats Around Us: Giant Cat drops a gigantic, sleepy cat right into the middle of an otherwise quiet village, creating chaos that’s perfect for hidden‑object hunting. You’ll explore four comic‑style illustrated pages, searching for hundreds of cleverly hidden felines while taking breaks with relaxing jigsaw puzzles.

The mix of cozy art, gentle pacing, and playful cat chaos makes this a great low‑stress option for fans of hidden‑object and storybook‑style games.

Direction Quad (January 14)

Platforms/Features: Optimized for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Play Anywhere, Smart Delivery.
Xbox Store: https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/direction-quad/9N9J3WNHB2G3

Direction Quad is a top‑down 2D action‑adventure with chunky pixel art, starring Quad, a frog apprentice under the Wise Toad. The twist: Quad can only hop diagonally, forcing you to think about movement and positioning in a very deliberate way as you collect coins and bugs through trap‑filled swamps.

Each level becomes a puzzle of routing and timing, making this a tight, skill‑driven pick for players who like precise control challenges.

DreadOut Remastered Collection (January 14)

Xbox Store: https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/dreadout-remastered-collection/9PDKNTXZLJLC

DreadOut Remastered Collection bundles the cult Indonesian horror game DreadOut with DreadOut: Keepers of the Dark in one package. You play Linda, a high‑school student trapped in an abandoned town, armed only with a smartphone and SLR camera to confront terrifying spirits and solve occult puzzles.

Keepers of the Dark adds fresh locations and encounters within the same universe, dialing up the atmosphere for both newcomers and returning fans of camera‑based ghost hunting.

God bless, or Goddess (January 14)

Platforms/Features: Optimized for Xbox Series X|S, Handheld Optimized, Xbox Play Anywhere, Smart Delivery.
Xbox Store: https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/god-bless-or-goddess/9N67ML57P7KS

God bless, or Goddess follows Lin Fan, a chosen disciple of the Crane Illusion Sect whose path to immortality is constantly diverted by seven dangerously captivating women. Born with a Pure Yang Lineage, Lin Fan is meant to ascend to the heavens, but temptation shows up as an unreliable master, strict senior sister, and a saintess more interested in testing his heart than his skills.

The game leans into cultivation fantasy blended with romance, focusing on how you navigate love, jealousy, and literal heavenly tribulations on the road to ascension.

The Last Case of John Morley (January 14)

Platforms/Features: Optimized for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Play Anywhere.
Xbox Store: https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/the-last-case-of-john-morley/9P593JT4NSL5

The Last Case of John Morley is a first‑person narrative mystery set in the 1940s, starring a seasoned detective recovering from months in hospital. Lady Margarette Fordside, an aristocrat haunted by her daughter’s murder two decades earlier, pulls him into re‑examining a case the police declared closed.

What starts as a simple review spirals into a tour of forgotten locations and long‑buried secrets that refuse to stay hidden, catering to fans of slow‑burn detective storytelling.

Ninja Nightfall (January 14)

Platforms/Features: Optimized for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Play Anywhere, Smart Delivery.
Xbox Store: https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/ninja-nightfall/9MTHHSXNXG2M

Ninja Nightfall is a fast‑paced platformer where you’re the last silent guardian—a lone ninja fighting a city overrun by hostile AI. Across 10 stages, you’ll slash through robots, uncover hidden areas, and steal high‑security relics while using stealth, speed, and precise movement on neon‑soaked rooftops.

If you enjoy tight action, short but intense stages, and stylish cyber‑ninja vibes, this belongs on your radar.

January 15: Quantum tapes, nightclubs, time loops, and space cats

CASSETTE BOY (January 15)

Platforms/Features: Optimized for Xbox Series X|S, Smart Delivery.
Xbox Store: https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/cassette-boy/9NCNRHKG2H44

CASSETTE BOY builds its entire premise around a classic Einstein question about whether the moon exists when nobody looks, turning it into a mysterious puzzle RPG where the world only exists if you see it. That perception‑driven hook underpins exploration and puzzle design, effectively making your viewpoint part of the game’s core mechanics.

It’s the kind of experimental concept that should appeal if you like RPGs that twist reality and force you to think spatially and logically at the same time.

Disco Simulator (January 15)

Platforms/Features: Optimized for Xbox Series X|S.
Xbox Store: https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/disco-simulator/9NSZ56HL2GKZ

Disco Simulator is a straightforward pitch: your own nightclub, built from nothing. You’ll place walls, design dance floors, arrange bars and chill areas, hire staff, schedule events, and book artists to keep the party going and the cash flowing.

The focus on layout, staff management, and event planning positions this as a deep management sim wrapped in a flashy, music‑driven presentation.

Dreamscapes – Nightmare’s Heir (January 15)

Platforms/Features: Optimized for Xbox Series X|S, Smart Delivery.
Xbox Store: https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/dreamscapes–nightmares-heir/9ND472WN92TT

Set two years after Laura escaped a coma, Dreamscapes – Nightmare’s Heir finds the Sandman returning for revenge. A peaceful mountain vacation turns tragic when Tim falls from a cliff and slips into a coma, forcing Laura—who vowed not to use her power for personal reasons—to team up with you and enter his subconscious.

You’ll explore eerie dream worlds, solve puzzles, and confront shadowy entities before the Sandman can claim his next “heir,” making this ideal for fans of narrative‑driven hidden‑object adventures.

KEJORA (January 15)

Xbox Store: https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/kejora/9NQC64WL4N5J

Kejora follows its titular protagonist as she discovers her once‑peaceful village has been reliving the same day on an endless loop. Together with two supporting companions, each with unique abilities, she sets out to uncover the source of the time curse and the secrets hidden beneath the village’s calm façade.

Hand‑drawn art, environmental platforming, and party‑inspired gameplay give Kejora a distinct indie identity that should resonate with players who love character‑driven platformers.

Mel The Space Cat (January 15)

Platforms/Features: Optimized for Xbox Series X|S.
Xbox Store: https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/mel-the-space-cat/9N9MB354JFC0

Mel The Space Cat casts you as Mel, a determined cosmic cat trying to survive across dangerous alien planets over 40 handcrafted levels. You’ll dodge energy traps, laser cannons, and hostile terrain while dealing with the mysterious alien Theo, all under zero‑gravity‑inspired twists

It’s a charming yet challenging platformer that mixes cute visuals with tight, reflex‑driven gameplay.

January 16: Horror, puzzles, AI wars, farming chaos, and candy marbles

Apartment No 129 (January 16)

Platforms/Features: Optimized for Xbox Series X|S.
Xbox Store: https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/apartment-no-129/9N7N7606CH70

Apartment No 129 is a first‑person horror game inspired by a real 2009 case in Turkey involving two girls allegedly performing satanic rituals and dying under mysterious circumstances. The game sets you inside the top‑floor apartment where it all happened, leaning on atmosphere, tension, and environmental storytelling over action.

It’s an intriguing option for horror fans who prefer grounded, “based on a true story” vibes over monsters and jump‑scare‑heavy design.

Baking Time (January 16)

Platforms/Features: Xbox Play Anywhere.
Xbox Store: https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/baking-time/9MWXMP54Z163

Baking Time is a light, family‑friendly arcade game where you stack and serve baked goods—from croissants to cookie hearts—to a constantly growing line of customers. Using a spatula to move items from oven to display, you’ll race to fulfill orders as efficiently as possible.

Its quick, snackable structure makes it a good fit for short sessions or younger players.

Battle Puzzle 2048 – Queens of the Abyss (January 16)

Platforms/Features: Optimized for Xbox Series X|S.
Xbox Store: https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/battle-puzzle-2048–queens-of-the-abyss/9NJB47PC76ZP

Battle Puzzle 2048 – Queens of the Abyss layers combat and enemy abilities on top of classic 2048 tile‑sliding gameplay. You’ll face off against witches, vampires, and cute demon girls who manipulate the grid by hexing tiles, draining your health, or generally stirring chaos.

That extra layer of pressure and strategy should click with puzzle fans who want more depth than a standard endless 2048 run.

BrokenLore: UNFOLLOW (January 16)

Platforms/Features: Optimized for Xbox Series X|S, Smart Delivery.
Xbox Store: https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/brokenlore-unfollow/9NS630HX5ZTX

BrokenLore: UNFOLLOW is a first‑person psychological horror game that digs into the dark consequences of social media and bullying. You play as Anne, trapped in a surreal nightmare born from years of trauma, trying to navigate distorted memories and piece together a buried truth.

Its modern subject matter and focus on mental health should set it apart from more traditional supernatural horror releases.

Grimoire of Dominance (January 16)

Platforms/Features: Optimized for Xbox Series X|S.
Xbox Store: https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/grimoire-of-dominance/9N7J7K9ZPL2V

Grimoire of Dominance is a 2D action‑platformer where the world’s natural order has collapsed after Bahg’Val, an ancient entity, possesses your master and threatens total annihilation. As a high mage wielding the legendary Grimoire, your power literally comes from dominance—you become what you defeat.

This “you are what you kill” mechanic encourages experimenting with builds and enemy abilities as you push through increasingly dangerous stages.

Milo’s Dream (January 16)

Platforms/Features: Optimized for Xbox Series X|S, Smart Delivery, local co‑op.
Xbox Store: https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/milos-dream/9PCQWR90GHG9

Milo’s Dream follows Milo, a brave and playful dog determined to topple King Big Flea and his henchmen, who terrorize a fairy‑tale kingdom. Across four branching locations, you’ll solve puzzles, defeat enemies, and collect bones that unlock new powers, with the option to bring in a second player via local co‑op.

It’s a family‑friendly adventure that should work well for couch co‑op evenings.

Neural Requiem (January 16)

Platforms/Features: Optimized for Xbox Series X|S.
Xbox Store: https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/neural-requiem/9NLND8S41J1R

Neural Requiem takes place in a world crushed by a ruthless AI whose machines rule the skies and ruins of human cities. You play as John Veyron, a soldier reborn through brutal experiments, stripped of his past but equipped with heavy firepower and unbreakable resolve.

The campaign pushes you through AI‑controlled strongholds and boss‑like champions as you fight toward the heart of the machine, aiming squarely at players who want a darker, combat‑heavy sci‑fi shooter.

Super Farming Boy (January 16)

Platforms/Features: Optimized for Xbox Series X|S.
Xbox Store: https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/super-farming-boy/9NLWRTB44BCB

Super Farming Boy mixes farming sim DNA with action and puzzle elements, leaning heavily on chain reactions and combo‑driven harvesting. You play Super, a farmer forced by the evil KORPO®©TM to work his own land while all profits are taxed, with his mom and friends held hostage and literally up for sale.

Your goal is to harvest smartly enough to buy them back, giving the usual farming grind a clear narrative motivation and a more intense edge.

Zumba – Marble Candy Rush (January 16)

Platforms/Features: Optimized for Xbox Series X|S.
Xbox Store: https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/zumba–marble-candy-rush/9MZM0XSZ1BX4

Zumba – Marble Candy Rush is a candy‑themed marble shooter set in a kingdom ruled by the Candy King. You’ll aim and fire candy marbles from a character’s mouth to match three or more and clear chains before they roll past the sugar gate, with bonus points for chaining explosive combos.

Each level awards up to three stars, giving you plenty of reason to replay and perfect your routes if you enjoy score‑chasing puzzle games.

This “Next Week on Xbox” lineup for January 12–16 is one of those drops where there really is something for almost every type of player, from hardcore sim fans and horror enthusiasts to puzzle addicts and cozy‑game enjoyers. Don’t forget to check out the latest Xbox Game Pass announcement for January 2026. Whether you’re planning to lose hours in Bus Driving Simulator: EVO or SimRail, experiment with off‑beat indies like CASSETTE BOY and Kejora, or chase high scores in Zumba – Marble Candy Rush and Bob The Brick Breaker, this week is a great time to refresh your backlog with a few new favorites.

Next Week on Xbox (January 12–16): New Horror, Cozy Cats, Club Tycoons, and More Hit Xbox Series X|S and PC

Next Week on Xbox: January 12–16 overview