Summary
TheDungeons of HinterbergSteamplaytest has gone live ahead of the game’s summer 2024 debut. Aside fromSteam, this picturesque title will also be coming to the Xbox Series X/S, in addition to being a day-one Xbox Game Pass release.
Dungeons of Hinterbergelicited someHi-Fi Rushcomparisonswith its June 2023 reveal, primarily due to its use of stylish cel-shaded graphics. But the debut title from Austrian studio Microbird Games appears to be going for a vastly different kind of experience, one that combines elements of everything fromPersonatoThe Legend of Zelda.

Dungeons of Hinterberg Steam Playtest Now Available Until May 16
Some of the players whose curiosity was already piqued by this premise have been able to see first-hand how it works in practice since May 9, whenDungeons of Hinterberglaunched its playtest on Steam. The game itself isn’t available for pre-orders just yet, meaning there’s no purchase prerequisite for enrolling in the closed beta. Even people planning toeventually playDungeons of Hinterbergvia Xbox Game Passhence have a chance to try it out before it reaches Microsoft’s subscription service, so long as they have a compatible PC and some luck. Namely, the playtest is invite-only, though anyone canrequest accessvia the game’s Steam page.
Game Rant can confirm that the initial batch ofDungeons of Hinterbergbeta invites has been sent out no later than the early morning hours ET on May 9. Based on the wording of Microbird’s accompanying announcement, it would appear that prospective testers who haven’t yet signed up for the beta still have a chance to get into it if they request access in the days ahead. The test itself is limited to the opening hours of the game, during which protagonist Luisa arrives in the village of Hinterberg in the Austrian Alps in search of some escape from the hectic life of a law trainee.

Aside from an introduction to the story and combat mechanics, the prologue also offers a chance to explore some of the game’s vivid locations, including a portion of its mountain range and multiple dungeons. It also features some minor opportunities to mingle with NPCs and get used to the social bond system after about an hour of gameplay. However, players who are primarily interested in seeing everything thisPersona-like aspect of the game has to offer will have to wait forDungeons of Hinterbergto release on Xbox Game Passand its other target platforms on July 18.
Xbox Game Pass Already Has 2 Day-One Games Confirmed for July 2024
It is presently unclear whether publisher Curve Games intends to offer pre-orders for the upcoming title. Another unknown is its price tag, which has yet to be announced. But what’s clear already is thatDungeons of Hinterbergwon’t be the only day-one release on Microsoft’s subscription service in July 2024, asFrostpunk 2is also confirmed to be launching on Xbox Game Passthat same month.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is the highest tier of Microsoft’s flagship game subscription service that offers over 100 game titles that you can play with a single purchase, making it one of the most outstanding value propositions of the Xbox ecosystem to date.