Hanoi Studios presented Hanoi Puzzles: Solid Matchin an inclusive support institution in Santo Andre, Brazil.
How inclusive games bring benefits to neurodivergent individuals.
Creator Luis Otavio shares the desire to bring this initiative to a wider range of educational institutes in Brazil.
On February 8, 2025, Luis Otavio, co-founder of the Brazilian indie game publisher Hanoi Studios and developer of Hanoi Puzzles: Solid Match, visited Centro de Apoio e Reforço Escolar (CARE), an inclusive support institution in Santo Andre, SP, Brazil. The studio introduced both the Board Game and the ID@Xbox Play Anywhere versions of Hanoi Puzzles: Solid Match, as a support tool for the development of neurodivergent children.
Fernanda Mombelli, neuropsychopedagogue and owner of the institution, emphasized the importance of early identification of a child’s special needs. She also highlighted the key skills and educational stimuli that inclusive games provide for neurodivergent students.
As a new release in the genre, Hanoi Puzzles: Solid Match helps develop attention, concentration, memory, focus, and planning skills, functions in which neurodivergent individuals often face greater challenges.
Hanoi Puzzles: Solid Match is designed to offer a welcoming challenge to players, where the number of moves per level is not enforced, allowing for experimentation and problem-solving at your own pace. Check out what pedagogue and physical educator Alan Nobre had to say about this initiative:
“In early childhood education, we don’t aim for high performance. We want this to be the happiest moment of a child’s life, because we believe that a happy child learns more, develops more and that’s our main goal.”
Take a deeper look at how inclusive games benefit neurodivergent individuals.
A student with ADHD, anxiety disorder, stuttering, and socialization difficulties played the game, and Fernanda Mombelli documented and observed their engagement and learning process:
“Initially, with minimal guidance, the student quickly understood the objective of the game and demonstrated rapid progress through the early stages. However, upon reaching the intermediate stages, they encountered more complex challenges, which led to visible signs of anxiety, including stuttering. The game was paused, and the student was instructed to take a deep breath, observe, and click on each piece to explore the available paths before making a decision. With this structured approach, they gradually overcame their difficulties and continued progressing through the intermediate stages.
Additionally, when engaging with the board game version in cooperative mode alongside two educators, they expressed great enthusiasm, stating that they loved the game and wanted to play more frequently during the sessions. This response not only highlighted their enjoyment of the activity but also indicated significant progress in their socialization skills, attention, concentration, and sense of belonging. It was a truly rewarding moment for all of us.”
What does the future of inclusive games look like for Luis?
“I want to develop more games with inclusion in mind and make this initiative reach a wider range of educational institutes in Brazil”.
If you’re looking for more resources and tips for family gaming, visit xbox.com/family. You can learn more about what Xbox offers for families, including information about privacy and access to privacy tools, the Xbox Family Settings app and Community Standards.
Play Hanoi Puzzles:Solid Match on Xbox and PC today! The game is available as an Xbox Play Anywhere game with cross save and Smart Delivery.
A new game concept inspired by the classic Tower of Hanoi. Assemble towers stacking pieces of the same color on a hexagonal board with a mysterious and relaxing atmosphere.
Use the rules of the famous Tower of Hanoi puzzle,
where a larger piece cannot be on top of a smaller one.
Unlock blocked hexagonal cells by building a tower of the same color,
to open new paths and advance in the resolution of the Level.
Welcome to Next Week on Xbox! In this weekly feature we cover all the games coming soon to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, the Xbox App on Windows PC, and Game Pass! Get more details on these upcoming games below and click their profiles for further info (release dates subject to change). Let’s jump in!
A co-op action-roguelike for 33 players. Play as a damned soul, and rebel against God’s final judgment. Dive straight into epic, 33-player co-op battles with instant “pick-up and raid” matchmaking. Cooperate with your allies to survive against hordes of monsters and massive, challenging bosses. Expand your arsenal and equip powerful new relics to permanently upgrade your soul.
Forge your baseball journey in The Show. Ignite your passion and build your very own path to greatness, from high school all the way to the Hall of Fame! Along the way, connect with iconic baseball stars in fan-favorite modes updated with new ways to play. You can start playing today by picking up MLB The Show 25 – Digital Deluxe Edition.
Dive into an incredibly fast-paced and beautifully crafted retro runner! Control your robot with just a finger to dodge sawblades, flames and many other dangerous obstacles while flying through an infinite tunnel. Are you ready for the drop? Parachute not included.
Boomerforge is a top-down strategy game inspired by the classic game Bomberman. Place bombs strategically to open the path and find all the required ores. Explode the ores with your bombs to find iron, gold or mithril ingots. Gather everything you can and keep going until Grimfur finally reaches the end of the dungeon.
Get ready to enjoy this crazy 2D platformer adventure starring KinnikuNeko! A cat with the body of a bodybuilder who will fight against a big alien army that has invaded planet Earth and captured all its inhabitants. He will be accompanied by his friends Lemon and Keita, who haven’t yet been captured by evil beings from outer space.
S. Prysm Destroyer is a side-scrolling 2.5D shooter inspired by run ’n gun genre classics and mecha anime. Blast through enemy hordes and collect elemental power-ups to unleash the awesome potential of Prysm Destroyer attacks. Chase high scores through skillful play and unlock loads of costumes for Amor!
Embark on an interstellar puzzle adventure in Stellar Docks, a grid-based logic game featuring charming 2D pixel art. Guide an astronaut as they push drones to their charging docks across challenging maps filled with strategic puzzles. With a top-down view and intuitive controls, the game offers a satisfying progression that will test your problem-solving skills. From the interiors of a spaceship to the icy landscapes of Neptune, explore diverse environments and unravel intricate challenges that push your mastery of each mechanic.
1-Bit Dungeon is a fast-paced 2D action platformer that blends crisp 1-bit pixel art with modern game design. Tight controls, intense combat, and a rewarding difficulty curve await those brave enough to enter. Dodge with precision, learn enemy attack patterns, and strike at the right moment to defeat monsters, ghosts, and slimes in brutal sword-based combat.
Experience an epic historical action-adventure story set in feudal Japan! Become a lethal ninja assassin and a powerful legendary samurai as you explore a beautiful open world in a time of chaos. Switch seamlessly between two unlikely allies as you discover their common destiny. Master complementary playstyles, create your shinobi league, customize your hideout, and usher in a new era for Japan.
Shred your sled in open-world backcountries. Sledders is a realistic, physics-based snowmobile simulator. Maneuver the big open terrain, plow through tons of fresh snow, conquer the mountains, and reach the peak faster than your friends!
Yes, 42 is the Answer to the ultimate question! As this is inevitable, don’t fight against it, and decipher the fundamental answer in all levels in this game. Bring your towel and master the secret of Life.
Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land
In a world where alchemy is deemed “taboo,” the alchemist Yumia yearns for the truth, hidden in a ruined continent. The time has come for her to take the first step on her grand adventure. Atelier Yumia tells the story of Yumia and her companions as they follow the path they believe in while being confronted by the memories they discover along the way.
Awaken the blade within you and reverse your fate in Bleach Rebirth of Souls! Engage in thrilling battles with powerful sword abilities and characters from this legendary anime franchise. Choose your favorite character and unleash their unique sword abilities! Take advantage of each character’s unique abilities and command the flow of battle to find an opening that spells defeat for your enemies.
Hero’s Hour is an accessible, yet-deep and content-rich Strategy Roleplaying Game. Take control of your hero, explore the world, build up your town, fight fast-paced battles, level up your hero and amass an army large enough to take out the opponents – before they take you out.
Voidgem, a powerful wizard, has stolen all the magical relics of the ancient world, and then created evil minions and monsters to begin a reign of terror. The relics of the ancient world are scattered across various parts of the world. As a lone knight armed with only a sword, a shield, and incredible courage, set out for adventure in search of the lost relics and face all enemies in your way. Explore over 30 diverse levels, collect powerful items, and battle menacing bosses on your quest to save this pixelated fantasy world.
A semi-procedural shoot-’em-up that will test your skills. Level up your ship, unlock amazing weapons, and defeat 5 formidable bosses. Challenge the infinite by facing real-time waves of enemies after completing all missions. Become the intergalactic hero now!
Spot Challenge Vol. 3 is a game series inspired by the classic “Spot the Differences”, where you need to compare two images and identify the differences between them. With over 340 differences spread across 35 levels, will you be able to find them all? Perfect for playing solo or with friends and family, Spot Challenge is the ultimate challenge to test your attention to details!
How Fate: Reawakened Elevates the Series Like Never Before
Kayly Ginsberg, Head of Marketing, Fate: Reawakened
May will mark 20 years since the Fate franchise’s humble beginnings. Since 2005, players have taken up the mighty hero mantle and bested the Dungeon Gate’s many creatures into oblivion. Over the years, the iconic dungeon crawler series has shaped childhoods, inspired future game developers, and left a mark on the action RPG genre as a whole. The creators of Fate would actually go on and create Torchlight afterwards, another highly successful dungeon crawler.
Given the impact its had, it only seemed fitting that Fate’s 20-year anniversary be met with something just as special as the franchise itself – a thrilling remaster that actually stays true to why players loved it in the first place.
Fate: Reawakened, launching March 12 for Xbox Series X|S, is truly the definitive edition of the award-winning dungeon crawler – offering all four existing Fate games in one action-packed bundle.
The Rise of Fate
When it originally launched, Fate was a beacon of new opportunity for the action RPG genre. In a sea of dark and moody RPG options at the time, the game instead leaned into a more bright and colorful art style which made it more appealing to younger folks and families.
There was also a time when Fate actually came pre-installed on some Windows computers. This made the game extremely accessible and helped it rise in popularity and prominence over the coming years. People fell in love with the infinite challenges the dungeon depths provided, and the adorable pet options that could accompany them on their journey.
As the franchise grew, so did its community. Despite not having a new game entry since 2011, places like Discord, YouTube, and social media were still active with passionate Fate fans and modders. Having such a dedicated and engaged community after all these years is truly a testament to the impact Fate has had, so when the opportunity presented itself to pursue a new project with the franchise, we were excited about the prospect.
An Idea is Sparked
The opportunity to revisit Fate started around 2019 when gamigo acquired WildTangent, who originally released and owned the Fate series. The COVID pandemic in 2020 caused some delay in deciding how to best revisit the series, but it was important to us that we approach the project thoughtfully and carefully. Eventually we decided that releasing a remaster in honor of Fate’s 20th Anniversary would be the perfect way to bring the nostalgic franchise back into the limelight.
A lot has changed since 2005 and while Fate’s gameplay still holds up today, we thought it was crucial that we expand its reach by modernizing it for the systems people flock to now. After all, up until Fate: Reawakened, the franchise had only been limited to PC platforms. Taking the game series to console and with additional language support meant tapping into a whole new audience we hadn’t yet explored.
A Delicate Undertaking
Tackling a beloved series can be an ambitious task, but altering Fate’s core DNA was never on the table. Instead, the goal with Fate: Reawakened was to take what already made the franchise great and make it even better.
One of the biggest steps we took to ensure we were staying true to the heart of the series was bringing an alpha demo to PAX West 2024. While a chunk of our booth visitors were brand new to Fate, many others were familiar with it and had even grown up playing the game. Receiving feedback from both groups ended up being so invaluable. Existing Fate fans knew what to look for, how it should play, and could speak confidently about what they would want out of a remaster. Most importantly though, they also knew how a remaster should not feel.
On the other side of the equation, watching brand new players venture through the alpha demo gave us insight into how someone not familiar with Fate would approach the game and revealed places they might get lost or confused. We went to PAX West eager to share our progress and left with a tremendously helpful list of bugs, improvements, and comments that we took very seriously as development continued.
While PAX West gave us a nice broad mix of players both new and old, we knew we needed to please hardcore fans if we had any chance of getting this remaster to land properly. To tap into that audience, we ended up doing a closed beta with a select group of very active and engaged fans across Fate’s community. These players knew the game inside and out and were able to provide vital detailed feedback that resulted in additional tweaks and polish. The closed beta’s open dialogue was instrumental in making sure that we were on the right track to do the series justice.
That’s not to say that we don’t have Fate fans internally though! Our team put in a lot of effort and care over the course of the development process. The dark and moody area of Druantia in particular was something that we spent a lot of time on. When we were initially adjusting the lighting for the remaster, we found that it was just far too bright and the area had lost much of its identity and flavor. It took multiple rounds of feedback to dial it in to a place that we felt truly captured the original vision.
Reawakening Your Inner Hero
Fate: Reawakened is meant to be a love letter not just to the series, but to the community. We’ve loved seeing all the creative ways players have continued to share their dedication all these years later. We’re excited to be entering the next era of the Fate franchise, and hope that you too will reawaken the hero inside of you. Are you ready to choose your Fate?
Fate: Reawakened launches on Xbox Series X|S on Wednesday, March 12 and is available to wish list on the Microsoft Store for Xbox.
Reexperience the iconic FATE series like never before!
Revisit the quaint town of Grove and the realms beyond as you prepare to enter the Dungeon Gate once again! The award-winning FATE series has gotten a modern facelift while remaining true to the nostalgic dungeon crawler classic. Will you tempt fate on your journey to fame and fortune?
Enhanced for a New Generation
Experience everything you already love about the FATE series in higher definition. Enjoy higher poly counts, real-time directional lighting, ambient occlusion, additional languages with full localized VO, and much more! The upgrades provide a deeper level of immersion all while staying faithful to what makes FATE … FATE.
All 4 Games, All Better than you Remember
Play (or replay) through all 4 FATE games in their reawakened greatness. FATE, FATE: Undiscovered Realms, FATE: The Traitor Soul, and FATE: The Cursed King are all included in this bundled release. No matter which game is your favorite, you’ll be able to dive back into all the dungeons and determine your FATE!
Unique Procedurally Generated Playthroughs
Test your battle prowess in challenging procedurally generated dungeons! No playthrough is ever the same with randomized dungeon layouts, monster encounters, and loot drops.
Action Packed Real-time Combat
Step into the heart-pounding arena of real-time combat, where every moment counts. Armed with an arsenal of diverse weapons and skills, you’ll face off against relentless monsters that hunger for your defeat. Will you wield the thunderous fury of melee strikes, unleash deadly precision with ranged weaponry, or harness the arcane might of magic? Adapt, strategize, and master your chosen path to determine your FATE.
Increase Your Fame and Power
Cater your character to your desired playstyle by utilizing a flexible skill point system. Gaining experience will allow you to level up, wield more powerful weapons, and develop proficiencies in different areas. Additionally, you can complete quests to raise your fame and unlock legendary gear.
Aid in the Form of a Furry Friend
Choose from 7 different pets to accompany you on your journey. This loyal companion will fight for you in combat, can hold onto various items, and even transform into powerful magical creatures to become the ultimate adventurer’s sidekick.
Reel in More than Just Fish
Gather your fishing supplies and head to the water to catch valuable items such as fish, artifacts, gems, rings, and more. Patient anglers might even be able to obtain rare items that will help them on their quest.
Choose Your FATE
When death beckons, choose from 3 distinct resurrection paths, each with its own cost. Decide wisely – your choices shape your FATE.
Core Keeper’s Creepiest, Crawliest Boss Stomps into the Sandbox Adventure
Laert Karalliu, Product Manager, Fireshine Games
Explorers! Gear up for a supersized battle against the creepiest and crawliest bosses of them all: Nimzura, Queen of the Burrowed Sands, featured in Core Keeper’s new Bags & Blasts free content update. If you’ve yet to discover this underground epic, Core Keeper is a sandbox adventure game that you can play as a solo explorer, or together with friends in 2-8-player online co-op. Best of all it’s available now on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and with Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass!
Nimruza – Queen of the Burrowed Sands
Before the rise of the Caveling empires, cicadas were a dominant species in the Underground. Their life cycles aligned with the natural order, earning them the title of “keepers of time.” However, as the Cavelings expanded, conflicts over territory escalated into a prolonged war. The cicada husks and ruined Caveling settlements that can be found across the underground are remnants of a struggle that nearly wiped out both sides.
At the centre of this conflict is Nimruza, a once towering cicada queen whose brood spanned the desert depths. That was until she was infected with a parasite that burrowed into her body, consuming her from within. Now driven by a dark, malevolent force, she is a formidable enemy in the latest Core Keeper update. Nimruza’s story in Core Keeper is one that expands the adventure and progresses the story of the Cicada-Caveling War.
But Nimruza is not just another boss fight. Her introduction marks a major turning point in Core Keeper’s world and the continuation of the game’s story. Her creation began with the idea of a massive cicada queen, a natural evolution of the cicada husks that you’ve come across during your adventures.
Designing Nimruza
The development team at Pugstorm spent a long time considering all the ways they could make Nimruza stand out from the other bosses in Core Keeper. The decision to design her as a corrupted force that has twisted into something unnatural and menacing is reflected in her attack patterns. You can expect a challenging battle with regimented, almost mechanical attacks designed to illustrate the loss of Nimruza’s natural instincts and transformation into a machine of evil.
Exploring the Oasis
In the Bags & Blasts free update, you will get to explore the Oasis, a brand-new sub-biome located in the Desert of Beginnings and take the battle to Nimruza in an attempt to quell this evil new force. Fend off cicada hordes, evade Nimruza’s crushing attacks, and avoid the devastating effects of dark energy to overcome this supersized insect in one of Core Keeper’s biggest boss fights yet.
While you’re in the Oasis, keep an eye out for the Drohmble, an adorable new camel-like creature that wanders the Oasis’s bountiful plains. Ranching these can uncover a valuable (but stinky) resource that’s useful for crafting brand new weaponry.
Explosive New Skills & Weapons
Wait, new weaponry?! Yep, you heard right! The Bags & Blasts update is all about bringing even more boom to Core Keeper, with the introduction of a brand-new Explosives skill tree that provides a blastingly powerful new way to play. Fend off enemies from afar with the introduction of Grenades, and discover brand-new bomb types, like the vacuum Void Bomb and multi-blast Blunder Bomb, to blast through cavern walls and create all new strategies to take down Core Keeper’s biggest threats.
Play it on Game Pass
It’s incredible to think that over 4 million players have already started their adventure in Core Keeper. Whether you’re a solo adventurer or you’ve been exploring the caverns together online, we’ve been blown away by the reaction the game has received – we’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has played so far.
And if you haven’t started your adventure yet, or you’re excited to jump back in to take on Nimruza in this colossal new boss fight, don’t forget: Core Keeper is available right now on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and with Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. See you in the underground!
Awaken as an explorer in a long-forgotten cavern teeming with untold secrets.
In this award-winning, 1-8 player mining sandbox adventure, your choices shape an epic journey.
Harvest relics and resources, craft advanced tools, build your base, and explore a dynamically evolving world waiting to be unearthed.
Level up your skills, defeat legendary Titans, and unveil the power of the Core.
Grow your garden, fish in mysterious waters, master a vast array of recipes, raise and care for animals, encounter the Cavelings, and carve out your own unique world in an enchanting underground adventure.
Awaken as an explorer in a long-forgotten cavern teeming with untold secrets.
In this award-winning, 1-8 player mining sandbox adventure, your choices shape an epic journey.
Harvest relics and resources, craft advanced tools, build your base, and explore a dynamically evolving world waiting to be unearthed.
Level up your skills, defeat legendary Titans, and unveil the power of the Core.
Grow your garden, fish in mysterious waters, master a vast array of recipes, raise and care for animals, encounter the Cavelings, and carve out your own unique world in an enchanting underground adventure.
25 Standard Edition (Preorder)
