Echo Generation 2 hits Game Pass on May 27, and if you played the original, the sequel is doing something very different with its combat. The cozy voxel-art adventure is back, but the simple timed-button combat from the first game has been replaced with a full deckbuilding card system — 150+ cards, squad summons, shield buffs, the works. Day-one Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Here’s what you need to know.
What Is Echo Generation 2?
Made by Cococucumber, a small Toronto-based indie studio, the original Echo Generation was a love letter to 90s kids-on-bikes adventures — think Stranger Things meets Costume Quest with voxel art. It scored Metacritic 75 and holds a “Very Positive” (92%) rating on Steam across 111 reviews. The story followed a gang of kids in the small town of Maple Town uncovering supernatural mysteries. It took about 10 hours to finish, and it was genuinely charming.
The sequel goes cosmic. You play as Jack, an ordinary dad who’s trapped in a mysterious dimension and lost among the stars. He needs to gather a crew, fight cosmic creatures, and find a way home. The setting has shifted from small-town 90s nostalgia to an 80s and 90s sci-fi film homage, complete with a synth soundtrack by Pusher.
The Big Change: Deckbuilding Combat
This is the headline. The original Echo Generation had simple turn-based combat where you chose from a handful of moves and timed button presses for extra damage. It was accessible but shallow.
Echo Generation 2 scraps that entirely. Combat is now built around a 12-card deck. Each card triggers a different attack, buff, or summon. Some cards have limited uses per battle, so you need to think about when to play them. According to hands-on previews from TheXboxHub, the system gives players “much more input into how the battles play out” compared to the first game.
The comparison points are obvious: Slay the Spire, Monster Train, SteamWorld Quest. But Echo Generation 2 wraps the deckbuilding in a story-driven RPG with exploration and puzzle-solving, which is a different animal than a pure roguelike card game. The 150+ card pool should give the system real depth — or at least enough variety to stay interesting through a full playthrough.
What the Demo Shows
A free demo is available right now on both Steam and the Xbox Store. It’s worth playing before May 27 if you’re on the fence. Here’s what the demo reveals:
- The voxel art style is back and noticeably upgraded — darker and more atmospheric than the original’s bright small-town palette
- Deckbuilding feels good in practice. Building a balanced 12-card loadout before a boss fight adds a layer of strategy the first game never had
- The story setup is intriguing. Jack is a dad separated from his family, which is an immediate emotional hook the first game didn’t have
- The demo ends on a foreboding cliffhanger, which is a strong sign the full game has narrative ambitions
How Long Is It?
The original Echo Generation took about 10 hours for the main story. Cococucumber hasn’t announced an official runtime for the sequel, but the scope is clearly larger — galactic exploration versus one small town, 150+ cards to collect, a full crew to recruit. Expect 12-15 hours minimum, likely more if you’re chasing every card and side quest.
Price and Platform
Echo Generation 2 launches May 27, 2026 on Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam), Xbox Cloud Gaming, and Game Pass. It’s day-one on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass — so if you’re subscribed, it costs you nothing extra. The Steam listing price hasn’t been finalized yet, but the original was $24.99 at launch. Expect the sequel in the $24.99–$29.99 range.
The original Echo Generation: Midnight Edition (the definitive version with fast travel and 12 new languages) is currently discounted on both Steam and Xbox. Play that first if you haven’t — it’s the setup for Jack’s story.
Should You Play It?
If you liked the first Echo Generation, yes. The deckbuilding overhaul addresses the single biggest complaint about the original — the combat was too simple. The shift to a sci-fi setting is a risk, but the demo suggests Cococucumber is pulling it off.
If you haven’t played the first game, grab the Midnight Edition on sale (it’s cheap right now), knock it out in a weekend, and then jump into the sequel on Game Pass. The story connects directly.
If you’re a deckbuilding fan who doesn’t care about voxel art or story, this might be too light for you. This isn’t Slay the Spire. It’s a narrative RPG that happens to use cards.
Verdict: Claim it on Game Pass on May 27. The demo is free right now — try it today and decide for yourself.
Play the Original First
Echo Generation: Midnight Edition is available on Steam, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. It’s short (10 hours), cheap (especially on sale), and directly sets up the sequel’s story.
