One game returning to Xbox Game Pass this month takes that gentler approach to its digital animals while telling a thoughtful story about learning to understand an alien culture. Creatures of Ava starts with its protagonist, Vic, landing on Ava, a planet that’s doomed to be overtaken by a spreading sickness called the Withering. You spend a large chunk of the game following the plan that brought you to Ava in the first place. Creatures of Ava is an animal-taming game with more going on in its story than it might seem. Creatures of Ava isn’t always thrilling in its moment-to-moment creature taming, but its smart twist on a familiar story makes it an original adventure worth tackling.