The Best Games On Xbox Game Pass (May 2026)

Updated May 20th, 2026, 6pm EST by Amanda Hurych: Funnily enough, as we near the end of the month of May, instead of running dry, the amount of games added to Xbox Game Pass just keeps flowing. This past week, we tried out Forza Horizon 6 while still plumbing the depths of Subnautica 2. Spoiler alert, they are both great games that will be consuming all our time.

Forza Horizon 6 zoomed into our Recently Added section in this latest update, and I’ve wholly abandoned Vampire Survivors for Subnautica 2 at this point. As such, I’ve updated the What We’re Playing Now section to better showcase this underwater obsession.

The selections listed here will include games available on EA Play and Ubisoft+, which are included with a subscription to Game Pass Ultimate.

Recently Added

If you’re looking for what’s new on Game Pass, look no further than our collection of the best games that have recently arrived. We like to give all new games a try if we can. Here’s what we think you should put on your radar if you want something fresh.

Forza Horizon 6

I’m going to be very upfront with you all. I’m not one for intensely realistic racing sims. I love driving around in a video game as much as the next person, but as soon as I have to keep track of more than button-go-forward, stick-turn-wheel, and button-go-stop, I begin to lose interest.

Despite my below-average experience with racing games, Forza Horizon 6 drove away with my heart after I played it. There is just something so incredibly calming about speeding through the environments inspired by real locations in Japan. Not only that, but the action of driving itself, despite its adherence to realism, is soothing in a way I’ve never felt before.

That’s not to say that Forza Horizon 6 can’t be exciting. You can increase the difficulty of the “NPC” racers you go up against. The high-speed turns and full-velocity tracks can be thrilling in that case. But personally, I found Forza Horizon 6 hit its rhythm when the race bleeds away and it’s just you, your car, the track, and the gorgeous scenery flashing by.

Subnautica 2

I’m ready to confront my low-key thalassophobia again! Subnautica is back with an early access sequel that (for now) totally lives up to the immense hype surrounding its launch. Just in case you weren’t already familiar with Subnautica, it’s a survival game that tosses you onto a planet that is nearly completely made up of ocean. Explorable ocean.

Which means you’re not only managing food and thirst; you’re managing air as you dive down to collect resources, build a sea base, upgrade your sea transportation, and combat/run away from the monsters of the deep. Subnautica 2 has got all the fun of a survival crafting game, plus a great amount of terror from just the ocean being the ocean. It’s a great time. I legit can’t wait to dive back in again.

Mixtape

I played Mixtape well past midnight after starting it around eight at night. Even though I had an early morning ahead of me, Mixtape’s narrative and musical vibes kept me going. This game is an utter bop from start to finish.

Story-wise, it tells the one-night tale of Stacey Rockford, a 90s teen looking to have one last hurrah with her two friends before she goes off to New York the next day to pursue her ambitious dream of becoming a music supervisor. This sudden departure causes some friction between the friends, and the many flashbacks interspersed throughout the present timeline (all backed by the most amazing tracklist) shows where Stacey stands with both of them.

It’s a low-stakes emotional adventure game, but it still gets its point across. And while there’s not much gameplay, what is there perfectly complements the emotional beats Mixtape lays down. By the time I let go of the last button presses of the game, I was bawling.

Hades II

It’s unfortunate that we didn’t get onto the Hades train when it first started. But boy, are we glad we got onto it now. Hades II continues the gameplay phenomenon that started with its predecessor, a roguelike dungeon crawler through the depths of the Greek Underworld once again. This time you play as Melinoe, another child of Hades, trying to save herself and her cohort of Olympians from the ravages of time. Literally. She is fighting the Titan of Time, Chronos.

The story is great, but I still think the strength of Hades II lies rooted in its roguelike style. You start off runs exploring and dying, inching step by step to where you need to go. And that’s when you begin slowly upgrading Melinoe’s abilities to take on the challenges that wait for her. It’s this progression, this absolutely satisfying climb to mastery, that will keep you coming back for more.

Kiln

Multiplayer games that pit you against other players in a brawl sort of situation are a dime a dozen. But man, we’ve never played a game like Kiln. The premise itself is weird as heck. You play as a sentient piece of pottery in some sort of ceramic universe ruled by a goddess who just wants to watch everyone break things, douse kilns, and have a good time.

It’s a novel approach to multiplayer because you get to design the “pot” you inhabit, and the type of pot you make determines the abilities you can use in the arenas. You can make a conventional shape, or you can make a globby vessel with errant handles and studs, dipped in a hot pink glaze with pigeon stickers all over it. And every player gets to do this. So matches can end up looking quite hilarious as one player inhabits a small bottle and someone else decides to make a gargantuan vase.

This ceramic world is your oyster. Just be prepared to break that oyster into a million pieces. It’s fun.

Tiny Bookshop

Confession time. If we weren’t here sitting at our computers writing articles about video games, we would probably be trying to open up a tiny bookshop. The latest addition to the Xbox Game Pass library makes that dream a fictitious reality.

Tiny Bookshop is a cozy management sim game that sees you interact with customers, stock your little book cart with various types of books, and sell them. And that’s basically it. You won’t see the depth or complexity of a big-time cozy game like Stardew Valley, but Tiny Bookshop shines in its simplicity. You’re here to sell books and chew bubblegum. And you’re all out of bubblegum.

Super Meat Boy 3D

The trials and tribulations of Super Meat Boy continue, only this time, he’s in a three-dimensional platforming space. That’s right, folks. Super Meat Boy is joining the ranks of Spyro, Mario, and Crash Bandicoot as a 3D platformer star. Only Super Meat Boy 3D is a total meat grinder of a 3D platformer, if you catch my drift.

The difficulty and hair-pulling frustration of Super Meat Boy’s two-dimensional adventures permeates this extra dimension as well. The traps, the secrets, the instant deaths at the tiniest mistakes have all been recaptured in this sequel. However, if you’re a fan of Super Meat Boy or a glutton for deserved punishment, this is the kind of game that will lay claim to your soul. The platforming controls are very precise, so it’s rare that you feel a particularly meaty death wasn’t your fault. It’s a fantastic game, especially if you love a good bad time.

Resident Evil 7 Biohazard

I don’t want to get off the Resident Evil train so soon after finishing Requiem, and thankfully, Xbox Game Pass is keeping me aboard. With the addition of RE7 Biohazard to Game Pass libraries, you can now play a HUNK (get it?) of the series as part of your subscription. Biohazard serves as a linchpin moment for the Resident Evil franchise.

After the extremely campy action of RE6, Biohazard brought us back to horror. Play as Ethan Winters, a man trying to find his wife in the creepiest bayou house you’ve ever seen. The Baker family and the “Mold” monsters that populate the area will linger in your nightmares for years.

Plus, Biohazard gave the series the joys of first-person perspective in a horror scenario, solidifying both a satisfying gameplay loop and scaring the living daylights out of us when we turned a corner and a giant Mold creature was just waiting for our faces to pop out before swiping at us.

Disco Elysium

If the allure of a CRPG has called to you in the past, but you’ve hesitated due to a worry about navigating through dense mechanics, pump the gas right now. Disco Elysium has come to Game Pass. It is the number one game I would recommend to anyone trying to crack the genre. Not only is it a phenomenal game in its own right, it presents the classic bits and bobs of a role-playing game in an approachable, if zany, fashion.

You play as a stumbling detective in the city of Revachol. You’ve got a case on your hands, but more importantly, you’ve got your inner demons to wrestle with. The various aspects of your personality, your darkest thoughts, your hidden wants, all vie for control of your character, but it’s up to you how you wish to forge your path through the story. With amazing voice acting, you get to choose which options define your character and the narrative you want to pursue. It’s seriously amazing. I’m going in for a replay later tonight.

Cyberpunk 2077

Though its launch was accompanied by widely reported bugs, Cyberpunk 2077 has grown into another diamond in CD Projekt Red’s collection of games that can stand proudly alongside the likes of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Post-launch updates have made it a title worth experiencing.

You play as V, your player-designed mercenary struggling to survive in the bowels of Night City. This neon-vibrant but dangerous urban sprawl is home to gangs, tech-laden authorities, and oh so many side quests. Cyberpunk 2077’s narrative hits home with V’s fight to make it through heists, gunfights, and corporate squabbling, all while being tormented by the “ghost” of Johnny Silverhand due to a corrupted biochip. Johnny, played by Keanu Reeves, is a delight for players to have whispering in your ear, but a serious complication for V’s plans.

The story is couched in an incredibly immersive open world. Night City feels like a character in its own right. And while V’s journey might grip you in steel clutches, the allure of exploration is sure to tug you away now and then.

What We’re Personally Playing Now

In order to keep this article alive (and also just because we want to), we regularly dip into Xbox Game Pass, whether it’s to play new games or replay old favorites. If you’re at all interested to know what we’re playing at this very moment, we’ll update this section with our current Game Pass plays.

Subnautica 2 – Amanda

Who doesn’t love a good survival crafting game? Subnautica always stood out from the crowd for me because of its underwater setting, and the same remains true for its sequel. I think only Raft comes close to capturing the same atmosphere, and even then, that’s a stretch since Raft mostly takes place aboard your, well, raft.

I’m having a fun time just swimming and getting the pants scared off of me by fish and fish noises. God, I never knew how loud fish could be. Also, the Subnautica 2 devs knew what they were doing when they added scary “danger music” to their game. Sometimes I’m just trying to collect some minerals from the sea floor and, next thing you know, loud music blares into my headphones letting me know some sea leviathan is about to eat me.

Diablo 2: Resurrected – Damien

My 2026 bingo card did not include one of my absolute most-played childhood games receiving a DLC some twenty years later (though I could’ve said the same about it receiving a console port in 2021), but you’re not gonna catch me complaining about it.

Diablo 2 is the quintessential loot goblin ARPG. It’s simple, it’s straightforward, and it feels like home. It doesn’t quite pack in the same start-to-finish replay value of, say, a Soulsborne game due to the obscene grindiness entailed if you want to shoot for true endgame gear and activities — that’s a pretty deep time commitment, even for a game as aged as it is — but seeing an item you know is rare and amazing drop off your billionth disassembled skeleton provokes a distinct sort of serotonin boost that few competitors have ever managed to do as well.

I’m still working through whether or not that’s adjacent to the reward system for gambling. I mean, technically it isn’t. You’re not specifically risking anything beyond a time investment, anyway. But there’s definitely a venn diagram there, right?

Regardless, old game, still pretty damn fun, would recommend it if you’re on a nostalgia kick or want some historical context on where every isometric click-fest ARPG or modern looter-shooter essentially got its core inspiration from.

Best Sci-Fi Games on Game Pass

May is not just the month that carries the notion of spring time and flowers. It’s also the monthly home of “May the Fourth,” a coincidental celebration of all things Star Wars. In honor of Star Wars day, we’ve collected some of the top sci-fi games currently available on Xbox Game Pass! May the Force be with you!

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

We couldn’t start off this section with a game that wasn’t a Star Wars game! Luckily for fans of the franchise, there are many fantastic Star Wars games on Xbox Game Pass. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is the latest title that tells the story of Cal Kestis, a Jedi who survived the purge into the transitioning of the Galactic Empire.

Both Survivor and its predecessor, Fallen Order, play like a Soulslite. You explore the various planetary worlds that Kestis visits while fleeing from the Empire, defeating bosses with your lightsaber, upgrading your lightsaber, honing your lightsaber fighting style. Did I mention you get to customize your lightsaber?

1000xResist

1000xResist is a must-play for sci-fi fans who love conceptually intriguing narratives and philosophical intertwinings with it. Gameplay is restricted to cycling through dialogue options and mild platforming using a teleport feature. For the most part, you’ll be plowing into the story with the single-minded drive of a visual novel.

Without going too much into spoilers, you play as a clone stuck in a clone society after a viral apocalypse wiped out humanity and its diversity. It goes far deeper than that, and the emotions I felt upon finishing the game are resonating with me to this day.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2

The Warhammer 40,000 universe combines sci-fi elements with Gothic underpinnings so intense, the “spaceships” you encounter look more like cosmic cathedrals. It’s an amazing combination, especially when you include the gigantic almost-deities that are Space Marines.

In Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, you play as one particular Space Marine, Demetrian Titus, a formerly disgraced Ultramarine captain. It’s up to Titus and his squad to defend an entire planet from a massive Tyranid invasion. Using huge weaponry and a surprising amount of grace, you take charge of the defense and slaughter waves upon waves of these insectoid forces. It’s a heckin’ great time.

Cyberpunk 2077

Nothing says sci-fi quite like CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077. Sure, it had bugs when it first launched. But these days, it’s the best cyberpunk RPG you could play. You take on the role of V, a gun-for-hire looking to make it out of Night City alive after a heist gone wrong.

The breadth of customization and playstyle options before you are incredible; your V can look and play in a vastly different manner than another person’s version of V. So if diving into a dense RPG in a neon-submersed cyberpunk setting is your cup of tea, then steep yourself in the joy that is Cyberpunk 2077.

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

Imagine that. Another Star Wars game to celebrate May 4 with. Only this one has co-op play in mind. As is typical with the majority of Lego games, the Skywalker Saga takes you through the main movies of its chosen IP. In this case, you experience the three Star Wars trilogies with all the simultaneous destructive and constructive delight of a Lego game.

You make your way through various levels, reenacting scenes from the movies as Lego versions of your favorite characters, from Luke Skywalker to Rey. You can go through the trilogies in any order you please, unlocking hundreds of more characters to play as. Yes, we said hundreds. Have fun!

Starfield

The science fiction genre lends itself well to the RPG format. When a futuristic setting is given such a great amount of detail and the universe just begs to be explored, what better way to do that than in an immersive role-playing game. Starfield brings the Bethesda RPG formula to space. And with consistent updates and patches, it’s in a better place than it was at launch. And to date, its ending and how it narratively deals with its “New Game Plus” feature is the most brilliant marriage of story and gameplay I’ve seen in a while.

Routine

If you prefer scares in your sci-fi games, Routine is the best option on Xbox Game Pass. Without an overt UI, Routine clearly prides itself on the quality of its immersion, with the majority of menu scrolling occurring through the use of an in-game tool.

You find yourself in an abandoned lunar station, with violent robots and lurching entities roaming the hallways. There’s no one else in sight or telling you what to do. It’s up to you as a player to figure out what is happening and what you should do next. It’s terrifying, but legit one of the best sci-fi games I’ve played in the past year. A must for horror aficionados.

Mass Effect

We mayhaps have overindulged in RPGs when presenting the best sci-fi titles to play on Xbox Game Pass. But can we help it that there are just so many good ones? The Mass Effect trilogy in its entirety is a science-fiction epic, telling the gripping story of Commander Shepard’s struggle to save the galaxy from an annihilation event. Along the journey, you gain the loyalty of your crew, making decisions with them and for them that have enormous repercussions.

Whether it’s the life of one of your favorite crew members or an entire species getting destroyed, you have to deal with an errant choice having a lasting impact. Nothing like some light-hearted fun to roll in the new month.

The Outer Worlds

Speaking of light-hearted fun, if you’re actually looking for a game that has a funny bone, Obsidian Entertainment’s The Outer Worlds is the sci-fi title for you. Set in a star system completely overrun by capitalism and corporate greed, you play as a hapless colonist who needs to navigate the dangers and advertisements of this strange new world.

You can customize your colonist in a number of zany ways, whether that’s making them the most charismatic person in the galaxy, lowering their intelligence to one-syllable answers, or bulking them up to be a melee tank. Obsidian knows how to handle RPGs. This is a good one.

Star Wars Squadrons

Our last sci-fi pick is, of course, another Star Wars game. We feel this title is a bit underrated given the starfighter brilliance it encapsulates. No other game since Rogue Squadron really made us feel enamored with Star Wars spaceflight. The campaign tells a short, sharp, and sweet story depicting pilots on both sides of the war, the Rebellion and the Empire. The narrative is fantastic, and it also gives you the opportunity to fly ship types of both sides, from the shrieking TIE Fighter to the iconic X-Wing.

Mother’s Day Picks: Best Games To Play With Mom

With Mother’s Day smack dab in the middle of May, this month is the perfect time to choose a game to play with your mom! Quality time playing cooperatively or just sharing a good narrative adventure game together is the gift that keeps on giving. Or you could engage in some friendly competition? Speaking of…

Golf with Your Friends

Golf with Your Friends has probably broken more friendships than it has solidified, so why not put your relationship with your mom to the test? The game takes you through a variety of minigolf-esque courses that stretch the boundaries of realism to the extreme. Rolling boulder traps, spiraling flamethrowers, and gravity wells are just a few of the hurdles you will encounter.

The course layouts are wild as well, with gaping chasms and loop-de-loops separating you from the hole. Aside from that, the game plays out like a regular game of golf. Whoever gets their ball in the hole with the fewest amount of strokes wins!

Minecraft Dungeons

If you and your mom would enjoy a game that’s more on the adventure and loot side of things, but you don’t want to make a time commitment as massive as Diablo 4, Minecraft Dungeons is the perfect fit. The dungeon-crawl, loot, upgrade your character, then go back again cycle is condensed into a more manageable time expenditure. Plus, a lot of the typical ARPG systems have been simplified. It’s a casual Diablo experience that you and your mother can enjoy!

As Dusk Falls

Cooperative narrative games are hard to come by. So if this Mother’s Day you and your mom were looking to play a game with a bigger emphasis on story, finding one would be on the difficult side of things. Luckily, Xbox Game Pass has you covered with at least one phenomenal option.

As Dusk Falls is a narrative adventure game similar to experiences you can play through games like Life Is Strange, Dispatch, and Telltale’s The Walking Dead. However, it stands apart from the crowd in how it implements co-op features. Players can vote on dialogue options and “quick-time events” in order to influence the story in a joint capacity. It can lead to some…disagreements, but it’s a fun way to experience a pretty gripping story about a robbery gone wrong.

Gang Beasts

Have you ever wanted to throw someone off a hot air balloon or wrestle them into dangerous construction equipment? Gang Beasts makes this a reality with its hilarious physics and minimalist arenas that sees you and up to three other players attempting to grab each other and toss each other out of play.

But even without a full squad of four, the results are side-splitting. Seriously, my face has never hurt so much as when I was playing this with my sister. If you’re looking for a casual yet competitive game to play on Mother’s Day, you can’t go wrong with Gang Beasts.

Moving Out 2

Moving Out 2 tasks you and other players with “packing up” the furnishings of a house and putting them on a moving truck. Honestly, the game is pretty light on the packing. You’re basically just grabbing things and having cardboard boxes materialize around them. The true objective is to chaotically throw all these boxes into the truck bed before time runs out. Who cares about fragility and whether or not your belongings are intact? It’s all about getting that gold medal, baby!

Firewatch

Firewatch is typically a single-player experience. But as any gamer knows, some of the best gaming experiences you can have with a friend can come from passing a controller back and forth. Enter Firewatch. If you want a laidback time that focuses on the vibes with a dash of narrative excellence, Firewatch makes for the perfect Mother’s Day pick. You can progress Henry and Delilah’s story or you can wander around the beauty of the national park snapping picturesque photos. Either way works.

Human Fall Flat

Silly physics-based puzzles are the name of the game in Human Fall Flat. If you played Gang Beasts, you’ll have an idea for how your character will move in Human Fall Flat. However, instead of shoving each other into oblivion, you have to work together to complete puzzles, unlock doors, and access platforms in various levels. I’m more of a cooperative-game person, so Human Fall Flat is more my speed than Gang Beasts. I would most definitely pick this game to play with my mom for Mother’s Day.

Unravel Two

Unravel Two’s art style alone is reason enough to play it. But its mellow 2D platforming and cooperative nature make it a must for a chill Mother’s Day celebration pick. The barrier to entry is low, so even if your mom is not the sort to play video games, it shouldn’t be too hard for her to absorb the gameplay mechanics. You’re just going from one side of the screen to the next with your little yarn characters’ abilities helping you climb and swing your way past obstacles. It’s a short, delightful, and sure way to tug on your mom’s heartstrings.

A Way Out

If your mom loves those corny procedural cop shows, A Way Out should be at the top of your Mother’s Day play list. This serious-in-tone but hilarious-in-execution game by Josef Fares is one of my favorite cooperative games of all time. You play as two men breaking out of prison and exacting revenge on the man who low-key put them there. It’s got the straightforward heart and campy charm of an action movie with approachable gameplay mechanics. It might sound like an odd pick to play with you mom, but trust me. It’s a good one.

Spring Fever: Best Games With Infectious “Just One More Hour” Energy

We’ve all been there before. We’re sitting on the couch, gaming chair, floor, what have you, and we finish a round of a game. And we can’t help thinking, well, what if we played one more round? And then next thing you know, it’s 5am and you didn’t get any sleep. If you want to experience the thrill of crawling into bed and getting less than four hours of sleep, you should definitely try these games this month.

33 Immortals

While still in early access, 33 Immortals already shines as an example of that boss mob mentality from MMORPGs. You and up to thirty-three other players are trapped in a Grecian hell. To make it out, you have to swarm around a map, defeat enemies, stay alive, and then fight a giant boss for the grand finale.

It’s not as overly complex as taking on a World of Warcraft dungeon can be. But you get the same feeling of cooperation and awe, even when you fail, as you join a crowd of other souls shooting, swinging, and casting spells at the big bad trying to erase you all off the board.

Ball X Pit

Holy shnikes, Ball X Pit. Where do I even start? The closest I can come to comparing the level of Just-One-More-Hour-ness that Ball X Pit possesses is by bringing in the big guns and mentioning Vampire Survivors. It’s just that easy to lose yourself in the cycle of upgrading your town, unlocking new balls and characters, and then going on these block-breaking/ball-shooting runs over and over again.

I’m particularly inclined to recommend Ball X Pit to you because I feel like it’s more of a sleeper hit than Vampire Survivors. More people need to know about the just-one-more urge of Ball X Pit.

Inscryption

The deckbuilding roguelite genre that has come into being isn’t for everyone. But if you’re at all curious or you are already familiar with the genre, Inscryption is the title for you. It’s thoroughly engrossing, and will have you playing late into the night. Just…be careful. Playing Inscryption when it’s dark means you’ll be more susceptible to its freaky atmosphere and low-key terrifying imagery. But honestly, that’s probably the best way to play the game.

Goat Simulator 3

Sometimes playing one more hour of a game isn’t based on rounds. Sometimes it’s just an all-consuming need to see what hilarious gag is around the next corner. Welcome to Goat Simulator 3, a game that clearly prides itself on being stuffed to the brim with a variety of pop culture references and zany goat hijinks. The sequel to the original Goat Simulator, Goat Simulator 3 lives up to its predecessor’s pedigree. It’s the same goat sim gameplay you know and love with an even bigger playground and mirth-inducing physics.

Games That Feel Like a Vacation

Honestly, almost every video game feels like a vacation from work at this point, even the ones that transport you to places like hell (Doom, Diablo 4, etc.). But if you’re looking for games that have that stereotypical vacation vibe, whether it involves a lot of traveling, sightseeing, adventure, relaxation, or strange new vistas, we’ve got the section for you.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth

Infinite Wealth takes Ichiban Kasuga and friends to the shores of Honolulu, Hawaii, and given how much time the Like a Dragon series spends in Kamurocho, the different location alone feels like a vacation. And that’s setting aside the fact that we’re in Hawaii of all places.

The gameplay stays the same as it was in the previous game, with some fun new additions to really highlight the new setting. But the humor and heart seriously deliver in this entry. The Yakuza franchise can get pretty sentimental, but seriously, Infinite Wealth tugs on those heartstrings like it’s nobody’s business. So definitely a vacation-esque game…with emotional baggage.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

Hey, if your favorite part of vacation is the traveling, particularly the flying in airplanes bit, Microsoft Flight Simulator is the game for you. It might sound like we’re joking, but this game is one of the premier flight sims out there, letting you soar across the globe in a variety of air vehicles. From a simple crop duster to jet planes, you can experience modern-day flight in whatever style you prefer.

In fact, it’s even better than real-life flight. It doesn’t cost as much, you don’t have to worry about carry-on or checked-in luggage, delays are nonexistent, and you’re always in the pilot’s seat.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora

Watching the Avatar movies feels like journeying to an otherworldly locale; playing the game immerses you even further. Even if the story and quests aren’t your cup of tea, the world of Pandora is engrossing all on its own. And this time, you’re not bound by a movie screen and narrative structure to determine what parts of the planet you see.

If you want to stare at a neon-lit forest and hear the Pandoran wildlife all around you, you can. If you just want to soar in the sky with your ikran, you can. Though I’d recommend getting your steps in first. The environments truly are the highlight of Frontiers of Pandora.

Sea of Thieves

Pirating on the seven seas might not sound like a dream vacation to most, but Sea of Thieves does it right. It’s a true adventure to sail around on your ship with friends, braving the waves and storms the ocean can hurl at you, fighting the random people you can encounter (or ignoring them), and looting mostly abandoned islands.

I can’t understate how great it feels to sail in Sea of Thieves. I don’t think I’ve ever encountered ocean graphics as good as the ones in Sea of Thieves. Even in the middle of a hellacious hurricane, I always take the time to admire the waves our ship capsizes in.

Dead Island 2

Mayhaps the glamour, glitz, and hills of Los Angeles are more your style when it comes to vacations. In that case, why not survive a zombie apocalypse in LA style while playing Dead Island 2? Palm trees sway in the hot breeze, smog rises from the myriad vehicle crashes and burning buildings, and a host of Beverly Hills-esque mansions await your perusal for loot and weapons to stomp zombies into dust.

Dead Island 2 is a fantastic game to play, not only for its comfortable take on combat, but its straightforward approach to its premise. It’s not your typical vacay in LA, but it’s a unique one.

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage

Lost Records tells a more mysterious story than you would think for being included in a section of games that feel like a vacation. But there is an air of summer camp nostalgia about the narrative as protagonist Swann films a music video for her friends’ band and they all create a clubhouse in an abandoned house in the woods.

The game takes place in a summer in the 90s, and it most definitely feels like the 90s. From the method of video tape recording to the clothing options to the music, it feels like a journey to the past. (Yes, we’re old.) And while events adopt a more supernatural tone as the story progresses, this narrative choice game feels like a vacation of yesteryear.

Disney Dreamlight Valley

It’s not exactly Disneyland, we’ll admit. But you do get to spend a lot of time with iconic Disney characters, running from Mickey Mouse to Gaston from Beauty and the Beast. In a straightforward life sim style, you cozily clear up the Valley for you and your cartoon friends from a mess of Night Thorns that have taken over the place. You make the village habitable once again and do a bunch of errands for them during and afterwards. So yeah, not Disneyland. But definitely more affordable.

Hogwarts Legacy

The magic of attending Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, can be yours if you fly into the world of Hogwarts Legacy. Attend the infamous school long before the days of Harry Potter and forge your own legacy (get it?) during these formative years. I know attending school is no one’s idea of a vacation, but with a school this magical and adventurous, your time there could hardly be called academic. You’re fighting monsters in between classes for crying out loud.

Absolute Must-Play Essentials

If you made the decision to get Xbox Game Pass and you want to know which games are the prize diamonds in this treasure chest, we’ve lassoed up the must-play titles in one handy spot. It was rough narrowing it down to this bunch, and even then, it’s still a hefty collection of games. Enjoy!

Halo: The Master Chief Collection

The adventures of the Master Chief have never been as accessible as they are in the Master Chief Collection. This gathering of Halo games is the definitive collection of 343 Industries’ endeavors to immortalize the series. Not only is every mainline Halo game (not counting Halo 5: Guardians or Halo Infinite) included, but the fantastic Halo 3: ODST and Halo: Reach were added as well.

From beloved campaign co-op to thrilling Firefight matches to iconic multiplayer modes, the Master Chief Collection has it all. Anyone who thinks of themselves as a Halo fan should consider it a must-play from Xbox Game Pass. And for those who have never completed the Master Chief’s saga, there is no better way to finish the fight.

Hades

Supergiant Games’ smash hit roguelike dungeon crawler already had an immense following, and now Game Pass subscribers finally have the chance to see what the hype is all about. Cast as Zagreus, a son of the titular death god himself, players are tasked with guiding the cocksure anti-hero in battling through Tartarus as he seeks to escape the dour realm of his father and take up residence with his Olympian cousins.

Of course, he’s met with significant resistance — initial failure is a certainty, though players will have the opportunity to unlock upgrades, boons, and more between runs to improve their odds with the next attempt. The action itself is buttery smooth, playing as an isometric hack-and-slash RPG with a host of intriguing weapons and powers for Zagreus to peruse in his quest. However, it’d be criminal to not draw particular attention to the presentation.

The game’s lighthearted yet artfully detailed take on Greek mythology is the core of its charm. The cast of characters is brought to life with a strikingly vibrant art style and brilliant voice acting. Hades is definitely one for the books, and its arrival on consoles is sure to seal the deal.

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Normally, there’s a bit of a grace period between when a game is added to Xbox Game Pass and when we play it. Sometimes, months can go by before we get the chance to fully play a game. We played Silksong just an hour after it launched. Let us assure you, if you were at all excited for it after playing the original Hollow Knight, you will not be disappointed.

Silksong is everything you loved about the first game and more! Though perhaps “more” isn’t the best way to put it. It’s just “different.” Hornet is a lot more acrobatic than our dear old Knight, and you can feel this in every leap, dash, and swipe of her blade. So the combat will diverge from your expectations from the get-go. However, the story (and the music, my god, the music) is still top-notch. No spoilers. Go play it!

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has become a darling star of the Xbox Game Pass library. Clair Obscur tells a phenomenal story about a collection of desperate adventurers trying to prevent a god-like “Paintress” from erasing their age group. (Literally erasing their age group from existence; this isn’t a metaphor.) To further describe the plot would be a disservice to Clair Obscur, as the narrative is the jewel of this crown.

But alongside this harrowing journey are the game’s mechanics. Clair Obscur combines turn-based gameplay elements with real-time ones, creating a unique system that stands out from the RPG crowd. While turn-based purists may turn away from the parry and dodge windows, if you’re a fan of the genre at all, Clair Obscur is a must try. The characters, the story, the world are all amazing. Terrifying. But amazing.

Blue Prince

As difficult as it is to describe how you play Blue Prince, we’ll do our best. Blue Prince is a walking simulator puzzle game that sees you exploring the estate your rich uncle left behind for you. This estate is no ordinary building, however. Every time you open a door on a given day, you have the opportunity to “draft” a different room. This means that every day you explore the estate, it will never look the same, especially depending on your drafting actions.

This mechanic feels awkward to describe without some sort of visual aid, but rest assured, it’s a puzzle-game lover’s dream. The one comparison we can think to make is to Outer Wilds. If you loved the discovery-based progression of Outer Wilds, we think the drafting problem-solving of Blue Prince will enchant you.

With every day that you learn something new about a room you’ve drafted, a password for a critical safe, or a layout that’s particularly useful for reaching your end goal, Blue Prince will build the foundation for a lasting impact in your memory.

Balatro

How could a list of the best games ever, let alone a list of the best games included on Xbox Game Pass, be truly complete without a mention of Balatro. In case you haven’t heard, Balatro is the indie roguelike gaming sensation that’s swept the nation. It is a remarkably simple yet incredibly engrossing title; once you start playing it, you’ll find yourself hard-pressed to put it back down. You’ll keep wanting to play one more run, build one more hand, and beat one more boss blind.

Though its naming conventions and terms are based off of poker, it is in no way a game played like poker. It is a roguelike through and through. Normally, for a small game like this, I’d recommend it by saying it’s a great game and should take you no time at all to complete. That’s not the case with Balatro. While it’s not a vast RPG like Avowed, with character building, side quests, and an explorable world, it’s still a timesink because of how often you will return to it. It’s glorious as heck.

Resident Evil 2

While there are plenty of great game remakes in the world, none of them showcase the same degree of polish, innovation, and care that Resident Evil 2 did. This remake overhauled the original game from the ground up. Where the original was this fixed-camera-angle campy horror fest, RE2 remake was a behind-the-shoulder tense collect-a-thon that was equal parts nerve-wracking and equal parts satisfying.

You can play as either Leon Kennedy or Claire Redfield, roaming the halls of the iconic Raccoon City police station in search of safety and answers. Shambling zombies patrol the hallways, so while it behooves you to be thorough in your exploration so you can collect items to make you stronger and more capable, every new room could contain your next death screen. And that’s before Mr. X and his pounding footsteps from hell show up.

If you love Resident Evil as a franchise, RE2 remake is a must play. If you love a tight zombie survival experience, RE2 remake is a must play. If you love fantastic games in general, RE2 remake is a must play.

Celeste

Games typically take players on a journey, but Celeste gives whole new meaning to this concept. Players control Madeline, a young woman set on climbing to the top of Mount Celeste. Along the way, she must face her inner demons while remaining steadfast in her goal. The poignant story is wrapped in the trappings of a demanding platformer, but the tough nature of the gameplay ties in to the themes the story shares with its players. Celeste is not for the faint of heart, but seeing it through to completion is incredibly rewarding.

Ori and the Blind Forest

Where Will of the Wisps developed a robust combat system that integrated perfectly with Ori’s skill set, Blind Forest laid some phenomenal groundwork for nearly every other aspect of that game. The jaw-dropping visuals, the incredibly responsive platforming, and rewarding progression system were all things Ori and the Blind Forest excelled at.

Quite frequently, you’ll hear the game compared to Hollow Knight, and that’s an apt comparison to make. Both games are haunting and beautiful to look at while giving players that perfect blend of exploration and discovery you get in most successful Metroidvanias. If any of this sounds appealing, you shouldn’t skip out on playing Ori and the Blind Forest; you’d be doing yourself a massive disservice.

Dishonored

Dishonored is a classic, and while its successor improves on multiple aspects (loud nonlethal takedown options for starters), nothing feels quite as good as the original. Corvo’s journey to take vengeance (or find justice, depending on what route you take) is one for the ages. No matter what scenario you’re placed in, you feel like you have options for how you choose to respond.

Do you want to throw glasses and bottles in different directions to confuse the guards as they try to gather for whiskey and cigars? You can. Do you want to find the high ground and constantly jump-assassinate unsuspecting victims below you? You can. Do you want to struggle to be a good person, choking out and dragging the people who get in your way to broom closets so no one finds them and alerts the whole building? You can try. Though Corvo was thrown in jail and is constantly hounded by the law for a crime he didn’t commit, Dishonored is all about freedom. And few games capture that quite like it does.

Dead Cells

Dead Cells is one of the most finely-tuned 2D action-platformers ever made, following in the footsteps of classics like Castlevania and Spelunky. The game has players collecting new abilities and powers throughout a given run with the objective of clearing the entire game in a single run. It’s not for the faint of heart, but with enough perseverance, Dead Cells is an incredibly rewarding game to play through. With pixel-perfect controls and precision, Dead Cells is an absolute must for fans of the genre.

Among Us

Among Us is the indie hidden-role game that could. Having swept into immense popularity due to its accessibility across platforms and omnipresence in streaming and YouTube communities, it was only a matter of time before it made the leap to living room consoles. It just took that extra step to plant itself on the Game Pass roster.

The premise is simple — several players find themselves on board a spaceship (or remote research facility) and are provided with tasks to complete, ranging from cleaning out dirty vents to blasting asteroids out of the ship’s way. The catch? One (or more) of your crewmates is an imposter with the sole purpose of murdering you and everyone else. The game ends in one of three ways: the crewmates complete all tasks, the murderer is identified and ejected, or the imposters manage to wipe out the crew.

The game’s best played with colleagues and friends, as there’s nothing more entertaining than knowing someone’s tells and desperately trying to suss out the truth when they claim they were on the other end of the level when a body’s discovered.

Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley is easily one of the most zen experiences to be had in its genre. That’s quite a statement when discussing farming sims, but really, it’s so much more than that. With dashes of dating sim and retro action-RPG thrown into the mix and sealed up in a charming 16-bit aesthetic, SDV tasks players with moving out to the countryside to restore their grandfather’s farm after inheriting it — as one does in a farming sim.

Players grow crops, find romance, assist the locals with their various problems, dive into the mines to fight monsters and liberate riches, and more over the course of their stay in the Valley. But one of the best parts of Stardew is easily the relaxed sense of progression. At no point are players prodded to advance the storyline, they’re free to live as they please as they eke out a living selling turnips, raising goats, hatching dinosaur eggs, and bashing slimes.

Halo Infinite

Halo Infinite’s campaign is something between a love-letter to the distinct charm of Combat Evolved’s more “open” segments (referring specifically to the levels such as “Halo” and “The Silent Cartographer”) and the franchise’s many innovations since — it distills some of the series’ high marks into a singular, bulletproof formula and then, to top it all off, drops it into a seamlessly connected open-world environment that you’re free to approach as you see fit.

Its multiplayer offerings also capture that feeling. Players can jump into a Big Team Battle or a ranked Arena match and have the time of their lives. Well-crafted maps, new weapons, and entertaining game modes keep Infinite feeling fresh. Plus, it just caters to Halo fans in all the right ways. Halo nostalgia is real, and Infinite completely satisfies it.

Gears of War

The Gears of War franchise is emblematic of third-person cover-based shooters with a heavy emphasis on cooperative gameplay, but at this point, the original titles are starting to really show their age. This is what makes Gears of War, whether you’re playing the Ultimate Edition or the newer Reloaded, a fantastic get on Game Pass — it gives players a chance to experience the series’ roots with a fresh coat of paint and some great quality-of-life improvements.

The graphics have been generally enhanced, enemies can be spotted, and weapons can be switched during mad dashes from cover to cover. But aside from these improvements, this lets players take a peek at the beginning of Marcus Fenix’s journey and reintroduces the chainsaw-action of the series’ staple weapon, the Lancer. What more could a Gears fan want?

Doom (2016)

Doom (2016) was the revitalization the series needed to prove to the world that it was still relevant. For a long time, Doom was considered a game of a bygone era, influential but no longer in its prime. Id Software changed all that with the creation of Doom (2016). The Doom Slayer came roaring back into existence, ripping and tearing a new place for himself in the gaming landscape.

Not only did this reboot bring Doom back into the cultural awareness, it showed that a single-player campaign that is well-crafted and vigorous good fun can entice players just as much as, if not more than, another battle royale. Doom (2016) is not one to miss for fans of fast-paced shooters and action-packed combat.

Hollow Knight

Hollow Knight’s exploration and genuine sense of discovery are easily some of the best in the genre. It’s a shining example of how to make a Metroidvania in the modern era. Hollow Knight never trades in its mystery or world-building for padded side quests or game-breaking boosts. It remains a somber, magical, and deceptively challenging game all the way through. It definitely takes a page from the Dark Souls series, so be prepared to wander into new areas with caution, and get ready to learn every boss’ pattern exactly.

Prey

Becoming immersed in a science-fiction universe that is as well-crafted as Prey’s is an experience like no other. Thrown into the mind of Morgan Yu, players must unravel the mystery behind the catastrophe that has befallen the Talos I space station. A strange alien life form known as the Typhon has taken over, and Morgan must contend with the peculiar threat they pose to the humans left alive on the station.

Arkane Studios blends aspects of Dishonored, BioShock, and Soma in a masterful fashion, allowing players to choose how they wish to tackle problems they encounter. They can proceed in a stealthy fashion, upgrade weapons and go in guns blazing, acquire almost supernatural powers from Neuromods, or use the handy GLOO Cannon to tackle the Typhon menace. The appeal of Prey comes not only from the immersive world of its narrative, but from the diverse array of playstyle options it gives its players to do with as they will.

Fallout 4

Bethesda’s latest spin on the definitive post-apocalyptic roleplaying experience isn’t without its valid detractors, but it’s hard to argue that anyone’s getting a raw deal with its inclusion on Game Pass.

As the Lone Survivor of Vault 111, players are immediately faced with tracking down their son after he’s snatched from the Vault by a mysterious band of mercenaries and scientists. It’s a simple and lofty motivation, but factoring in an irradiated wasteland rife with terrifying mutants, raiders, and long-abandoned ruins concealing vital supplies, it becomes apparent that the road’s going to get bumpy.

Fallout 4 took a significant (and fair) amount of flak for its relatively rail-roaded narrative and lackluster dialogue navigation, but frankly, there’s still a lot there to love. Describing a wasteland ravaged by nuclear war as “beautiful” doesn’t procedurally roll off of the tongue, but rest assured that Bethesda’s signature open-world charm is still well-intact. The Commonwealth serves as a compelling setting, from the ruins of Boston to the Glowing Sea. And as per usual, there’s a near-endless amount of content for players to explore and uncover.

And once poring over the vanilla content has lost its luster, one can turn to an impressive and accessible selection of mods to spice up their playthrough utilizing the modding community’s boundless creativity.

Titanfall 2

Titanfall 2’s relatively understated presence in the FPS genre is more than a bit puzzling, because it was the object of significant critical acclaim upon release. And its die-hard fanbase has quietly asserted that it’s handily one of the most solid shooters to have ever hit the market for years since. Frankly, they’ve got a lot going on to support that opinion.

The game’s campaign is practically as solid as its multiplayer suite, with the former weaving a compelling sci-fi narrative around pilot-in-training Cooper and his surly oversized robot acquaintance, BT-7274. Big mechs and wall-running mechanics go a long way on their own, but Respawn’s take on the FPS formula just feels polished in a way that many contemporary shooters don’t — and is more than partially responsible for its remarkable overnight success with Apex Legends.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Beauty is not often associated with video games, but Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a beautiful title. The artistry with which character motions and backgrounds were created is astounding. Even the music that accompanies players along their journey with Ori is gorgeous.

However, Ori is not simply a great game because it looks good. It is functionally exquisite as well. The precise platforming from the first game, Ori and the Blind Forest, is still in place, with even more tools of traversal at players’ disposal. New combat mechanics have been added to Will of the Wisps as well, and they are extraordinary to execute. Ori and the Will of the Wisps is the complete package: jaw-dropping visuals, emotional storytelling, and perfectly honed gameplay elements.

Skyim

The Elder Scrolls has been synonymous with the very concept of open-world RPGs for decades now, and Skyrim is the title to show if a demonstration is required. All memes aside, the Dragonborn’s quest to defeat Alduin is a spectacle rarely equaled by RPGs in general, and a lot of that is due to the fact that it has as many chapters as the player would like it to have.

The frigid province of Skyrim is unforgivingly gorgeous, and the amount of “optional” content is nearly endless. Factor in the innovative decision to make a stunning library of user-generated mods available on Xbox consoles, and you have what is likely the most content-rich game currently available on Game Pass.

Deep Rock Galactic

Danger. Darkness. Dwarves. Everything that needs to be known about Deep Rock Galactic can be summed up in its tagline. Up to four players can dive into the dangerous mines of Hoxxes IV, braving the enemies that lurk in the darkness as doughty dwarves. The straightforward nature of Deep Rock Galactic’s gameplay belies the deeper system in place.

There are multiple mining assignments players can tackle, intuitive upgrade paths, and a delightful hub area where players can relax (or randomly bellow “Rock and Stone!” between pints of ale) before diving into a tense mission. Deep Rock Galactic knows what its strengths are, and it knows how to play to them. All players have to do is prepare themselves for a good time.

Grounded

Obsidian Entertainment is back at it again with a unique take on the survival genre. Players assume the role of kids who have mysteriously become minuscule in a strange Honey-I-Shrunk-the-Kids kind of scenario. Now no larger than an ant, these kids have to find out what happened to them and survive the perilous environs of an average backyard.

Grounded is an utter joy. Collecting grass blades to construct shelter, pebbles to make hammers, and water droplets to quench your thirst puts a fresh sheen to this rather crowded genre. The only thing to watch out for? The spiders. Common spiders are the primary enemies in Grounded, and for those who suffer from a touch of arachnophobia, a sudden attack from one of them can be practically heart-stopping.

Gears 5

The latest mainline entry in the Gears franchise is one of its boldest. Gears 5 rolls right into new territory with a fresh multiplayer mode, a partial open-world experience in the middle of the campaign, and a devastating story twist that has left fans reeling. As with any Gears title, Gears 5 offers a robust campaign co-op experience with up to three players.

The game follows Kait Diaz and her companions as they struggle to hold the line against the encroaching wave of the Swarm. Action is the order of the day any time a player picks up Gears 5, and between roaring a Lancer’s chainsaw at an enemy and diving for cover from an onslaught of bullets, there’s hardly a moment left to breathe.

Dead Space

Combine the measured horror of Resident Evil 4 with a cold and unfeeling sci-fi environment, and Dead Space is the end result. Players join Isaac Clarke as he traverses the dark, metallic hallways of the USG Ishimura, a gargantuan planet-mining spaceship. Gruesome terror lurks around every corner in the form of Necromorphs, the reanimated corpses of the Ishimura’s crew.

Though Dead Space was first released in 2008, it maintains an unrelenting sense of dread that exceeds the bounds of most modern horror games. Its atmosphere will linger in your memory long after you’ve finished the game, and whispers of “Make us whole” will haunt your worst nightmares.

Minecraft

What is there to even say about Minecraft at this point? What started out as a small sandbox game that revolutionized the genre has become a juggernaut that dominates the genre. Though the simplicity of its blocky design stands in stark contrast to the push for photorealism seen in many games, its embracing of open-world chaos, creativity, and straightforward rules are Minecraft’s greatest strengths.

We remember the first time we started a Minecraft game, building our first house, trawling our first dungeon, crafting the best armor. And look where we are now. Movie theater chaos across the nation, with the cries of “chicken jockey” still ringing in our ears.

PowerWash Simulator 2

This is the best game in the world. There’s almost nothing left to say aside from that. Am I wildly biased? Perhaps. I played the first PowerWash Simulator to the moon and back (kind of literally since I got the Wallace & Gromit DLC pack), sinking over 480 hours into the game since I got it. So when I say I know my PowerWash Simulator, I know my PowerWash Simulator.

This sequel takes bits from the first game that I didn’t even think could be improved upon and improves upon them. Scaffolds now come with a ladder on the side that can take you directly to the top of the edifice. The soap system is revolutionary and satisfying instead of useless and ignorable. Your home base is not only customizable with furnishings, it’s got cats in it.

I could, hand to whatever literary document you hold sacred, write over 50,000 words in an academic dissertation style about the nuances of PowerWash Simulator 2. I have half a mind to, without any compensation of any kind. But alas, all I have is this entry, and hopefully that will be enough to convince you that PowerWash Simulator 2 is a game well-worth your time.