Xbox Game Pass Adds Co-Op Game with 'Overwhelmingly Positive' Reviews

Xbox Game Pass users can now play Escape Simulator as part of their subscription. This is the 14th new title to join the service in May 2026 and the 86th Xbox Game Pass release since the turn of the year.

Escape Simulator is a first-person puzzle game made by Pine Studio, one of Croatia’s most prolific indie developers, which has released over a dozen titles since its 2012 beginnings. Launched in 2021, Escape Simulator was its 10th completed project. Although it eventually developed a reputation as one of the best modern indie co-op games, it initially struggled to attract attention from review outlets, even as the few professional reviews it received were encouraging. Despite those typical indie challenges, Escape Simulator resonated with players, as underscored by its nearly 9,000 “Overwhelmingly Positive” reviews on Steam. An average of estimates from Gamalytic, PlayTracker, and VG Insights suggests the game sold more than 2.7 million copies on Steam alone as of mid-2026.

Xbox Game Pass Adds Cozy Open-World Co-Op Game on Day One

Xbox Game Pass adds a day-one title with a vast open world, super cozy vibes, and optional co-op for up to 4 players.

Escape Simulator Buffs Xbox Game Pass Co-Op Catalog

Escape Simulator is available on Xbox Game Pass as of May 26, marking its first appearance on the service. The co-op puzzler made another debut in the platform realm, having just launched for the Xbox Series X/S after nearly half a decade of being exclusively available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It is unclear whether the subscription service is the main reason Escape Simulator finally reached consoles, though that is possible given Microsoft’s long-standing use of the ID@Xbox program to strengthen its console and Game Pass indie catalogs. Regardless, the Series X/S may not be the game’s final destination, as a Pine Studio representative confirmed that a PlayStation 5 version of Escape Simulator was in development as of May 2026.

Escape Simulator Supports Cross-Platform Multiplayer Between PC and Consoles

Escape Simulator is available on every tier of the service except for Xbox Game Pass Essential. It is likely to be available to subscribers until at least May 2027, based on the average length of Microsoft’s indie catalog stints. While fully playable solo, Escape Simulator largely owes its success to a comprehensive co-op mode for up to ten players. Pine Studio confirmed that the newly released Series X/S port supports cross-platform multiplayer with PC. Between that and its immensely positive player reviews, this late May arrival is shaping up to be a big boon to the Xbox Game Pass library of compelling co-op experiences.

Upcoming Xbox Game Pass Games Right Now

Date	Game	Game Pass Tier(s)	Platform(s)	Notes
May 26	Escape Simulator	Ultimate, PC, Premium	Cloud, PC, Series X/S	Day-one Series X/S release.
May 27	Echo Generation 2	Ultimate, PC	Cloud, PC, Series X/S	Day-one release.
May 27	The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition	Ultimate, PC, Premium	Cloud, PC, Series X/S
May 28	Crashout Crew	Ultimate, PC	Cloud, Handheld, PC, Series X/S	Day-one release.
May 28	Kabuto Park	Ultimate, PC	Cloud, PC, Series X/S	Day-one release.
Jun 2	Final Fantasy VI	Ultimate, PC, Premium	Cloud, PC, Series X/S
Jun 2	Jurassic World Evolution 3	Ultimate, PC, Premium	Cloud, PC, Series X/S
Jun 11	Beastro	Ultimate	Cloud, PC, Series X/S	Day-one release.
Jul 13	Ascend to Zero	Ultimate, PC	Cloud, PC, Series X/S	Day-one release.
Aug 4	Beast of Reincarnation	Ultimate, PC	Cloud, PC, Series X/S	Day-one release.
Aug 14	Grave Seasons	Ultimate, PC	Cloud, PC, Series X/S	Day-one release.

Four more titles will land on Xbox Game Pass before May 2026 comes to a close. They will arrive in pairs, beginning with the Echo Generation 2 and Obsidian’s The Outer Worlds remaster on May 27.

Put the consoles in the correct order.

Easy (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)

The final Xbox Game Pass update of the month is scheduled for May 31, when the service is losing five titles, including several beloved JRPGs from Atlus: Persona 4: Golden and Metaphor: ReFantazio. Another JRPG will then be added on June 2, when the latest Final Fantasy 6 remaster will join the service alongside popular dinosaur-themed city-builder Jurassic World Evolution 3.