Microsoft’s Game Pass service is easily worth the price of admission. Many might balk at the concept of having their video game library locked behind a subscription service, but the fact is subscribers get access to an incredible selection of titles spanning from indie darlings to triple-A blockbusters for a surprisingly affordable monthly fee.
Xbox Game Pass: How To Subscribe And What Games Are Available
Xbox Game Pass packs a lot of value into its subscription model — here are all the details you need to know, from price to recently added games.
With such a dizzying array of fantastic titles on display, it can be a daunting task deciding which ones are worth a player’s time. Given that the cost of entry is taken care of with the subscription fee, the most pressing matter is determining the best use of your hard drive space. Thankfully, the diamonds of this collection are readily apparent. Here’s a look at the greatest games that Xbox Game Pass has to offer.
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The selections listed here will include games available on EA Play, which is included with a subscription to Game Pass Ultimate.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection
Halo: The Master Chief Collection
- Released
- November 11, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Violence, Blood and Gore, Language
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter
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) 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.
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag
- Released
- October 29, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Open-World
We haven’t dabbled in every Assassin’s Creed game ever made. There are quite a few, but between the three of us, we’ve gotten experience with the likes of Assassin’s Creed II, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. And of course, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.
The Xbox Game Pass price hike of 2025, while not particularly morale raising for subscribers, added the Ubisoft+ library of games to the top tier of the subscription service. Which, in case it wasn’t clear, added nearly all of the Assassin’s Creed games to the Game Pass Ultimate library.
The argument for which AC game is best is one that can take many forms. Some people prefer the classic stealth assassin formula. Others prefer the shake-up that occurred starting with Origins. Then there is the variety of stories to take into account. Regardless of preference, plenty of AC fans recognize Black Flag for being one of the highlights of the franchise. The initially disagreeable Edward Kenway makes for an interesting protagonist, the journey on the high seas provides gaming with one of the best examples of the life of a pirate, and who doesn’t remember the ship combat fondly? Of all the Assassin’s Creed games a Game Pass Ultimate subscriber could try out, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is the one most deserving.
Dome Keeper
Dome Keeper
- Released
- September 27, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Tower Defense
Much like with Ball X Pit about a month ago, I dipped into Dome Keeper on a lark. It was a new game on Game Pass, looked like an arcade-y bit of fun, and the trailer was a bop. And now I’m left wondering how many other phenomenal games like this just slip under the radar when they’re added to the Xbox Game Pass library all quiet like, without any much-deserved fanfare?!
Dome Keeper is great, and if you enjoyed the roguelite nature and split-genre dabbling of Ball X Pit, it’s the game for you. Your time is spent delving into the ground below your dome, digging up resources and upgrades for your dome’s defense, and then manning the defense with the dome weapons you’ve acquired, fighting off waves of various enemies. It’s an engaging loop that grows a tad more complex each time without veering into banality or tedium. Essentially, this is a freaking fantastic game.
Marvel Cosmic Invasion
MARVEL Cosmic Invasion
- Released
- December 1, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Beat 'Em Up, Superhero, Action
Nothing says gaming fun quite like an old-school, arcade beat-em-up, and that’s exactly what Marvel Cosmic Invasion is. If you enjoyed the addition of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge to the Xbox Game Pass library, Marvel Cosmic Invasion will be the next retro gem you’re looking to play. You can take control of up to fifteen (two at a time per player) Marvel super heroes to engage in a galactic adventure that feels straight out of the pages of a comic book.
And you side-scroll smash and blast your way through waves of enemies, a typical beat-em-up game. Marvel Cosmic Invasion’s charm comes not only from its adherence to the genre and comic book style but from its fantastic tag-team system. Per level, you can swap between two heroes, making each corridor of opponents a unique joy to tackle given the variety of playstyles you can employ. It’s fun, action-packed, and everything you would want a game about comic book heroes to be like.
Routine
Routine
- Released
- December 4, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
We do love us a good horror game, and we especially love us a good horror game that reminds us of our all-time favorite horror title, Alien Isolation. No, Routine does not feature an ever-present Xenomorph hunting your every step. But it does capture the vibe of trying to make it from objective to objective while a palm-sweating threat lurks around every corner, just waiting to ruin your day, i.e. Kill you before you can save your game. It also nabs that 80s science-fiction aesthetic to a tee.
You spend your time in this delightfully digestible experience exploring an “abandoned” lunar base. As with most horror games, however, the location is not as abandoned as it seems. You need to navigate these retro sci-fi corridors without much help in the way of waypoints, but this only adds to the terror. Collect logs and other bits of information to piece together what happened on the base. It’s anything but routine.
1000xResist
1000xRESIST
- Released
- May 9, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Sci-Fi, Thriller, Visual Novel, Adventure
If you were to only see screenshots or snippets of gameplay video from 1000xResist, you might consider yourself unimpressed. The graphics are simple, character animations are bare, and gameplay largely consists of walking your character from place to place and pressing a “talk” button. But 1000xResist’s secret weapon is its narrative. The story of 1000xResist alone is enough to earn it awards and keep you playing hours after you thought you might quit.
A small handful of games have made me tear up while playing, and 1000xResist is one of them.
Without spoiling overly much, you play as characters trapped in an area after a disease/alien incursion has wiped out most of humanity. A unique dialect exists between these survivors that takes some getting used to, but as the story unfolds, using a time-jumping-back-and-forth mechanic, you get used to it and the way this “society” functions. Be forewarned, this is a LOT of dialogue to listen through. But 1000xResist is 1000 times irresistible with its narrative beats, making every word well worth it. Hekki grace.
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
- Released
- February 18, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Mystery, Adventure, Narrative
As a big fan of the Life Is Strange series and Telltale-style games in general, I was excited to play Lost Records: Bloom & Rage. Made by the fantabulous Don’t Nod, Bloom & Rage is about a group of four girls who decide to form a “riot Grrls” band in the 90s. However, as they hang out together during one fateful summer, they discover a secret in the woods that will change them forever. That’s oversimplifying the plot a lot, but you can’t expect me to divulge key narrative points for a game that is all about its narrative.
The special gameplay conceit of Bloom & Rage is twofold. Main character Swann is an aspiring filmmaker, so she films everything, including collectibles you need to find. And, in addition to that, the story is gradually unfolded from both Swann’s perspective in the past and in the present. It all contributes to a retro 90s-aesthetic mystery that is sure to keep you playing through all its twists and turns.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
- Released
- February 13, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Banishers is exactly the kind of game you might not have heard of or you may have knowingly skipped playing in favor of an eye-grabbing, triple-A title that released around the same time. However, it should definitely be on your “to-play” list. Its story features a couple who roams the land of New Eden and spends their time giving spirits the boot from the physical world.
But things take a turn for the tragic when one of them gets killed and becomes a spirit themselves. The remaining, living partner still needs to get spirit-banishing jobs done while grappling with the moral dilemma of their own loved one being stuck as a spirit until they too get “banished.” Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden doesn’t break any new ground when it comes to its gameplay mechanics or narrative, but both are so solidly well-done, it’s a fantastic game to seek your teeth into.
Rocket League
Rocket League
- Released
- July 7, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Sports
Rocket League is a polarizing game when you play it. You either find yourself loving it immensely or loathing it entirely. The description of an “arcade-style soccer” game can mislead you into thinking this is just casual good fun. Wrong. Your first time playing Rocket League, you’ll be blown away by how terribly the cars control. Your perspective as you rocket-jump your little vehicle to try and “kick” a ball into a goal will feel unhelpful. All the other players will feel like soccer gods.
But once you get the hang of it, Rocket League provides a hilarious and surprisingly skill-based degree of fun. With practice, you too can become a soccer god. And once you reach that level of play, sure, the game can still infuriate you. But you’ll still love it when it does.
The Outer Worlds 2
The Outer Worlds 2
- Released
- October 29, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
If you adored The Outer Worlds and wanted to dive into that experience again (but with more at your disposal), Obsidian Entertainment made just the game for you: its sequel. Spacer’s Choice, or should we say Auntie’s Choice, is back at it, and your custom-made Captain needs to assemble a crew and save a galaxy once again. You’ll need to navigate the political and social tangles of this new area of space, working against and alongside factions like the previously mentioned Auntie’s Choice, The Order of the Ascendant, and the Protectorate.
That’s all well and good; we love the Obsidian formula for RPGs. However, The Outer Worlds 2 shines the most with its sense of humor. You can find a good RPG almost anywhere, but you can’t find an RPG that combines this level of polish with a supremely fantastic sense of humor layered into every level of its systems, whether we’re talking hilarious perks/flaws or side-splitting dialogue options. If that’s your thing, you won’t be disappointed.