Xbox Game Pass contains games that can keep players entertained for a whole month on their own. Fallout, Dragon Age, Forza Horizon, and Starfield are all known for producing lengthy campaigns that could potentially require an investment exceeding 30 hours. Meanwhile, series like Fable, Halo, and Gears of War are great options for people searching for single-player adventures lasting roughly between 10–20 hours.
As enjoyable as an expansive open-world game can be, there is also a time and place for more concise stories. These titles can be nice palate cleansers between meatier packages, or they could be slotted in when someone only has a day left in their subscription. What are some of the best short games on Xbox Game Pass?
Updated June 17, 2024 by Mark Sammut: The last month brought quite a few exciting titles to Game Pass, including a few projects that can be completed in under 5 hours.
Little Kitty, Big City
3 Hours
Little Kitty, Big City
- Released
- May 9, 2024
- Developer(s)
- Double Dagger Studio
- Platform(s)
- PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
Not every game needs to be complicated, and that extends to fairly open sandbox projects. Little Kitty, Big City has a simple premise: a cat wants to get back home. That's largely it, and the result is an adorable adventure that feels bigger than it actually is. After falling from their ledge, a cat finds itself wandering through a hectic city block filled with humans, other animals, and collectibles. The feline must complete a few questlines to make its way back to safety, a journey that is generally relaxing.
Little Kitty, Big City: All Achievements (& How to Unlock Them)
Here is a complete list of the achievements available in Little Kitty, Big City, and a guide on how to complete them.
Little Kitty, Big City is designed with younger players in mind and offers a good mix of platforming, exploration, and puzzles. More experienced players should still check this out if they want a short but sweet title to play in between longer games, particularly if they are cat people.
The Rewinder
5 Hours
The Rewinder
- Released
- September 10, 2021
- Developer(s)
- MistyMountainStudio
- Platform(s)
- PC, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Point-and-click, Adventure, Puzzle
Inspired by Chinese mythology, The Rewinder is a gorgeous 2D adventure game that casts players as a protagonist tasked with helping spirits move on and be reborn, a process that involves traveling through time by entering memories. Fairly story-driven, The Rewinder brings to life a unique world that has been largely left untapped by gaming, at least ones that find an audience in Western nations.
Although somewhat simplistic, the gameplay is enjoyable and combines puzzles, dialogue, and exploration relatively well. Players have to make quite a few choices with genuine consequences too, making for a thought-provoking and involving campaign.
Botany Manor
3 Hours
Botany Manor
- Released
- April 9, 2024
- Developer(s)
- Balloon Studios
- Platform(s)
- Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4
- Genre(s)
- Puzzle, Immersive Sim, Exploration
Balloon Studios' Botany Manor launched directly on Xbox Game Pass, making it one of many Day 1 arrivals announced for 2024. Compared to titles like Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, this short indie project will probably not be remembered as one of the year's most highly anticipated additions to the service; however, that does not mean it is not worth a playthrough. Botany Manor brings to life a 19th-century townhouse, allowing players to explore its halls and gardens from a first-person perspective. As Arabella Greene, a botanist working on a book of flowers, players must jot down the growth requirements for every seed and plant on the grounds, with each one acting as a puzzle.
Botany Manor is simply pleasant. While by no means obvious, the puzzles are generally not too difficult, and they work well to keep things moving along while also teaching players about many different types of plants. Visually, the game looks impressive, with vibrant colors and a realistic edge. Arabella is not a very loud or personable character, but her story develops quite nicely as the campaign progresses. Botany Manor should offer a welcome change of pace from more action-heavy games.
Cocoon
5 Hours
Cocoon
- Released
- September 29, 2023
- Developer(s)
- Geometric Interactive
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, PS4, Switch, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- Puzzle, Adventure
Geometric's Cocoon is a creative puzzle game that casts players as, basically, an insect that travels to different worlds by entering orbs. While the main hub area is primarily a wasteland, players periodically come across spheres that contain their own universes, essentially acting as separate stages. As every world comes with a unique aesthetic that sets it apart from the crowd, discovering an orb is always exciting, especially since the actual gameplay is fantastic.
Cocoon Review
Geometric Interactive's Cocoon creates a complex and satisfying puzzle-solving experience by iterating on its simple premise.
Along with well-paced puzzles, Cocoon also emphasizes exploration, allowing players to move at their own pace and to take detours if they wish. Although this freedom can expand a playthrough by a few hours, the game is still not particularly long.
Bramble: The Mountain King
5 Hours
Bramble: The Mountain King
- Released
- April 27, 2023
- Developer(s)
- Dimfrost
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, Switch, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
This indie darling follows a child, Olle, as he travels through a magical forest to save his missing sister. Bramble: The Mountain King plays out like a dark fairy tale inspired by Nordic mythology, and the game does an impeccable job of bringing to life figures from these stories. Along with being quite terrifying at times, these creatures are presented with respect and depth since they feel like they belong in this world rather than just coming across as intruders.
Gameplay-wise, Bramble: The Mountain King is a straightforward puzzle-stealth project that generally tasks players with staying out of the monsters' views. While nothing to write home about, the gameplay loop is decent enough to not get in the way of the campaign's strengths: its presentation and story.
Somerville
4 Hours
Somerville
- Released
- November 15, 2022
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Developer
- Jumpship
- Genre(s)
- Adventure, Puzzle, Sci-Fi
Coming from one of the creative forces behind Limbo and Inside, Somerville is very much cut from the same cloth as those two masterpieces. An atmospheric adventure game that utilizes environmental storytelling rather than discourse, this 2022 release finds Earth besieged by aliens, an invasion that quickly devastates the planet.
Telling a smaller-scale personal quest, Somerville focuses on a father who is simply trying to keep his family alive during this testing time. The gameplay largely consists of basic platforming and puzzles, and while these elements are handled well, they are in service of the game's tone, presentation, and emotion.
Clone Drone In The Danger Zone
3 Hours
Clone Drone In The Danger Zone
Clone Drone in the Danger Zone is a melee action game that gets most of its longevity from its side content that greatly ramps up the difficulty; consequently, if someone wants to get the most out of this package, they will be playing for way longer than just a few hours. However, the campaign serves as a pretty good entry point as it teaches the basics while also offering enough of a challenge to not be a walk in the park.
Clone Drone's combat revolves around directional swings as players will need to aim the swings of their weapons to target an enemy's weak spots. Although not an especially unique concept, it is executed well by the game.
A Short Hike
2 Hours
A Short Hike
Considering its title, A Short Hike's brisk length should not come as much of a surprise. An introspective stroll through a beautiful location, players follow Claire, a bird who spends the day at a park. While she is desperate to make it to the top of the trail in order to obtain a signal for her phone, Claire (and the player) is also encouraged to just absorb the world around her. She can go off the beaten path to find NPCs and mini-games, or just to enjoy being one with nature.
A Short Hike has no action outside some light platforming fueled by some unlockable abilities. The game is designed to be relaxing and tranquil, both characteristics it possesses in spades. The story is also quite poignant. While a playthrough's length will vary depending on someone's pace, a run can readily be completed within roughly two hours, and A Short Hike is well worth that investment.
Unpacking
4 Hours
Unpacking
On paper, Unpacking hardly sounds appetizing since it revolves around one of the most potentially frustrating parts of life: moving. Covering roughly two decades, the indie game is split into eight stages representing different periods in the protagonist's life. In each level, players have to unpack the character's belongings, carefully placing her items in the available space.
Unpacking: All Achievements/Stickers Guide
Unpacking has a variety of achievements, called Stickers, that players can try to complete, but some of them are difficult to figure out.
Unpacking impressively combines its gameplay and storytelling, using the former to fuel the latter. Players repeatedly run through the protagonist's items, the only ones she deemed worthy of keeping around when she moved to her new place. Clocking in at roughly 3 hours, Unpacking is a quick and reasonably relaxed experience, albeit one that manages to tell an impactful story in an unusual way.
Firewatch
4 Hours
Firewatch
For a while, "walking sims" were treated with derision, but they are primarily story-driven games that usually focus on exploration. Sure, the subgenre has produced a couple of low-effort projects, but that can be said for any other category. Firewatch represents walking sims at their peak, and the 2016 release has aged well. Set in a National Forest, players are a lookout stationed in a watchtower, and they find themselves alone within the dense foliage, only periodically running into other people. Their only real human connection is their walkie-talkie-bound supervisor, who generally gives players some guidance on how to move forward.
Firewatch's visual style and eerie quietness give way to a tense and uncomfortable atmosphere that builds throughout the short campaign. Narratively, the game touches upon some mature themes without feeling the need to spoonfeed the audience, all the while still delivering a cohesive story. Firewatch does not have much replay value, so one playthrough should be enough for most people.