Best games to play on game pass

14 Xbox Game Pass Games Worth Playing

Microsoft’s subscription service includes captivating titles like Two Point Campus, Citizen Sleeper, and Inside.

Xbox Game Pass is one of the few subscriptions I’ve kept around while other services got the chop. The $15 monthly fee for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate feels worth it because I get to choose from over 100 titles and regularly download new additions. In a year the cost breaks down to about the price of three AAA games.

An Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription comes with access to EA Play and Xbox Live Gold. If you’re not interested in online multiplayer games, Microsoft offers a more budget-friendly tier that costs $10 a month. For gamers not on Xbox, PC Game Pass ($10/month) has many of the same titles. (Got a PlayStation or Switch? Check out our guide to the most popular game subscription services.)

To help you choose which ones to download first, WIRED sifted through the Game Pass catalog and rounded up outstanding titles we think you’ll enjoy. From recent releases to excellent throwbacks, our genre-spanning picks for the best Game Pass games have a little something for all players.

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• Courtesy of Two Point Studios

  Dean Duties

  Two Point Campus

  An admirable successor to Two Point Hospital, Two Point Campus is a lighthearted business management sim where you build multiple universities and attempt to keep students happy as they study everything from robotics to wizardry. Between creating lavish dorm rooms, hiring the best faculty, and designing the outdoor shrubbery, make sure to keep an eye on the campus coffers. Budgeting while you’re attending college is a slog; budgeting while you’re playing Two Point Campus is rather rewarding.

  Available on Game Pass for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

• Courtesy of Playdead

  Exploring Shadows

  Inside

  What if a puzzle platformer was a somber adventure? Inside is an atmospheric game that will keep the Xbox controller glued to your hand way past your bedtime, with the story creeping into your dreams. Published by Playdead in 2016, Inside won best independent title at the Game of the Year awards and was nominated for best overall game. Try beating Inside without reading any gameplay guides or tips for an optimal experience. The feeling of satisfaction is immaculate when you struggle with a section for 30 minutes and finally discover the simple solution.

  Available on Game Pass for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

• Courtesy of Tribute Games Inc.

  Kick Shell

  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge

  While it’s impossible to perfectly recreate the childhood feeling of sitting too close to the TV on a Saturday morning, chomping down a sugary breakfast, and watching cartoons, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge comes pretty darn close. Developed by Tribute Games, the button-mashing fun of Shredder’s Revenge references a bygone era of TMNT animation and video games. Brawl through levels either by yourself or with up to five other people in multiplayer mode. It’s radical.

  Available on Game Pass for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

• Courtesy of Exbleative

  Ship Bouncer

  Exo One

  Whizz through thick clouds of fog inside your spherical spaceship and navigate bumpy terrain using the power of gravity in Exo One. It’s a chill puzzle game with minimal narrative. Let your round ship plummet at the planet’s surface to gain speed, and release it at opportune moments to soar towards the next level. Made by indie developer Jay Weston, Exo One is a bite-sized sci-fi game that allows you to clear your mind, leave this world, and become a bouncing ball.

  Available on Game Pass for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

• Courtesy of Square Enix 

  Space Shooter

  Outriders

  Balancing elements of an RPG and third-person shooter, Outriders is another sci-fi adventure worth your time. Traverse the dystopian planet of Enoch in a customizable convoy, and use your unique skill set to take on formidable foes. The co-op campaign is perfect for hours of monster-blasting fun with friends. Curious about the new Outriders Worldslayer expansion? It’s not included with the subscription service, but you can play the original experience on Game Pass before deciding to buy additional content.

  Available on Game Pass for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

• Courtesy of Fellow Traveller Games

  Conscious Robots

  Citizen Sleeper

  In Citizen Sleeper, you are a human consciousness inhabiting a robot form and on the lam from the company that owns you. Humanoid capital, you better watch your back! A must-play for anyone who enjoyed Disco Elysium, Citizen Sleeper pulls from tabletop dice games and relies heavily on deft writing. Published by Fellow Traveller, the game’s tagline is, “Roleplaying in the ruins of interplanetary capitalism.” Easy to finish in under a week, the game is about discovering solidarity within the dystopia. For a deeper dive into Citizen Sleeper, go read WIRED’s conversation with Gareth Damian Martin, the game’s creator.

  Available on Game Pass for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

• Courtesy of PopCap Games

  Digital Pachinko

  Peggle

  Take a journey back to 2007 and soak up the pachinko-inspired magic of Peggle. You shoot a bouncing ball in an effort to hit every peg and clear the board. The colorful puzzles combine with over-the-top celebrations at the end of successful levels to create a surprisingly satisfying experience. Puzzle lovers may enjoy playing other throwback games such as Zuma and Bejeweled 3.

  Available as part of EA Play for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.

• Courtesy of Finji

  Aesthetic Adventures

  Tunic

  Every few years, an adorable indie game comes along that isn't afraid to knock you on your ass. Blending elements of Nintendo’s Zelda and FromSoftware’s Soulsborne series, Tunic is an isometric video game from Andrew Shouldice. The publisher, Finji, has released multiple indie darlings in the past, such as Night in the Woods and Chicory: A Colorful Tale. Control your fluffy fox as they explore the mysterious world, fight various aggressors, and gradually collect pages from an indecipherable guidebook. Tunic is fantastic and my current game of the year, but you may need to set your controller down a few times and walk around the block to calm down.

  Available on Game Pass for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

• Courtesy of Behaviour Interactive Inc.

  Hooking Up

  Dead by Daylight

  Whether Michael Myers makes your skin crawl or you are creeped out by The Ring, Dead by Daylight is a quality choice for horror enthusiasts. I often play as one of the four trapped survivors who are trying to fix generators and open the gate to escape from a murderer who stalks their every step. You are eliminated from the game if the killer can hunt you down and hang you on an oversized hook three times. The game is loud, bloody, and for mature audiences.

  Dead by Daylight is not perfect. For example, you may encounter longer than desired queue times depending on when you try to join a game. In spite of any flaws, I play the game at least once a week. If you’re willing to spend a little extra money, I recommend Mikaela Reid as a great survivor to choose. Even though she’s not one of the included options, her special abilities are useful for navigating the map and retaining health. Although I don’t play as the killer very often, The Huntress is my main. When controlled by someone skilled, her hatchet-throwing can quickly end games.

  Available on Game Pass for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

• Courtesy of Supergiant Games

  Daddy Issues

  Hades

  Battle through the caverns of Hades in this critically acclaimed roguelike from Supergiant Games. Emerging from a river of blood, you play as Zagreus, the bisexual son of Hades who’s determined to escape from the underworld. Encounter new enemies, unlock new weapons, and gain new skills as you repeatedly attempt to fight your way out.

  Available on Game Pass for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

• Courtesy of Microsoft

  Zooming Around

  Forza Horizon 5

  An open-world racing game set in Mexico, Forza Horizon 5 will keep you engrossed and behind the wheel for hours on end. The smooth handling and pristine graphics make Forza Horizon 5 one of the best racing games of all time. Build a collection of iconic cars, customize the vehicles to your heart’s desire, and hear the engines purr during racing events and aimless explorations of the expansive map. An online battle royale mode, “The Eliminator,” is thrown in for good measure.

  Available on Game Pass for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

• Courtesy of NetherRealm Studios

  Crushing Blows

  Mortal Kombat 11

  The bloody, one-on-one battles in Mortal Kombat 11 are enjoyable whether you fight as classic characters (like Scorpion and Sub-Zero) or newer additions (like Geras and Kollector). Defeating your opponents with gruesome fatalities is definitely part of the appeal, but you don’t need to memorize finishing moves to have a great time with Mortal Kombat 11—button mashing is OK! Challenge friends to intense face-offs, and be prepared to test the limits of your relationships.

  Available on Game Pass for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

• Courtesy of Devolver Digital

  Giddy-Up Gunslinger

  Weird West

  Get your pistol holstered and ready, this dark adventure may get a little rowdy. Another role-playing game with a peculiar twist, Weird West is a recent release developed by WolfEye Studios and published by Devolver Digital, the Texas-based company known for critical hits like Loop Hero and Inscryption. You start the immersive sim as an out-of-duty bounty hunter searching for her missing husband. I encountered a few glitches while playing Weird West, but still found the overall experience to be unique and engrossing. Western tropes are imbued with fantastical elements as you control five core characters on your journey, some more monstrous than others.

  Available on Game Pass for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

• Courtesy of Microsoft

  Classic Campaigns

  Halo: The Master Chief Edition

  Relive the campaigns that started it all. Halo: The Master Chief Edition is a collection of six games reaching all the way back to the original Xbox launch title, Halo: Combat Evolved. Forget about Space Force, the United Nations Space Command patrols the skies and fights off interstellar attacks in Halo. The game was a cultural phenomenon in the early 2000s and remains a prime example of a single-player campaign at its finest.

  Available on Game Pass for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

Reece Rogers is WIRED's service writer, focused on explaining crucial topics and helping readers get the most out of their technology. Prior to WIRED, he covered streaming at Insider.