The best games on Xbox Game Pass 2024

Looking for the best games on Xbox Game Pass? The console holds an impressive, constantly expanding library of games. New games are added monthly, while some titles leave the platform. With so many games to choose on Game Pass, you can access games specifically on Xbox consoles or Windows PC games through your computer.

Xbox Game Pass lets you play games like Starfield when they come out without buying the game. Our list of the best Xbox Game Pass games takes PC and Xbox consoles into account, and we’ve gone through the entire Xbox Game Pass library to select our top picks for the best games on Xbox Game Pass you can play right now.

Elsewhere on Xbox consoles, you should check out our list of the best FPS games on Xbox and the best RPGs on Xbox. Now, on to the Best Xbox Game Pass games.

Starfield

Starfield is one of the biggest launches on Xbox, the likes of which haven’t been seen in quite a while. Starfield is the latest entry from Bethesda, and it is an ambitious RPG about space exploration. Create a character, romance your party members, build your own ships, and set out on an adventure across the stars. Starfield is available to play if you subscribe to Xbox Game Pass, which significantly lowers the price point for getting the game

Grand Theft Auto 5

Grand Theft Auto 5, otherwise known as GTA V, has been released and re-released so many times it’s hard to count. GTA V on Game Pass lets you access the single-player mode and the extensive and ridiculously fun GTA Online. The story mode is brilliant in its own right, but the multiplayer is getting constant free updates and additions, such as large-scale Hiests, missions, buildings to buy, and so much more. You create your own character in GTA Online, and you can run your own criminal enterprise while wreaking untold havoc and destruction upon the land.

Minecraft

Minecraft is the ultimate creative game, and the best part is you can access it through Xbox Game Pass. If you don’t know, Minecraft is a sandbox survival game that you can play with your friends. You enter a world and you must gather, build, and mine to craft new tools, make buildings, create towns or an underground network of tunnels. Anything you want to do can be done in Minecraft, you just need to jump in and start experimenting.

Rainbow Six Siege

Rainbow Six Siege is one of the finest FPS games out there. This multiplayer game focuses on online battles between two teams of five. Depending on whether you’re an Attacker or a Defender, you pick from a pool of Operators who all have specialised kits and abilities for each situation. Rounds happen in turns, so you switch between Attackers and Defenders, and to win, you need to complete the objective or kill everyone on the enemy team. Time to kill in Siege is lightning fast and headshots will kill you immediately, so make sure you take your time.

Sea of Thieves

One of the best ways to get the most out of your Xbox Game Pass subscription is to give the phenomenal Sea of Thieves a try. Sea of Thieves has a vast open world to set sail into. It truly offers the essential pirate experience, letting you set sail into unknown territories, swashbuckle other pirates, and loot to your heart’s content. There is total freedom when building out your crew, which you can do online with your friends, so you can be as successful or cursed as you want. Sea of Thieves receives regular updates, so there is always plenty of new content to sink some time into.

Slime Rancher 1 / 2

Slime Rancher is a beautiful game all about exploiting local slimes for their resources, all the while keeping them caged up and separated from their local habitat. When we say ‘beautiful’, we mean in its simplicity and gorgeously colourful world – the slimes ostensibly enjoy being caged and don’t seem to complain, so whatever nefarious subtext you may or may not glean from this game is entirely up to you. Your job in Slime Rancher is simple, gather slimes, make them happy, and sell their goods on the market to improve your facilities and expand your ranch. Slime Rancher 2 does exactly the same thing, and most of the systems are simply expanded upon, making it a great game to jump into if you’ve never played the first one.

It Takes Two

From the genius minds of A Way Out and Brothers, Hazelight Studio’s next game is another completely focused on co-op. It Takes Two is a story about family and learning to grow up and accept change. You play as tiny doll versions of a child’s mother and father, and they have to work together to complete puzzles and proceed through the story. There’s a lot of heart in It Takes Two, and it’s an extremely fun game to play through with your friend or partner. Plus, the fact it’s on Game Pass is a bonus, and you can probably get through the whole thing in an evening.

Sea of Stars

Sea of Stars is helping fill out the roster of excellent RPGs available on Xbox Game Pass and the console’s library. Sea of Stars is made to look like a retro RPG, akin to the likes of Chrono Trigger, Golden Sun, and others from roughly around the golden era of pixel-art JRPGS. In what we consider a rare occurrence, Sea of Stars does a fantastic job of being more than a simple love letter and homage to those old JRPGS and manages to find its personality and voice in a sea of copies. Many games that pay homage fail to do this, which is what makes Sea of Stars an even more impressive game. Not to mention the fact it has excellent turn-based combat, lovable characters, and a charming world filled with funny and enjoyable interactions.

A Short Hike

Xbox Game Pass does a great job of giving small indie games a platform and making them easily accessible. A Short Hike is a fantastic little indie game that tasks you with making your way to the summit of a mountain to find a signal on your phone. As you explore the beautifully animated world, you’ll come across other hikers, and hidden treasures, and discover a fabulous journey.

Back 4 Blood

Back 4 Blood is the spiritual successor to the critically acclaimed zombie shooter Left 4 Dead. Using many of the same systems and gameplay setups, you control one of a group of survivors and you must go through several missions and stages, with the finale always ending with a huge escape or defensive battle against hordes of undead and superinfected. Since we will probably never get a Left 4 Dead 3, Back 4 Blood will do just fine. Grab your friends and shoot your way to victory against the monstrous undead.

Deep Rock Galactic

Did somebody say ‘Rock and Stone?’ Deep Rock Galactic offers a uniquely challenging and thoroughly enjoyable co-op shooter experience. In Deep Rock Galactic, you play as one of four classes of Dwarf and your job is to take on missions on randomised planets to gather materials, find treasure, discover secrets, and kill all alien life that tries to stop you. Deep Rock Galactic has a simple but effective gameplay loop and it is best enjoyed with friends, especially due to how challenging it can be to complete some missions where communication and strategy are crucial. Rock and stone to the bone.

Persona 3 Portable

It was a huge deal when the mainline Persona games finally stopped being a Sony exclusive, bringing the likes of Persona 3 Portable (P3P) to the Xbox along with Persona 4 Golden and Persona 5 Royal. As a JRPG, P3P is one of the best. It follows the story of a male or female protagonist depending on your choice as they navigate school life and relationships, and uncover the mystery of their otherworldly Persona abilities and the Dark Hour. P3P has dungeon crawling, life-sim aspects, and incredibly tough and intricate turn-based combat.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection

Halo: The Master Chief Collection is the definitive best way to enjoy the original Halo games, all the way from Halo: Combat Evolved, through ODST, Reach, and up to Halo 4. If you love the old Firefight modes from ODST, you can jump right back into those, or you can replay Halo 1 with improved graphics. Regardless of whether you’ve always played Halo games or you’ve never touched one, the Master Chief Collection is the best and most convenient way to get into the history of the Halo series.

Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley can be several things to different people. At its heart, Stardew Valley is a life and farming simulation where you own a farm, plant crops, interact with fellow villagers, and get to experience the wholesome life away from big urban cities. On the other hand, Stardew Valley could see you worked to the bone on your farm only to have it yield a pitiful bounty, or you could also be rejected by everyone in the town for the Spring Dance, or you could overwork so much you pass out in the streets and a stranger has to carry you back to your home. Stardew Valley is what you make it, and it’s a truly brilliant game.

Persona 4 Golden

Persona 4 Golden is arguably one of the greatest JRPGs of all time. As with all Persona games, you follow the life of a high schooler in Japan who discovers they have a hidden ability called Persona, which lets them fight Shadows. In Persona 4 Golden, you have to solve a murder mystery with your fellow high schoolers, who also awaken to the same powers. Persona features life sim and time management aspects, a strong character-driven narrative, and challenging turn-based combat in huge dungeons. The writing, characters, and story of Persona 4 Golden are phenomenal, and if you like anime style then P4G will live rent-free in your mind for years after the credits roll.

Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

One of the most meme-worthy games, Oblivion is another Elder Scrolls game Bethesda released before Skyrim. Oblivion is set in the fantasy world of Cyrodiil, and it follows the character you create on their adventure to save the world from the gates of Oblivion. As an open-world game, there is tons of freedom and plenty of ways to build your character as you explore the world and complete quests. Oblivion is so full of jank, but it only adds to its charm. The world and characters are extremely detailed and it is a fabulous fantasy adventure.

Warhammer 40K: Darktide

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is the latest game from Fatshark set in the world of Warhammer. Fatshark’s previous game, Vermintide 2, was a fantastic and gory melee-focused game that put you against hordes of Skaven ratmen and other monstrosities from the Age of Sigmar. Darktide is set in the 40K world of Warhammer, and the idea behind it is similar to Vermintide: you and a group of characters tackle missions where you fight hordes of foes and struggle to survive against outrageous odds. The challenge is deeply rewarding and the combat is beyond satisfying. If you want to explore the deep dark world of 40K, then Darktide offers a hideous slice of that in spades.

Monster Hunter Rise

Monster Hunter Rise is the latest game in the series after the outrageously successful (and somewhat superior) Monster Hunter World. Rise is technically a Switch game that has been ported, meaning it’s not as pretty as World or as advanced in a lot of ways. Rise is something of a modern return to the older Monster Hunter games, where you have small maps to explore as opposed to the lavishly huge and detailed areas from World. Hunt monsters, craft gear, grind for those end-game Talismans and make sure you bring your friends along for the ride. Monster Hunter has always offered unparalleled and mostly unmatched cooperative experiences through multiplayer, and it is one heck of a time-sink if you want it to be.

Persona 5 Royal

As mentioned, the Persona games are all on Xbox Game Pass and this is currently one of the most accessible ways to play the core games that helped Persona 5 Royal become the downright critical success it is. P5 Royal is a re-release of the original Persona 5, adding in a ton of new content and a brand new story arc – making it arguably the best way to experience the game. Persona 5 Royal sees you punish evil adults as teens in Tokyo, stealing their hearts and putting an end to their corrupt desires. P5 is the best iteration of all the systems in Persona, from the Confidant, battle, Persona fusion systems and everything else, this is the most streamlined and critically acclaimed experience from a Persona game that you simply must try. Starting with Persona 5 is no issue either since the previous games aren’t connected at all, only borrowing themes and systems.