If you’re the owner of an Xbox and somehow haven’t yet come across Xbox Gamepass, you’re in for a treat. The easiest way to describe Gamepass is by calling it the Netflix of games. You pay a monthly fee, and in return, Microsoft lets you run free on the massive number of titles on the service. They’re playable as long as Microsoft can keep charging your credit card every month.
There are three tiers to choose from: Gamepass PC, which gives access to all the titles – but they’re only accessible via a PC. That’ll set you back R15 for the first month and then costs R80/m from that point on. Regular Gamepass is for Xbox console players, giving access to the same library of games, also for R80/m. Finally, there’s Gamepass Ultimate. This gives its buyers access to the library on PC and console, with the added benefit of a “free” Xbox Live Gold and EA Play subscription. That one will set you back R120/m, though the first month is only R15.
So, what games should you try out first? That’s why we’re here: to offer up ten of the service’s best games (in no particular order).
Return to Monkey Island
It’s been thirteen years since the world got to visit Monkey Island. In 2022, we got to Return to Monkey Island – putting us back to the body of Guybrush Threepwood (voiced by the original actor, Dominic Armato). Series creator Ron Gilbert is also back, leading to the sort of fun adventure you’ve come to expect with the Monkey Island series.
The dialogue is great, the puzzles engaging, and the world is colourful. It’s wonderful to come back to the madcap place – especially when you can just pick it up on Gamepass at no extra cost. If this is your first foray into Monkey Island – au revoir.
Inside
We’re still fairly new to this one – having only recently played it on PlayStation’s own version of Gamepass. But as a follow-up to Limbo, Playdead’s first outing into the videogame world, Inside is a worthy homage to what made Playdead’s first so popular.
Fortunately, you don’t need to play Limbo before getting to Inside (though you definitely should). You’ll take control of a red-shirted child, as he uncovers the dark, unsettling secrets of a secret lab. As you traverse the 2D landscape, the music and aura of Inside will seep into you and stick in your mind for days. Or even less, because Inside is quite a rather short story.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection
It would be silly to do an Xbox-themed list without including the series that made the Xbox so popular. Sure, the series has slumped in recent years, but that’s okay because The Master Chief Collection takes the series’ first four games and puts it all in one large collection – updated for your pleasure.
Perhaps the best part of the Collection is that all the games included now run at a steady 60fps instead of the usual 30fps. There’s also the ability to play them as a single-player story, with a friend online, or with couch co-op. Going online is still a thing, letting you play locally with friends or against the noobs online.
Whether you’ve already played the first four Halo’s or are new to the series, it’s definitely worth picking this one up.
Minecraft
We don’t need to explain Minecraft to you. You already know what that is. You place blocks down. You break them and pick them back up. That’s it. But even more than a decade after its release, the game still manages to attract new players – kids and grown-ups alike.
For us, Minecraft is a cathartic experience, letting you mine and build to your heart’s content, with absolutely no limits (except your imagination). It’s even a good children distractor, letting you get on with your day while your kid sits around building the ugliest square house you’ve ever seen.
And we probably won’t ever have to stress about Minecraft leaving Gamepass. Microsoft owns Mojang, the company behind Minecraft, meaning it’ll stick around on the service for as long as it’s still profitable.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
If you, like us, were wary of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy at first, we can tell you that your fears are misplaced. Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is nothing at all like its The Avengers counterpart and for that, we’re grateful. Both the story and gameplay mechanics are great, though it was the story that kept us hooked.
The story follows Star-Lord (not voiced by Chris Pratt) and his rag-tag group of companions. As usual for a Marvel story, the Guardians of the Galaxy are tasked with saving the galaxy from an intergalactic threat. You’ll go through the story as the team makes wisecrack after wisecrack, though they never overstay their welcome. Instead, the jokes are actually funny, leaving you wanting more. Whether more will come, we can’t say.
Microsoft’s Flight Simulator
Flight Simulator is the latest in Microsoft’s nearly 40-year run of flying “games”. We say that because Flight Simulator isn’t really a game in the sense that we usually understand it. It harnesses the power of Bing’s map data and some interesting terrain algorithms to essentially give you the power to fly to any point in the world.
Flight Simulator was initially only locked to PC but has since made its way onto the Xbox Series X/S and works perfectly. The problem is, it’s a rather huge download. Seeing your neighbourhood from the sky makes it all worth it though.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition
One of our biggest regrets is that we never got to play the original Mass Effect trilogy back when they were first released. To be fair, we were seven when the first game came out so cut us a bit of slack. Since then, the Mass Effect Legendary Collection was released – updating the original trilogy to add 4K visuals and with more than 40 pieces of DLC to go with it.
You’ll be saving the galaxy as Commander Shepard – but whether you go about it nicely or murderously is entirely up to the player. Mass Effect is an action RPG at its core – and it’s one of the best in the business.
Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley is one of those games that you either get right off the bat, or you spend the better part of three years trying to replicate the same feeling you get from playing Minecraft. We, unfortunately, fall into the latter group. But that doesn’t stop us from seeing the game’s clear attraction. The work that went into creating this indie-farming game is very apparent.
If you’re the sort that prefers a slower, cosier atmosphere to that of a Call of Duty title, then Stardew is something you really need to give a chance to. The “story” is almost non-existent. You are left with a letter explaining that your grandfather’s farm is now yours. You accept the challenge and move across the country to Stardew Valley to start work on your farm. That’s all you need to know. You’ll figure out the rest.
Among Us
If lying and deceiving others is on your CV, then Among Us is perfect for you. We’re not sure why that would be on your CV, but hey, we don’t judge here. We’re just saying that you’d excel in Among Us, a game based around conning your friends into believing you are or aren’t a killer.
Among Us is simple. Very simple. Grabbing around eight or nine friends is recommended, though playing online is an option. Start a match, and someone will be marked as a killer on a spaceship. The killer must try and cull the herd before being found out – pretending to be a lowly crewmate just finishing up tasks. It’s the perfect online party game – and it’s now on Gamepass. Bug your friends to give it a try with you.
Fallout: New Vegas
Often described as one of the best Fallout games ever created, New Vegas was helmed not by Bethesda, but by third-party Obsidian. Fallout: New Vegas can only be played on PC, Xbox One, and the Xbox Series X/S. There hasn’t been a graphical or performance upgrade, but that doesn’t matter. The aging graphics add to New Vegas’ charm.
New Vegas plunges the main character (you) into a post-apocalyptic wasteland in the US (Las Vegas specifically, duh), and make changes to the story as you see fit. There’s plenty to do as you struggle to choose which of the three factions to support as war rages around you. Enjoy! And mind the creepy lizard things. They hunt in packs.