Best Xbox Game Pass games to play in 2025

The best Xbox Game Pass games in 2025 offer some gaming experiences you might not necessarily purchase for yourself, all for one affordable monthly cost. Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft’s gaming subscription service continues to be a success, thanks to day one availability of Xbox Game Studio’s own games on the service, bringing you big games like Forza Motorsport, Starfield, and Halo Infinite immediately at launch for a reasonable subscription fee.

Since launch, the service has only grown, now including EA Play and modern hits like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Avowed. Xbox Game Pass is a cost-effective deal whether you own an Xbox Series X|S or PC. Even better – if you want to enjoy Xbox Game Pass games both on your console and PC, as well as streamed through Xbox Cloud Gaming, then Xbox Game Pass Ultimate lets you access both libraries, giving you even more choices and making it easy to jump between platforms when you’re playing a game.

Xbox Game Pass regularly adds and removes games from its line-up, keeping things fresh while giving you enough time to finish a game you’ve had your eye on. The only thing you have to do is choose, and this list of the best Xbox Game Pass games will help you.

Best Xbox Game Pass games 2025

Black Ops 6 is a real return to form for the franchise, featuring a brand new slate of maps and the exciting Omnimovement combat system. This system lets you sprint and dive in any direction, leading to some truly awesome moments in matches. You can fire while diving, and certain maps featuring specially-designed areas where you can dive off tall structures and into pools, ponds, or onto train boxcars.

There's a whole new Zombies Mode to enjoy as well. This takes the mode back to its roots, simplifying systems and focusing on team-based play. There's now multiple maps to fight your way through, and several new weapons that include throwbacks to old Zombies campaigns. Speaking of Campaigns, the Black Ops 6 single player Campaign is a spy-thriller mixed with a classic Call of Duty adventure. It's the best one in years.

Doom: The Dark Ages is a brilliant twist on the modern Doom formula, and better yet, it launched on Xbox Game Pass. Now, the Doom Slayer finds himself in a Medieval hellscape, though he's got a new set of toys to play with. One is a chainsaw shield, adding a parry to proceedings. It can be thrown too, bouncing between enemies before returning back covered in demon blood. In terms of gameplay, this one slows things down significantly, focusing on methodical combat and chaining together abilities and attacks.

While things have been slowed down when compared to the last entry, Doom: The Dark Ages continues to push next-gen visuals to the limit. Performance on the Xbox Series X is fantastic, with a solid 60 FPS (frames per second) maintained across the board. Oh, and you can now ride a dragon across the map, blasting enemies from the skies.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is one of the surprise hits of 2025, pleasing both critics and fans with its innovative twists on classic JRPG gameplay. For starters, it's absolutely gorgeous, with a distinct art-style bolstered by bold character design and stylish combat effects. There's great performances across the board too, from Daredevil's Charlie Cox, Final Fantasy 16's Ben Starr, Baldur's Gate 3's Jennifer English, and The Lord of the Rings' Andy Serkis.

If you're a fan of sprawling RPG epics, then you'll get plenty out of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. It's got one of the best stories in recent memory, with plenty of heartbreak, betrayal, and sacrifice. It's all clearly inspired by classic JRPG series like Final Fantasy, Suikoden, and Dragon Quest, but manages to carve out its own path by making smart changes to the tried and tested turn-based formula. Parries and dodges can be weaved in between attacks, adding an extra layer of interactivity to battles. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the best Game Pass game added to the platform in a long time.

South of Midnight is immediately striking, with some of the most gorgeous art direction this generation. Everything from the music to the character designs is inspired by the Deep South, weaving folklore with original ideas expertly to create something truly unique. You'll follow Hazel as she makes her way across the country following a hurricane, in the hopes of uncovering her family’s legacy. The allies she meets along the way are mighty, the landscape tinged with a magical sense of whimsy and all underscored by an absolute ear worm of a score.

While South of Midnight's bold art-style might not be for everyone, it'll certainly benefit from being free with Game Pass. It's well worth checking out, especially if you like weird action adventure games with an unwavering commitment to what they're trying to achieve. There's also a talking catfish, so well worth a look, in our opinion.

Avowed comes from the developer of Grounded, Pentiment and Fallout: New Vegas. It's a fantasy RPG through and through, with colorful followers to recruit, and some excellent spell-based combat. As you explore the Living Lands, you'll battle foes with sword, shield and bow, customizing your own character to suit your preferred playstyle. There's plenty of choice during missions too, and it'll be up to you whether you want to help certain characters, or manipulate them to your advantage.

Obsidian has crafted an excellent open world, one which manages to not feel too big when compared to some of its competitors. It's also full of great side quests to take on as well. Thanks to Xbox Game Pass, you can jump in and try it out for yourself. We were hooked from the very start, making it easy to recommend Avowed as one of the best games on the platform.

Sniper Elite: Resistance puts you into the shoes of Harry Hawker, in a story that runs parallel to that of Sniper Elite 5. In many ways, this is an expansion, one that fine-tunes systems, and gives players a fresh hero to play as. You see, as an agent of the Special Operations Executive (SOE), you'll work to foil a Nazi plan involving a very powerful weapon indeed. How you do this is largely up to you, though expect the same stealth/sniper gameplay the series is known for.

Infiltrate enemy camps, disrupt communications and then complete your objectives, as you work with the French Resistance. The whole campaign can be played in co-op, and there's even a multiplayer invasion mode that can really spice up missions. Of course, the slow-mo, X-ray camera shots are still here, as is the series' trademark humor and slapstick combat.

Starfield is the perfect Game Pass game, given that it offers up a huge world, with hundreds of hours of fun packed into it. It's similar to Fallout and Skyrim, in that you're largely allowed to tackle the game at your own pace. Do you want to spend your time smuggling contraband? You can. Would you rather play space cop? Well you can do that as well. Really, Starfield's main draw is its open-ended quest design.

While Starfield isn't exactly Bethesda's most accessible game, it being on Game Pass means you can load in and try it out at no extra cost. The first few hours will give you a good idea as to what you'll be doing in the main quest, and hopefully give you a feel for how the combat works. Starfield can be a real blast once it sets you loose in its sprawling Universe.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle arrives at a time when the franchise's stock is perhaps at its lowest ever. After the disappointing Dial of Destiny, fans have been clamouring for a return to the old Indy, the globetrotting love letters to the golden age of film that make the most out of Harrison Ford's iconic archeologist. It's impressive then, that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle manages to nail what made the first three movies so special, with an epic story that's easily the best Indiana Jones tale we've had since Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Without wanting to sound too much like a cliché, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle truly makes you feel like Indiana Jones. It does this by allowing you to pick up pretty much anything and use it as a weapon, adding the series' blend of slapstick and cartoon violence. When paired with a flawless performance by actor Troy Baker and you've got an interesting, faithful and meticulously designed Indiana Jones game that's sure to impress even the most critical of fans.

Inscryption is a tricky game to describe, given how it mixes up several different genres to create something that feels unique yet at the same time familiar. The meat of the game revolves around a roguelike deck-building system, where you'll collect cards, sacrifice others, and take on a mysterious stranger at their own game. Then there's the cabin, which you can explore by walking away from the game board. There's secrets to be found, and doors to be opened, leading to discoveries that'll give you a leg up when you choose to sit back down at the table.

It really is worth giving Inscryption a try if you're even remotely interested in card games, as it presents one full of twists and turns, and a set of rules that are as wacky as they are detailed. There's a horror-twist here too, that'll satisfy those that enjoy spooky atmospherics, and lo-fi, crunchy soundtracks.

Among Us took the world by storm back in 2020, and since then it's only really gone from strength to strength. If you and your pals all have Game Pass, you can pick it up and have a great time murdering each other while shifting the blame. What makes this social deduction game so great is the way it encourages its players to role-play, as they attempt to complete tasks without being murdered by the imposter. Once a murder does happen, a crew meeting is called, and that's where the fun begins.

While Among Us is best played with friends, all on voice chat, there is some fun to be had by playing with randoms online. Experiment with different strategies as the killer to hone your craft, or keep a close eye on others, attempting to work out who is the one doing the killing. A bunch of new maps and job roles have been added since launch, so it's well worth checking out Among Us if you missed the hype the first time around.

Assassin's Creed Odyssey takes the RPG formula established by Origins, and runs with it. After a brief tutorial, you're given the freedom to explore a truly gigantic map, whether you want to travel by horse, ship, or on foot. Kassandra is one of the best protagonists in the series, and thanks to some excellent post-launch content, there's hundreds of hours to play.

Odyssey dials up the action by dropping Kassandra right in the middle of an ongoing war between Athens and Sparta. You'll even get to take part in large-scale battles, siding with leaders to help turn the tide of war, and change the landscape around you. There's plenty of assassin-based fun as well, with excellent stealth mechanics and loads of new abilities that can be used to get the drop on your enemies. If you're looking for an epic adventure, this is the one to try out.

Minecraft has been going from strength to strength since it launched. Thanks to some excellent updates to console versions, Minecraft is the perfect game to pick up on Xbox Game Pass. Whether you want to go solo, or squad up with some pals, there's a truly massive range of stuff to do in-game. Create your own mega-structures in Creative Mode, or slowly progress in Survival, all the while taking in the gorgeous sights and sounds of the procedurally generated world.

If you're playing on Xbox, you'll be able to play with others online, making Minecraft one of the best co-op multiplayer experiences around. If you played all the way back when the game first got popular, it's well worth jumping back in to witness all of the new bells and whistles.

Hellblade 2 was one of the more highly anticipated Xbox-owned titles to release in the last couple of years. A large part of this fervor was down to just how absolutely gorgeous the game looked in previews, something that developer Ninja Theory managed to nail in the final release. The game is simply stunning to behold, and clearly one of the best examples of next-gen gaming we've seen on the newer suite of consoles.

Gameplay is a little less interesting however, though it's largely on par with the first Hellblade title. Really, you're playing this one for a more cinematic experience, and in that regard Hellblade 2 is a must play for Game Pass subscribers. Senua is once again a very captivating protagonist indeed, propelled by a brilliant performance by actor Melina Juergens. You'll make your way through a dark and menacing world, where nothing is quite as it seems, all the while battling the demons that persist in Senna's mind.

Persona 3 Reload is a very welcome addition indeed for Xbox Game Pass. It's been completely rebuilt, with visuals that top Persona 5 in some ways, making it the best way for newer fans to play what is often cited as the series' best.

You'll play the new kid, who's immediately thrown into a dark alternate reality where schoolmates must summon powerful creatures called Personas to battle foes. In your spare time, you'll live out a full school year, as you build stats and foster Social Links which boost your battle capabilities when it's time to duke it out. It's a careful balancing act between sim-style life systems and excellent turn-based combat.

If you're looking for a new RPG to sink your teeth into, there's few better than Persona 3 Reload, especially as it boasts over 100 hours in its initial playthrough. You can choose whether you want to be the class clown, a straight A student, or a dangerous, demon wielding force of nature. Try it out if you're into games like Final Fantasy, especially if you like your turn-based combat to be oozing with style and flair.

Control wowed fans and critics alike when it release back in 2019. It's set in the same universe as Alan Wake, and follows a bureaucratic agency tasked with the investigation of mysterious objects. You play as Jesse, who wakes in the lobby of the company's office, with no memory of who she is.

As you explore the many halls of the Department of Control (DoC), you'll use supernatural abilities to dart around and defeat powerful foes. Objects of Power must be traced down, all while Jesse unravels the mystery of who she is, and what her connection to the DoC is.

Control features some of the finest action gameplay of the last decade or so, with players able to pick up and throw any object in the heavily destructible environment. It's part thriller, with a good bit of humor and horror thrown in. Absolutely for fans of X-Files, Twin Peaks, and SCP Foundation.

Vampire Survivors was an absolute phenomenon when it first released on PC. Since the, it's been ported just about everywhere, allowing players on all platforms to take down hundreds of ghouls and goblins. Vampire Survivors is a rogue-like, where you'll move across a handful of maps, as your character automatically fires weapons. Throughout each run, you'll steadily upgrade and unlock new abilities, as more powerful monsters spawn.

If you're a fan of bullet-hell games, or ones that require little input, Vampire Survivors is absolutely one of the best. You only really press two buttons, instead using the left stick to move around the map while firing automatically. There's a seriously moreish loop here, as you slowly learn the best weapon and skill combinations for each particular level.

Quick to pick up, but difficult to master, Vampire Survivors is well worth trying out. Here at TechRadar, we still load up the game every now and then, clearing just one more run after another as the minutes turn into hours.

Acting as somewhat of a spiritual successor to the hugely popular Warhammer 40k: Vermintide 2, this co-op shooter pits you and your friends against endless hordes of mutated monsters.

Set in a world below ground devoid of hope, Warhammer 40k: Darktide is what is says on the tin, a fight for your life in the merciless world of Warhammer. For all of its grit, Darktide looks and feels amazing.

Combat is hugely satisfying, especially at melee range, thanks to a large selection of interesting weapons. Progression is slow but easy enough to achieve, and the Warhammer community is a close-knit group of people who love to slay together, and thus, of course, stay together.

Darktide is one of the best Xbox Game Pass games because it lets you get a good look at a game that's still growing. if you're on the fence about Darktide or co-op in general, what better way to give it a go?

Like it's predecessor A Plague Tale: Innocence, this stealth adventure follows the siblings Amicia and Hugo, two children trying to survive on their own in 14th century France. Of course they aren't just two normal children – Hugo carries a mysterious superpower/curse, which has put him on the radar of the French Inquisition.

Amicia is trying to keep their brother safe, and while she is just a girl and has limits, A Plague Tale: Requiem has a lot more fighting and even more intricate stealth sequences than the first game. However, it is just as sad and occasionally shocking as before, so be ready for a very emotional trip. One thing is sure – Requiem is one of the best Xbox Game Pass games currently available for fans of a good story.

This may be the perfect game to play on Xbox Game Pass in order to give it a try first, especially if you don't know if metroidvanias are for you. Hollow Knight is one of the most beloved indie metroidvanias around, and for good reason – it has exactly the kind of world you want to explore in a metroidvania, acquiring and using new skills in different situations is fun, and the story-light approach conveys a sense of mystery that's fun to unravel.

Add to that beautiful visuals, music, and a memorable bug-like hero, and you may think Hollow Knight is a relaxing affair, but far from it. To travel deeper, you have to take out a number of tough bosses and often jump blindly into the dark, and that takes patience and stamina. Hollow Knight rewards your bravery however, one of the reasons fans are impatiently awaiting the sequel Hollow Knight: Silksong, set to land on Xbox Game Pass day one.

Whether you’re a fan of the original who’s waited over a decade for the sequel or have never heard of the series before, Psychonauts 2 is an absolute must-play from the Xbox Game Pass lineup. This action platformer dazzled us with its superb approach to mental health-related subjects and its unique worlds bring a much-needed freshness to the collectathon genre.

We adored absolutely everything in Psychonauts 2 from its gameplay to its quirky characters, so we aren’t surprised that many see it as one of the best Xbox Game Pass games or even one of the best games in general. Once you’ve spent an hour or two playing as Razputin Aquato, you’ll understand the hype, too.

Fans of first-person shooters might be bummed that there aren't any Call of Duty games on Xbox Game Pass, but between the Battlefield series and Ubisoft's outstanding first-person shooter, Rainbow Six Siege, there are plenty of other options.

What we like most about Siege is that it relies less on twitch skills and more on tactical planning. Where you lay explosive charges, how you cover corners, and when you move between rooms all matter, and it's decisions like those that give the game a high skill cap. If you're a first-person shooter fan, you can't miss it.

If you're looking for a slightly different Rainbow Six Siege experience, the co-op standalone Rainbow Six Extraction, where operators take on aliens, is also available on Game Pass.

Rare's swashbuckling adventure Sea of Thieves lets you take on the role of a pirate sailing the seas of a fantastical world, either alone or as part of a crew of up to four members.

It's up to you whether you choose to focus on trading, treasure-hunting or plundering the loot of others. Who of us doesn't want to be a pirate? Sea of Thieves is great fun to explore, even though some players can take the freedom to plunder others a bit far, and you don't have to take quests in order to occupy itself.

Now, several seasons in, Sea of Thieves has gotten better and better, and while some areas, such as its storytelling, could still use some work, the team at Rare is hard at work to keep the pirating longtime fun.

After the immense success of Forza Horizon 4, making Forza Horizon 5 available at launch on Xbox Game Pass was to be expected. This game is definitely one of the best Xbox Game Pass games, simply because it's a high-quality, content-rich racing game.

Forza Horizon 5 combines stunning visuals, beautifully rendering Mexico as a racers' paradise, with a driving system that both veterans and newbies to the series (or racing games in general) can enjoy. Whether you're taking a specific challenge or simply race to be first, the many cars and customization options allow you to make yourself a vehicle you love to drive around in. If the series gets its story right there is nothing stopping it on the way to the pole position. If you already love Forza, you may also be interested in our list of the best racing games.

Best Xbox Game Pass games: FAQs

How we made our best Xbox Game Pass games list

The team at TechRadar Gaming are avid fans of Game Pass, and as a collective we have spent hundreds of hours exploring which titles it has to offer. As a team of gaming experts, we know exactly what to look for when narrowing down the best of the bunch, and Game Pass is home to loads of titles worth jumping into. Within our list, our picks tend to cover games available across both console and PC, but if there's a particular stand out exclusive title, we've labelled which subscription it is available on.

To make our testing more in-depth, the team we have cover almost all bases when it comes to genre. Whether you're on the hunt for an FPS game, a more wholesome indie experience, or a horror to keep you up at night, someone on the team will have played it. As a result of our experience, you can trust our opinions and advice on what to play next.

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