If you're looking for a list of the best games on Xbox Game Pass as of July 2022, you've come to the right place! We've gone through the hundreds of titles available on the service, and handpicked the very best highlights.
If there's one standout reason to pick up an Xbox console these days it's very obviously Microsoft's phenomenal, almost slightly unbelievable, Xbox Game Pass service. With hundreds of games currently available, there's an absolute smorgasbord of fun to be had for a very decent monthly subscription fee here, and believe us when we say that we don't use the word smorgasbord lightly (because it's hard to spell).
So how on earth, you may ask, am I meant to know where to start with all these games? What should I play? I'm confused and I need to lie down. Well, relax dear, because here at Pure Xbox we've gone ahead and listed over 50 of the best games on Xbox Game Pass. Chosen from a wide range of genres in order to satiate a wide range of tastes and appetites, what you'll find here is the absolute cream of the crop (in our humble opinion), the games we consider must-play experiences right now.
We'll be updating this list regularly as new games arrive and older ones shuffle off, so you can rest assured that it's always up-to-date with the latest and greatest.
So, let's jump in! These are the best games on Xbox Game Pass.
The Best Games On Xbox Game Pass (July 2022)
AI: The Somnium Files (Xbox Series X|S)
Spike Chunsoft's 2019 adventure is a super slick and utterly compelling tangle of twisting intrigue and mystery that sucks you into its stylish neo-noir world and doesn't let up until you've explored every one of its many branching narrative paths, each of which is jam-packed full of excellent surprises and story beats that keep you utterly hooked.
Take detective Kaname Date and his AI eyeball, AiBA, for a spin here and we guarantee you won't be disappointed, with a wonderful mix of engaging detective work and a fantastically well-written narrative, AI: The Somnium Files deserves its place on the list of best games on Xbox Game Pass, and serves as a game visual novel fans in particular are gonna absolutely eat up.
Alien: Isolation (Xbox One)
Creative Assembly and Feral Interactive really set themselves quite the task when they decided to attempt to create an Aliens game that captured the relentless intensity and smothering atmosphere of the original Alien movie. Thankfully, they not only succeeded in 100% nailing it, they ended up making what is arguably the greatest horror game of all time in the process. Yes, Alien Isolation is THAT good.
It's all about the amazing Xenomorph here, cleverly programmed to go about its business; hunting, barrelling down shafts and vents, reacting to the slightest sound and zeroing in on your location, just like the real thing. Alien Isolation puts you in an exquisite recreation of the movie universe and pits you against the perfect organism. Its structural perfection is matched only by its hostility. Good luck.
Among Us (Xbox Series X|S)
We're sure you all know what Among Us is at this point — the game has proved to be a massive success for developer Innersloth, and finally made its debut on Xbox consoles in 2021. It's a multiplayer effort in which a team who assume the role of The Crew of a dinky little spaceship is required to complete tasks whilst trying to identify the other team's Impostors. The Impostors' job, on the other hand, is to try and kill the crewmates and frame bystanders. It leads to some surprisingly hilarious and strategic fun, and if you've got a big enough bunch of friends for it - or even if you're playing with a random bunch of strangers, we highly recommend giving this one a try.
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A Plague Tale: Innocence (Xbox One)
With the sequel on the way in the form of A Plague Tale: Requiem, you should definitely check out this 2019 action-adventure (and stealth) game from Microsoft Flight Simulator developer, Asobo Studio. A Plague Tale: Innocence is set in France during the Hundred Years' War, in which you control teenager Amicia de Rune as she attempts to flee from French Inquisition soldiers alongside her ill brother, Hugo.
If you like a game with a good story and you're into stealth and survival puzzles, this is definitely one to try. One of the best games on Xbox Game Pass that should definitely play before the sequel arrives.
Assassin's Creed Origins (Xbox One)
Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Origins was a really nice surprise addition to Xbox Game Pass in June 2022, and it's currently the only Assassin's Creed game on the service. Better yet, Ubisoft dished out a free 60fps update for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S to mark its arrival on Game Pass, making it play better than ever on consoles.
If you haven't tried this one yet, it's definitely worth checking out. This is one of the very best Assassin's Creed games of all time, and undoubtedly one of the best games on Xbox Game Pass. Origins marked the start of a fresh new beginning for the franchise, and really gave it a new lease of life. Don't overlook this one, it's worth a play!
Back 4 Blood (Xbox Series X|S)
Turtle Rock Studios' spiritual successor to the Left 4 Dead series arrived in October of 2021 and, although it might not quite hit the heady heights of the best of L4D, it's still a tight and absorbing thrill ride for a squad of friends or randoms to blast through online.
Yes, although the solo and PvP elements of Back 4 Blood one aren't quite there yet, the main meat of this horror shooter is the co-op campaign and in this respect Turtle Rock Studios have done a top job. The action looks and feels great - it's truly relentless stuff - there's tons of variety introduced through the unique card system for perks, mutations and so on, and a surprising amount of flexibility in how you choose to face the hordes - heck, you can even try for a pacifist run here. Back 4 Blood is one of the best games on Xbox Game Pass that nails the all-important need for clever teamwork in order to survive. This one comes highly recommended.
Battletoads (Xbox One)
The revival of the classic Battletoads was always going to have to live up to major expectations, and we felt it did a great job here at Pure Xbox, scoring it an 8/10 in our review and calling it "one of the funniest games of this generation, and a pretty nifty beat 'em up to boot." The only real downside? There's no online co-op, just local multiplayer.
If you've got one or two friends to play it with on the couch, you're going to have a great time with this one. The art style is fantastic, the combat is fun, and as mentioned before, it's a genuinely funny game. Oh, and the best bit? It's not as brutally difficult as Battletoads used to be, so it's a much more accessible outing for the toads this time. It does have a few downsides, but Battletoads is still one of the best games on Xbox Game Pass for sure.
Chorus: Rise as One (Xbox Series X|S)
We won't blame you if you haven't heard of Chorus before, but it's definitely not a game you should overlook! This is a sci-fi space combat title which offers an excellent single-player experience (if you can ignore that the story isn't all that great), and it's undoubtedly a unique experience compared to pretty much anything else on Xbox Game Pass.
We've talked about how much we enjoy Chorus at Pure Xbox before, but for whatever reason, it's a game that really has gone under the radar over the past year. At the very least, give it a try on Xbox Cloud Gaming and see whether it takes your fancy - you might just find that it becomes one of your favourite games on Game Pass!
Crusader Kings 3 (Xbox Series X|S)
The critically-acclaimed strategy game Crusader Kings 3 actually launched on PC Game Pass all the way back in September 2020, and that's probably still the best place to play it (it works best with a keyboard and mouse), but it's also now been remade for the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S with a brand-new control scheme for consoles.
There's a real tough learning curve to Crusader Kings 3, but if you can get past that, you'll find yourself immersed in a deep and fulfilling grand strategy experience unlike any other, in which your goal is to lead your dynasty to greatness in a Middle Ages epic that spans generations. And even if you're on Xbox One (which the game hasn't been ported to), you can play Crusader Kings 3 through the magic of Xbox Cloud Gaming, so everyone's a winner!
Darkest Dungeon (Xbox One)
Red Hook Studios' 2016 roguelike is a dark and dangerous delight, packed full of Lovecraftian horrors and unimaginable terrors that must be dispatched if you're to restore order to your family house and name.
With a couple of wonderfully unique game mechanics, including an Affliction System that sees your units struck down with all manner of psychological states, and an ever-encroaching darkness that pits you up against the clock in dungeons, it's a thrilling turn-based RPG that keeps you tense and sweating all the way through as it explores the brutal toll that adventuring and battle takes on the heroes we place in harm's way.
There's a beautiful hand-drawn art style here, wonderfully detailed monstrosities to face off against, brutal and satisfying combat, sixteen classes to choose from and some tasty DLC to get stuck into once you complete the main game. Darkest Dungeon is a top-notch roguelike RPG on Xbox Game Pass, and, with the sequel on its way, now is the perfect to dive in!
Death's Door (Xbox Series X|S)
Acid Nerve has followed up the wonderful Titan Souls with this Zelda/Souls inspired action adventure that looks sublime and plays even better.
Death's Door is a beautiful, intricate little thing with surprisingly tough and moreish combat, clever puzzles and a world that's chock full of secrets and hidden areas for you to find as you blaze through its bosses, unlocking new skills that allow you to access more areas as you go.
There's so much style here, so much atmosphere, and it also doesn't outstay its welcome. Death's Door is a perfectly formed bit of magic from a developer everyone should be starting to sit up and take notice of! Seriously, this is one of the top few games on Xbox Game Pass.
Comments (22)
You don't have any of the Dishonored games or Prey on here.
That's illegal I tell you! (No Arkane love)
Again, this is another of those guides where everyone should feel free to throw suggestions in the comments — we'll add to it accordingly in the future
Hollow Knight is my favourite 'picked up on a whim on game pass' game. One of the greats and not just within its genre in my opinion.
Nier Automata and resident evil 7 would round out my top 3 suggestions, but others are dead cells, tetris effect, the forgotten city, nobody saves the world, halo collection, deaths door, pyschonauts 1 + 2, dead space, dragon age, mass effect trilogy, fallout 3/NV, doom + eternal... Basically a lot 👍.
Edit: I forgot what remains of Edith Finch, lumines and Limbo.
Forza Horizon 5 has pretty much been a desert island game for me, I already logged hundreds of hours, one of those games I could play forever. Halo Infinite is another obvious hit, best FPS I have played in a long time. Outside of that I just love to check out some of the occasional indies, but I have also loved playing No Man's Sky.
Prey and Dishonored 2 are truly 2 gems that deserve to be in this list
I would add Remnant from the Ashes. It is even better than Outriders in his genre.
Artful escape is amazing. Easy to play and what an experience.
Yakuza 3, 4, 5 and 6 say hello.
@homme_parametre besides both being third person shooters they're hardly the same? Typing this the complaints about Outrider's difficulty sprang to mind, something which I definitely didn't mind and sure as hell wouldn't make me class it as a soulslike, the way remnant from the ashes is. But it is a great game and should definitely be in this list.
@Kurt101 you're right about that, it's short, pleasing to the eye and jam full of good songs. My goty of last year, such a surreal experience.
@PureXbox You should have us rank ‘em with some votes. Always fun to see how NSO games rank on NintendoLife. I think it’d get really interesting.
Not agreeing with every game on this list, obviously - so many people and so many tastes - but in my book, the first Gears of War and Forza Horizon 4 should absolutely be in this list.
@Nf157 What Remains of Edith Finch is beautiful indeed, despite the terrible performance in the first stages of the game.
@Bartig I forgot about the performance issues until you mentioned it. Probably a telling sign of how good it is.
@Cherip-the-Ripper Sure both games aren't exaclty the same (Remnant is basically a Souls-like with guns...) but i would put them both in the "looter shooter" folder imo.
Dovahkiin and Streets of rage.
Destroy All Humans!, Star Wars Battlefront 2, Star Wars Squadrons and Scarlet Nexus seem to be missing.
GamePass has a huge value, still I consider it as a "try" platform: if I play a game on the service and I like it, I will eventually buy it using the 20% GP Offer or another sale due to respect and incentive to the developers.
Can we rate the games ourselves so the list is based on community preferences like the lists they make on NL and PS?
Really want them to add some 360 games like The Witcher 2
@everynowandben I remember the ac list on p+ being terrible so maybe not that good of an idea.
@everynowandben Yes, it's something we want to look at doing at some point - bare with us!
@Chaudy The Witcher 2 on 360 was awful. Loads of framerate issues and fog everywhere. I had a PC by the time it released so I played it there but for consoles we need the superior Xbox One X Enhanced version of The Witcher 2 on Game Pass, not the 360 version.
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