What are the Xbox Game Pass Core games?After 11 years of service, Microsofthas retired the Xbox Live Gold subscription service and replaced it with a new tier for Xbox Game Pass. No longer will Games with Gold disappoint you, but instead, you’ll have a range of Xbox Game Pass Core games to enjoy as part of your ongoing subscription.
From indie delights to some of the best Xbox Game Pass games available, the selection that Xbox has curated for the Game Pass Core tier is pretty excellent, even if it’s just a smaller pool of games from the higher tiers. But, it’s an excellent gateway into experiencing the full Xbox Game Pass games library, with some of the best Xbox Series X games on offer. So, grab your best Xbox controller, and let’s get into the list.
Xbox Game Pass Core games
The 38 Xbox Game Pass Core Games are:
- Among Us
- Astroneer
- Celeste
- Chivalry 2(new!)
- Dead Cells
- Descenders
- Dishonored 2
- Doom Eternal
- Fable Anniversary
- Fallout 4
- Fallout 76
- Firewatch
- Forza Horizon 4
- Gang Beasts
- Gears 5
- Golf With Your Friends
- Grounded
- Halo 5 Guardians
- Halo Wars 2
- Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice
- Human Fall Flat
- Inside
- Limbo
- Ori and The Will of the Wisps
- Overcooked! 2
- Payday 2 Crimewave Edition
- PowerWash Simulator
- Psychonauts 2
- Slay The Spire
- Spiritfarer: Farewell Edition
- Stardew Valley
- State of Decay 2 Juggernaut Edition
- Superliminal
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
- The Elder Scrolls Online
- Totally Reliable Delivery Service (new!)
- Unpacking
- Vampire Survivors
Rather than goinginto detail on all of the titles above, we’re only going tohighlight our picks to play as well as some of the biggest inclusions into Game Pass Core. However, all of the above games are excellent to play.
Thankfully, more games are being added to Xbox Game Pass Core over time, too, so this library is only going to grow. For example, Chivalry 2 and Totally Reliable Delivery Service are two latecomers to the service, arriving on December 6, 2023.
Among Us
What could we possibly say about the viral hit Among Us that no one else has said? This social deception game tasks you with either being a crewmate or an impostor, with the former trying to save the ship and the impostor trying to kill everyone and cause chaos.
It spawned plenty of memes that you’ve likely seen since 2020, but regardless, Among Us is a simple and fun title that you can play with friends. In fact, we’d say it’s one of the best co-op games right now and will be for quite some time.
Astroneer
Astroneer might look a lot like No Man’s Sky on the surface, but a much more contained experience. Set in the 25th century, you play as an Astroneer with the task of exploring the frontiers of outer space. Naturally, this involves surviving harsh environments as you unlock the secrets of the universe.
Whether alone or with friends, you’ll build bases, harvest materials, and use vehicles to explore the planet and flex your creativity before shooting off to another planet. With a great terrain manipulating tool and rich crafting, it’s more like a hybrid of Minecraft and No Man’s Sky, with a little bit of Satisfactory thrown into the mix. It’s incredibly captivating and charming right the way through, whether you’re playing by yourself or with your mates.
Celeste
Celeste is a critically acclaimed platformer by indie studio Maddy Makes Games that’s all about climbing a mountain. It’s much more than that under the surface though, as you’ll be roped into a heart-warming and touching narrative around its main character, Madeline, a young woman with anxiety and depression.
Along the way, you’ll encounter hundreds of great challenges, uncover secrets, and learn more about Madeline and Celeste Mountain as you brave the journey. It’s also got an incredible original soundtrack by Lena Raine, who has made similarly great music for the likes of Minecraft, Chicory, Deltarune, and even Guild Wars 2.
If you’re a fan of platformers or up for giving one a go, Celeste is easily one of the best you could choose to play, so don’t miss out.
Chivalry 2
Chivalry 2 is a unique first-person multiplayer slasher offering up sword-swinging action that you can’t get anywhere else. From the clashing of swords to arrows raining from the sky, you’ll be immersed in epic medieval action.
What makes Chivalry 2 so special, however, is its combat system. With swords, polearms, axes, and other martial weapons being your main form of attack, Chivalry 2 goes all-in and provides a unique camera-based system. Swinging your camera changes the direction of your attack, even letting you faint an attack or pull off special tricks to outsmart your opponent. As the saying goes, it’s easy to get into but hard to master.
Thankfully, Chivalry 2 doesn’t take itself all too seriously.It’s certainly gruesome, but there’s plenty of humor in its action and characterization. If you’re in the mood for an action-packed multiplayer fighter like no other, then Chivarly 2 is a great choice and it’s all yours through Xbox Game Pass Core.
Dead Cells
Dead Cells is an eye-catching pixel art Roguelike Metroidvania that sees you try to fight your way out of a castle, though there’s a lot more under the surface. With slick action and platforming, you will explore the sprawling and ever-changing castle to find a way out. There are so many secrets to find if you can get past the tough, almost Soulslike combat with bosses and normal enemies demanding you master their moveset to take them down. This is crucial with how progression works in Dead Cells – there are no checkpoints. When you die, you’ll have to start again, though the castle is always changing, remember? There will be new paths and levels for you to take with each death.
If you can brave its challenging gameplay, you’ll find captivating action that deserves a place among the best Soulslike games, especially with how masterfully it weaves in its Rogue and Metroid influences. And the best news? It’s included at no extra cost in the Xbox Game Pass Core games list, so you have no excuse to not give it a try.
Descenders
Descenders is the ultimate extreme downhill mountain biking game. You’ll race against the competition to avoid obstacles and pull off epic jumps as you barrel through canyons and dense forests, making each and every movement a thrill. Best of all though, tracks are procedurally generated. This means you’ll take on different jumps, slopes, and other obstacles every time you play. With several different settings, you’re never quite sure what you’re in for next besides an intense downhill bike race.
Dishonored 2
One of Arkane’s best games, Dishonored 2 is an action-adventure game with a focus on stealth and quick-thinking. While it’s a sequel to the beloved Dishonored game, it isn’t required to play the first before diving into this one. In Dishonored 2, you’ll need to take on a variety of missions using your own set of powers and weapons, with numerous ways of handling each and every quest.
You can play as either Corvo, the assassin from the first game, or Emily, the kidnapped pseudo-daughter of Corvo from the first game.You will work with allies to bring down an oppressive regime and discover secrets on your journey.
Doom Eternal
A game so good that it finds itself on our best games of all time list, Doom Eternal is the culmination of everything that the long-running franchise has been building towards for decades. Becoming the Doom Guy once again, you’ll rip and tear through all of the demons you possibly can in an attempt to stop the Icon of Sin from destroying mankind.
Armed with a variety of exciting and dangerous weapons, a bunch of great abilities, and one of the best videogame soundtracks out there, Doom Eternal is easily one of the greatest FPS games available right now. And we’d argue that you should put it at the top of your ‘play next’ list.
Fable Anniversary
A remaster of the first game from the incredible Fable series, Fable Anniversary is one of the best Xbox RPG games, and if you have yet to play an entry in the series, then it’s a great time ahead of the new Fable release date coming up.
In Fable Anniversary, you are a hero of your own creation, asked to help characters around the world in a variety of quests. However, if you prefer to take things a bit too far, you can choose to align with the good or evil within yourself. The power is in your hands.
Fallout 4
Fallout 4 is typicallyconsideredone of thebest RPG games, and it’s not hard to see why. The latest single-player entry into the long-running series offers a huge world to explore, choices to make, and both creatures or survivors to defeat as you try to deal with the consequences of adesolated world
If the vanilla game isn’t enough for you, there’s also a range of mods to make it even more interesting (yes, even on Xbox consoles), as well as ample DLC to keep you occupied.
If you’ve played Starfield, then you’ll also notice the groundwork of lots of the best features. For example, the Starfield outpostsand Starfield ships systems are more advanced versions of Fallout 4’s ingenious settlement-building mechanics. Likewise, Fallout 4’s great weapon and armor system informed the basis of the Starfield weapons upgrade mechanics and more. So, alongside a fun story and rich world to explore, you can also see glimpses of how Starfield came to be.
Fallout 76
Fallout 76 is a prequel to the series, and instead of being a single-player game like the rest of the series, it’s a multiplayer, shared-world RPG. This means that, since launch, it has had a range of events and new content added to it to make it anexpansive game whether you are playing with friends or on your own.
While the game has had its issues since launch Bethesda has put in the work to try and make amends and it is now a solid live-service experience for fans of the franchise. It still has its fair share of jank, but there is a lot to do and keep you occupied from quests, to crafting builds, to competing against others.
Firewatch
Chances are you’ve heard of Firewatch already. This first-person atmospheric game blew up around 2016 due to its narrative charged with mystery. Set in the Wyoming wilderness in 1989, the only company you have is the person on the other end of your handheld radio, the heart of the mystery as you explore the forest and keep the wilderness safe.
It’s an ambitious story full of intrigue that will have you questioning what’s really going on, resulting in an experience that will have you floored by the end by its meaning, though we’re not going to spoil it for you. You’ll definitely want to go in as unprepared as possible.
Forza Horizon 4
While it isn’t the best Xbox racing game anymore, thanks to its successor taking the top spot, Forza Horizon 4 is still an excellent open-world racing game offering some of the best-in-class driving, gameplay, and visuals around.
Taking you to the not-so-sunny environments of Great Britain, Forza Horizon 4 offers a wide range of content for you to experience. And since you’re hitting the finish line later than most, you’ll have all of the updates and changes on offer, as well as two exciting DLC packs to sink your teeth into.
Gang Beasts
If you’re looking for the perfect Party Animals alternative, then let us introduce you to the gelatinous beat ’em up party game Gang Beasts. Boasting the ability to brawl it out with your pals on top of moving trains, rapidly ascending elevators, and much more, Gang Beasts has an incredible amount of variety that’ll keep you and your gang entertained for hours.
While you won’t quite get to enjoy punching up the food chain as an otter here, the customization options will give you a similar experience. Whether you’re a tiger, a magician, or a Viking, you’ll be sure to find your perfect chaotic cosplay.
Gears 5
With Gears 5 being the fifth mainline installment in the series, it’s hard to summarize the events of five games,but, a quick catch-up online will prepare you for jumping into this entry. It is one of the most polished and content-rich games in the series.
Offering a story with some emotional beats, the biggest strength Gears 5 has is its excellent third-person shooter gameplay with some killer boss fights.
Golf With Your Friends
Golf With Your Friends might not look like much on the surface, but it’s one of the most popular co-op games for a reason. You’d be surprised just how much this golf game blew up on YouTube and Twitch if you’ve never heard of it before. But why, you ask? Well, it’s the absurd levels on offer!
Supporting up to 12 players, you’ll be able to golf it out across a variety of wacky courses, echoing the simple joys of mini-golf yet taking it to the extremes. From a battlefield packed with explosives to a factory conveyor belt with moving parts, ancient ruins, and even space courses. It’s hard to not be having a blast when you’re playing Golf With Your Friends… with your friends. If you and your crew have Xbox Game Pass Core or above, you should certainly give it a go.
Grounded
Easily one of the best Xbox survival games, and one of Obsidian’s most interesting additions to its portfolio of games, Grounded takes you into the big world of the little creatures, offering a ‘Honey, I Shrunk the Kids’-like experience with the survival genre.
You’ll need to survive against ants, mites, and worst of all, spiders, who are now much bigger than you. On your journey, you will also experiencea unique story and a variety of interesting mechanics when playing alone or with your friends.
Halo 5: Guardians
Halo 5: Guardians might not have got the warmest reception at launch, largely thanks to its rather brief and nonsensical campaign, but it’s still an enjoyable Halo game. After all, Halo always has best-in-class gunplay, music, and environments.
Featuring afull four-player co-op campaign, the story mode can still be an absolute blast even if the narrative doesn’t always hit the right notes. Outside of the story, there are superb multiplayer modes, even if it is a departure from tradition. With tons of great modes, maps, and a diverse weapon sandbox, there’s a lot of fun to be had, especially with how much faster Halo 5 plays compared to its predecessors.
With that said, if you’re looking for the best multiplayer games, we’d suggest Halo Infinite rather than Halo 5. While it’s not one of the Xbox Game Pass Core games, Halo Infinite multiplayer is free-to-play anyhow.
Halo Wars 2
As a real-time strategy game, Halo Wars 2 won’t be for everyone, not even long-time fans of the universe. With that said, it’s a stellar strategy game that’s designed to be more approachable to newcomers without sacrificing depth.
This is because matches are fast and much smaller in scale than most real-time strategy games, and takes full advantage of the rich Halo universe to spice things up.
With a strong campaign mode that can even be played in co-op, there’s a great opportunity to get into the genre while also experiencing a fun story. Once you’re done there, you can head into the multiplayer for some competitive play. There’s nothing else quite like coming up with a winning strategy and outsmarting your foes.
Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice
One of the most unique action-adventure games in recent memory, Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice tasks players with becoming the titular Senua, a warrior, who wants to save the soul of her dead lover, Dillion, from the goddess Hela.
It’s an uncomfortable experience, offering little-to-no HUD, methodical combat, and a look into the mind of someone suffering from psychosis thanks to immersive 3D Audio. It’s dark, grim, and a piece of art worth experiencing. It’s also a great time to give it a try, with the Hellblade 2 release date coming up in 2024.
Human Fall Flat
Human Fall Flat is the ultimate physics-based puzzler, requiring you (andup to seven friends online if you wish) to meticulously, and sometimes painfully, navigate your way through various levels of varying difficulty. To succeed you’ll need to make use of every piece of the surrounding environment you can, while also remembering which button moves your left arm, and which one operates your right…
With couch co-op support and a sequel on the way, now is the perfect time for you and a loved one to curl up on the sofa and lovingly hurl lighthearted insults at each other as you attempt to coordinate your efforts.
Ori and The Will of the Wisps
With universal critical acclaim andwith some of the best visuals in Xbox’s portfolio, Ori and The Will of the Wisps is a 2D Metroidvania with equal heart and passion poured into it, offering one of the most beautiful and engaging games on the market today. That’s why it more than earned a place in our list of the best Metroidvania games.
Similar to most Metroidvania games, you’ll play through a portion of the world, upgrade, and return to enter previously inaccessible areas.But, the game’s heartfelt story and immense boss fights are what will stick in your head as you fight your way through the gorgeous world.
Overcooked! 2
One pizza, two pasta, three paella – YES CHEF! If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to work in a busy kitchen, then Overcooked! 2 will give you a good sense of the sort of organized chaos that goes on behind the scenes. Team up with a pal in couch co-op, or up to three other players online, pop your chef hat on, and get plating.
Of course, you won’t just be working in any old kitchen. Overcooked 2! will see you launching tomatoes across moats, floating islands, and more. And if you think that’s tricky enough, wait until the kitchens themselves start darting about mid-level! Wild, truly.
Payday 2: Crimewave Edition
Payday 2 is one of the best FPS games in the eyes of many, mainly because it’s one of the few games that truly lets you live out a heist fantasy. From robbing large banks and escaping with bags of cash against all odds to disrupting drug rings, Payday 2 has it all.
Over the years it’s received so many new missions for you to enjoy, and gear for you to use, bolstering its already enthralling heist action. Even after all these years, its avid fanbase still supports it.
Sure, it’s not the latest game in the series, Payday 3, which brought with it several improvements to the action (as well as some pesky downsides as our Payday 3 review notes) it’s hard to argue with just how exciting Payday 2 can be.
PowerWash Simulator
You would never have expected PowerWash Simulator to be the hit that it is. After all, you’re just power-washing objects for an hour or two, and few people want to do that in real life, let alone when there are games that take you to the far reaches of space or some engrossing magical land. And yet, PowerWash Simulator is captivating – at least if you’re a certain type of person.
We love nothing more than kicking back and power washing a truck, a dirty back garden, or even the Mars Rover. Try it for yourself and you’ll realize just how satisfying it is to turn a dingy steam train into a sparkling piece of machinery.
Psychonauts 2
The sequel to the cult classic Psychonauts, and one that improves on its predecessor in almost every way, Psychonauts 2 is the best example of how to make an exciting successor with ideas of its own.
In Psychonauts 2, you play as Raz, a young acrobat who is training alongside the Psychonauts, a group of individuals with psychic powers to stop others who want to use their powers for nefarious purposes. It offers excellent platforming, levels, visuals, and more to top off some great gameplay. You can read our full thoughts on the excellent game in our Psychonauts 2 review.
Slay the Spire
Do you love card games? Do you love Roguelikes? Slay the Spire is for you! Slay the Spire fuses elements of both these genres to create one of the best Roguelike games out there. By crafting a deck of cards, Slay the Spire challenges you to bizarre combat encounters that are unique every run as you hunt down powerful relics to make it to the top.
Given the deck-building card game mechanics, Slay the Spire is an incredibly deep and gratifying experience, though it’s easy enough to get into. With the immense replay value, you could play Slay the Spire forever and still be having fun.
Spiritfarer: Farewell Edition
Spiritfarer may look rather unassuming at first glance, being a cozy management game involving building a town on a boat with a cute art style. However, it’s much more than that under the surface. Spiritfarer is all about death. As a ferry master to the deceased, you’ll learn how to say goodbye while building a home for spirits before releasing them into the afterlife. It’s fun yet surprisingly evocative.
With the Farewell Edition, you’re getting the base Spiritfarer game and its three major content updates, including all the characters, new locations, upgrades, recipes, events, and more. In other words, it’s the complete Spiritfarer experience.
Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley may initially appear to be a simple crunchy, pixel-based farming simulator, but the reality couldn’t be more different. After inheriting your grandad’s run-down farm in the titular location, it quickly becomes clear that you’ve got your work cut out for you. Fortunately, the people of the valley are around to help, and your new life begins.
Indeed, Stardew Valley isn’t just a farming sim, it’s a farminglifesim. As you continue to pour hour after hour into it, its true depths begin to be plumbed as you develop complex relationships with its cast, and even date a member of the community or two. With cave-based exploration also involved, you’ll have the opportunity to chop down way more than just trees and overgrown plants.
State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition
State of Decay 2 is a follow-up to the hit Xbox survival gamethat expands on nearly all of its predecessor’s strengths and weaknesses. In this open-world zombie game, you’ll have to scavenge for supplies to improve your home base so you don’t end up as one of the walking dead. We mean that quite literally, as when you die, you’ll lose that character and their loot before switching to another one of your survivors.
This makes for some truly intense moments as you’re up against a horde or mutant zombie with little resources left and all your gear on the line. This also plays into the story, as you’ll have to complete missions to progress, sending you back out into the harsh wilds.
If you’re worried about this being too intense for you, then you can also play in four-player co-op mode in the main campaign, and in the Daybreak and Heartland DLCs.
As for the Juggernaut Edition in particular, which is the version included in the Xbox Game Pass Core games list, this is an updated version of the game with new content, including the base game and all three DLCs. With all this content and a great gameplay loop, it’s arguably one of the best survival games, and you can play it with Xbox Game Pass Core!
Superliminal
Are you in the mood to have your mind blown by optical illusions? Boy have we got the game for you. Superliminal is an exceptionally creative first-person puzzle game all about forced perspective and optical illusions.
Every puzzle has a remarkably creative solution that messes with your brain in the best way possible, encouraging you to think outside the box. The satisfaction of solving its mind-bending puzzles will pull you through the well-paced experience, ending just before its gimmick gets old.
The Elder Scrolls Online
One of the best MMORPGs in the Xbox lineup, and a great title to spend time with ahead ofThe Elder Scrolls 6 release date, The Elder Scrolls Online has a lot of content after almost 10 years of existence, and you can play most of it with your Game Pass Core subscription.
With an open world to explore and complete freedom to become the worthy adventurer you want to be, The Elder Scrolls Online offers you a new way into the long-running Elder Scrolls series, allowing you to finally play with friends in the world of Tamriel. And unlike how it was at launch, Elder Scrolls Online no longer requires a subscription to the game.
It’s even featured in PCGamesN’s best PC MMOsto play right now, so it’s great to get free access to this rich MMORPG.
Totally Reliable Delivery Service
Another late addition to the service, Totally Reliable Delivery Service is a wacky co-op game all about delivering parcels. That’s easier said than done, however, as you’ll have to contend with the haphazard environment along the way. With absurd ragdoll physics, you and your friends will bumble around trying to deliver parcels in one piece. You can even pilot vehicles, use ramps, handy gadgets, and more to get your parcel to the destination as best you can.
Unpacking
Unpacking is much, much more than it looks at first glance. Ostensibly, it’s a game about, you guessed it, unpacking boxes of odds and ends to put on shelves in a cute but basic pixel art style. However, keep playing and you’ll find a fun and relaxing puzzle game with a surprisingly deep narrative.
You really don’t want to spoil this intimate narrative for you, but as you unpack these unassuming boxes, you’ll slowly discover more about the character’s life as you do. Seriously, don’t overlook this indie gem, especially as it takes just a few hours to beat it.
Vampire Survivors
What could a vampire possibly be scared of? Well, apart from garlic, silver bullets, and stakes? As it transpires, the creatures of Hell are also pretty terrifying to the bloodsuckers, and now you must survive their merciless onslaught. Vampire Survivors will require you (and a friend if using couch co-op) to work your way through various stages that are jam-packed with the underworld’s most vicious beasties.
Fortunately, you won’t have to bear your fangs, as you’ll have access to a broad variety of powers, as well as a progression system that will allow you to build up passive strength over time. With a complex combat system in place, tweaking your build and ensuring you’re dealing ungodly amounts of damage at all times will deliver on your wildest power fantasies and more.
Is Xbox Game Pass Core worth getting?
With Xbox Game Pass Core replacing Xbox Live Gold, you’ll need it to play online in most games. However, as a standard subscription, Game Pass Core offers many exciting games that showcase the best of the best of the Game Pass library, and as such, is definitely worth getting.
That being said, if you can spring a bit extra for Game Pass Ultimate, it’s definitelya more lucrative option as you willbe able to play the existing Game Pass games, as well as any additional games that will come to the service each month.
That’s the full line-up of Xbox Game Pass Core games available right now. We’ll be sure to update this article when any games leave or join the Core library, but for now, you can also check out the best free Xbox games, as well as the full list of Xbox exclusivesif you want something else to playon your Xbox Series X|S console. Game Pass is an unbelievable bargain when you think about it, and if you’re looking to save a few pennies on your gaming setup elsewhere, then be sure toconsult our best Xbox deals page.
Meanwhile, if you’re looking to the future, then be sure to keep an eye on the new Xbox games that are soon to launch. While they most likely won’t be hitting Core when they release, there’s a good chance some of them will arrive down the line. And if you’re looking to improve your gaming experience beyond the games in your library, we recommend checking out all the best Xbox Series X accessories and best Xbox One accessories, you won’t regret it.
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