The Xbox Game Pass price increase has certainly gotten a lot of fans riled up. To play all the best games on day one for “free,” players now need to pay $30 on consoles to get Game Pass Ultimate. Technically, it’s still not a bad deal, depending on what players are looking for and whether they decide to cancel their subscription between big game releases like Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.
The Best Games On Xbox Game Pass (January 2026)
Xbox Game Pass is unquestionably worth the subscription fee, but which of the available games are the best use of your hard drive space?
If Xbox fans want to get rid of their monthly subscriptions before the $30 price kicks in, there are other great games to buy on the Xbox store for that same amount. One game may not stand in for hundreds, but these are still worth picking up. The following is a wide range of multiple genres, so there should be something here for everyone.
Path Of Exile 2
Feeding The Looter Need
Path of Exile II
- Released
- December 6, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Nudity, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Language, Users Interact, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Hack and Slash, MMORPG
Path of Exile 2 is still in Early Access, but it’s one of those games that already feels fully featured before its 1.0 launch. Like the original, it’s a top-down action RPG with looter mechanics and a class system akin to Diablo. The environments are wide open and randomized, meaning one playthrough could be very different from the last.
With constant updates, multiple classes to play as, and an engaging co-op mode, Path of Exile 2 will easily become a game that players will want to keep coming back to.
SteamWorld Heist 2
Strategy On The Open Seas
SteamWorld Heist II
- Released
- August 8, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
SteamWorld Heist 2 is a 2D tactical game where players will go on heists in various locations around an open-sea archipelago. Players can upgrade their robotic teammates and weaponry with materials they find, and all missions can be replayed to grind for rewards.
Each teammate will have a different weapon, with the best able to ricochet bullets off walls to hit targets. Missions are small in scope and quick to get through, making the gameplay loop just as addictive as the first SteamWorld Heist game.
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain
Here Comes Venom
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain
- Released
- September 1, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- Action, Open-World
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Definitive Experience comes packaged with Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, DLC, the prequel game Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes, and so much more. As Hideo Kojima’s final Metal Gear game, this is indeed the definitive experience and one of the best stealth games widely available through backwards compatibility on modern consoles.
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Looking for an open-world adventure to crack into on Xbox Game Pass? These are the best open-world games currently available on Microsoft's service.
Venom Snake can traverse open biomes to look for materials and soldiers to build up Mother Base. Newbies may be lost in the story, but if anyone hasn’t played a Metal Gear game before, this is the one to start with because the gameplay is so solid.
Stray
Little Kitty, Big City
Stray
- Released
- July 19, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ for Everyone 10+: Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
Stray is a cute platformer starring a cat who goes missing from their adoptive cat family. This ginger kitty meets a robot pal to help guide them through a futuristic world full of robots.
Stray is one of those games that’s all about the journey. There are puzzles, some challenging platforming sections, and a few bits of combat to keep things lively. It’s a short experience, but it's well worth the $30 price tag to help this kitty get back home.
Disney Illusion Island
Multiplayer Mickey Metroidvania
Disney Illusion Island
- Released
- July 28, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
Disney Illusion Island is a great Metroidvania for this price and one that can be fun for the whole family. There are enemies, but this game promotes exploration over combat, as players cannot fight back except for in specific instances.
Playing as Mickey, Minnie, Donald, or Goofy, players can explore this mysterious island on their own or team up with others in four-player co-op. It may not be a Metroidvania as groundbreaking as Hollow Knight: Silksong, but it’s a charming Disney game that’s equal parts funny and visually gorgeous.
The Jackbox Party Pack 10
A Party Starter
The Jackbox Party Pack 10
- Released
- October 18, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen: Crude Humor, Drug Reference, Language, Sexual Themes
- Genre(s)
- Party Game, Strategy
Most of the Jackbox games hover around $20-30, and every player needs to have at least one game in their collection. They’re easy to set up for game night or family get-together, even for people who are not interested in video games.
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Xbox Game Pass has many fantastic titles from varying genres, and here is a look at the best RPGs the service has to offer.
All players need to do is go to a linked website on their phone, which acts as the controller that they can use to tackle mini-games. The Jackbox Party Pack 10 is a good place to start, as it has a drawing game called Tee K.O. 2 and an interesting time-bending trivia game called Timejinx that are both standouts.
Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny
Resident Samurai
Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny (2025)
- Released
- May 23, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature // Blood, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action, Hack and Slash, Survival Horror
Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny was recently remastered, finally escaping its confines on the PS2. The remaster doesn’t add too much new to this samurai tale, but it refines the controls enough to make it feel more modern without worrying about tank controls.
It may not be as scary as Resident Evil, but this is a thoroughly enjoyable Capcom action horror game to play in the spookiest month of the year. It will be a quick playthrough, but it features many branching paths to encourage successive attempts.
Hotel Barcelona
Two Minds Become One
Hotel Barcelona
- Released
- September 26, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, Use of Drugs, Violence, Users Interact
- Genre(s)
- Action, Hack and Slash, Roguelike
Hotel Barcelona is a collaboration project between two famously weird Japanese minds: Suda51 and Swery65. A U.S. Marshall goes to a remote hotel and winds up being trapped in a time loop as she hunts for killers and witches.
It’s a 2D roguelike with plenty of upgrade paths to follow between stat boosts and weapons, which makes players feel like they’re progressing after each run. It may not have as riveting a story in between runs as Hades, but it’s certainly weird enough that players will want to keep going just to see what happens next.
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