Top Xbox Game Pass Games to Play in 2025
â–¼ Summary
– Despite a challenging year for Xbox in 2025, Game Pass still offers many excellent titles, with indie games like *Blue Prince* and *Clair Obscur: Expedition 33* being standout hits.
– *Avowed* serves as a compelling, contained fantasy RPG that lets players explore a fascinating world and use a mix of swords, guns, and magic.
– *Keeper* is a unique and constantly shifting puzzle-platformer where you play as a sentient lighthouse in a deserted world.
– *South of Midnight* is an action-adventure game distinguished by its setting, which weaves together Black and southern folklore in the deep South.
– Other notable Game Pass titles include the classic JRPG-inspired *Clair Obscur*, the retrofuturistic horror game *Routine*, the updated *Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition*, and the peaceful biking adventure *Wheel World*.
While the gaming landscape faced its share of challenges in 2025, Xbox Game Pass remains a compelling library for discovering standout titles. This year proved particularly strong for innovative independent games, offering experiences that captivated players with fresh ideas and memorable worlds. From sprawling RPGs to intimate puzzle adventures, the service hosts a diverse range of games worthy of your time.
Avowed arrives as a welcome fantasy RPG from Obsidian Entertainment. Set in the vibrant world of Eora, familiar to fans of Pillars of Eternity, this first-person adventure offers a more focused scale than some epic sagas. Its strength lies in a deeply engaging world to explore and a flexible combat system that encourages creative combinations of swords, firearms, and magical abilities. It’s the perfect RPG to immerse yourself in without requiring a months-long commitment.
Then there’s Keeper, a puzzle-platformer that defies easy categorization. You inhabit a sentient lighthouse navigating a beautifully desolate, people-free world. The core appeal is its constantly evolving nature; just as you begin to understand its rules and environment, the game transforms, presenting new mechanics and perspectives. It’s a consistently surprising and inventive journey.
South of Midnight carves out a unique space with its rich setting. This action-adventure game is steeped in the folklore and culture of the American deep South, weaving a tapestry rarely seen in the medium. Your quest to heal a corrupted land involves battling mythical creatures, wielding unique magic, and forging a partnership with a charismatic sentient stuffed toy. It’s a visually striking and culturally resonant adventure.
A surprise hit of the year, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 captured attention with its brilliant execution. Developed by Sandfall Interactive, it masterfully channels the spirit of classic turn-based Japanese RPGs while infusing it with a distinct French artistic sensibility. Players are drawn in by its epic narrative, breathtaking soundtrack, and a combat system that rewards strategic experimentation, allowing it to shine brightly in a competitive genre.
For those seeking tension, Routine delivers a potent dose of sci-fi horror. Years in development, this experience channels a stark, retro-futuristic aesthetic inspired by films like Alien. You’ll explore a chillingly abandoned lunar base, relying on chunky analog gadgets, with an ever-present sense of dread. It’s a demanding and atmospheric test of nerve.
With the Fallout television series renewing interest in the franchise, diving into Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition is a perfect opportunity. This package includes the complete base game and all its additional story content. It lets you roam the irradiated Commonwealth of Boston, building settlements, making faction-altering choices, and surviving in a world where, as the saying goes, war never changes. It’s a massive, content-rich post-apocalyptic playground.
Be warned: Blue Prince is profoundly absorbing. This architectural puzzle game tasks you with simultaneously exploring and constructing a vast, ever-changing mansion to uncover family secrets and claim an inheritance. Its clever, non-linear design can effortlessly consume hours as you piece together room layouts and unravel the narrative hidden within the walls.
Finally, Wheel World offers a serene counterpoint. Dubbed a feel-good adventure, it invites you to pedal through a enchanting fantasy landscape on a quest to perform an ancient ritual by building a legendary bicycle. The core joy comes from the peaceful exploration, taking in gorgeous vistas as you coast down hills and discover hidden paths. It’s a wonderfully calming and visually delightful escape.
(Source: The Verge)
