The 8 Best Games in the Xbox Game Pass Over the Holidays – Something for Everyone

The Xbox Game Pass is one of the best gifts you can give yourself or your loved ones this Christmas, thanks to a massive selection of great games. MeinMMO author Marko Jevtic recommends something from the subscription service for every type of player.

For me, Christmas means one thing above all: lots of free time. Accordingly, I always plan to play a few games during the holidays that I don’t have time for in my daily stress.

This year, the Xbox Game Pass will especially help me with that. Therefore, I want to recommend 8 games from the Game Pass that can fill your quiet hours during the Christmas days.

What is the Xbox Game Pass? The Xbox Game Pass can be understood as a kind of Netflix for games : Microsoft offers you a subscription that includes over 100 games for Xbox One as well as Xbox Series X|S and PC. This year alone, games worth over €5,000 have been added, including big titles from Microsoft like Halo Infinite right on launch day. The game offerings differ between PC and console.

The Game Pass is available on PC and Xbox consoles for €9.99 per month. The Game Pass Ultimate gives you access to PC and console games and costs €12.99 monthly. With the deals presented by us, you can get the Game Pass even cheaper.

All versions of the Game Pass can also be canceled monthly. Both the PC Game Pass and Game Pass Ultimate also include a subscription for EA Play. This allows you to play selected games from EA.

How did I choose the games? Besides the fact that the games should be available on the Game Pass, I had 4 criteria that were very important to me when choosing:

• The games must have personally excited me.
• These games should be extensive, as you will have more time to play them through during the holidays than in daily life.
• They must be playable on all devices – this includes the cloud, so you can also play the games through an Android or Apple device.
• There should be something for every type of player.

If you already know the main selection, it was also important to me to recommend at least one alternative. This increases the chances that you will find something exciting.

1. For the Couch Co-op: It Takes Two

Playable on: Xbox (requires Game Pass Ultimate for EA Play), PC, Cloud | Metacritic rating: 89 %

For me, It Takes Two is one of the best games of 2021. This co-op game is perfect right now when visiting family or your partner during the Christmas holidays. However, the title is meant to be taken literally: It Takes Two can only be played in co-op.

It Takes Two is extensive, and each player has their own fun mechanics in each of the many levels. This not only provides a lot of variety, but you also need to communicate with each other constantly. Only then can you solve the clever puzzles in the game and handle the action.

The whole thing is crowned by partially stunning graphics, clever puzzles, and a very good story with plenty of charm and humor. An absolute top recommendation in the Game Pass.

Alternative Recommendation: Unravel Two

Unravel Two is also a great co-op platformer. Here, too, players need to communicate a lot to complete the many jump-and-run segments. While Unravel Two is not as extensive as It Takes Two or packed with great ideas, it’s still a lot of fun. You will also need a subscription with EA Play for this game.

Both games are our top recommendations for couch co-op games in 2021.

2. For the Online Co-op: Deep Rock Galactic

Playable on: Xbox, PC, Cloud | Metacritic rating: 85 %

In Deep Rock Galactic, you play as heavy-drinking space dwarves who dig for valuable stones together. That’s already a damn good reason to try the game. However, the game with the dwarves is also a huge amount of fun content-wise. That’s why it’s one of the best co-op games in recent years.

For me, the best thing about this co-op shooter is the pacing: between intense waves where you have to shoot aliens, there are many completely quiet moments. In those, you can have pleasant conversations, discuss tactics, or reminisce – before it all starts again.

This way, you don’t always have to give commands in gamer language and make callouts – you can also just spend an evening together with occasional alien bugs. And frequently shout: Rock and Stone!

Alternative Recommendation: Sea of Thieves

The pirate simulator Sea of Thieves takes place on a vast open sea. There, you encounter skeletons, sea monsters, or other players, but above all, you spend time with your crew on a ship. Together, you can search for treasures, capsize boats, blast yourselves out of a cannon – or drink until you drop while you play and sing sea shanties together. It’s a hell of a lot of fun and a great evening filler.

3. For the Optimizers: Hades

Playable on: Xbox, PC, Cloud | Metacritic rating: 93 %

Hades has won many awards, including many awards for Game of the Year 2020. Recently, it also became the first game ever to win a Hugo Award for literature (via Eurogamer). I also love this game: It’s the perfect mix of story, gameplay, music, and addictive factor.

As a roguelite, you always have to start again in Hades – whether after a death or after a victory. The individual abilities and level layouts in each run are randomly generated. Unlike most roguelites, however, the story of the game also develops further with each restart: so you always feel like you are making progress.

A successful run takes under half an hour with some practice. However, to get good at the game, you have to learn some lessons and unlock things. That’s what makes Hades as fun as few other games, which is why I can recommend it unconditionally here.

Alternative Recommendations: Slay the Spire & Monster Train

Because Hades is so popular, many may already know it, I will recommend 2 games here at once. While they are similar in many respects, they have their own great strengths. And since both are in the Game Pass, I also recommend playing both.

Both Slay the Spire and Monster Train are deck-building roguelites. You assemble a deck of cards over the course of a run, with which you create strategies. Both games place very little emphasis on story but are absolute strategic delights. You can really get into both games and play them almost endlessly.

4. For the Explorers: Hollow Knight

Playable on: Xbox, PC, Cloud | Metacritic rating: 90 %

Hollow Knight is breathtakingly beautiful, incredibly atmospheric – and quite hard. A popular summary of the game is that it is a kind of Dark Souls as a Metroidvania. And while that’s quite accurate, the game is much more than just that.

Metroidvanias are probably my personal favorite genre. Hollow Knight is probably the best I have played from the genre. Incredibly clever gameplay and map design ensure that you always discover something exciting and important – no matter how far you stray from the planned path.

I can’t praise the graphics and atmosphere of Hollow Knight enough. It is also extensive – you should budget at least 50 hours. You must play this game.

Alternative Recommendation: Supraland

The Supraland, developed in Germany, is my Metroidvania secret tip. It is also an excellent puzzle game and often resembles Portal – both in content and quality.

5. For the Problem Solvers: Prey

Playable on: Xbox, PC, Cloud | Metacritic rating: 82 %

The specialists from Arcane have developed one of the best games in the “immersive sim” genre with Prey. Every problem in the game – whether a closed door, an enemy, or a puzzle – has several possible solutions. Because every mechanic in the game is so versatile, it can be used in many clever ways.

As long as you’re creative enough, mechanically skilled enough, and have enough resources, you can solve a problem in multiple ways equally. For example, the first weapon in the game can freeze enemies – or build an improvised staircase so you can easily bypass the enemy.

The first half hour of the game is also one of the absolute best moments I have ever experienced in a game. After that, you can expect a great mix of survival horror and intelligent science fiction.

Alternative Recommendation: The Dishonored Games

Also grandiose ‘immersive sims’ and also by developer Arcane are the Dishonored games. In the role of a supernaturally gifted assassin, you can slaughter, sneak, and/or teleport through a steampunk world – just as you like. If you only have time for one game, Dishonored 2 is the best choice.

6. For the Looters: Outriders

Playable on: Xbox, PC, Cloud | Metacritic rating: 74 %

Because Outriders divides the player community, I recommend it here. For me, it’s a great looter shooter with very good gameplay – MeinMMO colleague Tarek Zehrer has a similar opinion. The Game Pass provides the perfect excuse to test this game. Thanks to the latest fantastic update, there are also many reasons to get into it now.

The biggest strengths of the game are the 4 classes and the associated build possibilities. This makes the game incredibly fun in co-op. So if you can convince another Game Pass user to shoot with you, you will have a lot of fun with Outriders.

Alternative Recommendation: Minecraft Dungeons

If you find Outriders too dark in terms of story and atmosphere, Minecraft Dungeons is also a very good choice. It doesn’t have the gameplay depth of Outriders or Diablos, but especially in couch co-op, the game offers surprisingly entertaining looter action.

7. For the Drivers: Forza Horizon 5 

Playable on: Xbox, PC, Cloud | Metacritic rating: 92 %

I must admit that I’m not a car fan. The fact that I know the difference between a rim and a tire is already a surprise. When I play racing games, it’s only Burnout, Mario Kart, or F-Zero.

Forza Horizon 5 still grabbed me. This is not only because trying it out was risk-free thanks to Game Pass. The game has great graphics, and the gameplay is a perfect mix of arcade adrenaline rushes and realistic attention to detail. Additionally, the game knows how to motivate the player with constant rewards.

Alternative Recommendation: Snowrunner

Snowrunner is a very special “car game” because it’s not primarily about being fast. Instead, it’s about struggling through an unwelcoming landscape with huge vehicles. The game is remarkably comparable to Death Stranding, as in both games, movement itself is the challenge. This can require a lot of patience, but leads to unique feelings of success.

8. For the Diligent: Stardew Valley

Playable on: Xbox, PC, Cloud | Metacritic rating: 90 %

At the beginning of this pandemic, MeinMMO demon Cortyn found refuge in Stardew Valley. For the once again difficult times around this Christmas, I recommend the game as well – but not just as a way to isolate from reality.

Stardew Valley is a sweet classic farming simulator. It’s therefore more comparable to Harvest Moon than with games for tractor enthusiasts. Accordingly, you slowly try to develop an old, rundown farm into an agricultural masterpiece. Along the way, you also build relationships with the villagers.

Those who enjoy putting things in order and structuring will have a lot – and a long time – of fun in Stardew Valley. The game also has multiplayer.

Alternative Recommendations: Minecraft & Terraria

My alternative recommendations should be familiar to everyone, but I want to mention them here again. Because if you haven’t played the games yet – or haven’t had serious time for them – this holiday season is a very good time. Minecraft and Terraria are not without reason among the most popular games of all time.

Terraria is in 2D perspective and comparatively places more emphasis on fighting and exploring dark depths. Minecraft plays in first-person perspective and emphasizes building itself more clearly. Both games can entertain for years – this holiday season could be the start of a lasting passion thanks to Game Pass.

Even though there are many more games in the Game Pass that I like: These are the 8 games plus alternatives that I especially recommend for the holidays. There should be something for every type of player.

Is one of these games perhaps already a favorite of yours? Do you have any other recommendations? Do you perhaps feel that this list doesn’t quite resonate with you? Let me know in the comments. I am very happy about any new recommendation I receive – and every other that I can make.

If you’re also looking for the best single-player shooters for the holidays, I have a list for you:

The 10 best single-player shooters under €20 – perfect for the Christmas season