You’re out of school, your job just closed up and you’re looking for a good way to spend your time. If you’ve got a subscription to Xbox Game Pass, then you’ve already got plenty of options right at your fingertips!
Here’s 15 Game Pass Games that you can curl up on the couch to while you’re relaxing for the holidays.
A Short Hike
A Short Hike is a delightful game that takes you on — if you couldn’t guess — a short hike through Hawk Peak Provincial Park in order to get some cell service and call your mom. While not many of us can likely relate to being a bird, taking hikes and talking to the locals is a core memory of mine that this game manages to evoke in all the right ways. The ambience is managed perfectly with the soft, cheery soundtrack and the light theming, making for the perfect game to warm you up when it’s frigid outside.
The scenery in the game is exceptionally adorable, adopting the pixelated style that many cozy games have come to take on. You find items along the way that can help you interact with the environment, ranging from a bucket to fill with water, golden feathers to help you fly farther and even a stick that you can swing! It’s more fun than it sounds when it’s being done by a bird wearing a turtle’s headband, so be sure to talk to as many people as possible on the way up. They can help you out and sometimes, you can even help them.
Dead Cells
Who needs to open doors when you can bash them open with a frying pan? Dead Cells asks this question and many more as you make your way through this rogue-like set in an alchemist’s dungeon. Dead Cells feels like a 2D sidescrolling version of Hades, but it sets itself apart in the story and the ways in which the game’s combat flows. Not to mention, you can tickle random globs of goop while you’re down there. You know, to break the tension.
There’s a bit of a learning curve when it comes to the pace and the combat, but that’s to be expected with any game where the point is to learn through failure. Every time you go back through, you can try out different weapon combinations, use different equipment and try out totally new tactics. The enemies are varied and challenging, but not so much so where you feel like you’re beating your head against the wall. It’s a great game to spend a few hours just grinding away and trying to progress farther and farther.
Cooking Simulator
If there’s one thing that’s constantly consistent around the holidays, it’s food. Gaming and food don’t always go together just given the amount of hands we humans have, but with Cooking Simulator, you can combine a little bit of both! As long as you’ve got the patience for it, that is. Unlike Overcooked, Cooking Simulator doesn’t just hit you with the fast pace of a kitchen in a cutesy style with your friends, it puts you properly in the shoes of a chef in a kitchen.
While that might not sound exciting, it will be fulfilling to complete dishes in a timely manner once you get the hang on the controls. You’ve got to buy all your ingredients, maintain your equipment and serve food on time in order to earn more points, and if you think you can cut corners, you’ll be sadly mistaken. You’d be surprised by just how fast a kitchen can get messy, so be sure to try and keep everything orderly so that you can find it all later.
Cities Skylines
There’s nothing quite like watching a city that you built rise from the ground up, with everything that happens in it being your responsibility. With Game Pass, now we’re able to take that responsibility right to your couch, for better or for worse. You can determine the landscape, layout and infrastructure for your city all on your own, as long as you know how to properly manage your budget. There’s plenty to try and keep track of, but before you know it, you’ll be adding districts and maintaining your existing city in no time.
While the second game is available, many people have had complaints regarding the performance and features that are included compared to the first game in the series. Because of that, it’s really up to your personal preference regarding which one you want to play, but the one that’s going to the be the most tried and true will be the first one. That being said, you might not even notice a difference from where you’re sitting, or laying. As long as you’re comfortable.
Descenders
Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but your couch is so delightful. Seriously, while the weather outside isn’t very permitting of some of our favorite activities, sometimes the best alternative is to try and enjoy them from the comfort of the indoors! Descenders is the perfect game for those who love mountain biking or trail sports because not only do you get to perfect your techniques, but you get to do so with other cyclists who are playing at the same time as you.
The ambience in the game is great as well, because what’s better than downhill biking than downhill biking with a great techno soundtrack to it? It helps you get in the mood for what you’re doing, while still all from the comfort of your own living room. It’s scenic, it’s easy and most importantly, it’s a ton of fun! It echoes Skate 3 somewhat in the execution, and when it comes to a game regarding sports and wheels, there’s not much more you can ask for.
Hi-Fi RUSH
In a landscape of beat em ups and RPGs, there’s always room for something a little bit different in your life. Not only is Hi-Fi Rush a new style of combat game, but it’s also a new style of rhythm game that works exceptionally well at what it tries to do. No more are the days of turning to old consoles and arcades when you want to play something timing-based and precise, now you can do it from the comfort of your couch.
With a striking art style that plays beautifully into the subject matter and musical theming of the game, it’s no wonder that Hi-Fi rush became a winner at the Game Awards for best Audio Design. Each combat encounter serves as an opportunity to improve a little bit every time, and it can drink up hours of your afternoon if you’re not too careful. It’s a great way to spend these cold winter months, warming up to the bob of your own head or the tap of your own feet.
Peggle
Both Peggle 1 and 2 are on Game Pass, and there really might not be a better way to spend a few hours curled up on the couch than dialing in your aim and burning your way through puzzles. It’s not to say that the game is easy, but once you get the hang of it you really start to appreciate the different challenges that are set for you in each level. The first and second games are basically the same except for new levels and challenges, meaning that as soon as you finish the first game, the fun doesn’t have to end.
There are various “masters” that you can choose to use that will affect your game differently, so there’s plenty of variety in the levels in both design and functionality. You can use their powers to complete levels and challenges, and once you’ve completed a chapter of the game, you’re also then able to play the trials, which are going to be more challenging levels with more restrictions. If you’re wanting to get those gears turning, give either Peggle a shot, you won’t be disappointed.
Unpacking
Nobody really ever likes doing chores right? Well, maybe not unless it’s in the right context, and what better context is there than playing a game from the comfort of your couch! Unpacking takes something that very few people enjoy — unpacking — and turns it into one of the most calming experiences you’ll find on Game Pass. Regardless of what room you’re working on, you might have trouble finding a place to stop.
One of the things that makes the game work as well as it does is the fact that there’s a story interwoven subtly throughout the levels. You’re unpacking different stages of a person’s life, so there’s things you can learn about them just from unpacking their things and putting them away. You’re always getting to unpack something new than the last time, and it’s interesting to see how things change over the years. There’s something cathartic to it, and it’ll get you feeling more than you might expect to.
You Suck at Parking
If you’re looking for a bit of a challenge this holiday season, then look no further than You Suck at Parking. It’s a simple concept, just park the car, right? Just give the game a shot and find out just how complicated that can actually be. Some of the parking lots that you’re gonna have to work with are going to challenge you more than you might expect, but it’s easy to get on a roll before finding another level that stumps you.
Not only is there a great variety of levels, but there are also a ton of different ways to customize your cars. There’s a multiplayer mode that you can play and go head to head with friends or other folks online, making for a great time either by yourself or with company. You can play it and just take it easy, cruising through some of the levels, or you can go the perfectionist route and see just how much you really suck at parking. At least you’re not driving in the snow!
While the Iron’s Hot
If you love the pixelated art style, calming music and from-the-ground-up structure of Stardew Valley, then While the Iron’s Hot might be a great new way for you to keep yourself warm during the holidays. Instead of a farmer, you’re working as a blacksmith who’s trying to revitalize the smithing community in their new home, where you can craft pieces of metal work for clients. Rather than being a top-down style like many other games of the genre, you’re actually side-scrolling your way through your new life, adding a nice directionality to your exploration.
The story is simple enough where you can hop into it quickly, and the gameplay is surprisingly addicting. It’s easy to fall into a rhythm of just making parts and tools, and the minigames for crafting are just enough to keep you focused while avoiding the idle time for making different items. The more you explore the map, the more you can add to your forge in order to progress further and make a name for yourself, so be sure to bring your tools and branch out a bit. You’ll be crafting from memory in no time.
Planet of Lana
After opening with one of what I would consider the most strikingly abrupt tonal shifts I’ve seen in an intro, Planet of Lana is a great game for just taking everything in. It plays similarly to Limbo in the sense of your own helplessness and the side-scrolling nature of the camera, but there’s plenty here to set it apart. The art style is breathtaking while remaining simple and serene, and you move at a slow enough pace where your eyes are allowed to wander about the rest of the screen.
The puzzles are challenging without being frustrating or unachievable, and the collectibles are often in a clever enough place that makes you think twice about checking somewhere. You get to know Lana’s limitations as well as her strengths, and you can use that to learn your way through the story. The sound design is breathtaking as well, so if you’ve got a large TV and surround sound setup, you’re in for a cinematic experience that you won’t want to miss out on.
Gang Beasts
There are a lot of games that you can play on Game Pass, and plenty of them are multiplayer. When it comes to the holidays, especially towards the end of the season, you might find yourself with a little bit of pent up aggression, which you can use to your advantage in Gang Beasts! It’s the perfect game to have an all-out brawl with your friends and family, all while having a laugh at some of your hilarious character creations.
The physics in Gang Beasts are part of what makes it so unique, with it feeling very heavy, clunky and hard to move. It’s not necessarily easy to fight, but when you do land a good hit, you just want to keep swinging as much as possible. Throwing your friends off of skyscrapers and into train tracks might not have been on your Holiday 2023 bingo card, but once you give it a shot, you’ll be saying “one more round” for the next 20 rounds.
Jusant
If you’re looking for a scenic, atmospheric and thoughtful game to spend some time playing over the holiday season, you should absolutely look no further than Jusant. The premise of the game is to climb up a mysterious tower and learn the history of the people who once lived there, but as you find yourself climbing ever higher, you might be surprised by the direction things turn. The controls are easily approachable and wildly intuitive, and it scratches that itch for climbing that some players might get in the colder months.
The fact that Jusant is available for free with Game Pass is enough of a reason to have the subscription in the first place. The game may not be long, but it’s an experience that’ll have you wanting to replay the levels and find every collectible, just so that you don’t miss any of the story. If you’re worried about getting lonely, you’ll have your companion Ballast to help you and keep you company, and as you two work together, you’ll find out just how strong that bond can be.
Spirittea
When it comes to life-sims, it’s easy to play Stardew Valley and feel like it doesn’t get any better than that. However, there are other games out there that are relaxing, ambient and make you feel productive, all from your couch. Spirittea is one of those games, putting you in the shoes of someone who wanted to start a new life in a new town, only to find that the town is inhabited by spirits. You’ll be reopening a bathhouse for them to attend, working to make it the best that it possibly can be.
There are plenty of things to do around the map in order to keep you busy, one of which is to socialize with all the residents. This means both the ones that are alive and the ones who are spirits, with the latter being the main clientele of your business. You’ll get to renovate, clean and customize your bathhouse in order to properly satisfy and get to know your patrons, which will be enough to spend a few hours on the couch before you even realize it’s gotten dark outside.
Venba
Shorter than most of the other games on this list, Venba deserves a little extra recognition anyway. It’s described as a cooking game, and that’s certainly not a lie as that is all of what you’ll do for the gameplay. However, most of the game itself is focused on the narrative, and it’s one that will touch the hearts of people who can personally relate to it or who are just curious. You follow the lives of an Indian immigrant family trying to make a life for themselves in Canada, and you’ll come to learn the things that can divide a family and bring them back together.
It’s not to say that the game is going to be the most uplifting one you can play this holiday season, but it’s one that’s well worth giving a play regardless. It’s thematically centered around family and being together with those you hold the closest to you, and around the holidays that might just be the most important part of it all. Don’t forget about what’s truly important in life, while also learning to change with the times and make your world a better place, one dish at a time.
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