Xbox Game Pass has quickly become one of the best deals in gaming. For a low monthly fee, you get access to a rotating library of hundreds of high-quality games across Xbox consoles, PC, and even mobile devices. It‘s like Netflix for video games.
One of the best ways to wade through Game Pass‘s massive catalog is to turn to the gaming experts on Reddit. Across subreddits like r/XboxGamePass and r/XboxSeriesX, you‘ll find thousands of threads with users passionately recommending their favorite Game Pass games.
We combed through all that Reddit commentary to bring you this definitive, curated list of the 10 Game Pass games that Redditors say you absolutely need to play. From sprawling open-world adventures to addictive indie gems, these titles represent the best of what Game Pass has to offer as of 2023.
1. Vampire Survivors
Don‘t let this game‘s simple retro graphics fool you – Vampire Survivors is one of the most compelling and addictive action games in years. You‘ll choose from a variety of monster hunters, then face down endless hordes of creatures in procedurally generated battles. The gameplay loop of collecting gold, powering up your character with new weapons and abilities, and pushing yourself to survive just a little bit longer proves incredibly hard to put down.
Redditors love how perfectly Vampire Survivors is suited for either quick 15-30 minute play sessions or hours-long marathons. They also praise its Roguelite qualities, with an infinite amount of replayability as you unlock more characters and experiment with different builds. As one poster on r/XboxGamePass put it, "Vampire Survivors is crack and I can‘t stop."
2. Hades
Hades is another Roguelite that will utterly consume you, but with a very different vibe and playstyle than Vampire Survivors. This acclaimed dungeon crawler casts you as Zagreus, son of Hades, as you attempt to fight your way out of the underworld, getting a little further and growing a little stronger with each escape attempt.
The game‘s responsive, skill-based combat system provides immense satisfaction as you master its intricacies. And between runs, the witty, endlessly charming dialogue and character interactions make Zagreus‘s home of the House of Hades feel like a real, lived-in place. Redditors call it a masterpiece and one of the most purely fun gaming experiences around.
3. Hollow Knight
Quite possibly the best Metroidvania ever made, Hollow Knight is a stunning achievement from a small indie studio. You play as a nameless warrior exploring an atmospheric, decaying subterranean kingdom, uncovering its mysteries and facing its many dangers. The game‘s sprawling interconnected map provides a dizzying sense of scale and discovery.
Redditors gush over Hollow Knight‘s gorgeous hand-drawn art style, haunting soundtrack, challenging yet fair difficulty, and the sheer amount of content packed in (a completionist run can easily take 30+ hours). It‘s a deeply immersive experience that will stick with you long after the credits roll.
4. Outer Wilds
One of the most unique games in recent memory, Outer Wilds is a space exploration mystery that‘s best experienced knowing as little as possible going in. Suffice it to say, you‘re a rookie astronaut setting out to unravel the secrets of a bizarre solar system trapped in a 22-minute time loop. Revelations come not through combat, but through curiosity, observation, and cleverly piecing together clues scattered across multiple planets.
Redditors are evangelical about Outer Wilds and the awe-inspiring sense of discovery it instills. "I wish I could wipe my memory and play it again for the first time," is a common sentiment expressed. This is a true one-of-a-kind adventure that anyone with Game Pass owes it to themselves to try.
5. Tunic
On its surface, Tunic looks like a cute, simple Zelda-like action-adventure starring an adorable fox. But beneath that cuddly exterior lies a devilishly mysterious world and challenging, rewarding gameplay experience that unfolds in surprising ways.
In Tunic, you‘re thrown into a strange land with no map, no dialogue, and no clear objectives. It‘s up to you to explore, experiment, and decipher the game‘s cryptic in-game instruction manual to progress. Combat is tough but fair, often pushing you to retreat and return later once you‘ve gained more strength, knowledge, and clever techniques to exploit enemy weaknesses. Redditors liken the experience to playing a classic NES game while barely understanding English – confusing at first, but immensely gratifying as you work out its secrets.
But the true genius of Tunic reveals itself after rolling credits, as an entire new game plus mode opens up. Enemies are tougher and there are new paths and mysteries to unravel, but you also retain all your items and abilities. This allows you to access previously inaccessible areas right from the start and piece together an even deeper understanding of the game‘s cryptic lore. It‘s almost like a sequel built into the game itself.
New game plus also adds several new wrinkles to the gameplay. There are uber-powerful "limit break" techniques to master, optional boss rematches, and a new post-game dungeon that will test even the most skilled players. Tunic‘s developers have referred to it as a "Zelda Master Quest" mode, a brilliant way to give dedicated players even more to chew on.
All told, a completionist run of Tunic including new game plus can take 20-30 hours. That‘s an incredible amount of content for an indie game, all of it polished to a mirror sheen. Multiple Reddit threads have praised Tunic‘s new game plus as one of the best and most meaningful takes on the concept. It elevates an already must-play Game Pass title into something truly special.
6. Elden Ring
What more can be said about Elden Ring, the 2022 game of the year and a landmark release for the medium? FromSoftware‘s latest is an absurdly massive fantasy epic that combines the intricate combat and worldbuilding of Dark Souls with a truly open world ripe for exploration. You can easily spend 100+ hours discovering its many secrets, mastering its deep systems, and piecing together its famously obtuse lore.
Redditors have created entire communities dedicated to mapping out Elden Ring‘s gargantuan world, trading tips and build ideas, and collectively marveling at its sheer ambition and scope. Even several months after its release, new discoveries were still being made. Having such a mammoth, critically acclaimed game on Game Pass from day one almost singlehandedly justifies the subscription cost for many.
7. Pentiment
Pentiment is the kind of mid-budget, creatively daring project that feels purpose-built for a service like Game Pass. It‘s a narrative-driven medieval murder mystery presented in a unique art style meant to emulate 16th century manuscripts and woodcut prints. You play as Andreas Maler, a journeyman artist who becomes embroiled in a series of killings and conspiracies over a 25-year period.
What makes Pentiment special is how it fully commits to its setting and themes. The dialogue is dense with archaic turns of phrase and historical references that lend it an air of authenticity. Your choices feel genuinely weighty, as they can alter the lives of the villagers you interact with over decades. Redditors have praised Pentiment‘s strong sense of place, attention to historical detail, and the way it explores heady themes of art, religion, politics, and community.
8. Signalis
A surreal, retro-styled survival horror gem, Signalis has become a sleeper hit on Game Pass. It follows an android named Elster who awakens from stasis to find herself stranded on a desolate, abandoned planet. What follows is a slow-burn psychological nightmare in the vein of classic Resident Evil or Silent Hill as you explore eerily empty space stations and research facilities, fighting off twisted biomechanical monsters and solving cryptic puzzles.
Redditors have latched onto Signalis‘ powerfully unsettling atmosphere, calling it a masterclass in subtle, creeping dread. The lo-fi PS1-style visuals contribute to an overwhelming sense of isolation and helplessness. And without spoiling anything, the game‘s reality-bending twists and ambiguous, open-ended storytelling have inspired pages upon pages of fan theories and interpretation. In an era of jumpscares and cheap thrills, Signalis is a refreshing throwback to the atmospheric, slow-burn horror of yesteryear.
9. Persona 5 Royal
Persona 5 was already one of the most stylish, fully realized JRPGs ever made. Persona 5 Royal takes that foundation and builds upon it with a wealth of quality of life improvements and an entire new semester‘s worth of content. It‘s a staggeringly huge package, easily lasting 100 hours for a single playthrough.
You play as Joker, a high school student in Tokyo who awakens to the power of Persona and forms a group of secret vigilantes known as the Phantom Thieves. By day, you‘ll live the life of an ordinary student, attending class, building social links, and exploring the city. By night, you‘ll delve into the cognitive worlds of corrupt authority figures, battling monsters and "stealing their hearts" to make them repent for their crimes.
Redditors can‘t say enough good things about Persona 5 Royal. They praise its irresistible sense of style, addictive gameplay loop, stellar soundtrack, and memorable characters. It‘s a game that grabs hold of your heart from the opening moments and never lets go. And it‘s an incredible get for Game Pass.
10. Doom Eternal
Doom Eternal is, quite simply, one of the best pure action games ever made. It takes the blistering, push-forward combat of Doom 2016 and ratchets up the intensity to almost absurd levels. You are the Doom Slayer, an unstoppable force of rage and vengeance, tearing through the hordes of Hell at a breakneck pace. Every weapon is a delight to wield, every glory kill sickeningly satisfying to execute.
What makes Eternal stand out from its predecessor is how it deftly weaves in resource management and on-the-fly strategic decisions into its combat loop. Enemies are damage sponges, but they‘re also walking piñatas full of ammo, health, and armor for you to aggressively pursue. Juggling your chainsaw, flame belch, ice grenades, and blood punch charges while circle strafing a room full of demons is akin to playing the world‘s most violent instrument.
Doom Eternal is not for the faint of heart. Even its most ardent fans on Reddit will admit the game has a brutally steep learning curve before it all "clicks." But once you get into that rhythm and flow state, there‘s nothing else like it. This is action gaming, distilled down to its purest essence.
Get the Most Out of Your Game Pass Subscription
Of course, these are just 10 of the most commonly recommended Game Pass titles on Reddit. Honorable mentions include massive open-world races like Forza Horizon 5, indie darlings like Hades and Nobody Saves the World, and Microsoft‘s flagship franchises such as Halo Infinite and Sea of Thieves.
The beauty of Game Pass is that it enables you to sample all these games and more, discover hidden gems you might have otherwise never played, and get more bang for your gaming buck than any other service out there. It‘s the closest thing to a "Netflix for gaming" we have.
So take a page from the most passionate gaming Redditors‘ playbook. Try out as much of the Game Pass library as you can. Engage with the community to trade recommendations and insights. And above all, keep an open mind. Your next favorite game is just a download away.
