Summary
Xbox Game Passstrives to be the best deal in gaming, and in 2023, the argument can definitely be made that it achieved that goal. High-quality new games were added toXbox Game Passthroughout 2023, ranging from big budget AAA releases to innovative indies.
2023 was arguably the best year Xbox Game Pass has seen so far, with the constant addition of new releases supported by the debuts of older, but still beloved games. Microsoft ensured that there were constantlynew games being added to Xbox Game Passthroughout the year, including some of the biggest games that the service has seen to date.
These are the best day one Xbox Game Pass games added in 2023.
This list is unranked and presented in alphabetical order.
Cassette Beasts
There are manyPokemonclones on the market, but most of them can’t hold a candle to Nintendo’s monster-catching franchise. One game that does givePokemona run for its money isCassette Beasts, an Xbox Game Pass game that featuresPokemon-style monster-catching and an ambitious fusion mechanic that lets players combine nearly every monster in the game.Cassette Beastsis notable for being one of the highest-rated Xbox Game Pass games of 2023, making it a safe bet for bothPokemonfans and those looking for a quality RPG.
Cocoon
One of the great things about Xbox Game Pass is that it gives smaller-scale, riskier, creative games the chance to shine, like Geometric Interactive’sCocoon.Cocoonis a bizarre sci-fi puzzle gamethat almost defies explanation, and it likely reached a much larger audience thanks to its status as a day one Game Pass game. In it, players carry orbs around strange alien worlds, with the twist being that players can actually travel inside these orbs to reach different worlds within them. This lends itself well to mind-bending puzzles and creative boss fights, resulting in an experience that players won’t forget anytime soon.
WHERE TO PLAY
From Jeppe Carlsen, the lead gameplay designer of LIMBO and INSIDE — COCOON takes you on an adventure across worlds within worlds. Master world-leaping mechanics to unravel a cosmic mystery.Worlds within WorldsCOCOON is a unique take on the puzzle adventure genre, where each world exists within an orb that you can carry on your back. Wrap your head around the core mechanic of leaping between worlds—and combine, manipulate, and rearrange them to solve intricate puzzles.Alien MachineryInteract with alien environments and biomechanical devices left behind by an ancient civilization. Journey through unique and diverse biomes, from industrial structures to massive organic caverns, and discover how they are connected to one another.Orb AbilitiesEach orb has an ability that can be unlocked, thereby turning the orb into a unique tool for you to utilize within other worlds. Use these abilities to uncover hidden pathways and objects, fire projectiles to trigger switches, and more.Monstrous GuardiansMighty guardians protect every world, and you must face them in fierce battles. Each fight is unique and requires you to master new and satisfying mechanics.
Forza Motorsport
While the open worldForza Horizongames have been keeping Xbox racing fans busy, many have been wanting to see the simulation-basedForza Motorsportgames make a comeback. Sim racing game fans had to wait a whopping six years betweenForza Motorsport 7and the new game, but many would agree that it was worth the wait. ThenewForza Motorsportboasts cutting-edge graphics, expanded online options, and enough content to keep racing game fans busy for the long haul.Forza Motorsportpicked up multiple wins at The Game Awards 2023, which is just further evidence that it is one of the best new Xbox Game Pass games of the year.
Forza Motorsport (2023)
Race over 500 real-world cars including modern race cars and more than 100 cars new to Forza Motorsport. Make every lap count across 20 living tracks with fan-favorite locations and multiple track layouts to master, each featuring live on-track scoring, fully dynamic time-of-day with weather and unique driving conditions that ensure no two laps ever look or play the same.Experience a cutting-edge simulation with incredible photorealistic visuals that deliver real-time ray tracing on-track, new damage and dirt accumulation systems, and massively upgraded physics featuring powerful assists and a 48x improvement in tire fidelity.Out-build the competition by earning over 800 performance upgrades and race our most advanced AI opponents yet in an all-new, fun and rewarding single-player campaign, the Builders Cup Career Mode.Compete for the podium in Featured Multiplayer* events with a race weekend inspired structure or create the racing you and your friends desire in Free Play. Online racing is safer, more fun and more competitive with AI-powered Forza Race Regulations, tire and fuel strategy, and new driver and safety ratings.
Hi-Fi Rush
The vast majority of day one Xbox Game Pass games are revealed months, if not years, in advance.Hi-Fi Rushis the big exception to the rule, with the innovative music/rhythm hack-and-slash game shadow dropped for Xbox Game Pass as a day one game at the beginning of 2023.Hi-Fi Rushwas praised for its cel-shaded art style and creative combat system, standing out as one of the most unique games added to Xbox Game Pass all year.
Feel the beat as wannabe rockstar Chai and his ragtag team of allies rebel against an evil robotics enhancement megacorp with raucous rhythm combat! From Tango Gameworks, the studio that brought you The Evil Within® and Ghostwire®: Tokyo (no, really) comes Hi-Fi RUSH, an all-new action game where the characters, world and combat stylishly sync to the music!CHAI VERSUS THE WORLD: Labeled ‘defective’ after a shady corporate experiment mistakenly fuses a music player to his heart, Chai must now fight for his freedom in a slick animated world where everything – platforming puzzles, enemy attacks and even the colorful gags & banter - are synced to the beat.OPEN UP THE MOSH PIT!: Take on armies of corporate drones (read: actual robots) in satisfying, rhythm-amplified combat. Time your moves to pull off flashy Beat Hits, hard-hitting special abilities and even combination attacks with your allies! Want to show off? Go further and tap into the beat to amp up your skills and earn those covetous S-rank scores.ROWDY REBELS VS. BADASS BOSSES: Lead a squad of colorful teammates and take the fight to the heart of an, er, heartless corporation. Square off with each department’s boss, from Production to Marketing to Finance, each more ready to protect the company’s bottom line than the last in over-the-top battle sequences accompanied by their own music tracks!GRAB YOUR HEADPHONES: Tap your toes to a killer mixtape of original music, as well as songs by Nine Inch Nails, The Prodigy, The Joy Formidable and more! Want to show off your skills to a live streaming audience? Fret not: Hi-Fi RUSH includes a streamer-friendly alternate audio mode which replaces those licensed songs with original tracks made especially for streaming Hi-Fi RUSH.
Jusant
Jusant is a brand-new action-puzzle climbing game and a meditative journey to the top of a tall tower. Challenge yourself at your own pace, explore different paths, and unravel the secrets from a bygone civilization.Master your climbing tools and watch your stamina meter to successfully navigate this mysterious and changing tower. As you go higher and hone your skills, you’ll have to figure out how best to use the tools at your disposal to get to where you want to go. Explore alternative paths to find clues about what happened here.Play at your own pace. As you climb, you’ll come across breathtaking biomes full of flora and fauna, accompanied by a peaceful and atmospheric soundtrack. Brace yourself on arid, windy slopes, seek refuge in tunnels lit only by bioluminescence, and more.Meet the mysterious Ballast. This creature will help guide you throughout your journey by waking nature along your path and helping to reveal clues that will help you piece together the tower’s past and reach the top.
Lies of P
Many have tried to emulate FromSoftware’s Soulslike formula, but few have managed to do so quite as well asLies of Pdeveloper Neowiz.Lies of Pis a brutal Soulslikethat has players exploring the dangerous streets of Krat as Pinocchio. Armed with an expansive arsenal of weapons, Pinocchio has to fight his way through a variety of mechanical and organic monsters, including tough-as-nails bosses that often have two whole phases to conquer. Praised as one of the best non-FromSoftware Soulslike games of all time,Lies of Pwas one of Xbox Game Pass’s surprise hits in 2023, and it will be exciting to see how the DLC turns out.
Lies of P is a thrilling soulslike that takes the story of Pinocchio, turns it on its head, and sets it against the darkly elegant backdrop of the Belle Epoque era.You are a puppet created by Geppetto who’s caught in a web of lies with unimaginable monsters and untrustworthy figures standing between you and the events that have befallen the world of Lies of P.You are awakened by a mysterious voice that guides you through the plagued city of Krat - a once lively place that has been poisoned by madness and bloodlust. In our soulslike, you must adapt yourself and your weapons to face untold horrors, untangle the unfathomable secrets of the city’s elites and choose whether to confront predicaments with the truth or weave lies to overcome them on the journey to find yourself.
Ravenlok
One of 2023’s most underrated Xbox Game Pass games has to beRavenlokfrom Cococumber.Ravenlokis an action-RPG with a voxel art style that completes the developer’s Voxel Trilogy, preceded byRiverbondandEcho Generation.Based on theAlice in Wonderlandfairytale,Ravenlokis a short but sweet adventure that does a great job of keeping players hooked from the start of the game to its end credits.
Embark on an enchanting journey in Ravenlok, an action-packed fairytale adventure about a young heroine destined to fulfill a perilous prophecy.Upon encountering a mystical mirror, Ravenlok is whisked away to a whimsical world plagued by the sinister darkness of a tyrannical queen. Destiny awaits all in an unforgettable and heartfelt adventure.THRILLING ACTION ADVENTURE: Battles against fearsome beasts and formidable monsters using real-time combat. Wield your sword and shield, and use the magical skills bestowed to you, along with an arsenal of bombs, to vanquish foes in epic boss encounters!ENCHANTED WORLD: Meet curious creatures and help them with their troubles to fight back against the encroaching darkness. Discover the whimsical Mushroom Forest, tackle puzzles in the Mask Mansion and unravel the mysteries of the Labyrinth in a wonderful world turned upside down!GRAND FINALE: By the creators of critically-acclaimed adventure “Echo Generation'', this enchanting fairytale marks the grand finale of the Cococucumber Voxel Trilogy. Immerse in a delightful and captivating indie game filled with heart.
Sea of Stars
Sea of Starsfrom Sabotage Studio is unique in that it not only released as a day one Xbox Game Pass game, but it also released day-and-date on PS Plus Extra as well. Many would agree that it’s a great thingSea of Starsis readily available on both Xbox Game Pass and PS Plus Extra, as it’s a remarkable RPG that pays homage to 16-bit era JRPGs while making big enhancements to meet modern standards.Sea of Starshas a memorable cast of charactersand an engrossing story that solidify it as one of the must-play Xbox Game Pass games of 2023.
Set in the same world as 2018’s The Messenger, Sabotage Studio’s Sea of Stars is an RPG that takes inspiration from Japanese classics like Chrono Trigger. Featuring a dynamic turn-based combat system and platforming-based exploration, Sea of Stars is an ambitious and gorgeous addition to the role-playing genre.
Starfield
The flagship game for Xbox Game Pass in 2023 was without question Bethesda’sStarfield. A massive open world sci-fi RPG and the studio’s first single-player game since 2015’sFallout 4, hype was incredibly high forStarfieldin the years leading up to its release. While there are those who are tired of the Bethesda formula and have soured on the game, many others have foundStarfieldto be an ambitious adventure on a jaw-dropping scale.Starfieldfeatures classic Bethesda RPG gameplay, over 1,000 planets, and hundreds of galaxies to explore, ensuring a dizzying amount of content that can keep players busy for hours on end. Bethesda is dedicated toimprovingStarfieldwith future updates, and with the Shattered Space expansion also on the way, there’s plenty for fans to look forward to in 2024 and beyond.
Starfield is the first new universe in 25 years from Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. In this next generation role-playing game set amongst the stars, create any character you want and explore with unparalleled freedom as you embark on an epic journey to answer humanity’s greatest mystery.The year is 2330. Humanity has ventured beyond our solar system, settling new planets, and living as a spacefaring people. From humble beginnings as a space miner, you will join Constellation – the last group of space explorers seeking rare artifacts throughout the galaxy – and navigate the vast expanse of the Settled Systems in Bethesda Game Studios’ biggest and most ambitious game.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
There are many asymmetrical multiplayer horror games to choose from, but few are as high quality asThe Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Taking most of its inspiration from the original 1974 horror movie classic,The Texas Chain Saw Massacregame puts four players in the roles of survivors while three others play as Leatherface and his twisted family members. Fans of the movie will get a kick out of exploring the game’s maps, while those looking for a scary and entertaining game to play with their friends will findThe Texas Chain Saw Massacremeets those needs and then some.
Inspired by the seminal 1970s horror movie, Sumo Nottingham’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is an asymmetrical PvP experience that pits a group of victims against a Slaughter Family representative. The game features iconic villains from the films like Leatherface, The Hitchhiker, and Grandpa.
