We are gathered here today to celebrate the best service of modern times after Netflix. Maybe after Spotify, we don’t know. What we do know is that Xbox Game Pass is great as it gives access to over 200 games. We dived into this extensive library and choose 11 Unheard of Games on Xbox Game Pass You Need to Play for you.
Whether you own a PC or any Xbox, Game Pass is truly a bargain. Many AAA games for a fixed monthly fee, access to new games from day one, new games added all the time…
Since this is not a sponsored post, I do not want to praise the service further. Still, I’m pretty sure you haven’t played many of the games on this list yet. So sit back and explore 11 as yet unknown games.
Art of Rally
What comes to mind when you think of racing games? Realistic graphics, mechanics approaching simulation, hundreds of vehicles, modified features… None of these are available in Art of Rally. More precisely, Art of Rally doesn’t need any of that. As the name suggests, it offers a dreamy gameplay that plays purely to the visual art side.
Although the game does not support multiplayer, you do not need it. Instead, there is a career mode from the 1960s to the 2000s. During these years, you have the chance to drive the most famous rally cars. And of course, you are accompanied by flawless graphics that you can see from the screenshots and videos.
If you like racing games, be sure to check out Art of Rally. Even if you don’t like the genre, it will impress you immediately thanks to its easy gameplay. The only downside of the game is that there is no license for the vehicles.
You can play Art of Rally for free with your Xbox Game Pass subscription.
Check out our review on Art of Rally.
Bloodroots
Did someone mention the unique atmosphere? That’s the whole point of Bloodroots. The Wild West-like world we see from the isometric camera point of view looks so beautiful that you will find yourself playing the episodes over and over again.
We need to use the words fast and dynamic to describe the gameplay of Bloodroots. You can use almost all items on the chapter maps as your weapon. Thus, the door of an action that never repeats itself is opened wide. Attack your enemies with either an ax or a roadside vase.
If you like rogue-like games like Hades, Bloodroots might be a sweet alternative for you. Unfortunately, the game does not last very long, but it is perfect to open an hour a day and have fun.
You can play Bloodroots for free with your Xbox Game Pass subscription.
Broken Age
It’s very unlikely that you don’t know Tim Schafer, especially if you know 90s & 2000s games. He was the number one game designer in the industry during the years LucasArts worked wonders. What if we say the lead designer of Grim Fandango, Brütal Legends, Full Throttle and Psychonauts? Now you remember what a great talent he is.
After those golden years, he left LucasArts and started his own company. His first game was Broken Age. This adventure game, released in 2014, is a representative of the ancient culture. It has click-and-point gameplay and a unique atmosphere.
Is it over? No. It features completely hand-drawn scenes and voiceovers from amazing talents like Elijah Wood, Jack Black, and Masasa Moyo. The first major crowd-funded project in the gaming world. Since the story of the game is very important, we cannot say anything more to avoid spoilers. If you want to hear a good story for a few hours, be sure to check out Broken Age and Tim Schafer’s dream.
You can play Broken Age for free with your Xbox Game Pass subscription.
Dandy Ace
We think Xbox Game Pass has a soft spot for the rogue-like genre. Because there are so many indie games of this genre. And that’s great if you like the genre like we do. Dandy Ace is also one of the games with a fast gameplay in the rogue-like genre. Isometric camera, dozens of enemies, different abilities, great section designs…
Our goal in the game where we play as a great wizard is to break our curse. To do this, we must defeat our enemies in increasingly difficult levels, unlock new abilities and defeat very entertaining bosses. The name of the main villain is very meaningful; Green-Eyed Illusionist.
Having received various nominations at all indie game festivals, Dandy Ace also has very high review scores. If you are looking for a game that will challenge you these days, the mastery of the Mad Mimic team will satisfy you.
You can play Dandy Ace for free with your Xbox Game Pass subscription.
Going Under
In an article we are never sure of its origin, it is written that more than 300 million start-ups are established annually. 90% of them fail before the end of the first year. The story of Going Under is exactly these companies. We play as a trainee of a technology company in this Dungeon Crawler game.
Like all the games on this list, it has its own unique design world. Its near isometric camera angle, 2D-like but actually 3D graphics and fun gameplay made it one of the best indie games of 2020. It has a mechanic like other dungeon-crawler games. In other words, you cannot move to the other without killing your enemies in one room. If you die, you start over. Enemies in rooms are also completely randomly recreated.
If you don’t like to listen to a lot of stories or read texts in games, Going Under can be a difficult process for you. Because the developers really wanted to tell something. Then they asked for some more. Then one of them came out and said let’s write some more text. Still a very fun experience.
You can play Going Under for free with your Xbox Game Pass subscription.
Check out our review on Going Under.
Lonely Mountains: Downhill
Have you ever watched bike videos on youtube? You know, I’m talking about people with the camera attached to the helmet, speeding down a path. When the video is over, you and she/he are both out of breath. Well, here is Lonely Mountains: Downhill, packaged with an isometric camera angle of that amazing experience.
This project, which became a reality with the Kickstarter campaign, is one of the highest rated games on Steam since 2019. How not? Four different mountains, dozens of different tracks and a chance to fight fiercely with players from all over the world. Each track has its own ranking list. You are trying to play higher in this list.
Lonely Mountains doesn’t promise you a meaningless number of modifications. Instead, it offers great-looking visuals, sound effects that support the atmosphere, and very easy controls. All you have to do is play for an hour and relieve the stress of the day.
You can play Lonely Mountains: Downhill for free with your Xbox Game Pass subscription.
Moonlighter
I don’t know about you, but I am very happy when I see the name 11 Bit Studios. Since they are the people behind two very special games such as This War of Mine and Frostpunk, I think I am right in my happiness. Those people are sitting in the publisher chair, not the developer chair this time. The game they published is Moonlighter, which is also a great indie.
Moonlighter’s story idea is the kind that directly affects the gameplay. In the game where we play as an ordinary shopkeeper named Will, we accompany his passion to be a hero. We must not only continue to be a tradesman and sell, but also act as heroic deeds.
You will love the atmosphere of Moonlighter with its great looking pixel-art graphics and soothing music. Don’t miss this game, which returned with awards from many indie game festivals in 2017 and 2018.
You can play Moonlighter for free with your Xbox Game Pass subscription.
Check out our review on Moonlighter.
Omno
Omno’s most impressive feature is not that it was developed by one person. It’s not just the wonderful atmosphere, the music that touches your soul, the section designs that look like works of art. Not that it’s the “next great thing” those who play Journey or Rime are looking for. All of these and more.
This is a five-part adventure. The biggest disadvantage of the game is that it only takes around 1.5 hours. So while you’re busy falling in love with the experience, the game’s developer, Jonas Manke, tells everything on his mind. You are also sad that the game is over early.
If you want to get away from the noise, struggle, blood, challenging missions and poorly written texts of other games, Omno should be your first choice. Make yourself a nice cup of coffee, put on your headphones and get away from your real-life problems.
You can play Omno for free with your Xbox Game Pass subscription.
Raji: An Ancient Epic
India is not one of the first countries that come to mind in the gaming world. Although they are mentioned in many games in the cultural sense, they do not sit in the developer’s chair much. Raji: An Ancient Epic is a great game developed to change exactly this perception. It has a wonderful story set in ancient India, full of cultural references.
We play as Raji, a little girl chosen by the gods. We help Raji fight the demons that have invaded the realm of humans and send them back to where they came from. While doing this, we encounter great level designs, cultural music and very cleverly designed enemies.
The only negative criticism of the game, which was released in 2020, may be about its finale. While its story is a bit of a stretch, the experience up to there is definitely worth playing.
You can play Raji: An Ancient Epic for free with your Xbox Game Pass subscription.
The Artful Escape
This action adventure is a great indie game with everything from story to design, from gameplay to mechanics. That’s why it was released by probably one of the most valuable game publishers on the market. The game supported by Annapurna Interactive is also one of the newest members of this list.
The list of games that Annapurna has published is really impressive: Stray, Twelve Minutes, Last Stop, The Pathless, Journey, Outer Wilds, Ashen and more. Being on this list is a great achievement.
So what is this game all about? A young guitar prodigy embarks on a psychedelic adventure to find the meaning of his talent. While we play as him, we become the listeners of a wonderful universe and story. Definitely one of the most praiseworthy games on this list.
You can play The Artful Escape for free with your Xbox Game Pass subscription.
Yes, Your Grace
It is a little difficult to express the genre of this amazing game. It’s a strategic role-playing game. Or we can use the more specific definition and say “kingdom management RPG”. But we’re more interested in how beautiful it is than what it is.
In Yes, Your Grace you play as a medieval king. You deal with the problems of your kingdom, face the consequences of the decisions you make, and win battles and be defeated throughout the story. You’re always discovering new things thanks to the game’s masterfully created mechanics.
If you want to be successful in this game, you must always find balance. If you invest too much in the army and drain the treasury, you will fail. And if you consistently reject the wishes of your people, you will be declared a traitor. And most importantly, if you can’t find the balance between the different variables, you may be betrayed by the shadows.
You can play Yes, Your Grace for free with your Xbox Game Pass subscription.
Thus, we have come to the end of our 11 Unheard of Games on Xbox Game Pass You Need to Play list. We hope you can get as excited about the games here as we are. We’re curious about your secret favourites, too.
