Venture Beyond the Obvious Choices

Gaming's best-kept secrets live in plain sight on Xbox Game Pass. That endless scrolling through the library sometimes means missing absolute masterpieces, mainly because they didn't have massive marketing budgets or recognizable franchises. Here are 20 such titles that deserve way more attention.

1. Cassette Beasts

Most players after monster-catching experiences flock to Pokémon clones, completely missing this ingenious twist on the formula. Its cassette tape-based transformation system lets you record monsters and morph into them during battles. The island of New Wirral conceals hundreds of creatures waiting to be discovered.

2. Pentiment

Pentiment is set in 16th-century Bavaria, placing you in the shoes of a manuscript illustrator embroiled in a decades-spanning mystery at an abbey. The game explores historical narratives, memory, and truth, offering a deeply original feel. Obsidian Entertainment developed it.

3. Enter The Gungeon

Bullet hell meets roguelike dungeon crawler in this criminally overlooked game that finally returned to Game Pass. The procedurally generated chambers bring an absurdist comedy backdrop for some of the tightest twin-stick shooting mechanics in gaming. There lies an arsenal of over 300 unique weapons.

4. Afterlove EP

Following indie band frontman Rama as he tackles grief, Afterlove EP seamlessly integrates rhythm mechanics with visual novel storytelling. The 28-day narrative structure forces meaningful choices about reconnecting with bandmates or isolating yourself in sorrow.

5. Slime Heroes

Imagine The Legend of Zelda, but you're playing as an adorable slime capable of consuming special gems. The whimsical world layout conceals surprisingly tough puzzle dungeons that demand creative thinking. Players joining your adventure through a drop-in co-op experience receive the same loot rewards.

6. Children Of Morta

As you return from failed dungeon runs, you witness family relationships evolve through beautifully told interludes that make each character feel alive. Six distinct family members function as character classes, from Lucy's fiery magic to John's sturdy swordsmanship, encouraging experimentation across multiple playthroughs.

7. Evil West

Flying Wild Hog's paranormal western shooter arrived with little fanfare in 2022, but it still delivers some of the most satisfying third-person combat. Vampires have invaded the Wild West, and your group of steampunk gadgets and good old-fashioned revolvers makes dispatching them gloriously brutal.

8. Kulebra And The Souls Of Limbo

Have you experienced the delightful peculiarity of solving puzzles as a snake in the afterlife? The residents of Limbo are trapped in a time loop, and you must slither around for clues to break their curse. Using this snake form, every player is bound to access hidden pathways.

9. Against The Storm

All settlement attempts feature procedurally generated maps, resources, and challenges, ensuring no two playthroughs are alike. The atmospheric soundtrack perfectly complements the grim yet hopeful tone as tiny citizens battle harsh elements.

10. Lil Gator Game

Players spend their time climbing mountains, crafting makeshift cardboard weapons, and making friends across a colorful island playground. The gameplay loop brilliantly recreates the feeling of childhood make-believe, where sticks become swords and cardboard turns into armor. Lil Gator Game delivers pure joy through exploration.

11. Flock

Soaring through gorgeous scenarios on a magic flying carpet, you'll discover and befriend creatures like woolly Fluffamingos and bouncy Chubbishes. The lack of combat or fail states creates a refreshingly stress-free experience focused purely on exploration and discovery. You have Hollow Ponds to thank for this game.

12. Brotato

Each run has you choose between dozens of character traits that fundamentally change your approach. You go from berserkers focused on close combat to technical wizards relying on automated turrets. The simple top-down visuals belie intense systems where careful stat management determines survival.

13. Go Mecha Ball

Rolling and shooting collide in this neon-drenched action play that demands split-second decisions. The developers at Whale Peak Games aimed to provide an adrenaline rush where everyone constantly changes between ball and mech forms to tackle arenas filled with enemies.

14. Dordogne

Individuals get to experience two timelines simultaneously: a 10-year-old Mimi during summer visits to her grandmother's house, and a 32-year-old Mimi returning after her grandmother's passing. Each beautifully hand-painted scene feels like stepping into an artist's sketchbook.

15. Toem

Photography games rarely achieve the perfect balance between gameplay and storytelling. Players take on a journey to witness the magical phenomenon known as "Toem," solving puzzles by capturing photographs along the way. Your viewfinder becomes both tool and weapon.

16. Venba

The developers at Visai Games brought us an authentic puzzle game that involved preparing traditional South Indian and Tamil dishes without written recipes. Instead, you piece together cooking steps through contextual clues and gentle experimentation. It spans years of an immigrant family's life in Canada.

17. Tinykin

Before Pikmin 4 finally arrived, Tinykin filled the minion-management void with style. Your character, Milo, arrives on Earth only to realize he's shrunk to microscopic size in a house frozen in time since 1991. Every room becomes a massive level filled with insects and environmental puzzles.

18. Citizen Sleeper

As a digitized human consciousness in a synthetic body, every gamer must survive on a lawless space station while their physical form slowly degrades. The station, Erlin's Eye, feels genuinely alive, populated by characters with their own motivations and storylines that grow regardless of your involvement.

19. The Case Of The Golden Idol

Unlike most mystery games, there's no hand-holding here. Gamers examine crime scenes, collect evidence, and piece together exactly what happened by filling in each scenario's blanks. The strange world of 18th-century aristocracy serves as the backdrop for increasingly complex targets.

20. Genesis Noir

Here comes a blend of jazz, film noir, and cosmic creation myths. Folks are expected to play as No Man, a watch peddler caught in a cosmic love triangle, attempting to prevent the Big Bang. Those striking black-and-white visuals draw inspiration from artists like Saul Bass.