Microsoft’s Game Pass service is easily worth the price of admission. Many might balk at the concept of having their video game library locked behind a subscription service, but the fact is subscribers get access to an incredible selection of titles spanning from indie darlings to triple-A blockbusters for a surprisingly affordable monthly fee.

With such a dizzying array of fantastic titles on display, it can be a daunting task deciding which ones are worth a player’s time. Given that the cost of entry is taken care of with the subscription fee, the most pressing matter is determining the best use of your hard drive space. Thankfully, the diamonds of this collection are readily apparent. Here’s a look at the greatest games that Xbox Game Pass has to offer.

The selections listed here will include games available on EA Play, which is included with a subscription to Game Pass Ultimate.

• Approximate Game Length: N/A
• Genre: First-Person Shooter
• Developer: 343 Industries
• X|S Enhanced: Yes

The adventures of the Master Chief have never been as accessible as they are in the Master Chief Collection. This gathering of Halo games is the definitive collection of 343 Industries’ endeavors to immortalize the series. Not only is every mainline Halo game (not counting Halo 5: Guardians) included, but the fantastic Halo 3: ODST and Halo: Reach were added as well. From beloved campaign co-op to thrilling Firefight matches to iconic multiplayer modes, the Master Chief Collection has it all. Anyone who thinks of themselves as a Halo fan should consider it a must-play from Xbox Game Pass. And for those who have never completed the Master Chief’s saga, there is no better way to finish the fight.

• Approximate Game Length: 13 Hours
• Genre: Episodic Adventure
• Developer: Telltale Games
• X|S Enhanced: No

Telltale's The Walking Dead resulted in the studio's meteoric success, as well as the contemporary popularization of the graphic adventure genre. Capitalizing on the popularity of The Walking Dead following its adaptation into a wildly popular television series, Telltale's take on The Walking Dead is initially told from the perspective of former convict Lee, whose journey to prison is interrupted by the zombie outbreak. Eventually, the focus shifts to the young Clementine and follows her evolution into a savvy survivor hardened by the ravages of the post-apocalypse. The unfolding narrative bends and shifts responsively to the player's choices throughout the game, making every dialogue option seem tense and impactful while ensuring that no two playthroughs end up telling the same story.

• Approximate Game Length: 12 Hours
• Genre: Platform Adventure/Metroidvania
• Developer: Moon Studios
• X|S Enhanced: Yes

Beauty is not often associated with video games, but Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a beautiful title. The artistry with which character motions and backgrounds were created is astounding. Even the music that accompanies players along their journey with Ori is gorgeous. However, Ori is not simply a great game because it looks good. It is functionally exquisite as well. The precise platforming from the first game, Ori and the Blind Forest, is still in place, with even more tools of traversal at players’ disposal. New combat mechanics have been added to Will of the Wisps as well, and they are extraordinary to execute. Ori and the Will of the Wisps is the complete package: jaw-dropping visuals, emotional storytelling, and perfectly honed gameplay elements.

• Approximate Game Length: 25 Hours
• Genre: Third-Person Action RPG
• Developer: BioWare
• X|S Enhanced: No

Though subsequent titles were released after it, Mass Effect 2 remains the pinnacle of the series. Commander Shepard and the rest of the Normandy SR-2 crew face a grave threat to the galaxy. The Reaper menace is ever-growing, and players must assume the role of Commander Shepard as they plan to tackle this foe. Mass Effect 2 is truly BioWare at its finest, with compelling dialogue between characters, engaging combat sequences, and a high-stakes story that ends on an unforgettable note. Despite the age this classic RPG is showing, it is a game worth playing.

• Approximate Game Length: 20-60 minutes (per run)
• Genre: Deck-Builder Roguelike
• Developer: Mega Crit Games
• X|S Enhanced: No

Slay the Spire popularized and perfected the deck-building rogue-like in one fell swoop. It's an impeccably well-balanced game that threads the needle between being simple enough for newcomers and deep enough for veterans of the genre. Because Slay the Spire is a single-player game, enemies aren't confined to the same rule-set as the player, which lets every enemy feel unique and exciting. Any fans of drafting table-top games or classic TCGs like Magic: The Gathering owe it to themselves to give Slay the Spire a try.

• Approximate Game Length: N/A
• Genre: Online Adventure
• Developer: Rare
• X|S Enhanced: Yes

Despite weathering criticism concerning a lack of content at the outset, Sea of Thieves has steadily been accruing more in-game activities for players to pursue as it sails along. Rare’s delightfully vibrant pirate simulator plops you onto a dock with a ship — and the rest is up to you. Whether you sail about completing tasks for one of the trading companies, seek out other players for some PVP thrills, or aimlessly hop about from island to island slaying skeletons with no particular aim in mind, the game doesn’t push you in any particular direction. However, that’s an intrinsic part of its charm. Just make sure to grab a friend or three before diving in, as the pirate’s life truly shines when it’s lived alongside a few loyal crewmates.

• Approximate Game Length: 34-100 Hours
• Genre: Open-World RPG
• Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
• X|S Enhanced: No

The Elder Scrolls has been synonymous with the very concept of open-world RPGs for decades now, and Skyrim is the title to show if a demonstration is required. All memes aside, the Dragonborn’s quest to defeat Alduin is a spectacle rarely equaled by RPGs in general, and a lot of that is due to the fact that it has as many chapters as the player would like it to have. The frigid province of Skyrim is unforgivingly gorgeous, and the amount of “optional” content is nearly endless. Factor in the innovative decision to make a stunning library of user-generated mods available on Xbox consoles, and you have what is likely the most content-rich game currently available on Game Pass.

• Approximate Game Length: 11 Hours
• Genre: 2D Platform Adventure
• Developer: Matt Makes Games
• X|S Enhanced: No

Games typically take players on a journey, but Celeste gives a whole new meaning to this concept. Players control Madeline, a young woman set on climbing to the top of Mount Celeste. Along the way, she must face her inner demons while remaining steadfast in her goal. The poignant story is wrapped in the trappings of a demanding platformer, but the tough nature of the gameplay ties into the themes the story shares with its players. Celeste is not for the faint of heart, but seeing it through to completion is incredibly rewarding.

• Approximate Game Length: 40 Hours
• Genre: JRPG
• Developer: Square
• X|S Enhanced: No

Final Fantasy 7 was —and is to this day— the definitive benchmark by which JRPGs are judged. To say that it has aged gracefully is an egregious overstatement, but the fact is that this is a living piece of gaming history. The struggle of Cloud and the gang to save the planet is timeless, and Square-Enix’s vision of a dystopian fantasy is monumental even today — if the fevered anticipation that surrounded Final Fantasy 7 Remake wasn’t enough indication. Assuming one can forgive a few rough polygons passing for hair and gel with the turn-based combat, what awaits prospective players here is either a megaton nostalgia bomb or a deeply intriguing history lesson.

• Approximate Game Length: 20 Hours
• Genre: First-Person Survival Horror
• Developer: Creative Assembly
• X|S Enhanced: No

For the most part, games based on the Alien movie franchise have been frantic shooter affairs, clearly drawing their inspiration from James Cameron’s space marine sequel film, Aliens. Alien: Isolation chooses instead to base its environments and style of horror on Ridley Scott’s classic original Alien. Fans of Scott’s film will undoubtedly be pleased by Isolation, as the entire title serves as an homage. However, the game does not rest on the movie’s laurels. Alien: Isolation creates one of the most suspenseful horror experiences ever played in a video game. This is all owing to the fantastic AI of the titular Alien. The perfect predatory instincts of the Xenomorph make players feel as if their every step is heard, and when the Alien is in play, there is no relief from that tension.

• Approximate Game Length: 6 Hours
• Genre: Co-Op Action-Adventure
• Developer: Hazelight Studios
• X|S Enhanced: No

A Way Out distinguishes itself from nearly every other game on the market by not just offering a co-op mode, but by making it the essential centerpiece of the experience. Emphasis on “essential,” as it can’t actually be played in single-player. Players take on the roles of Vincent and Leo, two inmates planning an escape from the prison where they are currently being held. Little do they know the twists and turns their adventure will take. A Way Out takes players on a unique journey, albeit an occasionally awkward one. Stiff dialogue and forced emotional moments aside, the perfectly absurd narrative and strangely integrated (yet thoroughly fun) mini-games weave together an uproarious experience for you and your partner of choice.

• Approximate Game Length: N/A
• Genre: Co-Op First-Person Adventure
• Developer: Fatshark
• X|S Enhanced: Yes

The whole world’s gone to hell, and the Empire’s at risk of being swept away in a tide of voracious rat-men known as the Skaven — but not if the Ubersreik five have anything to say about it. Being brutally honest, the Vermintide games play almost exactly like Left 4 Dead with a Warhammer paint job. And continuing in the vein of brutal honesty, they really don’t need to do much more than that to be fantastic games. Fatshark got it right with Vermintide, and swung for the fences with this sequel. All of the frantic, white-knuckle rat-slaying shenanigans are still well afoot, alongside a revamped loot system, new careers for each of the five core classes to pursue and progress, and new enemy types to maim, crush, burn, stab, and shoot.

• Approximate Game Length: 30-50 hours
• Genre: Open-World Action-Adventure
• Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
• X|S Enhanced: No

Yakuza 0 is the quintessential Yakuza game. The 1980s origin story casts players as Kiryu Kazama and fan-favorite Goro Majima as they get their start in the criminal underbelly of Kamurocho and Sotenbori. It takes the core beat-em-up combat from the original games and refines it in one of the richest open-world games available today. Despite being a little older, and a little less polished than Judgement (2019) or Yakuza: Like a Dragon (2020), Yakuza 0 is the perfect blend of everything that makes the series so beloved.

• Approximate Game Length: 16 Hours
• Genre: First-Person Shooter
• Developer: id Software
• X|S Enhanced: No

Doom’s explosive 2016 reboot was a tough act to follow — a fact that didn’t seem to elude id Software when it came to designing the sequel. Following the events of the Doom Slayer’s initial outing, the forces of Hell have invaded Earth. From there, the narrative unfolds as expected: the Doom Slayer’s got a job to do, and it’s going to involve a lot of shotgun shells. Doom Eternal, pardon the cliche, turns every knob up to eleven, tears them off, and forgets that they existed to begin with. It may have seemed impossible to make the fevered rhythm of Doom 2016’s combat even more of an arrhythmia-inducing experience, but id Software did just that by expanding the Slayer’s arsenal and unleashing even more terrifying demons for him to loose it upon.

• Approximate Game Length: 8 Hours
• Genre: Cooking Simulation
• Developer: Team 17, Ghost Town Games
• X|S Enhanced: No

Finding the perfect co-op game can be a bit of a struggle, but Overcooked 2 has got that covered. This absolute treat of a game allows up to four players to bumble about different kitchens preparing familiar dishes. Hilarity ensues as each kitchen needs to be cleared within a certain time limit. If the game feels like a breeze after the first playthrough, Overcooked 2 adds challenges to the mix by including secret levels and additional stars to earn. Don’t hesitate to join the Onion King and his faithful dog Kevin as they seek to halt the Unbread after they were raised using the Necro-nom-nom-icon. It’s one scrumptious journey.

• Approximate Game Length: 55 Hours
• Genre: Action RPG
• Developer: CD Projekt Red
• X|S Enhanced: No

As the capstone of the franchise that put CDPR on the gaming industry map, one would be hard-pressed to find an RPG enthusiast that won’t give The Witcher 3 a sterling recommendation. Protagonist Geralt has more than a few pressing matters at hand, but as one of the Continent's few remaining mutant monster-hunters, known as Witchers, slaying monstrous and terrifying beasts is part and parcel of the trade. The Witcher 3 has enraptured a legion of adoring fans with its fantastically designed open-world, enthralling and satisfying depth of combat, and fantastic creature design. If you've ever wondered why CDPR taking on the world of Cyberpunk 2077 set such extraordinarily high expectations for the product, The Witcher 3 will sate your curiosity.

• Approximate Game Length: 18 Hours
• Genre: First-Person Action-Adventure Stealth
• Developer: Arkane Studios
• X|S Enhanced: No

Dishonored was a phenomenal stealth title, and its sequel follows in its footsteps while managing to take some big strides forward on its own. Dishonored 2 is a gem that has gone vastly unappreciated. It continues the story of Corvo and Emily as they work to regain the throne after a coup. Players can pick between one or the other to play as, and both Corvo and Emily are given unique skills, making Dishonored 2 highly replayable. In addition to that, Dishonored 2 is home to one of the most innovative and exciting levels in video game history, utilizing a time-travel mechanic in a manner that astounds and inspires.

• Approximate Game Length: 3 Hours
• Genre: Point-And-Click Survival Horror
• Developer: Scott Cawthon
• X|S Enhanced: No

Practically anyone with access to YouTube circa 2014 and onward will require little introduction to FNAF, the indie horror title that swept the internet with its innate virality and became a true sensation in every sense of the word. It’s a bit silly, sure, but it’s also a masterclass in minimalism — simple mechanics, simple scares, great execution. The uninitiated, in particular, owe it to themselves to get a bit too cozy with Freddy Fazbear and his gang of animatronic cohorts, but mind those security cameras if you want to survive the first night, let alone four more.

• Approximate Game Length: N/A
• Genre: Co-Op First-Person Shooter
• Developer: Ghost Ship Games
• X|S Enhanced: No

Danger. Darkness. Dwarves. Everything that needs to be known about Deep Rock Galactic can be summed up in its tagline. Up to four players can dive into the dangerous mines of Hoxxes IV, braving the enemies that lurk in the darkness as doughty dwarves. The straightforward nature of Deep Rock Galactic’s gameplay belies the deeper system in place. There are multiple mining assignments players can tackle, intuitive upgrade paths, and a delightful hub area where players can relax (or randomly bellow “Rock and Stone!” between pints of ale) before diving into a tense mission. Deep Rock Galactic knows what its strengths are, and it knows how to play to them. All players have to do is prepare themselves for a good time.

• Approximate Game Length: 8 Hours
• Genre: First-Person Shooter
• Developer: Visceral Games
• X|S Enhanced: No

There’s a whole suite of Battlefield goodness available via EA Play — and frankly, if the series’ signature multiplayer madness is your jam then you’re better off opting for one of the more recent titles. However, Hardline deserves a special mention on account of its relatively innovative campaign. In a genre where single-player offerings often play second fiddle to the multiplayer component, Hardline’s bombastic police drama is a diamond in the rough that’s more than worth the price of admission.

• Approximate Game Length: 16 Hours
• Genre: Sci-Fi Adventure
• Developer: Mobius Digital
• X|S Enhanced: No

Outer Wilds is one of the best adventure games ever made. Full stop. It’s an open-world sci-fi game that has players exploring a miniature solar system with a handful of handcrafted planets — each with their own mysteries to uncover. It may not be as expansive as other games about space exploration, but Outer Wilds captures the awe, anxiety, and grandeur of outer space better than just about any other game out there. It takes a little while to ramp-up, but once the clockwork nature of the world starts to piece itself together, it is a rewarding and altogether breathtaking experience.

• Approximate Game Length: N/A
• Genre: Survival Adventure
• Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
• X|S Enhanced: Yes

Obsidian Entertainment is back at it again with a unique take on the survival genre. Players assume the role of kids who have mysteriously become minuscule in a strange Honey-I-Shrunk-the-Kids kind of scenario. Now no larger than an ant, these kids have to find out what happened to them and survive the perilous environs of an average backyard. Grounded is currently in early access, so there are portions of the title that are still in progress. That said, even in this state, the game is an utter joy. Collecting grass blades to construct shelter, pebbles to make hammers, and water droplets to quench your thirst puts a fresh sheen to this rather crowded genre. The only thing to watch out for? The spiders. Common spiders are the primary enemies in Grounded, and for those who suffer from a touch of arachnophobia, a sudden attack from one of them can be practically heart-stopping.

• Approximate Game Length: N/A
• Genre: First-Person Shooter
• Developer: Bungie
• X|S Enhanced: Yes

Veteran FPS developer Bungie released this sequel to its wildly acclaimed MMO-FPS hybrid in 2017 and it doesn’t seem to have slowed down since. With three expansions under its belt at the time of writing and two more slated for release in 2021 and beyond, now’s as good a time as any to take up the mantle of a Guardian and see what the hype is all about. There’s a metric ton of continuously-expanded content on the table here that a singular paragraph isn’t even going to scratch. So while you’re entirely able to dive into it as a solo player, you’re much better off embracing its social aspect and linking up with a few friends (if not an entire clan) to ensure you really get the most out of Destiny 2.

• Approximate Game Length: 5 Hours
• Genre: Puzzle
• Developer: PopCap Games
• X|S Enhanced: No

Peggle is a straightforward puzzle game, make no mistake about that. Players shoot a set amount of balls to clear a level of an array of pegs in the center of the screen. That is the gist of the game. However, its simplicity is all part of Peggle’s genius. There is nothing more satisfying than to aim that cannon, shoot that ball, and then watch it bounce from peg to peg. A further layer of strategy is added to the game when different characters, with different ball-shooting abilities, are unlocked. The basic nature of Peggle’s premise should not deter anyone from playing it. Besides, nothing beats the exultation of hitting that final peg, when the screen zooms in on the ball in slow motion and the triumphant sounds of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy trumpets forth.

• Approximate Game Length: 11 Hours
• Genre: Third-Person Shooter/Action-Adventure
• Developer: The Coalition
• X|S Enhanced: Yes

The latest mainline entry in the Gears franchise is one of its boldest. Gears 5 rolls right into new territory with a fresh multiplayer mode, a partial open-world experience in the middle of the campaign, and a devastating story twist that has left fans reeling. As with any Gears title, Gears 5 offers a robust campaign co-op experience with up to three players. The game follows Kait Diaz and her companions as they struggle to hold the line against the encroaching wave of the Swarm. Action is the order of the day any time a player picks up Gears 5, and between roaring a Lancer’s chainsaw at an enemy and diving for cover from an onslaught of bullets, there’s hardly a moment left to breathe.

• Approximate Game Length: 15 to 20 hours long
• Genre: Action-Adventure
• Developer: Respawn Entertainment
• X|S Enhanced: Yes

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is the best lightsaber game of the modern era. Developer Respawn lovingly combines heavy exploration (think modern Tomb Raider games), with a more nuanced battle system in the vein of God of War or Dark Souls. The game takes place in the fallout of Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith, and puts players in the role Cal Kestis — an untrained Jedi Padawan. With subtle touches like using Cal’s lightsaber as a flashlight or customizing its hilt, Fallen Order feels like a 21st-century love letter to the Star Wars toys and action figures of decades past. It's also a fantastic action-adventure game.

• Approximate Game Length: 16 Hours
• Genre: First-Person Simulation Adventure
• Developer: Monomi Park
• X|S Enhanced: No

Slime Rancher drops players onto the Far, Far Range, where their job is to cultivate and care for the adorable Slimes that gather in the region’s various zones. Each type of Slime, be it a Honey Slime, a Puddle Slime, a Quantum Slime, and so on, plops out valuable Plorts, which can be sold on the Plort Market. With the earnings for selling what is, in essence, excrement, players can purchase upgrades to their Ranch to further their endeavor of collecting yet more Slimes. Its gameplay loop is simple, but Slime Rancher offers players who want to relax into a friendly simulation game a delightful time.

• Approximate Game Length: 10 Hours
• Genre: City-Building Survival
• Developer: 11 bit Studios
• X|S Enhanced: No

11 bit's recent reputation for generating thoughtful, yet heartwrenching conceptual titles holds true with Frostpunk. Set in the late 19th century following the onset of a cataclysmic volcanic winter, Frostpunk tasks players with managing a group of survivors as they struggle to survive the sub-zero temperatures — and themselves. While the elements are brutal enough to contend with using limited resources and the precise application of heat sources, players will be confronted with ethical dilemmas that demand one sacrifice or another. Implementing necessary policies will disenfranchise, if not outright endanger their population in many scenarios, putting your ideals and humanity in jeopardy as you struggle to answer a singular question: how far will you push the people under your care for the sake of seeing another frostbitten day?

• Approximate Game Length: 10 Hours
• Genre: First-Person Survival Horror
• Developer: Capcom
• X|S Enhanced: No

In a marvelous return to form, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard terrifies players with a mix of hideous creatures to contend with and tense moments of resource management. Rather than buckling down with the more action-oriented setpieces of its predecessors, Biohazard grounds players in a single location for the majority of the game. As Ethan Winters, you must navigate your way through the peril-riddled and decrepit Baker house in search of your missing wife, Mia. The game’s switch to first-person perspective from the Resident Evil franchise’s typical third-person viewpoint is a gamble that pays off as players now have to deal with monsters face-to-face, in a very literal sense.

• Approximate Game Length: 20 Hours
• Genre: RPG
• Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
• X|S Enhanced: No

Obsidian Entertainment played to its strengths here, and it shows. As the lucky person chosen to be plucked from a derelict colonist ship (unsubtly dubbed “The Hope”) to raise some hell, Halcyon essentially your oyster. Whether you’re a guns-blazing commando or a smooth-talking pacifist, Obsidian’s taken pains to ensure that you’re able to dismantle or decide the delightfully morose corporate deadlock ruling over Halcyon in your own way. The Outer Worlds excels in terms of writing, features a vibrant cast of characters, and packs in an impressive amount of player agency given how narrative-heavy it is. In short, it’s a fine dose of good, old-fashioned RPG goodness.

• Approximate Game Length: 50 Hours
• Genre: Action-RPG
• Developer: Capcom
• X|S Enhanced: No

Monster Hunter World returned Capcom’s long-running action-RPG franchise to home consoles with a bang. Practically every hallmark that initially drew the series’ legion of dedicated fans is bigger and better, appealing to both established fans and brand-new hunters alike. Favorite monsters received extra polish in World, making creatures like the gargantuan Anjanath appear more intimidating than ever before. However, intrinsic to the game’s merit is its level of challenge — encounters with monsters become affairs of endurance as players slowly whittle down their defenses. To say that it can be a “grind” is certainly an understatement. That said, the feeling of accomplishment one experiences when bringing down these monsters is proportional to the amount of effort expended.

• Approximate Game Length: 12 Hours
• Genre: Third-Person Shooter/Survival Horror
• Developer: Visceral Games (formerly EA Redwood Shores)
• X|S Enhanced: No

Combine the measured horror of Resident Evil 4 with a cold and unfeeling sci-fi environment, and Dead Space is the end result. Players join Issac Clarke as he traverses the dark, metallic hallways of the USG Ishimura, a gargantuan planet-mining spaceship. Gruesome terror lurks around every corner in the form of Necromorphs, the reanimated corpses of the Ishimura’s crew. Though Dead Space was first released in 2008, it maintains an unrelenting sense of dread that exceeds the bounds of most modern horror games. Its atmosphere will linger in your memory long after you’ve finished the game, and whispers of “Make us whole” will haunt your worst nightmares.

• Approximate Game Length: N/A
• Genre: Survival Sandbox
• Developer: Mojang
• X|S Enhanced: No

Is there really any respectably concise way to describe Minecraft? Having managed to reach 200 million sales since its humble 2011 origin, this unassuming little sandbox title pays dividends with the sheer breadth and variance of content it's capable of. Feel like testing your mettle against the elements and an array of hostile creatures that emerge after nightfall? Survival Mode is the place to be. Into quite literally creating your own fun, or just wanting to channel your inner architectural visionary without limitation? Creative Mode is the answer. Of course, there's also a maddening depth of community-generated content to explore as well. Of all the titillating titles available on Game Pass, Minecraft is the one most likely to never make egress from your harddrive.

NEXT: Xbox Game Pass is a Great Option When in a 'Gaming Funk'