The hidden gems on Xbox Game Pass are the real reason a subscription pays for itself. Everyone talks about the blockbusters — the Call of Dutys, the Halos, the Diablos. But buried beneath those marquee titles is a layer of games that most subscribers scroll right past.
That’s a shame. Because some of the best experiences on Game Pass right now aren’t the ones with the biggest marketing budgets. They’re the ones you stumble on at 11 PM, intend to try for twenty minutes, and suddenly it’s 2 AM.
This list is for those games. All ten are currently available on Xbox Game Pass, all of them deserve far more attention than they get, and every single one is worth your time.
Why Hidden Gems Matter on Game Pass
Game Pass has over 400 titles at any given time. That’s both a blessing and a curse. When there’s that much choice, it’s easy to default to the familiar names and completely miss something brilliant sitting right next to them.
The library rotates constantly too. Games come and go without warning. If you’re not paying attention, you can miss a genuinely special experience before it quietly leaves the catalogue.
These ten games are all currently available. Don’t wait.
1. Blue Prince — The Puzzle Game That Broke Players’ Brains
Genre: Puzzle-Adventure | Added: Day One, April 2025
Blue Prince is unlike anything else on the platform. You’re exploring a sprawling manor house in search of the legendary Room 46. The catch — the mansion’s layout is never the same twice. Every time you open a door, you draft a new room from a selection of cards, building the floor plan as you go.
What sounds simple becomes impossibly deep. The puzzles interlock in ways that reveal themselves slowly, over multiple runs, across hours of play. You’ll think you’ve figured something out, and then the game pulls the rug and you realise you haven’t even scratched the surface.
GameSpot described it perfectly: “You’ve never played a game quite like Blue Prince.” The ultimate goal is to reach Room 46, but the game’s many puzzles and mysteries unfold and interlock in ways that feel constantly enthralling.
It launched Day One on Game Pass in April 2025 and was named one of the best indie games of the year. If you haven’t played it yet, clear your evening.
2. Balatro — One More Round. Always One More Round.
Genre: Roguelike Deckbuilder | Added: 2025
Balatro looks like a poker game. It isn’t, really. It’s a card-based roguelike where you build increasingly ridiculous hands using jokers, modifiers, and wild combinations that bend the rules of poker into something completely unrecognisable — and completely addictive.
Balatro was one of GameSpot’s favourite games of 2024, and has only gotten better with subsequent updates. It’s now available on Xbox Game Pass, alongside a Friends of Jimbo pack with crossovers from Civilization VII, Assassin’s Creed, Fallout, and more.
The genius of Balatro is in the synergies. The moment you build a combo that multiplies your score by thousands, you’ll understand why this game won awards and ate hundreds of hours from players who “just wanted to try it.” It’s the definition of one-more-run.
3. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle — The Most Forgotten AAA Game on Game Pass
Genre: Action-Adventure | Added: Day One, December 2024
This one baffles me. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a full AAA production from MachineGames — the developers behind the Wolfenstein series — and it’s sitting on Game Pass being almost completely ignored.
As one writer put it, it feels like one of the most underrated titles in the Xbox Game Pass catalog. “Members often forget it’s part of the subscription service, and it’s quite unfair given how well-received the game was. This is one of the best takes on Indy outside of the big screens.”
The game is set between Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade. You play as Indiana Jones on a globe-trotting investigation involving a mysterious artefact known as the Great Circle. The first-person adventure gameplay is confident, the setpieces are genuinely cinematic, and the writing captures the spirit of the films better than anything since the 1980s.
It was also nominated at The Game Awards 2025. Go play it.
4. South of Midnight — The Most Underrated Xbox Game of 2025
Genre: Action-Adventure | Added: Day One, April 2025
South of Midnight didn’t get the attention it deserved when it launched. It came out during one of the most stacked weeks in recent gaming history, got lost in the noise, and quietly became one of the most visually distinct games of the year.
You play as Hazel, a young woman from a small town in the American Deep South whose home is destroyed by a hurricane. The story pulls her into a Southern Gothic fantasy world where folklore and reality blur, and she becomes a Weaver — someone who can mend broken spirits and frayed bonds.
South of Midnight was nominated at The Game Awards 2025 and won the award for Games for Impact — a category that recognises games with meaningful emotional or social themes. The art style is stunning, the stop-motion-inspired animation is unlike anything else in gaming, and the world is genuinely fascinating.
If you skipped it in April, go back. It’s worth every minute.
5. Hollow Knight: Silksong — The Game That Defined “Worth the Wait”
Genre: Metroidvania | Added: Day One, 2025
Hollow Knight: Silksong became one of gaming’s most enduring mysteries. After years of delays, memes, and impossible expectations, it finally arrived — and it delivered.
GamesRadar called it “a near perfect followup to its justifiably revered predecessor.” In their words: “Unfurling from its cocoon, this Metroidvania has evolved on just about everything” that made the original great. “With a gorgeous, labyrinthine world full of secrets, and twitchy acrobatic controls, Silksong can be rewarding when it’s not being overly punishing.”
You play as Hornet this time — faster, more aggressive, and with a completely different toolkit from the original Knight. The world of Pharloom is enormous, layered with secrets, and genuinely beautiful. If you loved Hollow Knight, this is an easy recommendation. If you never played the original, now’s the perfect time — both games are on Game Pass.
6. Atomfall — British Weird Fiction Meets Survival RPG
Genre: Survival RPG | Added: Day One, 2025
Atomfall was nominated at The Game Awards 2025 and still managed to fly under the radar for most players. It’s set in a quarantined zone in northern England following a fictional nuclear disaster inspired by the real-life 1957 Windscale incident.
The game blends survival mechanics with deep narrative investigation. You wake up with no memory and slowly unravel what happened to the region through conversations, exploration, and combat. The tone is eerie and distinctly British — think Fallout crossed with a 1970s British thriller, with a touch of folk horror thrown in.
It doesn’t hold your hand. The world is quiet, strange, and full of things that don’t quite add up — which makes uncovering the truth feel genuinely rewarding. For players who like mystery-driven RPGs with an unusual setting, Atomfall is essential.
7. Avowed — Obsidian’s Fantasy RPG That Deserved More Praise
Genre: First-Person RPG | Added: Day One, 2025
Avowed is Obsidian Entertainment’s take on a first-person fantasy RPG, set in the same universe as the Pillars of Eternity series. It’s a handsome, well-written, and mechanically satisfying game that somehow got overshadowed by everything else launching around it.
Screen Rant noted that Avowed is “backed by a cast of remarkable voice actors who give life to its characters, like Matt Mercer and Laura Bailey, and many others.” There’s also an official collaboration with Critical Role, letting you meet and control several Vox Machina team members.
The combat mixes magic and melee in a way that feels fluid and customisable. The world is genuinely interesting. The writing has that classic Obsidian quality — choices feel meaningful, characters feel real. It was nominated at The Game Awards 2025 and deserved every nomination.
8. Easy Delivery Co. — The Tiny Game You’ll Finish in One Sitting
Genre: Walking Sim / Narrative | Added: March 2026
Easy Delivery Co. is not a big game. It’s small, strange, quiet, and one of the most memorable things you can play on Game Pass right now.
As Screen Rant described it: “This is a game you can beat in a few hours if you want, but you can also savour your time in this strange, static world, taking on deliveries for vacant NPCs that aren’t quite there.”
It came to Game Pass in March 2026 and has barely been talked about. But this was one of 2025’s overlooked gems — a small, atmospheric delivery game with a sense of melancholy that lingers long after you finish it. If you have a spare Sunday afternoon and want something genuinely different, this is it.
9. CloverPit — The Roguelike Slot Machine You Can’t Put Down
Genre: Roguelike / Strategy | Added: Late 2025
CloverPit is exactly as strange as it sounds. It’s a slot machine roguelike where the gambling mechanics are the gameplay — and somehow it works brilliantly.
Each run has you spinning to build combinations, unlock modifiers, and develop strategies that turn what looks like pure luck into a deep tactical exercise. The more you play, the more you realise how much control you actually have over what seems like chance.
It’s the kind of game that shouldn’t work but completely does. If you have any appreciation for roguelikes or deck-building games and haven’t heard of this one, you’re in for a pleasant surprise.
10. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 — The RPG That Stunned Everyone
Genre: Turn-Based RPG | Added: Day One, April 2025
This one might be the least “hidden” gem on the list — but it earned its place because a shocking number of Game Pass subscribers still haven’t played it.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was the debut game from French studio Sandfall Interactive, and it became one of the most celebrated games of 2025. It was nominated for Game of the Year at The Game Awards and broke the record for most nominations at a single Game Awards event with 13 nods — making it even more remarkable that it was available to play through Game Pass Ultimate on day one.
The game is a turn-based RPG with real-time parry and dodge mechanics that make every fight feel active and engaging. The world is gorgeous, the story is deeply emotional, and the combat system is one of the best-designed in the genre in years.
It was available Day One on Game Pass. If your subscription is collecting dust, this is the game that will reactivate your interest.
Quick Reference: Your Game Pass Hidden Gems at a Glance
| Game | Genre | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Prince | Puzzle-Adventure | Mystery lovers, puzzle fans |
| Balatro | Roguelike Deckbuilder | One-more-run addicts |
| Indiana Jones: Great Circle | Action-Adventure | Cinematic adventure fans |
| South of Midnight | Action-Adventure | Story and art direction fans |
| Hollow Knight: Silksong | Metroidvania | Platformer and exploration fans |
| Atomfall | Survival RPG | Mystery RPG fans |
| Avowed | First-Person RPG | Fantasy RPG fans |
| Easy Delivery Co. | Narrative | Short, thoughtful experience fans |
| CloverPit | Roguelike | Strategy and roguelike fans |
| Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | Turn-Based RPG | JRPG and narrative RPG fans |
How to Make the Most of Your Game Pass Subscription
With hundreds of titles available, it’s easy to stick to what you know. Here are a few tips to help you find your next obsession:
Sort by genre, not popularity. The default Game Pass interface pushes popular and new titles. Go to Browse → Genre and explore categories you enjoy. That’s where the hidden gems live.
Check the “Leaving Soon” section regularly. Games leave Game Pass without much notice. If a title is flagged as leaving, prioritise it or add it to your wishlist so you remember to check it out before it goes.
Follow gaming communities focused on Game Pass. Subreddits, Discord servers, and YouTube channels dedicated to Game Pass often surface overlooked titles weeks before they get mainstream attention.
Try games you’d never pay full price for. That’s the whole point of the subscription. A game you’d hesitate to buy for £60 is worth a two-hour try when it costs you nothing extra.
FAQ
Are all these games still on Xbox Game Pass right now?
As of May 2026, all ten titles listed here are available on Game Pass. However, the catalogue changes monthly. Always check the official Xbox Game Pass app or website to confirm availability before you start.
Which of these is best for someone new to Game Pass?
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the strongest starting point if you enjoy RPGs. Balatro is perfect if you want something shorter and more casual. Blue Prince works for anyone who enjoys a good puzzle.
Do I need Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or will Game Pass Standard work?
Most titles on this list are available on all tiers, but some day-one releases require Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass. Check each game’s details in the app — it clearly shows which tier grants access.
Is Hollow Knight: Silksong really on Game Pass Day One?
Yes. Microsoft confirmed Day One availability for Hollow Knight: Silksong on Xbox Game Pass at E3 and the game launched on the service alongside its retail release in 2025.
Which game on this list has the most playtime?
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Avowed both offer 40–60+ hours for a full playthrough. Atomfall sits around 20–30 hours. Balatro and CloverPit are technically endless — you’ll keep going as long as you’re willing.
Are any of these games available on PC Game Pass too?
Yes. All of the games listed here are available on PC Game Pass as well as console. You can play them on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One (where supported), Windows PC, and some via cloud streaming on mobile.
I’m new to Metroidvanias. Should I play Hollow Knight before Silksong?
Ideally, yes — the original Hollow Knight is also on Game Pass and playing it first gives you context for Silksong’s world. That said, Silksong works as a standalone experience if you’d rather jump straight in.
Final Thoughts
Xbox Game Pass is one of the best deals in gaming, but only if you’re willing to explore it. The biggest titles get all the attention, but the games on this list — the weird ones, the quiet ones, the ones nobody’s talking about — are often the ones that stay with you longest.
Pick one. Any one. You already own it.
