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You don’t need to spend much to have fun with your buddies (or with randos online). The Xbox Game Pass has ensured that you can get your fill of chaotic fun by including some of the most engaging multiplayer games on their list. But to narrow down your search, I’ve tried some of the best among them. Here’s my verdict for the 10 best multiplayer games on Xbox Game Pass.
Grounded
| Release Date | September 28, 2022 |
| Multiplayer Type(s) | Co-op |
It’s always better to survive with friends than by your lonesome. More hands for building homes and cooking makes the experience less miserable. For that matter, Grounded is one of the most unique survival games out there. It’s basically the game version of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.
Your goal, with fellow survivors, is to return to normal size while unraveling the mysteries of your shrinkage. The challenge is getting there without getting devoured by spiders, mosquitoes, and other backyard insects who are now much larger than you.
Diablo 4
| Release Date | June 5, 2023 |
| Multiplayer Type(s) | Co-op, PvP, raids, clans |
Diablo 4 had a bit of a rough start and first year, but it’s going steady and stable now, and there’s no better time to jump in than today. It has the full multiplayer suite from co-op, PvP, and even raid mechanics. So it’s up to you how you or your friends want to approach its multiplayer side.
You can also play with random players, though PvP with them can be a brutal or toxic affair. While Diablo 4‘s base game is primarily structured around single-player content, you can play it in multiplayer mode right away while you level up and hunt for loot infinitely.
Deep Rock Galactic
| Release Date | February 28, 2018 |
| Multiplayer Type(s) | Co-op |
Deep Rock Galactic takes the old and popular Left 4 Dead formula and turns it into a corporate mining game with dwarves. Arguably, it’s the best refinement of such a formula. You and three other players (or friends) team up to assume the role of space dwarves and complete missions.
These missions can last anywhere from 20 to 50 minutes so that your mining company (not you) can get rich. The game’s themes and roleplaying potential alone can make any multiplayer session with your friends memorable. You might even find yourselves echoing the game’s taglines and catchphrases long after you turn off your gaming devices.
Sea of Thieves
| Release Date | March 20, 2018 |
| Multiplayer Type(s) | Co-op, PvP, raids, clans |
Sea of Thieves is your best chance to play pirate games this year despite the existence of a certain AAAA game. Multiplayer in Sea of Thieves consists of servers with a set number of players and ships. It’s up to you guys in a particular server to decide how to approach each other in this sandbox game.
Of course, being a pirate means your morals and your code need not be watertight. Once you do get fed up with sinking one another’s ships or stealing treasures, you can always engage in some raid-style bosses (usually ghost ships or skeleton forts) to test your mettle.
Palworld
| Release Date | January 19, 2024 (early access) |
| Multiplayer Type(s) | Co-op, raids |
It’s Pokémon but with a survival twist and guns, lots of guns. Like other survival games, Palworld is more comfortable and fun to play if you have extra pairs of hands helping with the survival process. You can also pool together all the Pals (the game’s version of Pokémon) that you’ve caught.
Currently, Palworld is still in its early access phase, but the developers are constantly adding updates and new content. Right now, they’re focusing on adding raid-type bosses as some kind of endgame activity you can work towards. So far, there’s no PvP in this game (and no plans to add it yet).
Hell Let Loose
| Release Date | June 6, 2019 |
| Multiplayer Type(s) | Team PvP |
There’s our war game. Hell Let Loose is set in WW2, and its whole multiplayer component focuses on large-scale warfare, similar to the Battlefield games but more realistic. Bullet physics and damage are less forgiving, and this is a multiplayer game where you can’t just wander off on your own, hoping to win by getting kills.
Teamwork is crucial here (even mandatory), making it one of the best games to play if you want some serious WW2 roleplaying. Battles are 5v50 so it can get visceral and disorganized, so the team with superior communication and tactical maneuvers usually win.
Among Us
| Release Date | June 15, 2018 |
| Multiplayer Type(s) | Social deduction |
Among Us is still good four years later, surprisingly. Its simplicity (and free mobile price tag) lets you play it with your casual gamer friends or even those who aren’t gamers. If you want to bring grandma or bully your older sister digitally, then Among Us is a good starting point.
Gameplay is merely about social deduction where you and a group of other players try to find out who among you is the killer. If you’re the killer or the impostor, you get to have fun while other players murder one another over their paranoid suspicions.
Halo Infinite
| Release Date | December 8, 2021 |
| Multiplayer Type(s) | PvP, team PvP, co-op (against bots) |
For a more “traditional” Quake-style multiplayer, Halo Infinite is your best bet. The game’s predecessors have been reintroducing this kind of multiplayer to the industry for a long time, and Halo Infinite is its latest iteration. You can either bring friends or play with random players and have fun all the same. You can also test yourself against bots to get the basics down.
Halo Infinite features several PvP game modes from the old Capture the Flag to the more modern and frantic Oddball mode. Some modes are also similar to Battlefield games where you capture zones on large maps with up to 24 players causing mayhem all over the place.
Forza Horizon 5
| Release Date | November 5, 2021 |
| Multiplayer Type(s) | PvP, co-op (against bots) |
There aren’t many racing games on Xbox Game Pass, so if you’re into competitive multiplayer racing, your best option would be Forza Horizon 5. It has traditional PvP matches where you outrace other players, and there are also co-op multiplayer events where you try to win against the AI.
Forza Horizon 5 strikes a good balance between racing sims and arcade racers, with plenty of handling customization to make it more welcoming for various kinds of racing game players. Multiplayer is also tied into open-world exploration if you’re into spontaneous racing.
It Takes Two
| Release Date | March 25, 2021 |
| Multiplayer Type(s) | Co-op |
Last but not least, we have It Takes Two, aka the best game for couples. It’s a great game for when your significant other wants to know what the fuss is all about and why you’re spending so much time on video games. The story itself is Disney/Pixar material and something most people might find relatable.
It Takes Two is also strictly co-op, so it’s not something you play if you want to compete with your friend or partner. This game will either test out your coordination as a duo or how patient you are with your non-gamer partner.
