Summary
- You don't have to break the bank for great gaming on Xbox Series X|S with many amazing free-to-play options available.
- Dive into Fallout Shelter for a unique management simulator experience that's both simple and enjoyable.
- Experience the fun and chaos of Crackdown's open-world action adventure for free on the Xbox Series X|S.
The Xbox Series X|S is home to a litany of great games, from the biggest triple-A experiences to smaller indie projects. However, not every Xbox owner out there might be willing or able to cough up the dough to get all the best titles. Thankfully, the console also offers quite a number of brilliant free-to-play games.
RelatedThe Best Backwards Compatible Games To Play on Xbox Series X|S
The Xbox Series consoles are the absolute best place to enjoy previous generation titles.
PostsMost of these are supported through in-game economies, urging players to spend money on microtransactions or implementing gacha mechanics that reward players with things like new characters or skins. But many can still be enjoyed for countless hours without spending a single dime, which is never a bad thing in the eyes of the frugal gamers among us. So, with such titles in mind, here are a few of the very best free games on the Xbox Series X|S.
Updated May 12, 2025, by Ben Jessey: There are several really good games that you can play for free on the Xbox Series X|S. We put some of the best on this list, and now we've added more to the collection.
Deceit 2
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Survival Horror Systems OpenCritic Reviews Released September 14, 2023 ESRB T For Teen Due To Blood, Violence Developer(s) World Makers Publisher(s) World Makers Engine Unreal Engine 5 Multiplayer Online Multiplayer Number of Players 1-9WHERE TO PLAY
DIGITALAs the title of the game suggests, Deceit 2 is all about being deceitful. Or at least, it is if you’re given the role of a Terror, which is a monster that can masquerade as a human. Their job is to eliminate the rest of the players.
The innocents must do tasks and try to escape, while also figuring out the identity of any Terrors and getting rid of them. There are also cursed characters who are on nobody’s team and must try to eliminate everyone. So, it’s a classic multiplayer social deduction game with a dark visual style, making it creepier than the likes of Among Us.
Fragpunk
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Action FPS Multiplayer Systems 10.0/10 OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 74/100 Critics Rec: 56% Released March 6, 2025 ESRB T For Teen // Violence, Blood Developer(s) Bad Guitar Studio Publisher(s) Bad Guitar Studio Engine Unreal EngineWHERE TO PLAY
DIGITALFragpunk is a multiplayer hero shooter where two teams of colorful characters battle against one another. That doesn’t sound very different from the average hero shooter.
However, this one includes a thing called shard cards. Your team can activate these unique cards at the start of the game to alter the experience. They can do things like make rounds longer, increase damage, increase health, and do many other things. There are so many different cards, and some of them can really mix things up.
Arcadegeddon
Arcadegeddon is a cooperative rougelite shooter that allows up to four players to team up. The story of the game is that a local arcade is trying to take on a mega-corporation.
This arcade has created a new game, but the evil people at the corporation have infected it with a virus. So, you need to enter the game and stop them. It's a unique and creative premise, but the real enjoyment of this game comes through the gameplay. The combat is slick, action-packed, and satisfying.
Faaast Penguin
Any game with the title 'Faast Penguin' is going to grab your attention. This game is worthy of your attention as it combines elements of Mario Kart and Fall Guys.
You play as a customizable penguin and compete in a collection of races against others online. After each race, some people are eliminated for not finishing high enough. Then you get to the finale, where one penguin is declared the winner. Races are fast-paced and take place on beautiful tracks filled with obstacles to keep things interesting.
Rocket Racing
Rocket Racing is a Fortnite spin-off title that, as the name suggests, is a racing game. It's similar in style and presentation to Rocket League, meaning it contains toy cars doing cool stunts.
The difference is, in this game, you aren't playing football. Instead, you're racing around a track, trying to beat the opposition to the finish line. It isn't the deepest racer of all time, but it has some nice tracks, and the driving feels fluid.
A King's Tale Final Fantasy 15
A Final Fantasy game that’s free to play is a rare sight. What’s also a rare sight is an FF game that is a 2D side-scrolling brawler. Yet, A King’s Tale: Final Fantasy 15 fits both descriptions. So, it’s a unique entry in the series. It was originally released as a pre-order bonus for Final Fantasy 15, but it has since been released as its own game, and it’s pretty fun.
You play as Regis Lucis Caelum, and you have to defeat all the monsters in your path. To do that, you make use of devastating attack combos and magic spells. You can even summon allies to help. It’s a simple but enjoyable experience.
Marvel Rivals
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Third-Person Shooter Action Multiplayer Systems 7.8/10 OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 78/100 Critics Rec: 84% Released December 6, 2024 ESRB T For Teen // Violence Developer(s) NetEase Games Publisher(s) NetEase Games Engine Unreal Engine 5WHERE TO PLAY
DIGITALMarvel Rivals fits into the genre of a multiplayer hero shooter. Yet, it isn’t a perfect fit, as it’s not really a shooter since most of the playable characters don’t have guns.
After all, they’re Marvel Comic characters, so they have attacks that fit their powers. For instance, Captain America throws and slams his brightly-colored shield into people. The uniqueness of each character creates a nice amount of variety as you consistently have distinct teams facing off against one another in every match. What’s even better is a lot of those characters are fun to play.
UFL
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Sports Systems Released December 5, 2024 ESRB E For Everyone Developer(s) Strikerz Inc Publisher(s) Strikerz Inc Engine Unreal Engine 5 Multiplayer Online Multiplayer PC Release Date December 5, 2024 Xbox Series X|S Release Date December 5, 2024WHERE TO PLAY
DIGITALThere aren’t many football games out there, as EA Sports FC and its predecessor, FIFA, have dominated the football game market. That said, a relatively new competitor has arrived in the form of UFL. It’s an online-focused game where you build a team using real-life players.
The visuals and presentation are very impressive. More importantly, the core football is enjoyable to play. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have the depth of EA Sports FC, but it’s still a solid football experience, which will likely be expanded and improved upon over time.
Genshin Impact
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RPG Action Adventure Gacha Open-World Systems 11 8.6/10 OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 81/100 Critics Rec: 87% Released September 28, 2020 ESRB T for Teen - Fantasy Violence, Alcohol Reference Developer(s) HoYoverse (Formerly miHoYo) Publisher(s) HoYoverse (Formerly miHoYo) Engine UnityWHERE TO PLAY
SUBSCRIPTIONGenshin Impact is among the most famous and popular free-to-play games in the world. It has been around for a while on other systems, where it built its reputation before finally landing on the Xbox Series X|S. It's an open-world action RPG with a classic anime art style, and the visuals are very beautiful.
However, this isn't a game all about beauty. It's also about an adventurer arriving in the game's fantasy world known as Teyvat and exploring its many regions. Along the way, you can get involved in plenty of action-packed battles alongside your controllable party members. Both the combat and exploration are a lot of fun.
Ping Redux
Ping Redux is a puzzle game that is inspired by all sorts of different games. The main inspiration is Pong, as the visuals look very much like the classic title. However, the gameplay is a bit different.
Yes, you do still bounce off the walls as a little block, but you do so to get past the obstacles and reach the orange circle at the end. It is a bit more complicated than it sounds since there is a litany of different types of levels with unique things in your way. Some of the levels are inspired by other classic games.
