Xbox Game Passis perfect for casual players who like to pick up their controller as a low-stress way to spend an afternoon without getting hooked into tense multiplayer matches or multi-hour campaigns that can take weeks to finish. The service features a wide selection of titles, including games that are quick and easy to jump in and out of whenever you please, and have a more relaxed, task-oriented pace. We highlighted some of the best current Game Pass offerings for casual folks.
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Unpackingis a short new title where you unpack a character’s belongings from a bunch of boxes and put them away where they belong. That’s it, that’s the entire game. This are literally no stakes, which makes it ideal for people who love the idea of unpacking and putting everything away, but don’t want to actually box up their own stuff to do it. It’s a fun, easy game that lets you zone out and feel a little zen at the end of a long day. And if a little structure is good for you, it’s divided into different levels as the character ages, so you have built in starting and stopping points. The experience is designed from beginning to end for casual gamers. Also, we’ve been told it’s a particularly great game for racking up achievements, so there’s some appeal here formore dedicated playerslooking for a quick boost.
Moving Out
Similar toUnpackingbut with a totally different attitude,Moving Outis a silly way to get out a few frustrations. A completely irreverent but fun game that’s all about breaking windows and throwing boxes around,Moving Outwill thrill you with how much fun you may have. Even driving the little moving truck around the map and destroying everything in your path is enjoyable catharsis. The chaos is the appeal here, as sometimes you just need a little unstructured destruction in your life. This game is a total blast, and although it’s a little challenging in spots, it’s mostly appropriate for all ages. And it’s impossible not to have a goofy smile on your face while you’re taking control of the most destructive movers in history.
If short, level-based puzzles are more your speed, you can’t go wrong withPeggle(or its sequelPeggle 2). The game is similar to pinball, but with a bit of aPlinkothing going on, too. There are tons of different puzzles, spread across several different collections, so you’ll likely never run out of brean-teasing content. An array of game-changing power ups keep things lively, and the special pegs you have to hit to activate will keep things competitive. And once you’ve beaten a level initially, there are always bonus objectives to meet later. It’s perfect for the casual gamer because the commitment is as minimal as you decide - you can log in and play as many or as few puzzles as you want, then log back out after 10 minutes or 2 hours, or anything in between. It’s totally up to you how addicted you become.
Slime Rancher
Slime Rancheris an open world game in which you collect different bouncy slimes with unique special abilities and powers, and bring them home to your ranch where you feed and care for them in return for the valuable plorts they leave behind. In order to keep them all fed and happy, you’ll have to grow crops and raise chickens, which is a secondary aspect of the game that is also a ton of fun in its own right. The game isa little silly sometimes, but it’s easy to get completely engrossed adventuring out into the wilds to get resources, food, new slimes, and other resources. Whether you have a single hour or five to kill,Slime Rancheris a great way to get lost in a charming game. And if you fall in love withSlime Rancher, there’s a sequel already on the horizon.
Subnautica
Subnauticaismore challengingthan the other games on this list, but it has a similar play loop toSlime Rancher. Set on an alien planet covered in water, you must adventure out from your lifepod to gather resources to survive, and hopefully escape. Once you master survival - getting food, water, and oxygen in quantities great enough to focus on other things - you eventually build bases and gather rocks, minerals, and other materials to build submarines and tools to help you. But you’re definitely not alone on this planet. While you’re busy collecting materials to construct your base and stay alive, there are humongous leviathan creatures lurking all around you in the deep, dark waters. These creatures are definitely a step up on the scary meter fromSlime Rancher,with an especially terrifying habit of attacking out of nowhere. There are also different modes to play to amp up the difficulty - jump into survival mode and verify to keep yourself fed and watered, or go for an easier mode and explore the world around you with a little more freedom. It’s all very well-suited for a “pick up and play” style, though - you can spend one entire session building a base in the safe shallows, and the next one exploring the dark, dangerous depths for resources. The best part about games likeSubnauticais that you can play at your own speed, and be as wreckless or as careful as you’d like. Oh, and if the leviathans get really creepy, try giving them names - trust us, it helps.
