Best story games on game pass

Hey, folks! I hope you're ready for a rundown of the best story games on Xbox Game Pass. It's been an exciting year for Game Pass, with a slew of incredible games added to the already extensive library. With such a vast selection, it can be challenging to find the right game for you, especially if you're after a narrative-driven experience. Fear not, though, because I've got your back.

In this blog post, I'll be taking you through the top 10 best story games on Game Pass, each with its unique plot, characters, and themes. But before we dive into the list, let's take a quick overview of Game Pass and how we curated this list.

Overview of Xbox Game Pass

Xbox Game Pass is a subscription service that grants you access to a massive library of games for a monthly fee. With Game Pass, you can play hundreds of games on Xbox consoles, PC, and even mobile devices. The service offers a mix of new and classic titles, including first-party and third-party games.

One of the biggest advantages of Game Pass is that it's continually expanding its library. Each month, new games are added, so you'll never run out of games to play. It's a great value for gamers who want to explore different genres and titles without spending a fortune.

Curating the List

To create this list, we scoured the Game Pass library to find the most compelling narrative-driven games. We looked for games that had a well-crafted story, fleshed-out characters, and unique gameplay mechanics. We also considered factors like critical reception, player reviews, and overall popularity.

Without further ado, let's jump right into the top 10 best story games on Game Pass.

Top 10 Best Story Games on Game Pass

A Plague Tale: Innocence

A Plague Tale: Innocence is a dark, atmospheric game set in 14th century France during the Black Death. You play as Amicia, a young girl who must protect her younger brother Hugo from the Inquisition and a horde of rats that plague the land.

The game's storytelling is masterful, with well-developed characters and a haunting plot. The gameplay is a mix of puzzle-solving and stealth, with occasional combat encounters. The game's unique feature is its use of swarms of rats, which you must avoid or use to your advantage.

Persona 5 Royal

Persona 5 Royal is a Japanese role-playing game with a twist. You play as a high school student who must balance his daily life with battling supernatural enemies in a parallel world. The game's story is an engaging mix of mystery, drama, and social commentary.

The game's characters are well-written, with unique personalities and backstories. The game's themes of rebellion, identity, and justice resonate with players of all ages. The gameplay is a mix of turn-based combat and social simulation, where you must manage your time wisely to succeed.

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is a psychological horror game that explores mental illness and trauma. You play as Senua, a warrior who must venture into the depths of Helheim to rescue her lover's soul.

The game's portrayal of mental illness is a unique and powerful storytelling technique. The gameplay is a mix of combat and puzzle-solving, with a focus on immersion and sensory experience. The game's unique feature is its use of binaural audio, which simulates a 3D soundscape for players wearing headphones.

NieR: Automata

From developer Platinum Games and director Yoko Taro comes NieR: Automata, a stunning action RPG that blends slick combat with a complex, thought-provoking narrative. Set in a post-apocalyptic world where humanity has fled to the moon, players take on the role of androids 2B, 9S, and A2 as they fight to reclaim Earth from alien invaders.

NieR: Automata is a game that asks big questions about the nature of consciousness, humanity, and existence itself. It’s a deeply philosophical game that manages to tackle complex concepts with grace and subtlety, while still delivering plenty of thrilling action sequences.

Tell Me Why

Developed by Dontnod Entertainment, the studio behind the critically acclaimed Life is Strange series, Tell Me Why is a story-driven adventure game that centers around the lives of twins Tyler and Alyson Ronan. As they return to their childhood home in rural Alaska, the twins must confront their troubled past and untangle a web of family secrets.

One of the standout features of Tell Me Why is its commitment to representing LGBTQ+ characters in a respectful and authentic way. Tyler is a trans man, and the game’s writers worked closely with trans consultants and advocates to ensure that his story was told with sensitivity and nuance. But beyond its groundbreaking representation, Tell Me Why is simply a fantastic game that tells a gripping and emotionally resonant story.

Life is Strange

The first game in Dontnod Entertainment’s Life is Strange series is a modern classic of the narrative adventure genre. Players take on the role of teenager Max Caulfield, who discovers she has the ability to rewind time. As she navigates the drama of high school life and investigates a mysterious disappearance, Max must grapple with the consequences of her actions and the limitations of her powers.

Life is Strange is a game that deals with heavy themes like loss, grief, and mental health, but it does so in a way that feels genuine and heartfelt. The game’s setting of Arcadia Bay is lovingly crafted and filled with memorable characters, and the time-rewinding mechanic adds a unique twist to the familiar adventure game formula.

Night in the Woods

Night in the Woods is an indie adventure game from developer Infinite Fall that tells the story of Mae Borowski, a college dropout who returns to her hometown of Possum Springs. As she reconnects with old friends and family members, Mae begins to uncover strange and unsettling mysteries lurking beneath the surface of her community.

What sets Night in the Woods apart is its blend of whimsy and melancholy. The game’s hand-drawn art style and quirky characters give it a charming, almost fairy-tale quality, but beneath the surface lies a deep undercurrent of existential dread. Night in the Woods is a game that captures the feeling of being lost and adrift in the world, and it does so with humor, heart, and a healthy dose of weirdness.

The Walking Dead: The Final Season

The Walking Dead: The Final Season is an episodic adventure game by Telltale Games that tells the story of a young girl named Clementine who is struggling to survive in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies. The game's storytelling techniques are one of its strongest points, with players being forced to make tough decisions that have a real impact on the game's narrative.

As the game's title suggests, this is the final season of Telltale's acclaimed The Walking Dead series. However, the game still manages to deliver a compelling and emotional story that will keep players engaged from start to finish. The game's portrayal of post-apocalyptic survival is also well-done, with players having to scavenge for supplies and fend off zombies in order to survive.

What Remains of Edith Finch

What Remains of Edith Finch is a first-person exploration game by Giant Sparrow that tells the story of a young woman named Edith Finch who returns to her family's home to uncover the secrets of her family's past. The game's storytelling techniques are some of the most innovative and effective in recent memory, with players being transported into the memories and experiences of Edith's relatives.

The game's exploration of grief and loss is also incredibly well-done, with players being forced to confront the realities of mortality and the impermanence of life. The game's unique storytelling and exploration mechanics make it one of the most memorable and emotionally impactful games on Xbox Game Pass.

Oxenfree

Our final entry on the list is Oxenfree, a supernatural thriller that follows a group of friends as they explore an abandoned island and accidentally unleash an otherworldly force. What sets Oxenfree apart is its use of player choice and consequence. Your decisions throughout the game will affect the outcome of the story and the relationships between characters.

The game's narrative is driven by dialogue and the player's choices in conversation. The writing is sharp and believable, with characters who feel like real people rather than just archetypes. As the story unfolds, you'll uncover secrets about the island's past and the mysterious force that you've awakened.

Oxenfree's gameplay mechanics are relatively simple, but effective. You'll explore the island, solve puzzles, and interact with objects to progress the story. The game also features a unique radio mechanic that allows you to tune in to different frequencies and affect the environment and story in subtle ways.

Overall, Oxenfree is a must-play for fans of narrative-driven games and those who enjoy player choice and consequence. It's a beautifully crafted game with a haunting story that will stick with you long after the credits roll.

Conclusion

And there you have it, folks. Our top 10 best story games on Xbox Game Pass. Each of these games offers a unique and captivating story, with memorable characters and compelling gameplay mechanics. Whether you're a fan of post-apocalyptic survival, supernatural thrillers, or philosophical sci-fi, there's something for everyone on this list.

We hope you've found some new games to add to your list and enjoy exploring the rich and immersive stories they have to offer. Until next time, keep on gaming and enjoying all that Xbox Game Pass has to offer.