The dust has settled after this year’s E3 but that doesn’t mean Xbox is letting up with its onslaught of new games on Xbox Game Pass. The Xbox Game Pass July lineup is already full of heavy hitters, and we’re only at the start of the month! Free time be damned, Microsoft is set to launch a couple of new releases on the platform in July, but it’s also bringing a number of indies and some unusual titles to the service to refine your palate and keep your gaming hands busy. Let’s dig into it, shall we?
Tropico 6 (Cloud, Console and PC) — July 8
If you love the idea of roleplaying as the ruler of a fictional island nation then you need to check out Tropico 6. This deeply political management game is all about guiding your country through various eras, creating a government of your choosing and watching as the game simulates citizens and their demands which you must adapt to. Far away from the more stoic games that populate this genre, Tropico is a very funny game by design, and should keep you giggling and busy for hours on end as you learn all of the intricacies of its dynamic dictator sandbox.
Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life (Cloud, Console and PC)
Yo ho fiddle de dee, game pass-lubbers. Sea of Thieves has been available on the service for some time now, but there has never been a better time to play it thanks to the recent A Pirate’s Life update. If you didn’t catch it during E3, Microsoft revealed an official Pirates of the Caribbean crossover for the game featuring Captain Jack Sparrow among others. Beyond the new content, Sea of Thieves has also come a long long way since launch and is well worth jumping back into with a crew of plucky pirates if it didn’t land for you way back when.
Gang Beasts (Console, Cloud and PC)
A local co-op classic and a recipe for chaos online, Boneloaf’s beefy brawler is so much fun with friends. Put on your best costume and throw your pals to their doom in this manic multiplayer fighting game, with its purposefully clunky controls that the game ripe for so much silliness. It’s a perfect addition to Xbox Game Pass given how easy it is to pick up and put down.
Microsoft Flight Simulator (Console) — July 27
The latest entry in the Flight Simulator series has been out for some time now, but it’s coming to consoles (Series X/S only though) for the first time later this month and you absolutely need to give it a go as a Game Pass subscriber. Microsoft Flight Simulator is easily one of the most beautiful games to grace any platform, and the mid-lockdown escapism of flying anywhere in the world cannot be understated. Even if you’re not in it for the realism, soaring past monuments with friends and finding your home town is meditative bliss.
Every game coming to Xbox Game Pass in July
Dragon Quest Builders 2 (Cloud) — July 8
Tropico 6 (Cloud, Console and PC) — July 8
UFC 4 (Console) — July 8
Bloodroots (Cloud, Console and PC) — July 15
Farming Simulator 19 (Cloud, Console and PC) — July 15
The Medium (Cloud) — July 15
Microsoft Flight Simulator (Console) — July 27
The Ascent — July 29
