Microsoft’s Games with Gold program provides complimentary access to video games for subscribers of the Xbox Live Gold service. The initiative operates on a rotating monthly schedule, offering titles for both the Xbox One and Xbox 360 platforms. The program often includes older Xbox 360 titles that are playable on newer Xbox One consoles via backward compatibility.
The lineup for January 2018 featured four distinct titles across the two platforms. For Xbox One owners, The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing III was available for download starting January 1 and remained free for the entire month. This release marked the game's debut on the Xbox One platform and included unspecified enhancements for the Xbox One X hardware. On January 16, Zombi, a modified version of the Wii U launch title ZombiU, was added to the Xbox One rotation. It replaced Back to the Future: The Game, which was available for the first half of the month.
For Xbox 360 users, the schedule began with Tomb Raider: Underworld from January 1 through January 15. On January 16, this title was replaced by the co-op action game Army of Two. Because all Xbox 360 games offered through the program are backward compatible, Xbox One owners with a Gold subscription could claim all four titles, resulting in a total of four free games for the month.
The previous month, December 2017, offered a different selection. On Xbox One, the free titles included Back to the Future: The Game and Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide. The latter is a cooperative first-person action game set in the Warhammer universe, often compared to Left 4 Dead due to its focus on group combat against waves of enemies, specifically the Skaven ratmen. On Xbox 360, the free games for December 2017 were Marlow Briggs and the Mask of Death and Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide.
In December 2020, the program offered two specific titles for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S users: Stacking and BLEED 2. Stacking, originally released in 2011 by Double Fine Productions, is a puzzle adventure game set in a world populated by Russian stacking dolls. Players utilize the unique abilities of over 100 different dolls to solve challenges. BLEED 2 is described as a manic arcade shooter. These titles were available to download free of charge for Xbox Live Gold members during the middle of the month, replacing Saints Row IV: Gat Out of Hell.
Earlier iterations of the program, specifically in June 2014, marked the expansion of Games with Gold to the Xbox One console. Subscribers to the service received free copies of Max: The Curse of Brotherhood and Halo: Spartan Assault for the Xbox One. Concurrently, Xbox 360 users could download Charlie Murder, Dark Souls, and Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition. In November 2013, the program provided Gears of War and Shoot Many Robots to Xbox 360 owners.
Eligibility for these offers is strictly limited to active Xbox Live Gold members. Once a game is claimed during its designated availability window, it remains accessible to the user as long as their Gold subscription remains active. The program serves as a recurring benefit designed to incentivize subscription retention and digital library expansion.
Sources
- January 2018 Xbox One And 360 Free Games With Gold Announced
- Freebie Feelers... Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide
- Xbox Games With Gold Freebies Switch Up As Stacking And Bleed 2 Go Free
- December Games With Gold Freebies Are Gears Of War, Shoot Many Robots
- Games With Gold Doles Out Xbox One Freebies In June