One of the best deals in PC gaming today, Game Pass is a gigantic collection of games that you can access at any given time once you subscribe to the service. With every first-party Microsoft game added to Game Pass on launch day, subscribing to the service makes a ton of sense, but which games are worth playing in a library of almost 200 titles currently? To help you get started, we've put together a list of the best games on the service, which was recently renamed to PC Game Pass
It's worth noting that Game Pass regularly adds and removes third-party games from the service so try these titles out while you still have the chance to do so.
A Plague Tale: Innocence
A Plague Tale: Innocence isn't the kind of game you boot up if you're looking for fuzzy feelings of warmth and hope. Rats, death, and brutal violence all combine to form a harrowing journey for the young cast you'll play as amidst the backdrop of the Hundred Years' War during the Middle Ages. With the odds stacked against them, Amicia and Hugo need to keep their wits about them as they face the worst of human depravity and the ramifications of the black death.
That's not to say that the game doesn't have faint glimmers of hope woven into its design, but like every small victory gained in Plague Tale, they're rare occurrences that you'll learn to appreciate when you come across them in this beautifully haunting story.
Age of Empires 4
The latest Age of Empires game doesn't stray too far from the golden days of the series, but as a historical simulator where you can throw waves of soldiers at enemies and their fortifications, AoE 4 is still a strategic treat that has been slowly improving since launch day. Backed up by fascinating history lessons, a diverse collection of maps to wage war on, and a number of factions that feel unique when compared to each other, Age of Empires 4 has plenty of tactical depth to chew on.
Cities: Skylines
Ever looked at your local town and thought that you would do a fine job running it? Consider Cities: Skylines as a perfect test run of your mayoral ambitions, as it throws surprisingly authentic city-building game mechanics at you and tasks you with turning your town into a gleaming metropolis. It's easier said than done, of course, as you have to factor in zoning, having proper policies in place, and the creation of boroughs to house your booming population.
That may sound daunting, but Cities: Skylines has a largely relaxed approach to its design, creating a friendly atmosphere where you never feel too pressured to ensure that your city runs like a finely-crafted clockwork mechanism of industry and commerce. It may not have the overt wow factor of other games in the genre, but Cities: Skylines is a deep and dedicated approach to handling the less-than-glamorous work that goes into managing a human habitat.
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