Xbox Game Passcontains games that can keep players entertained for a whole month on their own.Fallout,Dragon Age,Forza Horizon, andStarfieldare all known for producing lengthy campaigns that could potentially require an investment exceeding 30 hours. Meanwhile, series likeFable,Halo, andGears of Warare great options for people searching for single-player adventures lasting roughly between 10–20 hours.
As enjoyable as an expansive open-world game can be, there is also a time and place for more concise stories. These titles can be nice palate cleansers between meatier packages, or they could be slotted in when someone only has a day left in their subscription. What are some of thebest short games onXbox Game Pass?
Updated June 22, 2025 by Mark Sammut:The last month brought quite a few exciting titles to Game Pass, including a few projects that can be completed in under 5 hours.
Not every game needs to be complicated, and that extends to fairly open sandbox projects.Little Kitty, Big Cityhas a simple premise: a cat wants to get back home. That’s largely it, and the result is an adorable adventure that feels bigger than it actually is. After falling from their ledge, a cat finds itself wandering through ahectic city block filled with humans, other animals, and collectibles. The feline must complete a few questlines to make its way back to safety, a journey that is generally relaxing.
Little Kitty, Big Cityis designed with younger players in mind and offers a good mix of platforming, exploration, and puzzles. More experienced players should still check this out if they want a short but sweet title to play in between longer games, particularly if they are cat people.
Inspired by Chinese mythology,The Rewinderis a gorgeous 2D adventure game that casts players as a protagonist tasked with helping spirits move on and be reborn, a process that involves traveling through time by entering memories. Fairly story-driven,The Rewinderbrings to life a unique world that has been largely left untapped by gaming, at least ones that find an audience in Western nations.
Although somewhat simplistic, the gameplay is enjoyable and combines puzzles, dialogue, and exploration relatively well. Players have to make quite a few choices with genuine consequences too, making for a thought-provoking and involving campaign.
Balloon Studios’Botany Manorlaunched directly on Xbox Game Pass, making it one of many Day 1 arrivals announced for 2024. Compared to titles likeSenua’s Saga: Hellblade 2andS.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, this short indie project will probably not be remembered as one of the year’s most highly anticipated additions to the service; however, that does not mean it is not worth a playthrough.Botany Manorbrings to life a 19th-century townhouse, allowing players to explore its halls and gardens from a first-person perspective. As Arabella Greene, a botanist working on a book of flowers, players must jot down thegrowth requirements for every seed and planton the grounds, with each one acting as a puzzle.
Botany Manoris simply pleasant. While by no means obvious, the puzzles are generally not too difficult, and they work well to keep things moving along while also teaching players about many different types of plants. Visually, the game looks impressive, with vibrant colors and a realistic edge. Arabella is not a very loud or personable character, but her story develops quite nicely as the campaign progresses.Botany Manorshould offer a welcome change of pace from more action-heavy games.
Geometric’sCocoonis a creative puzzle game that casts players as, basically, an insect that travels to different worlds by entering orbs. While the main hub area is primarily a wasteland, players periodically come across spheres that contain their own universes, essentially acting as separate stages. As every world comes with a unique aesthetic that sets it apart from the crowd, discovering an orb is always exciting, especially since the actual gameplay is fantastic.
Along with well-paced puzzles,Cocoonalso emphasizes exploration, allowing players to move at their own pace and to take detours if they wish. Although this freedom can expand a playthrough by a few hours, the game is still not particularly long.
This indie darling follows a child, Olle, as he travels through a magical forest to save his missing sister.Bramble: The Mountain Kingplays out like a dark fairy tale inspired byNordic mythology, and the game does an impeccable job of bringing to life figures from these stories. Along with being quite terrifying at times, these creatures are presented with respect and depth since they feel like they belong in this world rather than just coming across as intruders.
Gameplay-wise,Bramble: The Mountain Kingis a straightforward puzzle-stealth project that generally tasks players with staying out of the monsters' views. While nothing to write home about, the gameplay loop is decent enough to not get in the way of the campaign’s strengths: its presentation and story.
Coming from one of the creative forces behindLimboandInside,Somervilleis very much cut from the same cloth as those two masterpieces. An atmospheric adventure game that utilizes environmental storytelling rather than discourse, this 2022 release finds Earth besieged by aliens, an invasion that quickly devastates the planet.
Telling a smaller-scale personal quest,Somervillefocuses on a father who is simply trying to keep his family alive during this testing time. The gameplay largely consists of basic platforming and puzzles, and while these elements are handled well, they are in service of the game’s tone, presentation, and emotion.
Clone Drone in the Danger Zoneis a melee action game that gets most of its longevity from its side content that greatly ramps up the difficulty; consequently, if someone wants to get the most out of this package, they will be playing for way longer than just a few hours. However, the campaign serves as a pretty good entry point as it teaches the basics while also offering enough of a challenge to not be a walk in the park.
Clone Drone’s combat revolves around directional swings as players will need to aim the swings of their weapons to target an enemy’s weak spots. Although not an especially unique concept, it is executed well by the game.
Considering its title,A Short Hike’s brisk length should not come as much of a surprise. An introspective stroll through a beautiful location, players follow Claire, a bird who spends the day at a park. While she is desperate to make it to the top of the trail in order to obtain a signal for her phone, Claire (and the player) is also encouraged to just absorb the world around her. She can go off the beaten path to find NPCs and mini-games, or just to enjoy being one with nature.
A Short Hikehas no actionoutside some light platforming fueled by some unlockable abilities. The game is designed to be relaxing and tranquil, both characteristics it possesses in spades. The story is also quite poignant. While a playthrough’s length will vary depending on someone’s pace, a run can readily be completed within roughly two hours, andA Short Hikeis well worth that investment.
On paper,Unpackinghardly sounds appetizing since it revolves around one of the most potentially frustrating parts of life: moving. Covering roughly two decades, the indie game is split into eight stages representing different periods in the protagonist’s life. In each level, players have to unpack the character’s belongings, carefully placing her items in the available space.
Unpackingimpressively combines its gameplay and storytelling, using the former to fuel the latter. Players repeatedly run through the protagonist’s items, the only ones she deemed worthy of keeping around when she moved to her new place. Clocking in at roughly 3 hours,Unpackingis a quick and reasonably relaxed experience, albeit one that manages to tell an impactful story in an unusual way.
For a while,“walking sims"were treated with derision, but they are primarily story-driven games that usually focus on exploration. Sure, the subgenre has produced a couple of low-effort projects, but that can be said for any other category.Firewatchrepresents walking sims at their peak, and the 2016 release has aged well. Set in a National Forest, players are a lookout stationed in a watchtower, and they find themselves alone within the dense foliage, only periodically running into other people. Their only real human connection is their walkie-talkie-bound supervisor, who generally gives players some guidance on how to move forward.
Firewatch’s visual style and eerie quietness give way to a tense and uncomfortable atmosphere that builds throughout the short campaign. Narratively, the game touches upon some mature themes without feeling the need to spoonfeed the audience, all the while still delivering a cohesive story.Firewatchdoes not have much replay value, so one playthrough should be enough for most people.
