If nothing else, the Xbox has a tremendous legacy of hosting great games. After the Xbox announced itself as a real contender to the PlayStation, the Xbox 360 truly went toe-to-toe with the PlayStation 3. Now, one of the biggest selling points of the Xbox Series X|S, Microsoft’s fourth console, is its huge library of backward-compatible games.

Still, for many, the online service Game Pass takes precedence, with its cost-effective model delivering access to hundreds of games. While the outright most played games on the console system right now are Fortnite, FIFA 22, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Game Pass games do break into the top 15. These are the top-three and similar games to them if you don’t have Game Pass.

3. Assassin’s Creed Origins

It may have been released in 2017, but the landmark effort for the long-running Assassin’s Creed series continues to resonate with gamers on Xbox. In the stunning setting of Ancient Egypt, Origins has you exploring the great civilization at its finest, mythologies and all. Given the popularity of the theme and the game series, it makes perfect sense that Origins continues to be a huge draw – especially when part of a subscription service.

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2. ARK: Survival Evolved

ARK: Survival Evolved launched in its early access state on PC and through the Xbox Game Preview Program in 2015, arriving on the former in July and the latter in December. Since then, it has continued to build on its core premise of suddenly needing to survive in a strange land populated by extinct creatures. With the ability to gather resources, build, tame, and create teams, ARK continues to be a huge draw.

Drawing from the two most-played Game Pass titles right now, PixARK certainly doesn’t hide its influences. It’s very much like playing ARK in a Minecraft world. The sandbox game had a bit of a rocky launch, but is now receiving mostly positive reviews on Steam and can be played on just about any platform. Alternatively, ARK 2 is slated to be released in 2023.

1. Minecraft

A now-iconic game that, for console gamers, was a quintessentially Xbox 360 game for much of its early run. Of course, it has been on PC for a few years prior, but Minecraft really hit the mainstream on Xbox. The sandbox game created by Markus Persson has remained a mainstay in the charts across all consoles, selling over 200 million copies to date. With the ability to mine and craft just about anything, it’s the freedom that gamers love.

Many developers have attempted to replicate Minecraft, whether it’s the retro-blocky aesthetic or superbly open sandbox-style, but only one can truly hold a candle to Minecraft. PC game Eco tasks you with building a civilization in a simulated ecosystem. Not only do you need to gather natural resources to build, but you also need to consider the impact on the ecosystem if you hope to develop the tech to save the planet before killing it yourself.

Assassin’s Creed Origins, ARK: Survival Evolved, and Minecraft continue to be the biggest draws on Xbox Game Pass, with each of them offering vast open worlds to explore almost unhindered. "