There’s more to Xbox than Call of Duty or the Forza games, and if you want to make 2024 the year you’ll finally broaden your gaming horizons, we might be able to help. Here are 10 Xbox games that you should give a try this 2024. Some of these might be a bit different from what you’re used to, but hey, if you have a spare digital Xbox gift card from the holidays, it’s a good time to use it to try one of these games.
From games nominated in The Game Awards to unique indie games you probably haven’t heard of before (seriously, there’s a stop-motion animated game in this list), these are some of the best and most unique games available on the Xbox consoles right now. Ready to explore another side of gaming?
Palworld
Oh, where to start with Palworld? It’s Pokemon with guns! But as bizarre as that sounds, Palworld quickly became one of the most popular Xbox games in 2024 because of its unique premise (Pokemon pew-pew-pew), a controversial take on the monster-collecting genre (seriously, monster slaves?), and surprisingly fun gameplay.
Although people associate it with Pokemon, its gameplay is actually widely different. Palworld is more Rust and Ark: Survival Evolved. You have to survive by managing your hunger, crafting tools, building bases, and working together with other players. You capture the world’s monsters called Pals and use them to assist you in combat or have them work in your base.
And yes, you can totally give them guns.
Baldur’s Gate 3
If you’ve never tried DnD but have always wanted to know what it’s like, Baldur’s Gate 3 is your best chance to experience the ever-popular role-playing and dice-rolling tabletop game. But if you need more convincing, we’ll roll for Persuasion and let you know that this game made quite the splash during the 2023 Game Awards. It won numerous awards, including Game of the Year! It’s one of the best Xbox games to try this year.
The game is rich in lore, deep character stories, and possibilities. The sky is almost the limit with the choices you can make in the game. You can transform into a bear (even make love to a bear if you want—we won’t judge), backstab or befriend demons, and even form a bond with a Lovecraftian being. Anything’s possible if the dice favor it!
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Infinite Wealth is the latest entry in the Yakuza or Like a Dragon game. It follows Ichiban, as he figures out who his mom is and why different groups are after her in Hawaii. He’s also joined by Kiryu Kazuma, the series’ former main protagonist, who’s now battling a health scare himself.
Gameplay-wise, Infinite Wealth is back to its unique and hilarious turn-based combat where Ichiban seems to imagine the JRPG side of things. The downside to this game is you need to play some of the previous games to understand the story. If you’re okay with watching a story breakdown on YouTube, then say aloha to your new game.
Harold Halibut
If you want a truly unique game in 2024, Harold Halibut is a side-scrolling game with stop-motion animation and handcrafted elements. The characters and setting are all handmade and sculpted!
But that’s not the only thing that makes this game unique. Harold lives in an ark-like spaceship set to find a habitable planet. In the midst of it all, he has to ponder what home means to him. Really makes you think, huh?
Persona 3 Reload
Expect catchy tunes and JRPG goodness in this remake of Persona 3! If you’re a newbie to Persona games or JRPGs, Persona 3 Reload is a good game to start your JRPG journey. It was just released in February 2024 and is a total revamp of the old game, complete with new scenes, improved gameplay, and overhauled graphics (imagine getting chased by Death in HD!).
But we gotta admit, Persona games can be long and the role-playing mechanics might feel totally new. The good thing is the game guides you through its mechanics and you can adjust the difficulty according to your playstyle.
Cocoon
Let your mind be challenged and your heart squealing in this adorable puzzle adventure game from Annapurna Interactive. Cocoon is about a tiny insect who has to work its way through bleak and barren worlds. You hop and jump into safety and use magical orbs to power up yourself and machines scattered around the world.
It won the Best Debut Indie Game category at the 2023 Game Awards and got a lot of very favorable reviews from critics. If you’re in a puzzle mood, time to use that digital Xbox gift card, cocoon up in bed, and play Cocoon!
Just make sure you get your digital Xbox gift cards from a trusted site and you’re good to go. Happy gaming!
