Xbox Games with Gold presents a selection of games each month for no extra cost for its subscribers, giving you a chance to add some titles you might not initially think to buy without forcing you to spend some extra cash.
Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can claim two games a month, ranging from AAA blockbusters to beloved indie titles, covering a variety of genres to appeal to all. Unlike Sony’s PlayStation Plus free games, Games with Gold takes a staggered approach, with one game at the start of the month, followed by another at around the midpoint, giving you ample opportunity to get stuck into the first title without feeling overwhelmed.
Here are the free Xbox Games With Gold games that you can pick up in July 2023. They include a tense survival horror game, as well as an emote adventure point-and-click journey. Be sure to check back in for next month’s lineup!
Xbox Games with Gold: this month’s free games
Xbox Games With Gold (July 2023)
Darkwood
Roam by day, survive the night. Darkwood is a different type of survival horror game that builds tension through a slow-burn atmosphere without relying on jump scares. Explore an open world of the corrupted woods to scavenge weapons and materials, but once the sun dips, you’ll need to hole up surrounded by whatever traps and barriers you can build and pray you can hide from or fight the creatures that emerge in the dark.
Available July 1 to July 31
When The Past Was Around
Discover the touching and bittersweet love story of Eda and Owl. Unlock the puzzles in a beautifully rendered point-and-click adventure with hand-drawn art and a magical score that will stick with you for days. This is a calming, meditative game that reflects on love and loss in a surreal world made up of disjointed rooms from memory and time.
Available July 16 – August 15
Xbox Games with Gold: last month’s free games
Adios
You are a pig farmer in Kansas who has finally had enough of your role helping the mob dispose of bodies on your farm. Your hitman friend tries to convince you to change your mind as the two of you go about the errands of the day. He knows what saying no means. This is a meditative thoughtful game that reflects on morality and spirituality with compelling writing and phenomenal voice acting. Will this be goodbye?
Available June 1 to June 30
The Vale: Shadow of the Crown
Close your eyes, become a warrior. Feel your enemy’s rasping breath; a foot shifts on swampy ground; the crack of steel on wooden shield. The Vale is an audio based action adventure that sets out to breathe new life into medieval combat and fantasy narrative.
Available June 16 to July 15
