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Microsoft hasn’t only treated Game Pass to their Xbox player base, as it’s also available for PC. The Xbox and PC iterations of Game Pass share a very similar catalogue of games, though there are a handful on each system that are exclusive, including some fantastic titles that are only playable on PC.
8 Spore
It’s easy to forget now, but in the build-up to Spore’s release, it was one of the most highly anticipated arrivals of the 2000s. Electronic Arts and Maxis did a fantastic job of marketing the game, and initial trailers made it look like a once in a generation experience. When Spore was released, it was initially seen as a disappointment, as it didn’t reach the ludicrously high expectations placed on its shoulders.
However, once the dust had settled and the initial hype subsided, Spore finally started to get the respect that it deserved. The gameplay may be simplistic, but it’s easy to sink multiple hours into creating a new species and watching it grow, socialise, and ultimately try to survive.
7 Humankind
Humankind is the most recent game on this list to come to Game Pass, as it hit the service on August 17 2021, the same day that the game itself was released. Amplitude Studios’ game doesn’t try to hide its influences, as the game is unapologetic in how closely it resembles the Civilization series. The game does have some differences to its counterpart, such as its single victory condition revolving around Fame, but generally speaking, those who enjoy Civilization will be loving Humankind’s inclusion into Game Pass.
6 Hearts of Iron IV
Hearts of Iron 4 is a grand strategy wargame that was released by Paradox Interactive in mid-2016. The series’ fourth instalment continues the franchise’s tradition of focusing on World War 2, with its campaign specifically beginning in either 1936 or 1939.
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Hearts of Iron 4 can be a tough ride in the opening hours, as its impressive level of depth and complexity can make the game overbearing to begin with. It’s certainly worth persisting, though, as once the player understands the many mechanics, it becomes one of the most engaging and engrossing strategy games on the market today.
5 Europa Universalis 4
Like the aforementioned Hearts of Iron 4, Europa Universalis 4 is a historical grand strategy game released by Paradox Interactive and developed by the aptly named Paradox Development Studio. The game differentiates itself from Hearts of Iron 4 with its setting, as the game takes place between the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period.
The game received an excellent 87 critic score on Metacritic, which is four points higher than the score earned by Hearts of Iron 4.
4 SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition
SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition is one of three SimCity games that is available on Game Pass, with SimCity: Complete Edition and SimCity 2000: Special Edition being the others. Truth be told, any of the three games could have made this list, as they all offer a similar level of quality.
SimCity 4 was initially released in January 2003, while the deluxe edition hit stores in September of the same year and included the SimCity 4: Rush Hour expansion pack. The game was developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts, the same duo that worked on the aforementioned Spore.
3 Command & Conquer: Remastered Collection
Command & Conquer Remastered Collection was released in June 2020 and features remastered iterations of the first two entries in the franchise, Command & Conquer and Command & Conquer: Red Alert.
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The remaster gives the classic real-time strategy games a fresh coat of paint and includes the three expansions packs Counterstrike, The Covert Operations, and The Aftermath. The pair of games, which were originally released in the mid-90s, hold up surprisingly well, and it’s still just as easy to become engrossed in the battles as it was when the games first hit shelves.
2 Crusader Kings 3
Crusader Kings 3 is yet another game on this list that was published by Paradox Interactive and developed by Paradox Development Studio. The grand strategy game has a lot of similarities to Hearts of Iron 4 and Europa Universalis 4, though it differentiates itself with its emphasis on role-playing.
Unlike most strategy games that essentially make the players a faceless god who rules over the kingdom for centuries, Crusader Kings 3 puts players in control of a 3D-rendered character whose behaviour, characteristics, and stress levels are directly affected by the player’s choices.
1 Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition
Believe it or not, it’s now been over twenty years since Age of Empires 2 was originally released. Ensemble Studios’ game revolutionized the real-time strategy genre, and its gameplay mechanics have been copied, reworked and reimagined by numerous different studios over the years. Despite the many games that have tried to recapture the magic of Age of Empires II, there are numerous people who still consider it to be one of the best strategy games of all time.
Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition was first released in November 2019 and remastered the game with beautiful modern visuals.
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