The gaming community has a lot to celebrate this month as the subscription services have brought their A-game to end the year on a high note. It’s also safe to say that the new games in the Xbox Game Pass lineup for December 2024 are head and shoulders above the titles being offered by competitors like the PlayStation Plus.
In fact, just a cursory look at Microsoft’s monthly lineup is enough to deduce that the additions cater to fans of all tastes. Not to mention, the blockbuster title in the fold that can outperform all of last month’s Game Pass offerings single-handedly.
So, if we have piqued your interest, keep reading to learn all about the Xbox Game Pass December 2024 games and decide for yourself which ones to play first.
Here are all the upcoming Xbox Game Pass December 2024 games
1. Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled
Genre: Kart racing
Release year: 2019
Publisher: Activision
For millennial gamers, Microsoft has a treat in store this month. Crash Team Racing, the 1999 PS1 kart racing title, was revamped by Beenox in 2019 and the remake now finds a place in December’s Xbox Game Pass lineup.
Featuring 56 popular characters from the Crash Bandicoot franchise, Nitro-Fueled takes you on a nostalgic ride with modern gameplay mechanics. Players can not only choose among a host of karts but also customise them. Additionally, you can race on as many as 39 tracks en route to becoming the undefeated champion. To sum up, this is a visually appealing game that will keep you glued to the screen for hours.
2. DayZ
Genre: Survival
Release year: 2018
Publisher: Bohemia Interactive
This is a unique multiplayer survival game in which players explore a hostile post-apocalyptic world. To survive, you have to keep your wits about you, collect resources and manage them carefully, and always be mindful of your surroundings.
Being an always-online game, you will continuously meet other players who, like you, are trying to stay alive. These chance encounters can lead to either a war or assistance.
3. Goat Simulator
Genre: Simulation, comedy
Release year: 2014
Publisher: Coffee Stain Studios
Goat Simulator is a quirky simulation game that allows you to control the titular animal and wreak havoc. You can ram into NPCs, blow up gas stations, travel to space or even participate in story-based missions — there are no limitations vis-à-vis the things you can do. If you’re looking for mindless fun, Goat Simulator is the game for you this month.
4. Forza Motorsport
Genre: Driving Simulation
Release year: 2023
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Forza Motorsport is the latest instalment in the critically acclaimed racing simulation franchise developed by Turn 10 Studios. This title features photorealistic visuals with carefully crafted car models, intricate environmental details and lifelike weather.
In addition, Forza Motorsport offers the most realistic car handling in the series to date. Besides handling, the advanced physics engine of the game ensures that from the tyre grip of your vehicle to its suspension, every component reflects real-world details. This is, without a doubt, a dream come true for every gamer who also happens to be a motorhead.
5. Hauntii
Genre: Puzzle, adventure
Release year: 2023
Publisher: Firestoke
Hauntii is a unique, twin-stick game with puzzle-solving at its core. Usually, twin-stick titles are shooters in which players move the character with one stick and fire weapons with another. Hauntii introduces puzzles to this, thereby making it a fascinating mashup of genres.
Besides an interesting set of gameplay mechanics, this title features beautifully designed visuals that look somewhat hand-drawn. The textured soundtrack by LightReturn serves as the icing on the cake.
6. Humanity
Genre: Platformer, puzzle, real-time strategy
Release year: 2023 (PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC), 2024 (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S)
Publisher: tha LTD.
In Humanity, players control a Shiba Inu dog who guides a crowd of people towards a goal. On this journey, you have to guide the masses to solve puzzles, jump from one platform to another and navigate through difficult spaces.
Additionally, this game comes with a highly detailed level editor that allows players to create their own stages — you can place obstacles, design puzzles and then challenge your friends to complete them. On its release, Humanity received a positive response from critics and players alike and also got an ‘Honorable Mention’ at the 24th Game Developers Choice Awards earlier this year.
7. EA Sports WRC
Genre: Rally racing
Release year: 2023
Publisher: EA Sports
EA Sports WRC is a realistic rally game that allows you to choose from 78 cars and race them through more than 200 competition stages. The driving mechanics in this are very close to titles in the simulation genre — it is challenging to stay on track and finish these rallies unscathed.
Besides a single-player career mode, there’s also an option to enjoy this game with your friends. In multiplayer, as many as 32 gamers can race against each other. The best part? There is no restriction in terms of the platform you are playing on.
8. Overthrown
Genre: City-builder, action, adventure, sandbox
Release year: 2024
Publisher: Maximum Entertainment
In Overthrown, you get to explore a massive world, collect resources, build farms, harvest crops, erect structures and even throw them around the map! While in most simulation survival titles you need to dismantle structures to move them from one place to another, here you can simply choose to uproot and throw them.
This unique feature complements the game’s fast-paced environment where every task needs to be done in a jiffy. And, in case you can’t handle the stress of building a whole town and keeping it safe from pirates and other foes all by yourself, there is a way to get reinforcements — up to six players can join forces with you to build the ultimate city.
9. Wildfrost
Genre: Roguelike, deck-building
Release year: 2023 (Nintendo Switch, PC), 2024 (Android, iOS, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S)
Publisher: Chucklefish
Wildfrost is a roguelike deck-building title in which players are tasked with stopping an endless winter. The core gameplay of Wildfrost revolves around recruiting various adventurers and using them to defeat monsters in turn-based card battles.
The art style we see in this game is quite similar to that of Cuphead and Minute of Islands. The only drawback of this otherwise enticing title is the lack of a multiplayer mode, which undoubtedly would have elevated the overall gameplay experience.
10. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Genre: Action, adventure
Release year: 2024
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Yes, we know this is the game you have been waiting for ever since you started reading our list — precisely why we have saved it for last.
Fans of Indiana Jones have a lot to rejoice as the beloved archaeologist makes a comeback to the world of video gaming with Great Circle. Developed by MachineGames, this is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated Xbox-exclusive titles of the year and there are several reasons for you to play it.
However, what makes it one of the best entries on this list of the Xbox Game Pass December 2024 games is its production value. In addition to the breathtaking cinematic visuals, this title features an ensemble cast led by Troy Baker, the voice-acting legend known for playing characters like Joel from The Last of Us, Higgs Monaghan in Death Stranding and the Joker in Batman: Arkham Origins.
(Hero Image Credit: Activision; Featured Image Credit: Bohemia Interactive)
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