Xbox Games with Gold is a lovely bonus for any Xbox Live Gold subscribers, who are treated to a selection of free games each month – to keep. If you’re buying Xbox Live Gold directly from Microsoft, it’ll set you back around $59.99 (£39.99) a year, which is less than your average triple-A these days, and you’ll get a handful of free games every single month.
One important note: Games with Gold is not Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Ultimate offers a Netflix-style buffet of games to try out, but there’s nothing worse than loading up the app to find that your favourite has been removed from the service. It’s like turning up to an all-you-can-eat Italian restaurant to find they’re out of pizza: tantalising, but disappointing. On the other hand, Games with Gold gives you monthly games to keep. Forever.
What’s more, it’s cheaper than Game Pass Ultimate (and also included in your Ultimate subscription) and usually digs out a few hidden gems a month as permanent additions to your collection.
Here are the Games with Gold free games this month.
GAMES WITH GOLD: July 2021
Darksiders 3
This action RPG will have you siding with a red-haired badass called Fury in a quest to hunt down and dispose of the Seven Deadly Sins. It incorporates elements from the Metroidvania games and the Souls series, so expect lots of combat and levelling systems.
Darksiders 3 is available from August 1 to August 31.
Yooka-Laylee
Love platformers like Banjo-Kazooie and Donkey Kong Country? Then Yooka-Laylee is right up your street. This third-person platformer will have you exploring a big colourful world as a chameleon and a bat.
Yooka-Laylee is available from August 16 to September 15.
Lost Planet 3
Don’t be fooled by the name, Lost Planet 3 is actually the prequel to Lost Planet: Extreme Condition and Lost Planet 2. This action-adventure takes place on the same planet, E.D.N. III., but through the eyes of Jim Peyton, a rig pilot helping lay the groundwork for colonisation.
Like the other games, expect lots of intense first-person action in both single player and online.
Lost Planet 3 is available from August 1 to August 15.
Garou: Mark of the Wolves
Fighting game fans will recognise this game alright. This 1999 classic was produced by SNK for the Neo Geo system and still holds firm today. With original settings and the option to play against friends online, this is a great little addition to the line-up.
Garou: Mark of the Wolves is available from August 16 to August 31.
Previous Games with gold 2021
If you’re wondering what games have previously been offered under the Games With Gold scheme in 2021, we’ve got you covered.
GAMES WITH GOLD: JUly 2021
- Planet Alpha
- Rock of Ages 3: Make & Break
- Conker: Live and Reloaded
- Midway Arcade Origins
GAMES WITH GOLD: June 2021
- The King’s Bird
- Shadows: Awakening
- NeoGeo Battle Coliseum
- Injustice: Gods Among Us
Games with Gold: May 2021
- Lego Batman
- Tropico 4
- Armello
- Dungeons 3
Games with Gold: April 2021
- Vikings: Wolves of Midgard
- Truck Racing Championship
- Dark Void
- Hard Corps: Uprising
Games with Gold: March 2021
- Warface: Breakout
- Vicious Attack Llama Apocalypse
- Metal Slug 3
- Port Royale
Games with Gold: February 2021
- Gears 5
- Resident Evil
- Dandara: Trials of Fear Edition
- Indiana Jones and the Emperor’s Tomb
- Lost Planet 2
Games with Gold: January 2021
- Little Nightmares
- The King of Fighters XIII
- Bleed 2
Check back next month for the next load of freebies. Remember if you have the Xbox Game Pass, you’ve got loads more games at your finger tips. Check out the full Xbox Game Pass list and the best Xbox Game Pass games for more information.
