Xbox Adds 6 New Free Downloads, No Game Pass Required

There are a whole slew of new freebies to try out on Xbox right now, even if you don’t have an Xbox Game Pass subscription, so here’s a handy breakdown of six of the best titles that I think deserve your time.

Xbox Game Pass is great. Xbox Game Pass is also a bit too expensive for some folks, especially if you can’t justify buying a whole 12 month subscription outright.

Thankfully, you don’t have to pay any money to get your hands on the free downloads featured in this list, regardless of whether or not you own either an Xbox Series S or an Xbox Series X.

There are literally hundreds of demos to try on the Xbox Storefront right now though, so here’s a curated list of six titles that I think you should try.

First up, Coffee Talk Tokyo from developers Toge Productions and publisher Chorus Worldwide Games.

If you’ve played either of the previous two Coffee Talk games, then you’ll already know what you’re in for here. If not, I think I’d best describe these games as visual novels, but with a bunch of choices that let you influence the outcomes of your patrons’ visits. Also, they’re very cute to look at.

Next up, Hell is Us is a single player RPG from developer Rogue Factor and publisher Nacon.

The full game isn’t out until September 4, but I have a weirdly good feeling about this one. The combat looks fun, and the gloomy, dark setting seems to be broken up by periodic visits to some beautiful locations. Worth a try, if not just to see if the full game will live up to expectations.

Alchemist: Journey of The Soul is a cute little first person puzzle game from developer and publisher OnSkull Games.

There’s not too much to say about this one yet, as the full game doesn’t even have an exact release date. Also, the developer has been a bit hit and miss with their previous titles. However, the demo is already getting great reviews on Steam, so there’s a good chance the full release will follow suit.

Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree is an action roguelike from developer Brownies Inc and publisher Bandai Namco, set to release on September 18.

I’ll be honest with you, the demo is getting a bit of a mixed reception so far, but I still think the art style is pretty as hell. I’m hoping that the devs can iron out some of the issues prior to release, because it would be a shame if a game this pretty languishes in the forgotten “mid” tier.

Radiant: Guardians Of Light is a 2D co-op beat ‘em up from developer and publisher Chorrus Games, and it’s been out since June.

So, I’ll be frank, I kind of forgot this game existed… and now I’ve just realised that in between me hearing about it and now, it's already released. It’s got some great reviews, but it seems to have been mostly overlooked, and I think the sudden release of a very late demo is a bit of a last ditch attempt to get folks interested. Hopefully people give it a go, because I’ve seen nothing but positive stuff about it so far.

And finally, SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance, from developer Lizardcube and publisher SEGA.

I’ve played the demo for this one, and it is incredible. The full game drops on August 29, and I am chomping at the bit to get my grubby little hands on it. It’s a very satisfying 2D hack and slash game, and my only complaint about the demo is that I wish it was twenty hours longer. If you only try one game on this list, make sure it’s this one.

For now, that’s your whole lot. However, there will doubtlessly be new demos at some point in the next couple of weeks, so keep an eye on the Xbox Store if none of these tickle your fancy.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll replay the SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance demo… again.