Xbox Drops Limited-Time Free Game But Users Aren’t Impressed: ‘I Would Rather Watch Paint Dry’
Topics: Xbox, Free Games, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
Featured Image Credit: Xbox Game Studios
Topics: Xbox, Free Games, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
Xbox Game Studios’ latest freebie has failed to impress users, who’d apparently rather do anything else but play it.
Most Xbox fans will be bracing themselves for the end of this week, as on 6 June, the next official Xbox showcase will debut online.
It’ll bring new announcements and updates on the latest games coming to Xbox consoles, though there’ll apparently be no mention of the company’s next console, Project Helix.
While we wait, there’s a new (old) game you can claim for free right now, but most gamers aren’t happy about it.
From the time of writing until the end of June, the narrative adventure game Tell Me Why is free to own for all Xbox owners, no Xbox Game Pass required.
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From the creators of Life Is Strange, the game follows the reunited siblings Tyler and Alyson as they explore their childhood with supernatural powers. The story is told across three chapters and all three will be free until the end of the month.
It's not just Xbox owners either. Steam users can also grab the game for free on their PCs.
This isn’t the first time the game has been free though, as Xbox has given it away in the past before.
Xbox announced the freebie in a post on X and the replies weren’t very kind, like one comment that read: “Dude, this game was free years ago on Steam. Plus, it isn't that special. Seriously, what is wrong with you?”
We've got something special for you to add to your June lineup!
— XBOX (@XBOX) June 1, 2026
Tell Me Why is free to own all month long: https://t.co/wcWBxsjWUp pic.twitter.com/vMRmCzL3BU
Another said, “You continue to give this game away every year. At least since that one year, it appeared in the store: FREE for my account. It’s been ‘FREE’ ever since…”
One particularly scathing review read: “The story makes no sense and is boring. I would rather watch paint dry.”
We’re sure this isn’t exactly selling the game to you but there are at least some people who enjoyed it. Anyone who enjoyed the Life is Strange games is encouraged to give it a go.
If Tell Me Why just isn’t your cup of tea though, there are plenty of other games you can sample instead, though most of them will require Xbox Game Pass.
Failing that, you can always redeem some of your existing Xbox Rewards points to bag yourself a new release at a discounted price? We’d suggest either 007 First Light or LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight at the moment.
Hopefully, the upcoming Xbox showcase on 6 June will yield some additional freebies, or at the very least some free tasters for its future first-party titles.
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