Three Xbox Game Pass Games We're Enjoying Over the Weekend (Oct. 10-12)

Following the company's recent announcement of Xbox Game Pass membership updates, including a cost hike for the top tier to $30 per month, numerous subscribers are looking for new methods to maximize their membership. For those keeping their membership or thinking about joining, we present this week's recommendations.

Our selected games feature a beloved Japanese role-playing game, a charming independent adventure, and a superb puzzle game set to depart from the platform soon.

Persona 4 Golden

Among the top ways to maximize value from Game Pass is by diving into a extensive, engaging role-playing game — and Persona 4: The Golden Edition fits that description exactly. Players step into the role of a high school student who has relocated to the sleepy rural town of Inaba. By day, your goals include making new friends, taking on part-time jobs, and keeping up with studies. By night, you work to solve a chilling string of murders by exploring unique dungeons themed around your friends' deepest insecurities.

With a unforgettable cast of characters, strategic turn-based combat, impeccable visuals, and a plot packed with twists, Persona 4 Golden is regarded as a masterpiece for many reasons. It also boasts a highly addictive cycle that will have you playing late into the night, night after night.

Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato

While major titles like Ninja Gaiden IV are a key selling point for Game Pass, the platform also showcases smaller games. A perfect example of this is Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato. Drawing from the animated classic, this charming indie game is a magical realist tale steeped in South American traditions. You join Miho, who, after assisting his grandma prepare soup, is transported to a vibrant world populated by potato-nabbing frogs and various eccentric creatures.

Sopa unfolds similar to an learning-focused computer title from the 1990s, as Miho solves challenges and helps the world's inhabitants by collecting an assortment of items. Though it's a bit unpolished, Sopa is a sweet small game that openly showcases its appreciation for the region's culture.

Cocoon

Cocoon is set to exit Game Pass on Oct. 15, giving you only a short time to play it via subscription — and you definitely should. Developer the creators crafted one of the finest puzzlers of recent years in the 2023 release Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure. Its central puzzle mechanic revolves around moving among realms within additional dimensions, and frequently you'll transport those realms, in the form of vibrant spheres, alongside you.

Although it lacks direct guidance, everything about Cocoon's puzzles is designed in a highly natural manner, yet they will test you as well. 2023 was a massive period for video games, so it's understandable if Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure was a bit missed by the masses. Let's rectify that while we can.