Microsoft launched their “Games with Gold” program in June 2013 as an answer to Sony’s popular PlayStation Plus service, which had been offering free games to subscribers through its “Instant Game Collection” for 3 years at that point. While Microsoft’s service started out a bit rough, offering much fewer games than Sony and sticking to out-of-date games, they have made significant strides in improving the service in its 2 year lifespan. While Sony’s Instant Game Collection is still widely considered the superior service, Games with Gold has the advantage of allowing users to keep their Xbox 360 games even if they cancel their Xbox Live Gold subscription (Xbox One games are inaccessible without Gold). There have been quite a few standout free titles offered through Games with Gold, with the following 10 arguably being the best in terms of value and overall quality.
*Please note that these games are no longer offered through Games with Gold, since the selection changes each month.
10. Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition (Xbox One) – July 2014
Most of the games that have been offered through Games with Gold so far have been for the Xbox 360, but there have been a few notable titles added for the Xbox One since the console became eligible in June 2014. One such title is DrinkBox Studios’ highly-acclaimed indie brawler Guacamelee!, which was originally released in April 2013 for last generation systems like the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. What makes Guacamelee! such a notable addition to Games with Gold (besides its actual quality) is that the Xbox One port, called the Super Turbo Championship Edition, was added the same month it was released. Snagging a new game for free is always a welcome proposition.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lR45VW6F2uk Source: youtube.com