The best games on Xbox Game Pass for right now (February 2023)

Sea of Thieves puts you in the shoes of a pirate, and not in the same way as Black Flag does (even though that’s still one of the best Assassin’s Creed games ever). It’s not just an open-world action-adventure game with a pirate skin — Sea of Thieves is a pirate simulator. From looting unexplored islands to piloting your ship with a group of friends, developer Rare manages to gamify every aspect of Sea of Thieves, making each game task engaging no matter how mundane it may seem. More importantly, the gamification leads to a sense of freedom. Nothing in Sea of Thieves is stringent, from the loose leveling system to the Tall Tales that make up the campaign. You’re free to explore and tackle objectives in any way you see fit, or simply ignore objectives altogether. Although a lonely experience on your own, Sea of Thieves is a must-play with a group of friends. The game even supports cross-platform play between the Game Pass and Steam versions, so stringing together a group of pirates is easy.

Is 15 years too long to wait for a sequel? That depends on how good the original game is — and Double Fine’s Psychonauts was certainly one of the best in its genre. Psychonauts 2 is finally here, and the familiar formula is back, sure to please fans of the old game while making an excellent introduction to the zany, heartfelt world of Psychonauts. The story picks up soon after the first (and a VR side story that was later released), following a boy named Raz, who has left his circus family to train his psychic powers with the acclaimed Psychonauts organization. Raz’s specialty is entering minds and sorting out hidden traumas so that people (heroes and villains alike) can move on in healthy ways. He uses a wide assortment of psychic powers to defeat literal doubts, fears, and panic attacks while navigating worlds chock-full of collectibles and currency that allow him to upgrade or modify abilities. The platforming in Psychonauts 2 is not only excellent, but insanely inventive, incorporating every kind of movement you can imagine in ways that make the cartoony world both fascinating and emotionally moving (but not too challenging). Combat sometimes seems like an afterthought as a result, but there’s plenty to do for all kinds of gamers. Take a  look at our Psychonauts 2 beginner’s guide to get started.