The 20 best indie games on Game Pass to play in 2026

With surprising regularity, some of the best indie games on Game Pass steal the spotlight from the biggest AAA headliners, proving that Microsoft’s service isn’t just about blockbuster launches. While many subscribers jump in for day-one major releases, others stay for the creative, daring, and surprisingly addictive independent experiences hidden in the catalog.

If you’re part of that second group, consider this your treasure map. From gripping JRPGs and challenging roguelikes to inventive metroidvanias and genre-defying surprises, there’s something here waiting to become your next favorite tiny game.

What are the best indie games on Game Pass?

Ready to broaden your gaming horizons? If so, explore our selection of the best indie games on PC Game Pass to play in 2026. We update this list as often as possible to keep you in the loop with newly added titles that are worth your attention. After checking out the selection, be sure to let us know which pick stands out as your favorite!

Pacific Drive

Let’s open our list with a cozy drive through the totally safe landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. That is, if by “cozy” you mean desperately trying not to die, and by “safe” you mean anomaly-ridden with extremely low survival odds. Enter Pacific Drive, an open-world survival experience I can only describe as a volatile fusion of Mad Max, STALKER, and a surprisingly deep dose of base building. Plus, a part-time career as a very stressed mechanic.

You play as a nameless Driver trapped in this hostile zone after a mysterious anomalous event. Fortunately, you’re not entirely alone. Supernaturally bonded to your trusty station wagon, you explore the ever-shifting wilderness, dodge lethal anomalies, and constantly repair and upgrade your vehicle to survive another run. It’s basically a creepy, post-apocalyptic road trip where glowing hazards stalk the highways, your radio crackles with unsettling broadcasts, and turning your rusty car into a customized survival machine feels ridiculously satisfying. Pacific Drive is not exactly a relaxing getaway, but as far as indie survival road trips go, it’s one you won’t want to miss.

Stardew Valley 

When people think of indie games on Game Pass, they often imagine small titles that don’t take longer than 10 hours to beat. Stardew Valley leaves such games in the dust because it is anything but small. This phenomenal simulator offers a staggering amount of gameplay.

Not only is it pretty much endless (unless you count the completion of the main quest as an end game), but you can play it however you like it. Dreaming of building your dream farm? It’s one of the most memorable farming games on the market. Fishing? Cave exploration? You’ve got everything you need to have the time of your life.

Slay the Spire

If you want to completely lose touch with reality, fuse with your gaming chair, and become an expert at card battles, believe us, it’s all just a click away. Aside from being one of the best indie games on Xbox Game Pass, Slay the Spire is probably also among the most addictive ones. Consider yourself warned. 

The premise is very simple: you pick a character and make your way through multiple layers of the titular spire, choosing between several available paths and battling enemies with your deck of cards. Its roguelike structure and sheer quantity of content make Slay the Spire a true time-eater and a perfect choice for a short (?) run before work, during work, and after work…

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Team Cherry made every Metroidvania fan (and every proud masochist who enjoys dying 47 times to the same boss) wait an eternity… but holy bug, Hollow Knight: Silksong was worth every single second and easily earns its place among the standout Game Pass indie games of 2026. And sure, I’ll admit I’ll always have a soft spot for the silent, tiny Knight over the whip-fast, acrobatic Hornet. Everything else about the game, though? Absolutely slaps!

The world is massive, melancholic, and jaw-droppingly gorgeous; every hand-drawn screen feels like concept art come to life. The bosses are brutal in the best way. And Hornet’s combat? It’s pure flow-state poetry: fast, fluid, balletic, and punishing. If you love hard Metroidvanias that respect your skill (and occasionally mock your deaths), this is endgame material.

And then Team Cherry drops the cherry on top that genuinely blew me away: Sea of Sorrow, a full nautical-themed DLC coming in 2026. New areas, new nightmares, new ways to die beautifully…and it’s completely free on launch: an outstanding move, Team Cherry. I guess we’ll gladly be diving back into Pharloom for another round of suffering.

Monster Train 2

If you think your daily train commute is a soul-crushing borefest, buckle up: Monster Train 2 is a roguelike deckbuilder that will completely change how you feel about locomotives, the eternal war between Heaven and Hell, and the general idea that public transportation should involve fewer demons and more seating space.

The sequel expands the original’s strategic depth with new clans, mechanics, relics, enemies, and challenges, adding tactical choices and outrageous synergies that keep every run feeling fresh and unpredictable. My favorite part? The vertical, multi-floor train defense system. Setting up absurd angel-demon combos across different levels never stops being satisfying, and discovering a broken build feels like committing a small but justified war crime. Quick 20-minute blasts or epic all-nighters? Monster Train 2 is built for both. And with the recent Destiny of the Railforged DLC adding even more chaos to the mix, there’s never been a better time to board this revenge-fueled locomotive. All aboard!

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes

If you’re a fan of the Suikoden series, you need to check out its spiritual successor, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes. Here, you’ll join Seign Kesling, a talented imperial officer, and Nowa, a boy from a remote village, on their epic adventure across a war-torn continent. You’ll spend most of your time in turn-based combat, leading a team of six characters. 

Interestingly, the game provides a roster of one hundred unique heroes to choose from, which allows for plenty of party customization. As you progress, you’ll also develop and manage your own fortress town, complete with handy facilities like inns and armor shops.

Unpacking

Unpacking is an oddly soothing game where you unpack the belongings of the protagonist in her new home. As you organize her possessions, you discover her interests and design preferences. Since she relocates frequently, you gradually learn more about her through the items she owns or once owned, almost like she’s sharing her story with you.

Nothing is rushing you, so you can focus on exploring and arranging without worrying about some time limit. It’s a well-earned rest that you might want after all of the excitement built by previous games. Enjoy your stay in Unpacking for as long as you wish.

Read our article on the coziest games for more titles that will help you relieve your stress after a tough day at work or school.

Wobbly Life

I am not gonna lie: Wobbly Life serves up the most brutally relatable story in gaming; your no-nonsense grandma boots you out the door with one mission: GET A JOB!  Get a life. Buy your own house. Well, it’s kinda three missions, but you get what I mean. Fortunately, this vibrant open-world sandbox is packed with odd jobs that let you earn some cash; slinging pizzas, hauling trash, fighting fires, you name it. But here’s the secret: the insanely jiggly, physics-gone-rogue ragdoll. Characters flop. Vehicles flip. Objects launch into low orbit, and nothing obeys physics. And it’s all hilariously unhinged every time.

The thing I loved the most about Wobbly Life? The up-to-4-player co-op (local or online), which turns mundane tasks into pure chaos: yeeting each other off cliffs, sabotaging deliveries, or straight-up stealing your friends’ hard-earned stacks mid-job. If you’re looking for a deep, emotional narrative… this isn’t it. But if you want a game that lets you create your own fun through chaotic, physics-driven nonsense with friends, Wobbly Life is absolutely the way to go.

Nine Sols

When writing about the best indie games on Game Pass, we couldn’t ignore Nine Sols. With its stunning hand-drawn graphics and animations, it’s easily one of the most visually striking picks on our list. This metroidvania mixes Taoism and cyberpunk to create an intriguing “Taopunk” setting. The game blends Sekiro-style 2D combat with classic platforming. 

You play as Yi, a vengeful hero on a quest to defeat the titular nine Sols, powerful rulers of New Kunlun. Along the way, you’ll meet NPCs who not only add to the story but also help you by offering upgrades, new abilities, and useful tech.

Dead Cells

If your dream is to roll down a massive castle tower, smack someone with a comically overpowered frying pan, and then eliminate his friends using a shuriken-spewing death trap, all while looking effortlessly cool, Dead Cells has you covered. This critically acclaimed roguelike action-platformer delivers lightning-fast combat, buttery-smooth movement, and the comforting certainty that you will absolutely die… repeatedly. And somehow, it feels amazing every single time.

A huge part of that magic lies in its deep, rewarding progression system. Yes, every death sends you back to the start, but permanent upgrades ensure that no run is ever truly wasted. There’s always another blueprint to discover, another build to experiment with, another Boss Cell to chase. Even after 150+ hours, I’m still hunting for unlocks and filling those dangling bottles with shiny new toys of destruction. And then there’s the DLC lineup, packed with both hilarious twists and nostalgia-fueled crossovers (yes, Castlevania, I’m absolutely looking at you). All of that ensures that Dead Cells remains one of the absolute peaks of the roguelike Metroidvania genre.

Balatro

Some of the best indie games on Game Pass are often the most unassuming, and Balatro fits that description perfectly. It’s no surprise that both critics and casual players rave about this deck builder—its addictive nature makes it hard to put down.

This Poker-inspired card game offers an in-depth campaign mode with 8 difficulty levels. It’ll keep you hooked for hours as you experiment with different synergies and builds. You’ll have plenty of tools at your disposal, including different Decks, Jokers, Tarot cards, Planet cards, Spectral cards, and Vouchers.

BALL x PIT

Imagine squash… but it’s gone completely weaponized. No racquet. No polite back-and-forth. Just you, a badass hero, yeeting hyper-destructive glowing orbs that ricochet like absolute psychopaths off every wall while entire hordes of monsters get turned into red mist in an endless vertical death pit. That’s BALL x PIT, a high-octane fantasy roguelite that drops you into a hole, tells you to obliterate everything with magic murder-spheres, gather resources… and then kindly asks you to do it all over again.

And honestly? The ridiculously addictive core loop would already be enough. But to my absolute joy, BALL x PIT doesn’t stop there. Between runs, you’re building your own town on the surface, unlocking bonuses and upgrades that feed directly back into the carnage below. We’re talking orbs that split into lethal shrapnel, drain enemy blood, ignite entire screens, or chain reactions so absurd they feel illegal. Add powerful synergies, multiple heroes with distinct abilities, and that sweet “just one more run” energy, and the replayability of BALL x PIT just shoots through the roof.

Blue Prince

It’s been ages since a game gripped me this hard: Blue Prince is easily one of the best indie games on PC Game Pass that are equal parts roguelite, puzzle dungeon-crawler, and atmospheric mystery. The premise sounds deceptively simple. You inherit a sprawling mansion from your eccentric great-uncle. The catch: you must discover an elusive 46th room hidden somewhere in the mansion. Easy enough, right? WRONG! The moment you step inside, you realize you’re not merely exploring the mansion… you’re creating it.

You see, every time you enter any room, you choose which room will exist on the other side, selecting from a set of blueprints (yes, that’s the clever wordplay). You’re constantly drafting the layout in real time, stitching corridors and chambers together in an attempt to reach that elusive final chamber. Hit a dead end? Run out of your limited steps for the day? The mansion resets, the floor plan disappears, and you start over. Absolutely addictive and unique, and a must-play for everybody.

CloverPit

CloverPit tells a story about addiction and escape the right way, if by “right” you mean on a budget, with abrupt, brutal endings, and sky-high stress levels. Despite not being into gambling myself, I couldn’t stop playing. The hypnotic ding-ding-ding of slot machines, the creeping horror atmosphere, and the ever-present threat of the pit make every run weirdly intoxicating. But let’s rewind for a second.

In CloverPit, you’re drowning in debt. Your solution? Gamble your way out. Locked inside a dim, claustrophobic cell with a trapdoor waiting to snap open beneath your feet if you fail, you spin, strategize, and pray to the RNG gods. Buy lucky charms to improve your odds, stack synergies, even stash money in an in-cell ATM (yes, really) to earn interest. You play smart. You optimize. You do everything right… and then one bad streak sends you plummeting into the abyss. And what do you do next? You start over! Explosive, short, brutally tense, and dangerously replayable!

PowerWash Simulator 2

If you despise cleaning (and let’s be honest, who doesn’t?), maybe the real problem is that you’ve never had cool enough tools. Enter PowerWash Simulator 2, the sequel that drops you into gloriously filthy environments, hands you an arsenal of customizable power washers, sprayers, and other upgrades, and simply says: go on, blast that grime into oblivion.

What instantly sold me, though, is just how peaceful and almost zen-like PowerWash Simulator 2 is. Watching layers of dirt slowly vanish from cars, playgrounds, and entire buildings is weirdly therapeutic. And the huge bonus? You can invite friends to join your cozy cleaning session, turning it into a strangely wholesome co-op experience. For clean freaks, or anyone just looking for a break from constant explosions, boss fights, and world-ending stakes, PWS2 is an unexpectedly perfect palate cleanser.

DREDGE

Let’s face it, fans of suffocating tension, eerie storytelling, and eldritch monstrosities probably don’t list fishing as their primary hobby. Unless, of course, we’re talking about DREDGE. This brilliant fishing survival adventure title, and one of the must-play indie games on Xbox Game Pass, casts you as the captain of a modest trawler. By day, you haul in fish, complete contracts, and upgrade your vessel. By night… you navigate blackened waters filled with things that absolutely should not exist.

If you enjoy atmospheric indie games that blend relaxation with steadily rising panic, DREDGE is an easy recommendation. Just remember to pack your rods, reinforce your hull, and invest in the strongest searchlight you can afford; out there in the dark, you’re rarely the one doing the hunting.

Palworld

Palworld is a name almost every gamer recognizes. It’s been the talk of the town since its debut, resulting in official statements from the Pokemon Company and record-breaking sales on Steam.

While the player numbers have dipped from their peak, it’s still a hit among many. There must be something special about capturing Pals and creating complex automated bases. As an early access title, it’s exciting to see how it will evolve over the years.

Another Crab’s Treasure

In recent years, we’ve seen a fair share of soulslike titles, but one featuring a hermit crab as the protagonist is certainly something fresh. Enter Another Crab’s Treasure, where you dive beneath the sea as Krill, a hermit crab, on a quest to reclaim your repossessed shell. 

Expect to encounter many formidable enemies on your adventure. To defeat them, you need to pay close attention to their moves and find the right moment to strike. It’s also interesting to note that trash is a treasure here, serving as shields and weaponry. All in all, it’s a good choice for both veterans and newcomers to the genre.

Manor Lords

Manor Lords is a medieval city builder with large-scale tactical battles similar to Total War. It gives players a lot of freedom to build, as there are no strict grids, and you can rotate and position buildings however you like. 

Just keep an eye on the terrain and make sure your structures are connected to roads. On top of that, it features stunningly realistic graphics that further enhance the immersive experience.

Vampire Survivors

We will end the list with an indie that may look as if it escaped the previous century, but its roguelite nature, enhanced by RPG features, makes for an addictive game that won’t let you leave it after at least a couple of runs.

Vampire Survivors takes you back to the days when gameplay was the most important thing. It throws so many enemies at you that you begin to feel like you’re in reverse bullet hell. And it’s nothing less than genius.

That was the list of the best indie games on Xbox Game Pass in 2026. It featured multiple titles with different approaches to mechanics, atmosphere, and story, although something connects all of these.

It’s the passion of independent creators who developed their works, pouring their hearts into them. Xbox Game Pass has a lot to offer in this regard. You only need to start exploring! You can do so by starting your journey with the service for a reasonable price:

Think we missed an indie game you absolutely adore? Or maybe you didn’t like one of our picks? We’d love to hear your thoughts on the titles we’ve mentioned, as well as other Game Pass indie games. Feel free to share your opinions in the comments section below!