3 new Xbox Game Pass games to play this weekend (January 24-26)

By Jesse Lennox Updated January 24, 2025

There are an overwhelming number of upcoming video games in February that will be competing for your time between the heavy hitters of Civilization 7, Monster Hunter Wilds, and Like a Dragon: Yakuza Pirate in Hawaii just to name a few. Before the deluge of games hits, Xbox Game Pass has a suite of games coming out to hold you over. Rather than give you a ton of giant experiences that you won’t be able to finish before February’s games hit, we’ve found a nice selection of games that you can easily finish before the month is up. While not especially long, these games all offer something special and shouldn’t be missed. If you need something to play this weekend, you can’t go wrong with any of these picks.

And don’t forget that Xbox Game Pass just got a surprising new game on Thursday: Ninja Gaiden 2 Black. We’ll be digging into that this weekend ourselves to let you know if it’s worth your attention.

This unique genre blend from Capcom quietly found a cult following in 2024. It did launch on Game Pass day one, however only on the Ultimate and PC Game Pass tiers, but now will be available for Standard subscribers as well. In Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess you play as a swordsman named Soh who must protect a maiden named Yashiro as she purges the blight that has stricken Mt. Kafuku. Gameplay is a blend of third-person action with real-time strategy elements as you place various units around the map to help defend the maiden from waves of enemies and bosses each night. It takes a bit to get used to, but the flow becomes incredibly addicting when paired with a strong presentation.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

A game where you can play as almost anything in an open-world sandbox would sound too ambitious for most games, but Tchia keeps its scale in check to deliver on all its promises. You control the titular Tchia looking to rescue her father utilizing her soul jumping skill that allows her to posses nearly any animal or object in the world. You’re free to inhabit a bird and soar the skies, or a tree to bend and fling yourself great distances. Natural exploration is heavily emphasized to let you really soak in this world. It is a perfect game if you want a more relaxed experience over the weekend.

Tchia is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

If you’ve been hearing all the praise for last year’s The Rise of the Golden Idol, now is the perfect chance to play the first game, The Case of the Golden Idol. Even if you skipped over the first and went straight to the second, there’s no reason you can’t go backward for an equally impressive detective game. It doesn’t have the same overarching plot that ties together as neatly as the second game, but the cases are each just as deep and fun to puzzle out. If you’re completely new to this series, you are placed in a frozen moment of time after some event and need to examine the area, gather clues, and make deductions to figure out the who, what, and why of each scenario.

The Case of the Golden Idol is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch PC, and mobile.