Best Game Pass Games to Play Before You Buy Anything on Black Friday

How we picked

• In the catalog: each game appears in both the US PC Game Pass list and the US console list that Xbox's site uses, read on November 2, 2026. Which tier includes a game (Essential, Premium, Ultimate, PC Game Pass) is not in that feed, so check the game's page on xbox.com before you subscribe.
• Ranked by critic score: the Metacritic score Steam shows for the PC version. Games without a Steam Metacritic score are listed separately with their Steam user review summary.
• No savings math. We do not estimate what you save. Compare the subscription you would pay against the price of the games you actually want.

Game Pass libraries change every month, and games leave. Xbox says you keep access "until your subscription ends or the game leaves the library."

Ranked by critic score

Steam Deck status is only relevant if you also own the game on Steam. Game Pass PC games run through the Xbox app on Windows.

Also in the catalog, no Steam Metacritic score

• Forza Horizon 5: Steam reviews Very Positive, 88% (English). Forza Horizon 6 is also listed in the catalog.
• DOOM: The Dark Ages: Very Positive, 86%.
• South of Midnight: Very Positive, 94%.
• Palworld: Overwhelmingly Positive, 95%. Steam shows a release date of July 9, 2026.
• Stardew Valley (Metacritic 89), Hades (93) and Vampire Survivors (86) are also listed, if you have not played them.

Try it on Game Pass first if

• You are not sure you will like a genre. Ten hours on Game Pass tells you more than a trailer.
• You want to play several of the games above in December and January.
• The game is one you will finish once and not replay.
• You play on Xbox console or are happy using the Xbox app on PC.

Buy a copy instead if

• You want to keep it. A redeemed key or a bought copy stays on your account. Game Pass access ends when you stop paying or the game leaves.
• You play on Steam or Steam Deck. Game Pass games do not land in your Steam library. Buy the Steam version.
• It is not in the catalog, or not in your tier. For example, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Baldur's Gate 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 were not in the US PC list on November 2, 2026.
• It is a Call of Duty game at launch. Microsoft said in April 2026 that future Call of Duty titles join Game Pass about a year after launch. See our earlier guide for details.

Our full decision guide is Game Pass or buy the key?, which covers tiers and what each includes.

A simple Black Friday plan

1. List the games you want before the sales start.
2. Check each one against the Game Pass catalog and its tier on xbox.com.
3. Play the Game Pass ones first, through November, if you are already subscribed.
4. Buy only the games you want to keep, that are not on Game Pass, or that you play on Steam.
5. Run the safety checks on any key: region, platform, seller type and refund rules. See our Black Friday key safety checklist.

There is no store-wide Steam sale in Black Friday week. See Steam sale dates for the calendar.

AskLoot compares PC and Xbox key offers, shows key type and region, adds known fees, and labels grey market sellers. It does not cover every game.

Sources

All checked on 2026-11-02.

• Xbox Game Pass catalog, US PC list: https://catalog.gamepass.com/sigls/v2?id=fdd9e2a7-0fee-49f6-ad69-4354098401ff&language=en-us&market=US
• Xbox Game Pass catalog, US console list: https://catalog.gamepass.com/sigls/v2?id=f6f1f99f-9b49-4ccd-b3bf-4d9767a77f5e&language=en-us&market=US
• Microsoft Store displaycatalog (product titles for catalog IDs): https://displaycatalog.mp.microsoft.com/v7.0/products
• Xbox, "Xbox Game Pass" plans page (access until subscription ends or game leaves; Xbox PC app): https://www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-game-pass
• Xbox Wire, "Xbox Game Pass update" (April 21, 2026; Call of Duty about a year after launch): https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2026/04/21/xbox-game-pass-update/
• Steam store pages (Metacritic score, review summary, Deck rating): Persona 5 Royal https://store.steampowered.com/app/1687950/ ; Hades II https://store.steampowered.com/app/1145350/ ; Balatro https://store.steampowered.com/app/2379780/ ; Hi-Fi Rush https://store.steampowered.com/app/1817230/ ; Hollow Knight: Silksong https://store.steampowered.com/app/1030300/ ; Kingdom Come: Deliverance II https://store.steampowered.com/app/1771300/ ; Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth https://store.steampowered.com/app/2072450/ ; Indiana Jones and the Great Circle https://store.steampowered.com/app/2677660/ ; Forza Horizon 5 https://store.steampowered.com/app/1551360/ ; DOOM: The Dark Ages https://store.steampowered.com/app/3017860/ ; South of Midnight https://store.steampowered.com/app/1934570/ ; Palworld https://store.steampowered.com/app/1623730/
• Black Friday 2026 date (Friday, November 27, 2026): standard calendar.

FAQ