Skip to main content

3 new Xbox Game Pass games to play this weekend (March 7-9)

The map screen in Monster Train.
Good Shepherd Entertainment

We’ve hit that one unfortunate weekend of the year when we need to set our clocks forward an hour, thus robbing us of one precious hour of free time to play the best Xbox Series X games. The big game of the month, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, is still a few weeks away, so there’s plenty of time to see what the best games on Game Pass are right now. We found a great selection of brand-new additions to help you spend less time thinking about what to play and more time gaming on this slightly shorter weekend. These are the best new Xbox Game Pass games available right now.

While this month is a little light on new releases, there are still plenty of upcoming Xbox Series X games to be excited about.

Recommended Videos

Monster Train

Monster Train Release Trailer

We know the sequel is on the way, so now is the best time there is to see why Monster Train is one of the most underrated roguelikes of the generation. This game is a roguelike deckbuilder that also incorporates autobattle elements. You will set up monsters on the various levels of your train to automatically attack incoming enemies in turn-based battles to try and stop them before they reach the top to attack your core. Each run lets you pick a main and supporty clan of demons that determines what creatures and spells you have access to, and each stage forces you to choose between two paths with different potential benefits. It is an approachable but deep roguelike you can spend 30 minutes or multiple hours with.

Monster Train is available now on PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and PC.

One Lonely Outpost

One Lonely Outpost Launch Trailer

We’ve had plenty of farming sims on Game Pass, but One Lonely Outpost spices things up by going sci-fi with the setting. You are dropped into an alien world with the goal of building up an outpost to terraform the planet. That means building up a farm, building up the colony, crafting new items, and all the usual farming sim activities with a sci-fi twist. Odds are you already know if this is the type of game you’d be interested in, but the change in setting gives it a fresh feel compared to other games in the genre.

One Lonely Outpost is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and PC.

Galacticare

Galacticare Release Trailer | Launching May 23

Galacticare follows the lead of Two Point Hospital in being a humorous yet mechanically satisfying management simulator. You play as the new hospital administrator with the goal of building and managing an intergalactic hospital and make as much cash as possible. Aliens will come in with all sorts of crazy diseases to cure in various scenarios across the story mode. Managing the needs of your staff also has to be considered, leading to a fun juggling act. It isn’t as deep as some other management sims out there, but is a light and enjoyable experience either in story or sandbox mode.

Galacticare is available now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

Jesse Lennox
Jesse Lennox has been a writer at Digital Trends for over five years and has no plans of stopping. He covers all things…
Topics
I played 9 games at Tribeca Fest. They all need to be on your radar
A character stands in a church in Mio: Memories of Orbit.

Here's a tip for anyone who's trying to scout out the next great indie game: Pay attention to Tribeca Fest. A few years ago, the film festival expanded its modern, multimedia approach to include video games as official selections. In that time, it has showcased a who's who of indie games that went on to become critical darlings. We're talking games like Blue Prince, Immortality, Despelote, and Chants of Sennaar -- all of which went on to become some of the best reviewed games of the 2020's here at Digital Trends. You will always find something truly special at Tribeca Fest.

This year's show is no different. Nine upcoming games were in competition at the festival this year, and all of them are poised to become breakout indies. Because we love nothing more than scouting promising indies, Digital Trends attended this year's Tribeca Fest and checked out what this year's show had to offer. From a stylish beat-em-up to a 90s coming of age tale soundtracked by the likes of Devo, these nine games should be on your radar.

Read more
3 new Game Pass games to play this weekend (June 13-15)
The mobile base in The Alters.

If you're a superstitious person, Friday the 13th might be a bad sign for this weekend. While I can't say you won't encounter any bad luck, what I can promise is that you will have more than enough fun with all the new Game Pass games hitting the service. Last weekend's Xbox Games Showcase showed off too many upcoming Xbox Series X games to count, most of which will be day-one Game Pass games when they come out, but we still have a while to wait for games like Keeper and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. All that excitement may have overshadowed the latest batch of Game Pass games, including a fantastic day one sci-fi survival game like nothing else, a delightful co-op strategy game, and the biggest sports game just in time for the World Cup.

The Alters

Read more
3 PlayStation Plus games to play this weekend (June 13-15)
Dead by Daylight player standing in front of a fire.

After the State of Play last week, followed by all the Summer Game Fest announcements, PlayStation fans have tons of upcoming PS5 games to look forward to. The only downside is we can't play them right now. That's where my weekly PS Plus game recommendations come in to save the weekend. This time around, I wanted to mix things up by celebrating Friday the 13th as well as give you some games to wet your appetites for a few of the more exciting game announcements. I've crammed in a classic multiplayer game, brutal single-player adventure, and cult classic strategy title here to cover as many bases as possible.

Dead by Daylight

Read more