June marks the third anniversary of Microsoft’s Games With Gold program, and Xbox Live Gold service subscribers can expect to receive free copies of titles like Goat Simulator and The Crew throughout the next month.
Microsoft will also serve up a pair of backward-compatible Xbox 360 highlights for free in June, including the acclaimed platformer Super Meat Boy.
First up on next month’s Games With Gold schedule is the Xbox One version of Goat Simulator, an open-ended action game that challenges players to create as much mayhem as possible within a surreal sandbox world. Taking control of an invincible, superpowered goat, players ram into nearby objects and people in the hopes of kicking off a chain of destruction.
Originally released for PC platforms, Goat Simulator saw numerous ports and expansions after positive word-of-mouth buzz led to unexpected sales success for developer Coffee Stain Studios. While the Xbox One version will be free for Xbox Live Gold subscribers next month, Goat Simulator is also available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, and PS3.
June’s second free Xbox One title for Xbox Live Gold subscribers is Ubisoft’s The Crew, an ambitious driving game released in 2014. Boasting a detailed in-game world that spans 1,900 square miles, The Crew features a storyline in which players traverse North America in a series of point-to-point races.
Xbox 360 games up for grabs in June include Super Meat Boy, a notoriously difficult 2D platformer from indie creators Team Meat. First released in 2010, Super Meat Boy recently made the jump to Nintendo’s Wii U console, following up on its PlayStation 4 and PS Vita debuts in 2015.
Games With Gold wraps up next month’s offerings with XCOM: Enemy Unknown, a tactical strategy game from publisher 2K Games. A sequel launched earlier this year, making June’s Games With Gold giveaway a great opportunity for newcomers to catch up on the series.
Goat Simulator and Super Meat Boy will be free for Xbox Live Gold subscribers on June 1, while XCOM and The Crew will be free to download starting on June 16. All featured Games With Gold titles, including Xbox 360 releases, are playable on Xbox One consoles.