New Surprise Drops on Xbox Game Pass - Four Games You Might Have Missed

Xbox Game Pass stacks some serious value every month - but with a lot of new titles to choose from, joining the service regularly, as well as all the classics, it's often hard to know where to start. Game Pass recently increased in price, so it's good to get an overview of what the new titles are each month, so you know you're not missing out on any gems. So, what are the best options from the past two months?

This article will look at a mix of games that came to Game Pass in January 2026 and December 2025. From triple-A titles by major studios joining established IPs, to more under-the-radar titles and even a few indie games, this list has something for every kind of gamer (that has an Xbox Game Pass).

Atomfall is a Nice Stop Gap While You Wait for Fallout 5

This very British retro-futurist apocalyptic first-person adventure game from Sniper Elite developer Rebellion saw obvious comparisons to the popular Fallout franchise when it was released in mid 2025. Now on Game Pass as of January 2026, you can experience for yourself why this is and isn't exactly the case in this uniquely themed and atmospheric title. 

Although it feels somewhat like Fallout: New Vegas crossed with old-school BBC programming in atmosphere and combat mechanics (respectively), Atomfall's open-world design is more akin to Elden Ring or even Far Cry. 

It follows the silent protagonist as you attempt to escape the area around the (very real) former Windscale nuclear power site in Cumbria, in a fictional history version of Britain with high-tech 1950s gear. The British setting certainly adds an extra level of mystique to Canadian or American players and is full of vintage charm. The game isn't perfect, with some strange AI and some confusing mechanics, but it's perfect for an engaging Game Pass playthrough. 

Star Wars Outlaws is the Surprise January Drop - Is It Any Good?

The biggest of two big studio blockbusters to hit the Game Pass in January, alongside Resident Evil Village, Star Wars Outlaws is a thematic leap for the popular IP - if not in terms of gameplay.

Rather than following a lightsaber-wielding Jedi or Sith as in most Star Wars games of recent years, Outlaws has the player take control of a Han Solo-type criminal anti-hero called Kay Vass. And her pet furry animal, Nix. Together, they travel through a free-roam open world on various spaceships and land speeders, setting up an epic heist that plays out in parallel to events between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. 

Outlaws' Kay Vass is from a casino planet called Canto Bight. But if these games haven't hit the spot so far, maybe a bit of online casino action is what you're looking for? In that case, you'll want Canadian casinos that are tested by experts, reviewed, and then assembled on one page. So you have all the info about all the top sites before you choose which one to trust with your deposit.

In terms of Outlaws, critics have praised the dynamic faction reputation system, the gorgeous open world graphics, and the classic Star Wars feel - but many felt the game's key gameplay loops of stealth and gunplay didn't have enough variety in the long run. Worth a shot on Game Pass though, especially for Star Wars fans.

Little Nightmares Enhanced Edition is a Haunting Platformer Revisited

Don't be fooled by the name or the main cartoony character - this game is incredibly dark (literally) and creepy. But also super atmospheric and very fun. Little Nightmares is most like the classic indie platformers Limbo and Inside, crossed with the horror escape style of Dead by Daylight. 

Set in the weird world of The Maw, players control an unarmed, yellow-hooded child named Six as they try to escape a nightmare filled with Tim Burton-esque, sadistically violent creatures. From malevolent chefs to Kabuki spirits, Six must navigate the 2.5D space without being caught (or ideally even seen) by this sequence of monstrous beings. 

At around five hours to complete, it's rather short. But if you can handle the unrelenting intensity over that time, Little Nightmares is well worth your time. Plus, there's an extra hour or so of content with the Enhanced Edition, which is now on Game Pass as of January.

Keeper was one of Last Year's Late Sleeper Hits

In this game, you play as a walking sentient lighthouse and a tropical bird. If that doesn't already interest you, go play Fortnite. Anyway, if you're still here - because you should be - finish this section and go play Keeper. 

Despite being published by Microsoft and made available on Game Pass last December, Keeper wasn't a huge commercial hit. But it did review very well, and on an artistic level... well. This is one of the most joyously beautiful games out there right now, let alone on Game Pass. 

Double Fine's creation is a riot of color and kaleidoscopic choreography, that plays something like a cross between Journey, Abe's Odyssey, and Psychonauts - while being unlike any of them in particular. A truly one-of-a-kind game, and seeing as it's now on Game Pass, you have no excuse.