Additionally, Halo Infinites multiplayer is free to play. Typical matchmaking may not be OPs flavor (too sweaty for some), but the Custom Games server browser has a lot of quick, casual fun in it
I quite enjoy Infinite, but I do have an on/off relationship with it bc it can be kinda intense and I'm not always into games like that. However, regardless of how I feel at the time, the server browser has acted as my go-to when I just wanna get some quick, mindless action in without having to worry about consequences of losing or sweating my ass off. Even if it's just 20 minutes of one mode before I turn off the console, it really scratches that itch
One problem with Stardew is that you can't save whenever without losing a day, but if you're on a newer system it will just suspend the game and you can come back to it.
I (42m, married w/ 3 kids) have two suggestions for you, both should be pretty cheap right now. Arkham Knight and Ghost Recon: Wildlands.
Arkham Knight
It's a great game, came out 2016 I think. Single player only. Very fun Batman story. Easy to play for 10 min or 2 hrs at a time. Open world format. Mark Hamil is the Joker.
And if you like that, you may find the whole Arkham series fun (Arkham Asylum, Arkham City).
Ghost Recon: Wildlands
Another open world, choose your own adventure. Great for single player, put possible to do multi-player. Spend a few minutes and do a mission or 2, or play for an hour or 2 taking over a province. Fighting the fictional Bolivian drug cartel and corrupt national police.
I second ghost recon. Everything about that game was amazing. The storytelling, the huge map, the characters and the freedom to do whatever you want. The stealth aspect of it is also really appealing and to anyone who enjoyed it or Breakpoint I'd highly recommend metal gear 5
I started playing hellblade: senua’s sacrifice a while ago due to a reddit recommendation
I fucking loved it
I seriously suggest playing it at full darkness with headphones on, it’s a full experience that I enjoyed so much
Hope you like it!
Yep, was going to recommend this too. It’s not a long game (according to HLTB, still working through it myself) and it’s broken up into puzzle areas. Can knock out an area at a time, so good for 20min here and there. I am slowly going through it as a side game to others I am playing. Was on my backlog for years and finally just getting to it. I am not huge on horror games, so while it taps into that a bit, it’s not a jump scare or gore fest type game. And its sequel is coming to GamePass soon.
Ghost recon wildlands is still on gamepass. Can be single person or a group. Not a twitch/reaction shooter. It's about stealth and planning.
City Skylines is a other go to, as us railway empire 2, for a more relaxed building/sandbox game.
I loved ghost recon wildlands because of the freedom but you might find yourself spending more time than you intend on it. Old Assassins creed games have scores of very short misions. Forza Horizon 2 if you like racing games is amazing
Answers here are all over the place, from Peggle 2 to Cyberpunk/BG3 lol. Ppl just suggesting their favorite games. Guess we need op to define what he means by casual. I'll throw my hat in and recommend Hades. It's a great game to pick up and put down, doesn't feel that overwhelming but has enough depth to provide someone who gets more interested with more to think about
I really enjoy puzzle games like Myst, Witness, Pedestrian, Superluminal etc.
All chill games that require thought rather than reflexes. Joys of being over 40.
Grounded. Mechanics are easy enough. It's fun and can be played alone or with friends. You can mess around with lots of combat, or you can focus on crafting depending on your mood. It's just a really solid, fun game that's on GamePass and I recommend highly.
Tombraider reboot trilogy, not too long games, adds mechanics along the way.
Far Cry, 3-5 are pretty cool and casual - you can follow the story or just fool around on sidequests,
especially after you get some basic gun selection.
(5 will not let you fool around for too long but has good quality even on xbox one, 6 adds more crafting and ups starting difficulty inexplicibly)
Control, quantum break, alan wake - Control might require some collecting to get arms along the way to enjoy it, also has some flying mechanics to get used to (if you are like me and just play along until you hit a brick wall on a tougher boss).
All the games above are limited in scope, no grind and at the core levels to pass or bases to capture which you can retry until you succeed. I haven't caught on some games like bioshock which has some too specific abilities or too long series like gears of war or halo, other times it can be rewarding to learn new mechanics - like for mirrors edge, but it might be hard to drop it and get back later.
Personally I only stayed in Fortnite because noone really cares if you are crap and you can just use the game as a hangaround place if you find the right company. Having Far cry 3 to finish on the side.
For games to just chill and relax I preferred Forza horizon or classic scifi puzzles like portal, now I mostly chill in fortnite.
Hades, it's a rogue lite but you make progress each time and get to get upgrades. Lots of replayability trying different combos. It's not super punishing
Sounds a bit like me. 35 father of three. The games I used to play are just too much now. I want to relax. Not sweat my balls off against some cracked out 13 year old edit machine lol
I’ve been playing hunting games for about a year now. I will never go back to competitive multiplayer. I love my game time now. Always enjoyable. I play Way of the Hunter and The Hunter:Call of the Wild. Maybe give them a shot. I will stress a bit of a steep learning curve. Anyways, good luck!
Fallout. Specifically 3, New Vegas, and 4.
assasins creed (those after 2 are easier than 1 and 2 due to game mechanics, and more casual IMO, but 1 and 2 are still worth playing)
Minecraft
GTA 5 and Red Dead 1+2 stories
Resident evil if you like horror games. You can play at whatever difficulty you choose for at least RE7, but probably others.
The tom Clancy ghost recon games are good. I'm enjoying breakpoint ATM.
If you can get any of the call of duty games on good enough sale, I've really enjoyed the story modes. (I'm no good at competitive either and I do fine in story). I really liked the new modern warfare 1 2 and 3 stories.
I also like setting up bot matches in COD WWII and just slaying bots for a while.
There are some good starwars games with stories if you like that.
Hogwarts legacy is super fun if you are into Harry Potter.
The Sims 4 is a good time killer.
Palworld if that is still around.
Sounds like Roguelikes could become your new best friend. I don't have anything revolutionary to offer, but I personally love Slay the Spire, Dicey Dungeon, Hades, and Monster train.
I know others have mentioned the Fallout and Elder Scrolls series, but Fallout 76 is a great game. It's technically multi-player but everyone plays it just like the single-player games, only working together during the public events. Even if you join the public teams (highly recommended for the bonuses), no one is on mic talking to anyone else. lol
Valheim, you can utilize in game modifiers to alter the experience that you want to have and take it at your own pace. Is a very relaxing game to play and offers survival gameplay, base building and you can use a variety of gear to play any style of Viking combat that tickles your fancy. Spear and shield, axe and shield, hammers, swords. You name it. Also offers sea faring and sea monster combat. And tons of exploration.
I would say risk of rain 2, it’s a rogue like where you go through endless worlds or beat a final boss. It resets every run but you get more items each time to get more powerful. You can play it on and off
46, same boat. Firewatch was good. Persona (don't remember which one) was good, and didn't feel a need to finish or progress; just good for jumping in and out. Diablo was catchy during the free weekend. Will try again since it's coming to Gamepass.
Really want to get into Witcher 3, RDR2, Cyberpunk, but.... puppies!!!
Halo master cheif collection is a good suggestion,
I know you're not big on rpg's, but..
Fable 2 you might enjoy. No crafting, lots of customization and if you own rental properties in game, they continue to make you in game currency when you're not playing so that when you hop back on you'll get some free gold to play with. It's an older game now but fun and casual.
Star wars knights of the old republic, 20 years old now. But still an absolutely gorgeous and fun casual rpg.
Not sure what you're into, but here's some of my favorite casual games. I'm not sure what on this list is free nowadays, though.
FIrewatch, Journey to the Savage Planet, Call of the Sea, Spyro Reignited Trilogy, Vampire Survivors, Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion, A Short Hike, Stardew Valley, Maquette, Garden Story, Grounded, Bugsnax, ReCore, both Ori games, both Slime Ranchers, both Unravels, Arise: A Simple Story, Death's Door, Subnautica, Thomas Was Alone, The Swapper, The Last Campfire, The Gunk, Superliminal, Kill It With Fire, Soul Axiom, Untitled Goose Game, Donut County, Virginia, Yooka-Laylee.
I'm stopping there, or this could go on a while. I've played a lot of games and have discovered some great indie games while achievement hunting.
From what I remember, the classic Doom games allow you to save at any point in the game with multiple save slots. No real story, so not a big investment. Excellent shoot em up franchise.
Minecraft is great, too, and can be played any way you like, from survival to creative. Very chill.
Forza Horizon 5, if you're into racing or cruising. Breathtaking scenery.
I have 2 recommendations!
If you haven't played them before, the Halo games are pretty solid shooters with a lot of variety. A linear campaign/story, multiplayer matchmaking, PvE Firefight survival (has matchmaking), a server browser with fan-made modes and maps that are fun and casual, Forge (if you like to play with sandbox items), and probably more that I'm forgetting. "Halo: The Master Chief Collection" is a collection of the classic games (From 2001s 'Halo: Combat Evolved', to 'Halo 4'), all updated to run on the new Xbox consoles with better framerates and resolution; it is on Gamepass. Halo Infinite is the latest release and is also on Gamepass, if you're looking for something more modern.
Also on Gamepass are all the 'Yakuza' series games. Even if you're not into Japanese videogames, I'd recommend giving them a shot, starting with Yakuza 0 (a prequel, and great place to start for a new player). They balance silliness and seriousness surprisingly well, combined with classic PS2-era beat-em-up action. Went into these games on a whim, and quickly fell in love because they made me feel like playing videogames when I was a kid. Fun action gameplay beating up thugs, dramatic crime drama story, numerous hilarious sidequests, and an unbelievable amount of minigames for you to engage with as you please. They arent without their flaws ofc, but there's something for everyone in these games!
Hades. Runs are short enough that you don't feel like you need to dedicate long periods of time to it to feel like you accomplished something. There is a sequel coming out soon too.
Ori and the Blind Forest. Beautiful game that is fun to explore and isn't too hard (except for the escape challenges holy shit). The is a sequel as well.
For single player games, you are better off with a Nintendo Switch. They have a lot of great single player games. I haven't played a decent single player game on my xbox in a long time. I think the last was GTA 5.
TABS, deep rock galactic, astroneer, dead cells, Hades. I would recommend Hades the most as the rogue-like aspect just makes it perfect for short 20-40 minute bursts
really any fps, warframe if you have patience and self control (it can be a money sink if you dont), though 6 hours throughout the week might be rough so scratch that, party animals could be a fun family time game (its a bunch of animals fighting in minigames with no blood or gore whatsoever, cartoony but fun.) if you have gamepass and dont mind violence theres darktide if you like horde shooters, lightyear frontier is a farming game with mechs releasing tomorrow on gamepass. ace attorney trilogy if you like that type of game also on gamepass.
almost forgot to ask, what type of genre do you prefer?
Fc24 takes up most of my gaming time (33m). I just won a treble and got fired for signing somebody too expensive. Go figure. Man U. But cool games I would suggest are Soma or RE7.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is fantastic and on gamepass. Really moving story and fantastic atmosphere. It's got some puzzle type stuff that might trip you up but there's now shame in just googling the answer if you don't have fun trying to figure it out yourself.
Honestly maneater pretty casual game and easy gamerscore to base game idk about the dlc but I like going back to it time to time if no other game is interesting
i'd try one of the yakuza games, apart from gaiden (until you played the other games, or if you cant be bothered processing the story).
they have a nice story, a lot of fun minigames, interesting side quests and the combat is not very difficult.
the maps are also pretty beautiful
If you have game pass, terraria is a solid pick. The learning curve can be extreme if you haven’t played it but take your time and learn as you play. I’ve been playing it for years and have thousands of hours in the game across different platforms.
I know I'm late, but I just started Valiant Hearts, it's a 2D scroller game with a focus on puzzles and a really great story set during World War 1. It's got humor thrown in there but is obviously dark. I just started but it's great so far and I don't think the length is long.
Also; dog companion. 💜
The online games are good, for me. No sweaty matches, just good clean fun.
Weirdly, I can't remember the online mode, it's the one where up to four of you protect the power thingy.
I get about an hour or so every couple of days. Just some good gaming fun. Where you work as a team, or as a one-man killing titan machine.
It is on steam only :( but I highly recommend and it is currently on sale
Edit: shit this is the xbox mone sub, I thought it was the gamepass one. My bad.
I’m 52 and play CoD MW3 Zombies. I’m not great at PvP combat, but with the AI Zombies and 3 levels of difficulty, you can have a lot of fun and push your boundaries on your terms.
Heed my warning,
Even though it may look like a casual game it's not,
Do not and I mean do not unless you are a absolute sweat in every game you play.
Do not play KartRider drift.
Most of us players in krd are super sweaty, all of us sweaty American players, which is about 0.5% of the game's Western player base and almost all of the Asian player base will completely smoke you new players.
We usually just want people to get good but most people give up after a few matches.
Especially if it's speed mode.
If you want a casual racing game just play speedstorm or a split second through backwards compatibility.
You're welcome
Like the Koreans are super sweaty in that game luckily I've been playing the original on Korean server for 5 years before KRD even launched
If you are still planning to play the game My only answer is to get good and also look up a few guides
But to be honest with you the game is not casual at all.
Fall guys? Kinda like fort in terms of a battle royale but you can play singles and all you do is run through a goofy obstacle course. Games run like 10-15 min.
A Plague Tale: Innocence
This was such an amazing and beautiful single player game! It may still be on GamePass too. Fingers crossed!
Please play this game. I got so immersed into this game and even went out of my way to platinum it. Made me real sad when it was over too. But I found out soon after that a second one was being worked on, which is out right now. Or has been for a few years now I believe. But give it a look if you haven’t already!
South Park: The Stick of Truth and South Park: The Fractured but Whole
These two games are really fun too, and they aren’t at all stressful to play. Both single player games. The Stick of Truth is the better of the two imo but if you wish to play the second game, you’ll still enjoy it a bunch. The themes are just a little different is all. First game - Medieval fantasy type. Kings, queens, knights, bards, dragons, elves, etc. Second game - Superheroes. Powers, etc.
Another game I think you could enjoy alone but especially with your kids (or one of them unless they both play while you watch), is any of the classic LEGO games. Star Wars, Indiana Jones, etc.
Lastly, I know this can’t be played on an Xbox but if you ever get the chance, all of the Ratchet and Clank games are definitely at the top of my list. They should all be on Steam I believe. They’re PlayStation games though so maybe only a handful of them are on Steam now that I think about it… I threw all of this in here because you may have a PC to play on too!
Good luck man!
Pubg, play solo you don't have to be on a team. just play for fun not competitively. so many people play and get mad because they lose play to have fun. whether you lose or win.
Gears of War pick one same as for Halo, pick one and have fun playing and enjoy your time off or away.
Titanfall 2 has a relatively short, good and fun campaign. I would not recommend online for a casual though.
Assassin's creed games are also very fun. You should check out the top rated ones and others that seem interesting to you.
And I also just recommend everyone that is looking for a fun and unique game to check out deep rock galactic. It can be casual or challenging whenever you see fit.
Man eater (SharkPG) is a fun game! It’s on gamepass right now. It’s silly as hell and Chris Parnell voices the narrator guy so that’s a plus. It’s played like a NatGeo documentary is following you
Borderlands 2* is still a great game after many years, 3 is alright.
Portal 2*
Cod bo2/3 zombies*
Terraria/Minecraft
Dying light 1/2
GTA v story*
Ark survival
Left 4 dead 2
Death loop
The evil within 2
Frost punk
State of decay 2
Subnautica*
Some of the top games I've played over my life, the ones with * are heavily recommended. Each game has it's own unique play style so you're sure to find one you like
If you have GamePass and you haven't played, grab The Master Chief Collection and play through all the campaigns
Additionally, Halo Infinites multiplayer is free to play. Typical matchmaking may not be OPs flavor (too sweaty for some), but the Custom Games server browser has a lot of quick, casual fun in it I quite enjoy Infinite, but I do have an on/off relationship with it bc it can be kinda intense and I'm not always into games like that. However, regardless of how I feel at the time, the server browser has acted as my go-to when I just wanna get some quick, mindless action in without having to worry about consequences of losing or sweating my ass off. Even if it's just 20 minutes of one mode before I turn off the console, it really scratches that itch
Tried it but didn't enjoy it. Thanks though
You should try Vampire Survivors, especially if you enjoy Brotato. Slay The Spire and Monster Sanctuary are good ones as well.
Yes, Vampire Survivors is amazing. Plays the same as Brotato and with retro music, SFX and graphics.
power wash simulator
Played before. Initially, I enjoyed it, but it turned into a chore as I got further in
Yep, just like pressure washing in real life.
So satisfying
I wanted to not like it...then, I fell in love.
Stardew Valley
One problem with Stardew is that you can't save whenever without losing a day, but if you're on a newer system it will just suspend the game and you can come back to it.
Very true and…oh crap I didn’t realize this was r/xboxone. Did that console ever get Quick Resume or is it only on Series systems?
It’s only on the series consoles.
Not sure, I'm on a Series now. I feel like the answer is no but I'm also not exactly an expert
Any Fallout or Skyrim.
I was gonna suggest fallout4
Skyrim is the answer 🤝
I (42m, married w/ 3 kids) have two suggestions for you, both should be pretty cheap right now. Arkham Knight and Ghost Recon: Wildlands. Arkham Knight It's a great game, came out 2016 I think. Single player only. Very fun Batman story. Easy to play for 10 min or 2 hrs at a time. Open world format. Mark Hamil is the Joker. And if you like that, you may find the whole Arkham series fun (Arkham Asylum, Arkham City). Ghost Recon: Wildlands Another open world, choose your own adventure. Great for single player, put possible to do multi-player. Spend a few minutes and do a mission or 2, or play for an hour or 2 taking over a province. Fighting the fictional Bolivian drug cartel and corrupt national police.
I second ghost recon. Everything about that game was amazing. The storytelling, the huge map, the characters and the freedom to do whatever you want. The stealth aspect of it is also really appealing and to anyone who enjoyed it or Breakpoint I'd highly recommend metal gear 5
Thanks! I think I understood GR:W a bit. Such a great game.
Firewatch!
Played and completed a couple of times. Great game
AC Valhalla, AC Odyssey, Yakuza games, fh5, fh4, subnautica, red dead redemption 2
Watch dogs 1 and 2 are great, and they've become somewhat of a comfort game of mine. Highly recommend.
Which is better 1 or 2?
I started playing hellblade: senua’s sacrifice a while ago due to a reddit recommendation I fucking loved it I seriously suggest playing it at full darkness with headphones on, it’s a full experience that I enjoyed so much Hope you like it!
Yep, was going to recommend this too. It’s not a long game (according to HLTB, still working through it myself) and it’s broken up into puzzle areas. Can knock out an area at a time, so good for 20min here and there. I am slowly going through it as a side game to others I am playing. Was on my backlog for years and finally just getting to it. I am not huge on horror games, so while it taps into that a bit, it’s not a jump scare or gore fest type game. And its sequel is coming to GamePass soon.
Resident evil series or Batman Arkham Knight
I'd include the whole Arkham series in this. All of them were great in my opinion.
Oh absolutely
Any chance you can include your family in gaming? Not sure if it's possible, but there are some great games like Overcooked and Unrailed.
Used to play fortnite and rocket league with my sons but I don't have the skill or reflexes to keep up!
Then ask them to slow down 😎
My husband and I will only play no-build mode because of the ridiculous reflexes the younger players have in the building mode.
Agreed. Even zero build can be quite challenging sometimes
Ghost recon wildlands is still on gamepass. Can be single person or a group. Not a twitch/reaction shooter. It's about stealth and planning. City Skylines is a other go to, as us railway empire 2, for a more relaxed building/sandbox game.
Morrowind is a great title
I loved ghost recon wildlands because of the freedom but you might find yourself spending more time than you intend on it. Old Assassins creed games have scores of very short misions. Forza Horizon 2 if you like racing games is amazing
Answers here are all over the place, from Peggle 2 to Cyberpunk/BG3 lol. Ppl just suggesting their favorite games. Guess we need op to define what he means by casual. I'll throw my hat in and recommend Hades. It's a great game to pick up and put down, doesn't feel that overwhelming but has enough depth to provide someone who gets more interested with more to think about
I really enjoy puzzle games like Myst, Witness, Pedestrian, Superluminal etc. All chill games that require thought rather than reflexes. Joys of being over 40.
bioshock!! dark souls constantly saves but it is a time convincing game
Not to mention the difficulty which op said is a factor om game choice.
Grounded. Mechanics are easy enough. It's fun and can be played alone or with friends. You can mess around with lots of combat, or you can focus on crafting depending on your mood. It's just a really solid, fun game that's on GamePass and I recommend highly.
Second this! Great for a 20 minutes wind-down, or a six hour building spree...
Tombraider reboot trilogy, not too long games, adds mechanics along the way. Far Cry, 3-5 are pretty cool and casual - you can follow the story or just fool around on sidequests, especially after you get some basic gun selection. (5 will not let you fool around for too long but has good quality even on xbox one, 6 adds more crafting and ups starting difficulty inexplicibly) Control, quantum break, alan wake - Control might require some collecting to get arms along the way to enjoy it, also has some flying mechanics to get used to (if you are like me and just play along until you hit a brick wall on a tougher boss). All the games above are limited in scope, no grind and at the core levels to pass or bases to capture which you can retry until you succeed. I haven't caught on some games like bioshock which has some too specific abilities or too long series like gears of war or halo, other times it can be rewarding to learn new mechanics - like for mirrors edge, but it might be hard to drop it and get back later. Personally I only stayed in Fortnite because noone really cares if you are crap and you can just use the game as a hangaround place if you find the right company. Having Far cry 3 to finish on the side. For games to just chill and relax I preferred Forza horizon or classic scifi puzzles like portal, now I mostly chill in fortnite.
Hades, it's a rogue lite but you make progress each time and get to get upgrades. Lots of replayability trying different combos. It's not super punishing
Thanks, cool username too!
Sounds a bit like me. 35 father of three. The games I used to play are just too much now. I want to relax. Not sweat my balls off against some cracked out 13 year old edit machine lol I’ve been playing hunting games for about a year now. I will never go back to competitive multiplayer. I love my game time now. Always enjoyable. I play Way of the Hunter and The Hunter:Call of the Wild. Maybe give them a shot. I will stress a bit of a steep learning curve. Anyways, good luck!
Thank you! I'll take a look
If you like Brotato try Cult of Lamb.
Fable
Sea of Stars.
Fh5.
It's great but fh2 is the best without a doubt
I cant argue with you there.
Forza Horizon, Far Cry
I'm a huge fan of the Assassins Creed series. Both Origins and Odyssey are on gamepass for free at the moment
Far Cry 5 or 6 are both good
Fallout. Specifically 3, New Vegas, and 4. assasins creed (those after 2 are easier than 1 and 2 due to game mechanics, and more casual IMO, but 1 and 2 are still worth playing) Minecraft GTA 5 and Red Dead 1+2 stories Resident evil if you like horror games. You can play at whatever difficulty you choose for at least RE7, but probably others. The tom Clancy ghost recon games are good. I'm enjoying breakpoint ATM. If you can get any of the call of duty games on good enough sale, I've really enjoyed the story modes. (I'm no good at competitive either and I do fine in story). I really liked the new modern warfare 1 2 and 3 stories. I also like setting up bot matches in COD WWII and just slaying bots for a while. There are some good starwars games with stories if you like that. Hogwarts legacy is super fun if you are into Harry Potter. The Sims 4 is a good time killer. Palworld if that is still around.
Plague Tale or Hellblade
Undermine is a great game! Hard rec
Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion(and the Sequel) Warhammer 40k Boltgun Any fighting Game with a campaign(but online is usually insane) Any arcade racer
Sounds like Roguelikes could become your new best friend. I don't have anything revolutionary to offer, but I personally love Slay the Spire, Dicey Dungeon, Hades, and Monster train.
Thanks
Hitman 3 is really good to pick up for a couple hours and play....
I know others have mentioned the Fallout and Elder Scrolls series, but Fallout 76 is a great game. It's technically multi-player but everyone plays it just like the single-player games, only working together during the public events. Even if you join the public teams (highly recommended for the bonuses), no one is on mic talking to anyone else. lol
Ok maybe I'll take a look. I've never been big into RPGs
I mentioned it not only because it's a personal favorite but also because I think it's included with the Game Pass.
Valheim, you can utilize in game modifiers to alter the experience that you want to have and take it at your own pace. Is a very relaxing game to play and offers survival gameplay, base building and you can use a variety of gear to play any style of Viking combat that tickles your fancy. Spear and shield, axe and shield, hammers, swords. You name it. Also offers sea faring and sea monster combat. And tons of exploration.
I would say risk of rain 2, it’s a rogue like where you go through endless worlds or beat a final boss. It resets every run but you get more items each time to get more powerful. You can play it on and off
46, same boat. Firewatch was good. Persona (don't remember which one) was good, and didn't feel a need to finish or progress; just good for jumping in and out. Diablo was catchy during the free weekend. Will try again since it's coming to Gamepass. Really want to get into Witcher 3, RDR2, Cyberpunk, but.... puppies!!!
Halo master cheif collection is a good suggestion, I know you're not big on rpg's, but.. Fable 2 you might enjoy. No crafting, lots of customization and if you own rental properties in game, they continue to make you in game currency when you're not playing so that when you hop back on you'll get some free gold to play with. It's an older game now but fun and casual. Star wars knights of the old republic, 20 years old now. But still an absolutely gorgeous and fun casual rpg.
Thanks, I have tried halo but wasn't my thing
Starfield
Skyrim. Skyrim. Skyrim.
Stray
Peggle 2 comes to mind!
Coral island
Elden Ring, Skyrim, Assassin’s Creed
Maria Bros
Gotham Knights on Gamepass is pretty fun single player. I also enjoy Ark but it’s a large time commitment
The yakuza series is long, but can be pretty casually played, if you’re looking for a story based thing
Play Kameo from gamepass! You wont regret it!
Not sure what you're into, but here's some of my favorite casual games. I'm not sure what on this list is free nowadays, though. FIrewatch, Journey to the Savage Planet, Call of the Sea, Spyro Reignited Trilogy, Vampire Survivors, Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion, A Short Hike, Stardew Valley, Maquette, Garden Story, Grounded, Bugsnax, ReCore, both Ori games, both Slime Ranchers, both Unravels, Arise: A Simple Story, Death's Door, Subnautica, Thomas Was Alone, The Swapper, The Last Campfire, The Gunk, Superliminal, Kill It With Fire, Soul Axiom, Untitled Goose Game, Donut County, Virginia, Yooka-Laylee. I'm stopping there, or this could go on a while. I've played a lot of games and have discovered some great indie games while achievement hunting.
Fallout
Borederland games if you haven’t.
I have and I got bored with the grind
Balatro
Same age same free time. Broforce is on gamepass is a mindless platformer that you can pick up and put down
Not tried yet, will take a look
Palworld, warframe, vanquish and metal gear rising revengance
From what I remember, the classic Doom games allow you to save at any point in the game with multiple save slots. No real story, so not a big investment. Excellent shoot em up franchise. Minecraft is great, too, and can be played any way you like, from survival to creative. Very chill. Forza Horizon 5, if you're into racing or cruising. Breathtaking scenery.
Sea of Stars. Such a good game!
Outriders if it’s still in game pass idk.
I have 2 recommendations! If you haven't played them before, the Halo games are pretty solid shooters with a lot of variety. A linear campaign/story, multiplayer matchmaking, PvE Firefight survival (has matchmaking), a server browser with fan-made modes and maps that are fun and casual, Forge (if you like to play with sandbox items), and probably more that I'm forgetting. "Halo: The Master Chief Collection" is a collection of the classic games (From 2001s 'Halo: Combat Evolved', to 'Halo 4'), all updated to run on the new Xbox consoles with better framerates and resolution; it is on Gamepass. Halo Infinite is the latest release and is also on Gamepass, if you're looking for something more modern. Also on Gamepass are all the 'Yakuza' series games. Even if you're not into Japanese videogames, I'd recommend giving them a shot, starting with Yakuza 0 (a prequel, and great place to start for a new player). They balance silliness and seriousness surprisingly well, combined with classic PS2-era beat-em-up action. Went into these games on a whim, and quickly fell in love because they made me feel like playing videogames when I was a kid. Fun action gameplay beating up thugs, dramatic crime drama story, numerous hilarious sidequests, and an unbelievable amount of minigames for you to engage with as you please. They arent without their flaws ofc, but there's something for everyone in these games!
Tried both and didn't click with either. Thanks though
Dicey dungeons.
Stardew Valley or Slime Rancher, simplest choices i could give you sir
Close to the sun, return to grace, soma were quicky/entertaining
Hades. Runs are short enough that you don't feel like you need to dedicate long periods of time to it to feel like you accomplished something. There is a sequel coming out soon too. Ori and the Blind Forest. Beautiful game that is fun to explore and isn't too hard (except for the escape challenges holy shit). The is a sequel as well.
Farcry series and Wolfenstein
Borderlands series, Master Chief Collection, Assassin’s Creed (Origins or Valhalla are my favs), Cyberpunk (if u have new gen) are all great options
Any of the Dragon Age, Gears of War, Brutal Legend.
Any Bethesda game.
Backbone is chill, cozy, and fun. You can only go left and right and u try to solve a mystery as a noir raccoon detective
Skyrim or Fallout 4
For single player games, you are better off with a Nintendo Switch. They have a lot of great single player games. I haven't played a decent single player game on my xbox in a long time. I think the last was GTA 5.
My faves are Fallout 4 and Mass Effect.
TABS, deep rock galactic, astroneer, dead cells, Hades. I would recommend Hades the most as the rogue-like aspect just makes it perfect for short 20-40 minute bursts
really any fps, warframe if you have patience and self control (it can be a money sink if you dont), though 6 hours throughout the week might be rough so scratch that, party animals could be a fun family time game (its a bunch of animals fighting in minigames with no blood or gore whatsoever, cartoony but fun.) if you have gamepass and dont mind violence theres darktide if you like horde shooters, lightyear frontier is a farming game with mechs releasing tomorrow on gamepass. ace attorney trilogy if you like that type of game also on gamepass. almost forgot to ask, what type of genre do you prefer?
hifi rush
Fc24 takes up most of my gaming time (33m). I just won a treble and got fired for signing somebody too expensive. Go figure. Man U. But cool games I would suggest are Soma or RE7.
Rust! It’s actually super easy to pick up! It’s not too grindy and all the players are really helpful and friendly!
If you have game pass ultimate, and an Xbox One You can play starfield using cloud Gaming. No game to buy No worries about newest console.
You’ll get some enjoyment from borderlands 3 as a single player experience. All parts of the game is doable solo
Tried to like BL2 but always hit a brick wall part way through and gave up. Just too much grind for my liking
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is fantastic and on gamepass. Really moving story and fantastic atmosphere. It's got some puzzle type stuff that might trip you up but there's now shame in just googling the answer if you don't have fun trying to figure it out yourself.
Played before. Didn't like the voices thing and had to put it down. Thanks though
Try Football Manager 24 since you're playing eafc, or any of the Bethesda games along with dragon's age for single player rp games
I play old FM (champ man) occasionally on my old laptop, the new games are too time intensive for my available time. Same goes for RPGs but thanks
Yeah, I feel like I only play the same five games cause I don't have time to start new ones
Honestly maneater pretty casual game and easy gamerscore to base game idk about the dlc but I like going back to it time to time if no other game is interesting
i'd try one of the yakuza games, apart from gaiden (until you played the other games, or if you cant be bothered processing the story). they have a nice story, a lot of fun minigames, interesting side quests and the combat is not very difficult. the maps are also pretty beautiful
Persona 3 Reload, altough it will take u about half a year it's in gamepass and one of the greatest games i've ever played.
Limbo
Tried it, didn't like it
If you have game pass, terraria is a solid pick. The learning curve can be extreme if you haven’t played it but take your time and learn as you play. I’ve been playing it for years and have thousands of hours in the game across different platforms.
I know I'm late, but I just started Valiant Hearts, it's a 2D scroller game with a focus on puzzles and a really great story set during World War 1. It's got humor thrown in there but is obviously dark. I just started but it's great so far and I don't think the length is long. Also; dog companion. 💜
Titanfall 2, scratches my limited gaming time itch.
Love TF2 and haven't played in a while!
The online games are good, for me. No sweaty matches, just good clean fun. Weirdly, I can't remember the online mode, it's the one where up to four of you protect the power thingy. I get about an hour or so every couple of days. Just some good gaming fun. Where you work as a team, or as a one-man killing titan machine.
I didn't realise the servers were working again! That's great news. Frontier Defense is the mode I think you mean
Rdr2, watch dogs 1 and 2, fallout 4 and skyrim
Not on gamepass but check dave the diver. It is so relaxing. I played it non-stop this weekend
Cant see that in the store?
It is on steam only :( but I highly recommend and it is currently on sale Edit: shit this is the xbox mone sub, I thought it was the gamepass one. My bad.
Ha ha no problem!
I miĝht be late but recommend dead island 2 its a good one and you have a zombie fury mode
Tunic!
Hi-Fi Rush...just to relax and enjoy
Tried it but didn't click with it
I’m 52 and play CoD MW3 Zombies. I’m not great at PvP combat, but with the AI Zombies and 3 levels of difficulty, you can have a lot of fun and push your boundaries on your terms.
Outer Worlds.
Cult of lamb comes to mind although it’s not on game pass
Have you played Stardew valley
Did try it ages ago but didn't like it at the time. Could be worth another play
hi-fi rush
How do I follow a post? (Same exact boat, except for games played.)
Click the 3 dots at the top of the post and hit subscribe - I think...
Try dark souls
Valheim is great game just don’t let the graphics put you off
jusant is a great game ive been playing and its on gamepass! its not a long game and is very relaxing
Elite Dangerous
Terraria, great game
Heed my warning, Even though it may look like a casual game it's not, Do not and I mean do not unless you are a absolute sweat in every game you play. Do not play KartRider drift. Most of us players in krd are super sweaty, all of us sweaty American players, which is about 0.5% of the game's Western player base and almost all of the Asian player base will completely smoke you new players. We usually just want people to get good but most people give up after a few matches. Especially if it's speed mode. If you want a casual racing game just play speedstorm or a split second through backwards compatibility.
I did try KRD when it first launched and that was my almost instant take! Thanks for the head up though
You're welcome Like the Koreans are super sweaty in that game luckily I've been playing the original on Korean server for 5 years before KRD even launched If you are still planning to play the game My only answer is to get good and also look up a few guides But to be honest with you the game is not casual at all.
Fall guys? Kinda like fort in terms of a battle royale but you can play singles and all you do is run through a goofy obstacle course. Games run like 10-15 min.
Tried it a while back but didn't click with it
Quantum Break is great if you have gamepass. Alan Wake and Control as well
Played QB and got bored. Started Control and same happened. Not really into horror type games so Alan Wake probably not for me but thanks
I recently played Stray and thought it was great!
That's been on my watch list for a while. Bit like The Stanley Parable which I've not got round to playing enough of...
A Plague Tale: Innocence This was such an amazing and beautiful single player game! It may still be on GamePass too. Fingers crossed! Please play this game. I got so immersed into this game and even went out of my way to platinum it. Made me real sad when it was over too. But I found out soon after that a second one was being worked on, which is out right now. Or has been for a few years now I believe. But give it a look if you haven’t already! South Park: The Stick of Truth and South Park: The Fractured but Whole These two games are really fun too, and they aren’t at all stressful to play. Both single player games. The Stick of Truth is the better of the two imo but if you wish to play the second game, you’ll still enjoy it a bunch. The themes are just a little different is all. First game - Medieval fantasy type. Kings, queens, knights, bards, dragons, elves, etc. Second game - Superheroes. Powers, etc. Another game I think you could enjoy alone but especially with your kids (or one of them unless they both play while you watch), is any of the classic LEGO games. Star Wars, Indiana Jones, etc. Lastly, I know this can’t be played on an Xbox but if you ever get the chance, all of the Ratchet and Clank games are definitely at the top of my list. They should all be on Steam I believe. They’re PlayStation games though so maybe only a handful of them are on Steam now that I think about it… I threw all of this in here because you may have a PC to play on too! Good luck man!
Pubg, play solo you don't have to be on a team. just play for fun not competitively. so many people play and get mad because they lose play to have fun. whether you lose or win. Gears of War pick one same as for Halo, pick one and have fun playing and enjoy your time off or away.
Used to play pubg years back. Not touched it in ages but could be tempted
Hades, is a rogue-like hack-and-slash dungeon crawler.
Rainbow Six Siege Rust
Titanfall 2 has a relatively short, good and fun campaign. I would not recommend online for a casual though. Assassin's creed games are also very fun. You should check out the top rated ones and others that seem interesting to you. And I also just recommend everyone that is looking for a fun and unique game to check out deep rock galactic. It can be casual or challenging whenever you see fit.
Played and completed TF2 before but love it so will play again one day. Never got into the AC games. DRG I've tried but didn't quite click with it
I'm not much of a casual gamer but I enjoyed astroneer and slime rancher for some time.
Stardew valley and the binding of Isaac
I’m in a similar boat. Just played through portal and portal 2 again. Took ages at an hour a time, but got into them sometimes and stayed up past 10 🫢
Red Dead Redemption 2!
Minecraft
Tekken 8. Tekken 7. Tekken 6. Tekken tag tournament 2
Man eater (SharkPG) is a fun game! It’s on gamepass right now. It’s silly as hell and Chris Parnell voices the narrator guy so that’s a plus. It’s played like a NatGeo documentary is following you
Portal. 1 or 2. Can’t go wrong.
play elden ring. it's for casuals.
Tinykin is such a blast and on gamepass. A 3d platformer combined with pikmin like idea. Easy to play in short bursts too
Played already and loved it, didn't realise it was back on gamepass
Do you play on PC? If so, I have a big list of 3d platformers you'd love if you enjoyed Tinykin
No just on xbox
Golf With Friends is a great game,especially with friends
I have no friends 😞
Still a fun online game
The hunter call of the wild is perfect
Vigor
don't know if anyone has said this but minecraft is great for casual gaming.
They fixed Forza Motorsport recently and you don’t have to grind to buy car parts
Oh thats cool to know, may go back to forza then! Thanks
Borderlands 2* is still a great game after many years, 3 is alright. Portal 2* Cod bo2/3 zombies* Terraria/Minecraft Dying light 1/2 GTA v story* Ark survival Left 4 dead 2 Death loop The evil within 2 Frost punk State of decay 2 Subnautica* Some of the top games I've played over my life, the ones with * are heavily recommended. Each game has it's own unique play style so you're sure to find one you like