There are several ways that Xbox players can get access to free games in exchange for a monthly fee. Xbox Game Pass and Game Pass for PC give players access to hundreds of free titles for $10 a month or $15 per month with Game Pass Ultimate. Compared to those deals, Xbox Live Games with Gold almost seems to be playing second fiddle. However, it still lets subscribers snag four free games every month.
The free Xbox Live Games with Gold for June 2022 include the sci-fi city builder Aven Colony, pixel-art management game Project Highrise: Architect’s Edition, and action platformers Super Meat Boy and Raskulls. The most recognizable of the four are also the first ones that players can grab for free, with Aven Colony and Super Meat Boy available now.
Games with Gold and Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can pick up Aven Colony for free until June 30th. However, Super Meat Boy doesn’t have quite as long a shelf life, as it’s only free until June 15th. As with all Xbox Games With Gold, both titles are free to keep after the deal ends, but players still need to claim them before the window closes. Gamers looking forward to getting Protect Highrise and Raskulls have to wait until June 16th. After that, Project Highrise will stick around until July 15th, though Raskulls leaves Games With Gold on June 30th.
Super Meat Boy is the oldest of this week’s two free games and likely doesn’t need too much of an introduction. Released in 2010, the highly influential and very challenging action-platformer follows the titular meat cube on his quest to rescue Bandaid Girl from the evil Dr. Fetus. Players guide him through a gauntlet of sawblades and other traps while facing bosses like a blood monster and a living cube of poop. Developed on Adobe Flash, the unique and somewhat gross platformer received massive critical praise with its various versions all enjoying Metacritic scores in the 80s and 90s.
Meanwhile, the 2016 city-builder Aven Colony is decidedly less grimy. Set on the planet Aven Prime, this city management game charges players with guiding their small colony into a thriving metropolis. However, the planet’s beautiful landscapes hide varied threats such as freezing nights, extreme weather events, and hostile alien lifeforms. Players will need to overcome these challenges while attending to more mundane concerns like providing their colonists with food, shelter, jobs, entertainment, and proper healthcare. The game saw mediocre reviews at launch but still found a solid fanbase and generally enjoys positive user reviews on Steam and Metacritic.
Aven Colony and Super Meat Boy usually retail for $29.99 and $14.99, respectively. In addition to being free for Xbox Live Gold and Game Pass Ultimate subscribers, Aven Colony is currently on sale for $7.49 from the Microsoft Store. And while neither game is for everyone, June seems to be a good month for certain kinds of Xbox gamers.
Source: Microsoft