Emoji guide:
👯 Supports co-op gameplay (my preference over PvP)😵 Can get a bit addictive...💵 Game has a payments system and they try and get money from you other than through the purchase price⚙️ Can require a bit of a grind to be rewarding🎫 Available on MS Xbox Game pass which I think is reasonable value...💺 Best enjoyed in a couch co-op scenario
Shooters
Sniper Elite 4 👯
This is an absolutely top-shelf shooter if you like a bit of a mix of stealth, but also run and gun gameplay (i.e. you mess up the stealth aspect and need to shoot your way out). One of the few games that I've actually played through on increasing difficulty levels because it felt rewarding.
Metro Series 🎫
I find the general ambience of this particular series pretty slick. While I started playing Exodus it did start to feel a bit samey and I did lose interest. The others though had me from beginning to end.
Deep Rock Galactic 👯
Really nice casual shooter. Take on a mission either solo or with friends (definitely easier with friends) and shoot bugs. I'm sure videos will give you a better idea.
Survival / Open World Games
To be honest, I'm a bit of a sucker for this genre and they get a look in from time to time. Generally played to death for a few weeks and then shelved until they get an update. In the majority of cases, these games will be a little grindy, but I personally find it's part of the Zen experience of it.
7 days to die 👯 ⚙️
What's not to like about this game. Looting houses, killing zombies, digging holes, building structures, it's got it all. A lot of fun co-op.
ARK Survival Evolved 👯 😵 ⚙️ 🎫
What's potentially more fun that zombies? Well, dinosaurs. What's more fun that fighting dinosaurs? Well, taming and riding dinosaurs... and then using them to attack other dinosaurs. On and there's digging too. Definitely a lot of fun.
Raft 👯
For a lightweight (but evolving - it's definitely quite a bit more involved than when I last played) survival game I don't think you could go past Raft. Nothing beats snagging pieces of floating debris (especially a barrel full of goodies) off your friends.
Sea of thieves 👯 🎫
Not sure if this really belongs in this category, but it is a lot of fun. Has PvE and PvP aspects in the game and supports short session game play, because while your progress in the "Sea of thieves" universe progresses as you play it, each session has you starting with a brand new ship (different sizes for different sized crews) and new missions available. Honestly, a surprising amount of fun.
Subnautica
It's so damn beautiful. A lot of fun to explore and get lost in.
No Man's Sky 👯
Also a beautiful game... and spaceships.
Driving
Forza Horizon 4 👯 🎫
This game is great for just chilling out. A lot of variety and they do a good job of keeping content fresh also. You can even get your design on and work on car liverys if that takes your fancy (I did get sucked in by that). While the livery editor is a bit limited, you can achieve some pretty amazing results. The stuff some people achieve is mind blowing.
Simulation
World of Warships 👯 ⚙️ 😵 💵
This is a game I love to hate. It's got fantastic depth, you can team up with friends in combat divisions, but it is a massive grind to go up the ship tiers and they do like to get money out of you with every trick in the book. Not a game to start playing unless you have a bit of time to spare.
Ice Lakes
Ice lake fishing which is interestingly compelling. Also has VR support though I've never tried it. I did catch a lot of fish though.
Other notable mentions
- Slay the Spire
- Duck Game
👯 💺 - TIS-100
- Victor Vran
👯 - Dying Light
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