Xbox is releasing a trio of free games that all players on the console can claim right now, providing experiences that are perfect for quick achievements. Iconic gaming brand Microsoft has established itself as a champion in the industry since the debut of the first Xbox in 2001, becoming one of the big three console developers. The Xbox Series X/S has sold tens of millions of consoles worldwide, with Xbox's online marketplace featuring a variety of games for players to try. However, the achievements of the Microsoft brand have been one of the biggest innovations of the console line.
Microsoft first introduced achievements to the Xbox brand with the launch of the Xbox 360 in 2005. Achievements, and the iconic Xbox Gamerscore tied to a player's total, paved the way for many other platforms, such as Steam and PlayStation, to follow suit with their own achievements. “Gamerscore” has also become a particular point of bragging rights for many Xbox gamers, with some players actively looking for games with easy-to-earn achievements to add to their repertoire. Now Xbox fans can pick up three new games for free, two of which boast some quick and easy achievements.
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Three new games on Xbox are completely free to play
Xbox fans have three brand new games they can claim for absolutely free on the Xbox Market, including some with simple achievements. Puzzle Galaxyas the name suggests, is a simplified puzzle game based on puzzles, where players put together several scenes in the game. Coloring book is another game that plays very close to its title, giving players a pseudo-art tool to paint several different scenes. Cup Heroes is the most stylistically different game of the three, coming as a retro-inspired RPG that offers “challenging puzzles”, “epic adventures” and more. Each game is also available on other platforms, with Puzzle Galaxy on PlayStation, Coloring book on Switch, and Cup Heroes on Switch and mobile devices.
While none of the games appear to be as robust in their gameplay, they mostly have some simple Xbox achievements for players to acquire. Players can reportedly get all available achievements Puzzle Galaxy within 40 to 50 minutes, while Coloring books achievements can be completely cleared within about an hour of playing. Cup Heroes doesn't include any achievements, although the casual RPG supports cloud storage and is one of the games included as part of Xbox's “Play Anywhere” program.
Xbox's range of free games continues to grow
The trio of free-to-play games join an ever-growing library of games on Xbox that players can try for free. Many of the game's most popular online titles, such as Fortnite and Genshin Impactcan be played on the console without spending a penny. Many smaller developers often make their games free to play on Xbox as a way to attract attention and new players. Xbox's Game Pass subscription even regularly gives players new games to try through its “Free Play Days,” which recently let fans try out games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 during the holidays.
Xbox fans should have a lot to look forward to from Microsoft's console throughout 2026, with some big names set to release. Xbox will welcome the return of Fable franchise, comes as a reboot of the beloved RPG series and the first Fable games since the 2010s Fable 3. Microsoft is also expected to debut Forza Horizon 6 and Gears of War: E-Day throughout the year, with both launching on PC and the former coming to PS5 at a later date. 2026 will be a defining year for Xbox, with a slew of big releases coming for fans.
Source: PureXbox
