5 January 2026

Three New Free Xbox Games Are Perfect for Achievement Hunters

By newsgame


Xbox is giving out a trio of free games that any players on the console can claim right now, giving bite-sized experiences perfect for some fast achievements. The iconic Microsoft gaming brand has solidified itself as a juggernaut within 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 the Xbox’s online marketplace boasting a wide variety of different games for players to try out. However, the Microsoft brand’s achievements have been one of the console line’s biggest innovations.

Microsoft first introduced achievements to the Xbox brand with the launch of the Xbox 360 in 2005. Achievements, and the iconic Xbox Gamerscore attached to a player’s total count, paved the way for plenty of other platforms, like Steam and PlayStation, to follow suit with their own achievements. “Gamerscore” has also become a particular bragging point for many Xbox gamers, with some players actively seeking out games with easy-to-earn achievements to add to their repertoire. Now, Xbox fans can pick up three new games for free, with two boasting 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 completely for free on the Xbox marketplace, including some with easy achievements. Puzzle Galaxy, as the name would imply, is a simplistic puzzle game based around jigsaw puzzles, with players putting together multiple scenes within the game. Coloring Book is another game that plays very close to its title, giving players a pseudo-art tool for painting several different scenes. Cup Heroes is the most stylistically different game of the three, coming as a retro-inspired RPG touting “challenging puzzles,” “epic adventures,” and more. Each game is also available on other platforms as well, with Puzzle Galaxy on PlayStation, Coloring Book on Switch, and Cup Heroes on Switch and mobile devices.

While none of the games look to be that robust in their gameplay, they do notably sport some easy Xbox achievements for players to acquire. Players can reportedly get all the achievements available in Puzzle Galaxy within 40 to 50 minutes, while Coloring Book‘s achievements can be fully cleared within roughly an hour of gameplay. Cup Heroes notably does not include any achievements, though the laid-back RPG supports cloud saves and is one of the games included as part of Xbox’s “Play Anywhere” program.

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Xbox’s Lineup 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 out completely free of charge. Many of gaming’s most popular online titles, like Fortnite and Genshin Impact, can be played on the console without spending a dime. Plenty of smaller developers will often make their games free-to-play on Xbox as a way to draw attention and new players. Xbox’s Game Pass subscription even regularly gives players new games to try out through its “Free Play Days,” recently allowing fans to try out games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 during the holidays.

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Xbox fans should have lots to look forward to from the Microsoft console throughout 2026, with some big-name games set to release. Xbox will welcome the return of the Fable franchise, coming as a reboot of the beloved RPG series and the first Fable game since 2010’s 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 is set to be a pivotal year for Xbox, with a multitude of major releases on the way for fans.

Source: PureXbox