If you own an Xbox 360 console there’s a good chance you’ve used the Xbox Live online service. If not, then it’s not too late to unlock a whole world of free online goodies for your console.
This includes full games8 Awesome Free Open-Source Games You Can Enjoy on Windows, Mac, and Linux8 Awesome Free Open-Source Games You Can Enjoy on Windows, Mac, and LinuxRead More, add-ons for games you may already own, themes and other Xbox Live content. If you’re particularly keen on improving your GamerScore you’ll be delighted to know that some of these freebies come with achievements you can grind away at.
Fire up your 360 and clear some download space if you’ve not got this lot already!
No download or USB needed, free Xbox 360 games to your console.
Regions & Downloading Options
Unfortunately Microsoft choose to restrict which regions receive some of this free content, especially the games. Much of this content will be available in US NTSC regions, and I’ve tested its availability in the UK (that’s the European PAL region).
Gamers down under might encounter some issues, as I’ve read on multiple forums that some of this content isn’t available in their region.
On the plus side you’ve got two options when you want to download Xbox 360 games. You can either choose to navigate your way through the Game Marketplace on your Xbox 360 console (you’ll need to be logged in to a Live-enabled account), or sign in with your Xbox Live credentials at Xbox.com to add each download to your queue.
Once you power your console up and login, your downloads will automatically start. This is generally a lot quicker than navigating your way around the Xbox dashboard with a controller.
Games
Harms Way
Do you like racing? Good. How about shooting? Ok, well grab yourself a friend and prepare to do plenty of both with this free co-op “I race, you shoot” Xbox Live Arcade game. Featuring full online play (though you might have to persist at more social hours to get a game) and offline local carnage too, there’s very little reason not to download Harms Way.
Aegis Wing
Created by three Microsoft interns and Carbonated Games, Aegis Wing is a side-scrolling shooter that rewards co-op play. Up to four friends can join in either locally or via Xbox Live to battle through hordes of enemy aliens.
It is possible to combine ships in order to boost firepower and there are some pretty spectacular power-ups to collect along your way. If you enjoy this kind of arcade experienceHow To Play Old Arcade Games On Your PCHow To Play Old Arcade Games On Your PCRead More download Aegis Wing now!
Note: Even though the game displays for me within a browser on Xbox.com US, I’ve not been able to download this one in the UK on my console.
Doritos Crash Course
Easily one of the most infuriating yet addictive games to date, Doritos Crash Course is essentially a spicier, crispier video game homage to the hit TV show Total Wipeout. The aim is to finish the course, avoid the obstacles, duck and jump your way to the end in order to place better than your friends and the rest of the world.
With online leaderboards, a frantic local multiplayerMUO Games : Top 5 Free Cross-Platform FPS GamesMUO Games : Top 5 Free Cross-Platform FPS GamesRead More experience and achievements to boot, Doritos Crash Course should keep you busy, at least for a while.
Microsoft Game Room
Accessible via an Xbox 360 and the Microsoft Windows operating system, Games Room is a collection of genuine arcade classics all wrapped up in a 3D environment. The best part is you don’t necessarily need to spend any money to enjoy classics like Centipede on your 360 console.
Anything you do happen to purchase will also then be available on PC, so you can do your gaming from anywhere. There’s a handful of cabinets that are free to play, though you’ll be invited to make a couple of purchases on your way.
Downloadable Content
You’ll need to own the original games for these to work, but here are some of the best free DLC downloads released for the Xbox 360 to date.
Rockband & Rockband 2
If you spent all your money on Rockband controllers way back when, then chances are you’ve got a copy of the game too. There are a few great free songs available for download completely free of charge, and you might even find yourself playing these more than ones you’ve actually paid for.
Personal favourites include Still Alive, released by Valve Software, which is the song played at the end of the popular FPS Portal. Another quality free track is Promised Land by Vesuvius, which featured in the film The Rocker and is an absolute blast for the drummer and vocalist.
For a better way to peruse the whole catalogue (with previews) try the Rockband Music Store.
Left 4 Dead – Survival Pack
Rarely do free add-ons get as good as this (unless they’re free mods4 Free Online Multiplayer Source Engine Mods For Half-Life 24 Free Online Multiplayer Source Engine Mods For Half-Life 2Read More, of course). Despite Valve’s Left 4 Dead being a bit short and well, a bit repetitive, the addition of two completely new levels and a new game mode pretty much makes up for it.
List Of Free Xbox 360 Game Downloads
Considering you can waltz into any good games reseller and by a nice, cheap, sub-$10 copy of Left 4 Dead; this DLC makes it all the more enticing (and essentially gives you another third of a game, completely free).
Conclusion
Hopefully some of the titles mentioned here will tickle your fancy, and more importantly are available for download in your region. Don’t forget Microsoft regularly update the Xbox 360 online game catalog each Wednesday, with new Arcade games, DLC, game demos and games on demand.
Do you have an Xbox 360? Any favorite titles or addons? Discovered any nice freebies recently? Let us know in the comments.
- not helping
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- its all right but bad games
- even though i just paid $60 for a to be a gold member I also just payed $60 to be a PlaystationPlus member atleast one of them work
- Good stuff!
- thank you!
The next generation of consoles is currently sparking debate and news headlines as Sony and Microsoft prepare for all-out platform warfare at the end of 2013. While the Xbox One is certainly dividing opinionPS4 vs Xbox One: 5 Reasons To Buy The Xbox OnePS4 vs Xbox One: 5 Reasons To Buy The Xbox OneThis year's E3 felt almost like it was over before it began. Though the conference lasts for days, both Microsoft and Sony made their announcements before the doors opened, showing not just hardware but also...Read More, Microsoft’s last console is still not quite done, with the company having announced one last Xbox 360 refresh to match the styling of their next-gen machine.
There’s a surprising amount of free Xbox 360 content4+ Free Downloadable Xbox 360 Games & DLC You Should Grab Right Now4+ Free Downloadable Xbox 360 Games & DLC You Should Grab Right NowRead More for Xbox Live Gold subscribers to download. In addition to avatar items, themes and the odd bonus item Microsoft has been known to release whole free Xbox 360 games and DLC, particularly for Kinect and Xbox Live Arcade users.
Whichever console you buy at the end of the year, be sure to see the 360 off in style with as much free content as you can fit on your hard drive.
Doritos Crash Course 2
I mentioned Doritos Crash Course in my last round-up of free content, and since then Doritos have released another game with their name on it, though not an awful lot has changed this time round. Doritos Crash Course 2 is more of the same 2.5D endless running, platforming and wiping out. This time round you must use stars you find to unlock new content, but there’s also a new premium currency called coins, which can be purchased with Microsoft points.
There’s both asynchronous multiplayer that lets you compete with your friends even when they’re offline, and a real-time split screen multiplayer mode. It’s not great, I’ll be the first to admit it, but it is free, so that’s something!
Happy Wars
Happy Wars was one of the first free-to-play game for Xbox Live Arcade, released in October 2012. The game takes the form of an online multiplayer “role-playing strategy” game. There is a small single player mode too, but this is rather short and the multiplayer mode offers more rewards.
There are three classes to choose from: the warrior, the mage and the cleric; each with their own unique abilities. Two squads of 15 players must go head to head and battle with the aim of destroying the opposition’s castle to win the match. Free to play, but spending some real currency in the form of Microsoft Points will give you the edge.
Hexic HD
A bonafide classic, Hexic HD was the first Xbox Live Arcade game I played on Microsoft’s console, way back at the beginning of the generation. It’s an addictive single player gem-swapper in which you must create clusters of colours and clear them from the board.
It’s a simple concept – swapping gems to earn special clusters and bonuses will win you the game – but it’s incredibly addictive especially if you find yourself gravitating towards Bejewelled and other similar Xbox 360 games.
Discovered (Kinect Required)
Ever dreamt of being a big shot action movie star? Or maybe a “more money than sense” rockstar? Featuring some people who are meant to be famous, it is Intel’s Discovered game that puts you in the action thanks to Kinect.
The game uses Kinect and live video play to put you in a range of situations, from punching and kicking to posing for photographs. The download is 1.8GB, so there’s a lot of video in use here and you’ll need a Kinect to play but at least it’s free.
Kinect Fun Labs
My initial experiences with Kinect Fun LabsKinect Fun Labs - Free Interactive Gadgets For Your Kinect & Xbox 360Kinect Fun Labs - Free Interactive Gadgets For Your Kinect & Xbox 360The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) comes and goes each year with new games, hardware, planned releases and the occasional freebie. This year Microsoft announced Kinect Fun Labs, a collection of “gadgets” that somewhat resemble highly...Read More were not great. In case you missed it, Fun Labs is Microsoft’s free and rather flawed app suite for getting “more” out of the Kinect. It’s a bunch of free applications you can download that let you create bobble heads, scan objects and so on.
Well since my initial article there have been a lot of Kinect Fun Labs releases, not least starting with Avatar Kinect.
Avatar Kinect
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So it’s not really a game, per se, but more of a chat room app. Avatar Kinect lets you sit in your living room, and talk to your Kinect while the representation of you on screen mimics your actions. It’s like talking to someone with the gimmick of a 3D model in front of you!
This is really just an example of how much Microsoft has improved the Kinect’s technology since the initial release – you can make facial expressions which the Kinect can supposedly recognise (and mimic), for instance. Still, it’s worth a download if you want to chat via Kinect.
Battle Stuff
You read that correctly – Battle Stuff is the name of the game, and battling… “stuff” is what you’re expected to do. Finally, Microsoft made some use for the Kinect’s ability to “scan” and model items by allowing you to fight them!
It’s probably not the Kinect game you’ve been waiting for to justify your sensor purchase, but it’s free (and at 200MB won’t waste too much space).
Karaoke
Did you know people once used to buy karaoke machines? Well no more, thanks to Microsoft’s free Karaoke app for Kinect which promises “over 8,000 songs from the latest hits to the oldies but goodies”. Eight. Thousand.
According to Microsoft songs don’t need to be downloaded first and can play immediately, which surely means terrible MIDI-esque backing tracks abound. Still, this is probably one of the coolest freebies Microsoft has ever released.
Kinect PlayFit
How would you like to play and be fit? I think that’s what Microsoft were going for when they came up with Kinect PlayFit, an avatar dashboard app complete with achievements. Hold your horses though, PlayFit isn’t a standalone “game” as such but a tracking app.
The app plugs into your already compatible games (such as Dance Central, Just Dance, Happy Action Theatre and so on) and tracks the calories you burn and the progress you make before rewarding you with gamerpoints and statistics.
I Am Super
Ever wanted to pretend you are a super hero and blast objects? Well now thanks to the power of Kinect you can… pretend some more. Really, that’s all there is to see here – some pretty effects that eminate from your fingers. It’s pretty cool for 30 seconds, but it won’t change the world.
Mars Rover Landing
Recreate the iconic Mars Rover landing in this Kinect game. Your body controls the craft direction and thrusters, adding a predictable twist to the game (it is Kinect, after all).
There are achievements to be earned here too, as well as some NASA themed avatar items to unlock.
The Rest
There are a handful of other Kinect Fun Labs apps, but on the whole quality is fairly low. They may keep your children entertained for a short while, but eventually you’ll probably prefer the hard drive space. The few I didn’t feature include Musical Feet and Air Band, two rather self-explanatory concepts and Mutation Station.
Don’t forget: You can login on Xbox.com using your Live credentials and “purchase” these items, then when you turn your Xbox 360 in and login your downloads will auto-complete (this works for all the things listed here).
Do you have any favourite free Xbox 360 game downloads I’ve not featured? I’d be shocked to find out I’ve left out something good, but I do love being corrected in the comments!
Xbox Games For Free Download
- CAN YOU SELL GTA V FOR 15 BUCKS IT WILL HELP YOU GET MORE SELLS
- I'm always a fan of Free stuff. I have also seen the teenager, who is usually sitting and not moving far, get up and see if he can land the Mars Rover. If it gets him off the couch, I would pay for it.
- Fable 3 is now free on demand
- Xbox just released a new game today that is free. Spartacus Legends allows you to take a lowly gladiator and raise him to be one of the best gladiators. To get better gear, you need to win matches (or purchase them with Xbox points). It is incredibly violent, but fun nonetheless.