Best Single-Player Games On Xbox Series X

Key Takeaways

• The Xbox Series X offers a variety of engaging single-player games for gamers to get lost in.
• From Hades to Elden Ring, the Xbox Series X hosts some of the best immersive single-player experiences that players can enjoy.
• Despite concerns, the future of Xbox Series X looks promising, with a lineup of top-notch single-player games for gamers to dive into.

The Xbox Series X has been out for quite some time, amassing a decent library of games that have been engaging in their own right. As such, it’s only a given that this console would be home to a variety of different genres that can be enjoyed solo or with a few friends.

There is a wealth of single-player games that players can check out on the console if they wish to get lost in some amazing story-driven adventures that will elicit a ton of emotions. These titles encompass a host of genres and will keep most gamers occupied for a while if they get invested in the proceedings.

Updated November 23, 2024, by Hamza Haq: While Xbox is slowly transitioning into becoming less of a dedicated platform and more of a service across devices, the Xbox Series X is still one of the best consoles on the market available to players right now, with a long lifespan ahead of it. Whether or not it will be worth buying the next version of the Xbox is a problem for the future. For now, gamers can look to the large library of excellent single-player games on the Xbox Series X to tide them over for at least a couple more years. The list has been updated with three additional titles that players can sink hundreds of hours into solo play.

19 Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

An Action ARPG Set In Ancient Greece

Over the years, Ubisoft has slowly shifted the focus of their Assassin’s Creed series, taking the original action-adventure formula and introducing more and more RPG elements to it to turn the series toward the open-world ARPG genre. While there is a debate to be had on whether or not this was the correct decision, it remains a fact that Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is the most fully realized version of this vision.

In AC Odyssey, players take control of Alexios or Kassandra and venture into an absolutely massive map set in an alternate version of ancient Greece filled with sights to see, secrets to discover, and Templars to take down.

18 Hades

A Roguelike Action Game That Marries Its Gameplay With The Narrative Expertly

Hades is one of the greatest roguelite action games players can get their hands on, with the presentation and narrative showing just how far Supergiant Games has come from the times of its early breakthrough in the industry with the beloved Bastion. Zagreus is a compelling antagonist who interacts with several notable members of the Underworld in his quest to escape this place and meet his mother.

Failure is welcomed by many players who don’t mind going back to the House of Hades and talking to people that either aided them in their quest or stood in their way. It’s a unique way to frame the game’s narrative that makes the most of its roguelike design, letting players sink in a ton of hours to ensure that Zagreus has the tools at his disposal to take out the many mythological enemies that stand in his way.

17 The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe

A Looping Walking Simulator With Numerous Endings To Uncover

Walking simulators have a bad rap for featuring simplistic gameplay loops that can wear out their welcome early on. It takes something special to make the games in this genre click, and The Stanley Parable is one such title that deserves all its plaudits. Calling it one of the best single-player Xbox games may be a stretch, but gamers who love compelling narration and witty scenarios will find a lot to love about this title.

Players step into the shoes of a boring office worker who can experience a bunch of unique endings depending on the path they take in each run. The game does just enough to ensure that its looping nature doesn’t get too stale, with players enjoying a hilarious ride through some memorable set-pieces and interactions as they experience all the content that made this game a viral hit back when it first launched.

16 Deathloop

Colt Must Take Out Eight Targets In One Single Run; Failure Will Cause Time To Rewind

Deathloop is one of the best immersive sims released by Arkane Studios, pairing their solid first-person action with a time loop that forces players to perfect their approach with each run and take out eight sensitive targets. The challenge ramps up as players make progress, culminating in a satisfying moment as gamers nail the loop and take out the final target after failing for hours and hours.

It’s one of the best single-player Xbox games players can enjoy if they wish to take out their opponents in style without drawing too much attention. The unique asymmetrical multiplayer integration means that fans can be hounded by another player-controlled assassin named Julianna during their run, making it even harder to control Colt and assassinate people while striving for perfection in every loop.

15 Yakuza: Like A Dragon

A Major Shift For The Beloved Series That Implements Excellent Turn-Based Combat

The idea of a real-time brawling game like Yakuza switching over to a turn-based format made for a worrying sight for many fans. They had no idea if Like a Dragon could pull off such a drastic switch in gameplay, only for players to be proven completely wrong as the Dragon Engine showed just how malleable it was.

Like a Dragon is a brilliant game that introduces a new protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga. His goofy but determined attitude made him a great protagonist, with his journey of vengeance leading him to fight against some familiar faces in incredible boss fights where players must whip out a wealth of abilities to attain success.

14 Control

A Sci-Fi Action Game With Deep Lore And Excellent Physics

Control is a third-person action shooter game with superpowers and incredible world building that is the culmination of years of effort. The game follows Jesse Faden, a woman who walks into a government building searching for her brother and finds herself the new director of the Federal Bureau of Control, a secret government organization that deals exclusively with paranormal events and their fallout.

Developed by Remedy Entertainment, Control exists in a connected universe that’s inspired by the SCP Foundation, dealing with weird phenomena and trying to explain them in as bureaucratic a way as possible. The combat is a mix of gunplay and force-like superpowers that results in a satisfying mix.

13 Hogwarts Legacy

A Magical Adventure Set In And Around Hogwarts During The Late 1800s

The hype around Hogwarts Legacy was through the roof, especially since a lot of gamers loved the idea of an open-world series in a world that they grew up with. While there are a lot of people who feel that Hogwarts Legacy missed the mark when it comes to what a Harry Potter game should feel like, that shouldn’t take away from its allure in the slightest.

Roleplaying as a Hogwarts student and exploring the landscapes in and around this magical school makes for a great time. The game may have been a missed opportunity in some ways, but most gamers can’t go wrong with this game if they’re huge Harry Potter fans.

A 100+ Hour JRPG By Atlus, The Creators Of Persona And SMT

Metaphor: ReFantazio is the culmination of everything Atlus has learned from their previous games like Persona and Shin Megami Tensei, delivering a more mature story with bigger stakes set in a fantasy world filled with magic and different races.

Fans of Atlus’ previous games will find a lot of the same elements in Metaphor: ReFantazio. These similarities include the calendar system, turn-based combat, and companion relationships, among other things. But it’s all delivered in such a polished, complete package that it’s hard to take the rehashing of the formula negatively. Players looking to theorycraft different builds and sink hundreds of hours into a game will find Atlus’s newest offering more than up to the task.

11 Cyberpunk 2077

Salvaged Its Reputation To Become One Of The Greatest Single-Player Games Ever Made

Cyberpunk 2077 is a video game that launched in such a pitiful state that many people just wrote it off instead of giving CD Projekt Red a chance. However, it didn’t take long for the developer to turn things around.

Now, with various patches and the Phantom Liberty DLC, Cyberpunk 2077 is finally living up to its potential of being one of the greatest action-adventure games players can check out. The game is more stable than ever before and deserves its time in the spotlight.

10 Halo Infinite (Single-Player Mode)

A Fun Open-World Spin On Master Chief’s Adventures

There’s no denying that the multiplayer component of Halo Infinite has failed somewhat, halting progression behind a massive grind and not featuring too much content for players to get invested in the first place. It’s a shame since the single-player campaign was quite engaging.

It’s the first Halo game to adopt an open-world structure, which is done pretty neatly. Players who are invested in Master Chief’s story will have a great time blazing through the campaign, even if some elements of it won’t feel all that new or revolutionary in any way.

9 Psychonauts 2

A Worthy Sequel To One Of The Most Imaginative Platformers Ever Made

The wait for Psychonauts 2 was agonizing at one point, so fans were finally glad to find out that they could enjoy Razputin’s mind-bending shenanigans once again when they got their hands on it. The novelty of exploring a person’s mind is still quite fresh, and it helps that Psychonauts 2 features some great gameplay and visual improvements.

As a result, the platforming feels natural and exciting to engage with. Combat has also taken a turn for the better, allowing players to use a wealth of abilities to tackle their enemies while uncovering a sinister plot in the process.

8 Hi-Fi Rush

A Rhythm-Action Game With Fun Visuals And Memorable Characters

Shadow-dropping Hi-Fi Rush was a bold move for the Xbox brand, with the game surprising everyone with its excellent soundtrack, colorful visuals, and scintillating action that made for a breath of fresh air. Combining rhythm and action gameplay has reaped major dividends every time, and Hi-Fi Rush is no exception to this golden rule.

It’s a shame that the game wasn’t the killer app that Microsoft hoped would convince more people to try out the Game Pass, since it deserved way more love than it got at launch. For what it’s worth, many who did manage to check this title out loved what it had to offer and couldn’t stop talking about how imaginative the gameplay was, leading to some effective word-of-mouth marketing that allowed many gamers to discover this title.

7 Alan Wake 2

One Of The Most Creative And Captivating AAA Games Ever Made

Alan Wake 2 is one of the most experimental AAA games players can check out. The meta-narrative in this title is truly ludicrous and goes to show just how brilliant Remedy is at crafting some engaging video game experiences.

The journey of Alan Wake 2 is a truly riveting one, and this rollercoaster ride doesn’t stop delivering its fair share of thrills at every step of the way. It’s a narrative that would only be possible in the realm of video games, which makes Alan Wake 2 pretty revolutionary indeed.

6 Dead Space

An Excellent Remake That Expands On The Brilliance Of The Original Game

Dead Space is a game that already looked pretty mind-blowing, and most people wondered if a remake of this title was even warranted. However, it didn’t take long for EA to show just how much room there was for improvement in this iconic title.

The Dead Space remake is a thing of beauty to behold, and some of its levels have been expanded upon, too. The end result is a masterful gaming experience that will scare players out of their wits over and over again. A great deal of bravery will be required to conquer this single-player game.

5 Resident Evil 4 (2023)

Leon’s Adventure In This Nightmarish Village Has Never Looked Better

Many people were worried that the attempt to remake Resident Evil 4 would end up leaving a sour taste in everyone’s mouths. This is because the original game is a gem of a survival horror title that features the perfect amount of camp while introducing players to a new control scheme in the form of over-the-shoulder shooting, which has become the norm in most titles today.

However, despite losing some of the original’s charm, Resident Evil 4 was a brilliant title that floored everyone with its incredible presentation and faithfulness to the original game. Capcom’s string of Resident Evil remakes has been brilliant, and this game was no exception either. For fans of tense single-player experiences, the Resident Evil 4 remake is a must-try.

4 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

The Next-Gen Update Helps This Amazing Open-World RPG Look Better Than Ever

It’s a testament to the immense quality of The Witcher 3 that players can’t stop revisiting the title to this day. It helped that the re-release of this title on next-gen platforms ensured that everyone could enjoy Geralt’s fantastical adventures with a fresh coat of ray-traced paint that made this jaw-dropping spectacle look even more amazing in every way.

This dark fantasy tale serves as the final chapter in Geralt of Rivia’s story, with his quest to hunt down Ciri taking him on a wild goose chase that ends on an emotional note that varies based on the ending players get. Regardless of what fate players receive at the end of this title, there’s no denying that The Witcher 3 will leave its mark on gamers for years to come.

3 Persona 5 Royal

The Definitive Version Of One Of The Greatest JRPGs Ever Made

Persona 5 was a massive step forward for Atlus when it came to the Persona series. The amazing art style and enthralling gameplay were something fans couldn’t get enough of, with the Phantom Thieves quickly becoming one of the best groups ever featured in a JRPG. People may have their personal preferences, but no one can deny that Persona 5 is the finest and most polished game in the series by a country mile.

To make things even better, the Royal edition expands on the plot and lets players enjoy an epilogue that’s pretty engaging in its own right, even if some people feel that the original ending was more satisfying. Regardless, there aren’t many single-player games on the Xbox Series X that are as amazing as this one, and those who enjoy turn-based combat will love what this title has to offer.

2 Elden Ring

A Critically-Acclaimed Open-World Action-Adventure RPG

FromSoftware took the world by storm with an amazing open-world RPG that combined the best parts of their combat and level design to make for a truly special experience. Controlling the Tarnished and uncovering the truth behind this game makes for a great time, with the amazing exploration and excellent combat encounters feeling incredibly satisfying.

There’s no denying that Elden Ring has a problem with the excessive recycling of boss fights and a huge leap in difficulty midway through the game. However, these issues are minor in the grand scheme of things. In the end, Elden Ring offers a truly unforgettable single-player experience that many Xbox Series X players are certain to enjoy.

1 Baldur’s Gate 3

One Of The Most Epic And Player-Driven Games Ever Developed

Baldur’s Gate 3 is one of the greatest RPGs ever made, proving once and for all that the CRPG genre is well on its way to a modern revival. The sheer amount of love poured into each and every corner of this game is simply mind-boggling and goes to show why labors of love will always beat any game that only has the motive of earning a quick buck and keeping shareholders happy.

Even after putting hundreds of hours into this game across multiple playthroughs, it’s very much possible that most people still won’t uncover every piece of unique content in this game. From the sheer volume of well-written dialogue pieces to the branching questlines, every part of Baldur’s Gate 3 feels carefully curated. For Xbox Series X players looking to truly lose themselves in a single-player adventure, Baldur’s Gate 3 is a must-play.