Best Xbox Series X S Games That Cost Less Than 5

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It’s because of this that it’s worth going over the games that are available to purchase, especially for those who are looking to play titles at a cheap price. And just because a game is offered on the Xbox Store for $5 or less does not mean it isn’t worth trying out.

Updated on May 11, 2022, by Chris Birsner: It has been two and a half years since the release of the latest generation of Xbox. That means there is a wide variety of games that have been added to the system since its launch. While there is a handful of games that are triple-A products, there are also plenty of smaller games that have been released that are on the cheaper side. In addition, there are plenty of backward compatible games that are on sale on the system that lets players play some classics of the past. Either way, those looking for Xbox games under $5 will have plenty of options to choose from.

15 Don’t Touch This Button!

Some puzzle games are built to be these complex tests that are meant to keep the player sitting around thinking for a while. However, sometimes a more simplistic puzzle approach can be just as rewarding yet difficult.

In Don’t Touch this Button!, players awaken in a room with a computer that presents some instructions to determine which button to press in front of them. The problem is that this A.I. is not necessarily trustworthy, so players will need to determine the circumstance they are in and figure out what button will progress them closer to escaping this button-pushing hell.

14 Who’s Your Daddy?

There are some solid party games that are worth picking up, but some are sillier than others. One of the more ridiculous five-dollar Xbox games that players can pick up is a round-based game called Who’s Your Daddy? The premise is simple: one person plays the dad while another one or more players take on the role of a baby.

The goal for the children in each round is to find a way to get themselves killed, either by digesting things they shouldn’t or putting themselves in grave danger. The father, meanwhile, must chase the child down and make sure they stay alive for a specific period of time. While games take place in one setting, items in the house are randomized for each round.

13 Arcade Game Series: PAC-MAN

It’s always nice to fire up a classic video game on a newer console. The Arcade Game Series offers a handful of games that bring people back to the days of playing on cabinets in the local arcade. So given that aesthetic, why not put the classic PAC-MAN on the Xbox?

The goal of each level is to collect the various pellets that are scattered throughout the maze. However, ghosts will attempt to stop Pac-Man from completing this mission. Luckily, by eating a bigger pellet, Pac-Man can chase after the ghosts and consume them so they have to go back to safety. PAC-MANoriginally came out in 1980.

12 Plants vs Zombies

There are classic arcade games, then there are classic mobile games. And in the years since gaming has been brought to the mobile phone, few releases have reached the popularity of Plants vs Zombies.

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Luckily, players can also experience the game on their Xbox Series X. In an attempt to protect their home from the incoming zombie apocalypse, players must place down different plants across multiple rows to try to hold off the hordes of undead. Players will need to keep upgrading their plants if they want to stay alive and get to future levels of Plants vs Zombies.

11 Injustice: Gods Among Us

NetherRealm is known for developing another all-time fighting game, but one of its underrated hits was a DC Comics fighter called Injustice: Gods Among Us. Today, the game is available to be played on the Xbox Series X through backward compatibility. It’s also among the best Xbox games under $5.

The game is a typical 2D fighting game that is presented with 3D graphics. Players have an abundance of different characters to choose from the DC Universe, including Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and the Joker. In addition to the regular gameplay, there is also an entire single-player campaign in Injustice: Gods Among Us that players can take part in.

10 Phantasy Star 2

Those who are a fan of the modern Phantasy Star games know that the series has shifted into being one of Sega’s premier online action RPG franchises. However, the start of the series was much different as these were single-player, turn-based RPGs. One of the biggest entries in the franchise’s history was Phantasy Star 2.

The sequel takes place about a thousand years after the events of the first game. Players take on the role of Rolf as he and his friends attempt to figure out why the Mother Brain, an A.I. designed to protect their planet, has begun to malfunction.

9 Skate 3

For those who enjoy a good sports title but want one for cheap, it may be worth going back and playing an older triple-A title like Skate 3. While not the most critically-acclaimed skateboarding game in the franchise’s history, it has a lot of what makes Skate so fun.

The setting for this game is Port Carverton, a fictional town where skateboarding is a pastime. The game is an open world that is separated only into three districts. The game also was the first game in the series to add an Easy mode for individuals who wanted better control of their player and a Hardcore mode for people who wanted to take their skills to the next level.

8 Islanders

City builders always take up a lot of time and may seem a bit on the complicated side when it comes to building a proper society. However, Islanders is a game that is built for anyone, and it’s also an easy purchase for those with an Xbox Series X.

Islanders dubs itself a “minimalist city builder” where players are given a set of buildings in their inventory that they must figure out the best way to place them. Creating the perfect placement will earn the player points and will keep their session going until they run out of pieces to use or places to put them.

7 Townscaper

Speaking of city builders that don’t put a ton of pressure on the player, sometimes it’s nice to unwind with a game that just lets players build without much thought and plenty of imagination. That’s what makes Townscaper such a great value among the $5 Xbox games.

Described as more of a tool than a game, Townscaper allows players to take a variety of different set pieces provided to them and build a town that they would want to live in. Houses, waterways, roads, and so much more is provided to the player to experiment with and there is no set goal that the player must achieve. There’s also plenty of customization for the pieces themselves.

6 Peggle

The same people behind Plants vs Zombies (PopCap Games) were also responsible for the forgotten puzzle game Peggle. The game is derivative of a pachinko machine, and the goal is to shoot at pegs that are marked to be shot at.

The player will only be armed with a limited amount of balls to be able to do this. If they successfully clear all the pegs, the player moves on to the next round. When the game came to consoles, a “Peg Party” mode was added that pitted four players against each other, with each person playing their own Peggle game.

5 DOOM (1993)

One of the biggest Microsoft acquisitions in recent years was the purchase of Bethesda and ZeniMax Media. Among the developers acquired was id Software, which is famous for being the creators of one of the more influential first-person shooters in the history of gaming: DOOM.

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This was the world’s first introduction to Doomguy with the goal of the game to simply kill a plethora of demons while attempting to navigate to the level’s exit. In addition to the game’s iconic single-player campaign, DOOM also has local multiplayer experiences. There is both a four-player deathmatch mode and a four-player co-op.

4 We Were Here

Some of the best experiences on the Xbox are putting on a headset and working together with a friend, or someone completely random, playing on a different console. One of the best games to play with this setup is We Were Here. Players start the game in two completely different locations in an abandoned castle.

Through the walkie-talkies in the players’ inventories, the two people must communicate with each other to find each other and a way out of the castle in the middle of frozen tundra. This horror adventure provides a different experience for both players while also having the two blend together as they attempt to reach the goal.

3 Golf Peaks

There are so many different golf games out there that if players are looking for one unique element to their golfing experience, they could probably find it. Those who want a turn-based card game that is also a relaxing playthrough should absolutely check out Golf Peaks.

This puzzle indie has over 120 different levels for players to get through. Each level is split into individual squares and the goal is for players to use the cards in front of them to correctly play them so that way the ball ends up in the hole. This means there is no aiming and trying to hit the ball against the wind. It is simply a counting game to see how many spots are needed to reach the goal.

2 Sonic The Hedgehog 2

Sonic The Hedgehog is such an iconic platformer series that anyone who hasn’t tried any of the old games should take any opportunity to give them a spin. One of the biggest titles in the history of the franchise is Sonic The Hedgehog 2, which came out on the SEGA Genesis in 1992.

Sonic The Hedgehog 2 builds on many of the themes and mechanics established in the first entry but adds some important features. Firstly, it introduces Tails to the series and a second player could grab a controller to play as him. There were also faster and bigger levels, a multiplayer mode, and special stages that turned the game into a 3D experience temporarily.

1 Ori And The Blind Forest

Outside of the plethora of Xbox Game Studios, Microsoft has occasionally worked with outside developers to publish games almost exclusively on the Xbox platform. One of these games was the highly-successful Ori and the Blind Forest from the people over at Moon Studios.

Described as a Metroidvania adventure, the game places the player in control of Ori, a guardian spirit, and Sein, a light orb meant to represent the Spirit Tree. After losing the creature that raised them, Ori is guided by Sein to restore the forest that has withered thanks to a massive event. Ori and the Blind Forest is an emotional story, so be prepared.

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