Xbox Game Pass games for when you're short on time (August 2023)

If you're looking for something to play on Xbox Game Pass even if you've only got a few minutes to spare, we've put together a list of some great games here...

Heidi Nicholas

Published 08 Aug 2023

Since the last time we updated this article, there's been a big shift in the Xbox Game Pass library, and many of the great titles for picking up when you've only got a few minutes (such as Tetris Effect: Connected and Nobody Saves the World) have dropped out of the service. Life remains as busy as ever in the time since then, so we thought it a good time to refresh this list with new additions and updates. We've gone through and added a few here or there, making a list of some of our own choices for some great games to pick up and play if you're short on time. All of these titles are in Xbox Game Pass, and several have co-op capabilities, if you're also looking for a game to play with your family. Hopefully, this should save you some time looking, (which you can spend gaming instead) — these are also just a few of our personal picks; if you've got your own suggestions, let us know down in the comments!

Toem

Toem is a great fit for this list. The gameplay and premise is simple — armed with a camera, you go about taking photos, helping people, and solving puzzles. The story is delightfully silly and light, so no need to dredge up extensive backstories and bits of lore, and the game itself is relatively short (it can be completed in around six to eight hours, judging by the completion estimate here on TrueAchievements). The simple but effective black and white cartoonish art style is actually quite relaxing, and the second you boot up the game you're ready to set out. But what most makes Toem a good fit for this list is the fact that the entire game is broken up into many little individual tasks and challenges, more of which are handed out for nearly every step you take, with you able to make progress in many different areas at the same time. For instance, one photo challenge might ask you to photograph a certain plant. As you go looking for it, you might spot some new animals which you can take a picture of to work towards the Collect them all achievement for photographing all compendium creatures from the base game. You'll pick up new tasks on your route (some of which you might already have made progress in, if you've been taking pictures of all the curious things you come across) and cross off requirements in others. In this way, you're constantly making progress whether you play for five minutes or half an hour (and getting a satisfying stamp on the Toem community card as you finish challenges) and the tasks themselves are brief and silly enough that you'll recollect them easily enough even if you haven't played for a while.

Tinykin

Tinykin is in the same vein as Toem when thinking about making constant progress, although the games are very different. Tinykin has larger goals to work towards that might not be as manageable when you're short on time — such as collecting components from each area of the house to fix a machine — but these are end goals for each room which you won't be able to finish until you've done a number of smaller tasks first, helping the inhabitants of each room. Like Toem, there are background goals and achievements that you'll be able to work away at, too, such as collecting the pollen, and this is where Tinykin really works for when you can only play for a short time: collectibles. There are all kinds of different things you need to collect, with the main one being pollen, while the tinykin themselves (Pikmin-like creatures that help you out) also need to be rounded up in each area. Tinykin isn't stingy with its collectibles, either; glittering golden bits of pollen are strewn as far as the eye can see, meaning when you start a new area you can't really go far without picking up pollen, and that's before you start hunting for relics, letters, or all other sorts of things. Like Toem, Tinykin often gives you that rewarding feeling that even if you've played for ten minutes or so, you've made some progress — and when you do have longer to sit down with the game, it continues to be great fun!

Overcooked! 2

The succession of short levels in Overcooked! 2 make it perfect for if you’re just as short on time, and if you’re looking for a game to play with your kids or other family members. The increasing difficulty of each level makes it one of those easy to learn, difficult to master games, and the progression through new areas, learning new recipes and coming up against new obstacles, keep the game from becoming even a tiny bit stale. It’s one of those dangerous games you promise you’re only picking up “just for two minutes” before you look up after cooking your fifteenth pizza and realize hours have passed. Even so, having less time to play this wouldn’t necessarily be a drawback: despite its cutesy appearance, Overcooked! 2 has probably caused more arguments than a lot of other games out there, and it’s probably best for your all-round family happiness to put this game down from time to time. After all, it’s all fun and games until there are nine seconds left on the clock, no clean plates, the hot air balloon you are, for some reason, cooking on is now falling through the sky, and you and your partner are both trapped on the same side of the kitchen.

Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus and Butterfly

Despite being a visual novel, and therefore quite focused on dialogue and an overarching story, Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus and Butterfly is still a great one to pick up even if you've only got a little bit of time to play (and it could be a welcome change of pace after the chaos of Overcooked! 2). There is a fair amount of text, but the entire atmosphere of Coffee Talk Episode 2 is that of relaxation: dreary weather for the evening outside, lo-fi music, and laid-back chatter. It'll add to the experience of the game if you do take in its dialogue and story, but you don't need to worry about making mental notes for any gut-wrenching decisions further down the line; Coffee Talk Episode 2's story unfolds gently and even if you dip out for a bit or come back after having left the game for a while, you'll pick it back up easily. Even if you've just got ten minutes or so, you can kick back with the sequel, maybe make a few drinks, and find out a little more this fantastical version of Seattle.

A Short Hike

A Short Hike is another great one for this list — as the name suggests, it's a shorter game, but what makes A Short Hike so enjoyable for short bursts of gameplay is that it's entirely tied around the freedom to explore at your own pace. In theory, your "goal" is to get to the top of the mountain, but you're more than rewarded for wandering down any path that takes your fancy, or else checking around every corner and under every stone. You can go storming on up the mountain and come soaring back down if you like, or you can zigzag back and forth on a route which makes no sense to anyone but you. The enjoyment of the game is in that freedom of movement and of slowing down to enjoy it.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge

If you fancy something a bit different from roll-em-up and ranching, Shredder’s Revenge brings more classic beat ‘em up gameplay as the turtles and their allies face off against the likes of the Foot Clan, Krang, and Shredder. In the story mode, you can start up a level and begin playing in minutes, going straight into fast-paced combat. Even if you’re going after something that takes more time than you could manage in one sitting, such as the “No need for Mutagen!” achievement which asks you to bring all the characters to max Power Level in the story mode, you can work towards this in small increments by replaying story levels whenever you’ve got a spare few minutes. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge has received high praise all round, so it definitely makes for a good contender for this list!

Bonus: Arcade Paradise

Arcade Paradise might seem a bit of an odd choice for this list as it's a longer game if you're going for the completion (around 40 to 50 hours) and it gets more in-depth the longer you play. However, the fact that it's sort of broken up into "chores" as you work towards transforming your family's laundromat into a successful arcade means it's surprisingly easy and enjoyable to pick it up for a few minutes. I realize "chores" isn't exactly selling it; but basically, we play as Ashley, who's trying to turn the business into something more enjoyable for herself while also proving her irritatingly-smug father wrong about her potential. Ashley sees everything like a game, so even emptying a washing machine or fixing a loo in Arcade Paradise is accompanied with something attention-grabbing; damage dealt to the toilet, for instance, or a score on how well you've done the laundry. It is weirdly enjoyable to do mundane chores in this game, so you could easily spend a few minutes catching up on that, but that's before you even get to the arcade games themselves. There's a veritable treasure trove of arcade games to play, and it's easy to get lost in this game within a game, until Ashley's watch reminds her the shop is closed and she better go home. That's why Arcade Paradise is on this list: if you have a few extra minutes, you can load it up and dive into an arcade game or else wander about doing chores, having a great time as you do so.

That's just a few suggestions of some great games to pick up if you're short on time, especially if you're finding yourself busier than ever and without much time for your hobbies. There are also so many more options to choose from, including a lot of Xbox Game Pass titles (especially since there are a lot more games coming to Game Pass soon), and there is always our hefty list of Game Pass easy achievements if you're looking for something along those lines! If you've got your own suggestions, let us know in the comments!

Written by Heidi Nicholas

Heidi tends to lean towards indie games, RPGs, and open-world games on Xbox, and when not playing Disney Dreamlight Valley, happily installs every new wholesome game that appears on Xbox Game Pass, before diving back into favorites like The Witcher 3. She's looking forward to Age of Mythology Retold, Everwild, Fable, and Avowed on the Xbox horizon. Heidi graduated with an MA in English Literature before joining the TrueAchievements team.