Halo Wars 2
Have you ever played Halo thinking it would be amazing to control a whole UNSC army? Well, in Halo Wars 2, you can do exactly that. And it's not just the Spartans and Marines you will find at your disposal, either. You can command iconic vehicles from the series as well, including Warthogs and Scorpion tanks.
Following on from the events of Halo 5, the game sees players going up against a powerful Jiralhanae Warmaster called Atriox. He is the leader of the Banished - a mercenary group made up of former members of the Covenant. It won't be an easy journey then, so you need to ensure your bases are well-constructed and deploy the right troops in battle.
Alongside Halo Wars 2, you can also play the original Halo Wars as part of your Xbox Game Pass subscription. So, if you missed out when it first launched in 2009, now is a good time to catch up.
Frostpunk: Console Edition
11 bit Studios' Frostpunk: Console Edition is set in an alternate-history late 19th century and challenges you to help a city survive and thrive during a global volcanic winter. To do so, you will need to carefully manage the city's resources and make vital decisions that could bring benefits or see everything crumble to dust.
There is plenty to occupy your time, like building shelter and other useful facilities to ensure the cities survival. Meanwhile, search parties need to venture into the wilderness to scavenge resources and other integral items. On top of that, the vicious cold is an ever-present threat. For instance, the temperature of buildings needs to be above -20 degrees to keep them from becoming inoperable.
As the city's leader, you can also make laws for your city, but consider what the public might think, since discontent could prove detrimental. Sure, enforcing longer shifts might get that new lab finished quicker, but if the workers down tools it'll never be completed.
Plants vs Zombies
Plants vs Zombies is actually already available on the App Store and Google Play for free. However, it does include the odd pesky advert that might otherwise take you out of the experience. Of course, you could always pay a small fee to remove them, but why do that when you can battle zombies with plants as part of your Xbox Game Subscription?
If you're unfamiliar with PopCap Studios' classic strategy title, it is a tower defense where you must protect a house from an invading horde of zombies using a variety of plants. Each brings something different to the garden-based battlefield, whether that's offensive, such as shooting or launching projectiles, or more defensive, like acting as a wall to impede the zombies' progress.
Whichever seeds you decide to sow, Plants vs Zombies has a cartoony aesthetic combined with a healthy dose of humour that makes playing the game enjoyable for hours on end.
Gears Tactics
If you enjoy squad-based strategy games like XCOM, you might want to check out Gears Tactics. Likewise, if you're a fan of the series and find yourself hungry for more Gears, it's great for that, only in a different setup to the one you already know.
Gears Tactics played out from a top-down perspective and gives you command over a squad of COG soldiers. Like XCOM, it's turn-based, meaning you will need to carefully plan out each move by deciding which actions each character will take, whether that's heading for cover, taking a shot at a Locust, or being in overwatch.
Despite the more tactical flavour, it's still very much a Gears game, meaning you can expect weighty gunfire and gruesome executions. It also brings a few elements from the main series to the table. For instance, grenades need to be tossed into Emergence Holes to stop more Locust from spawning.
Stellaris: Console Edition
Lastly, if you're a fan of grand strategies, then Xbox Game Pass has a great option for you in the form of Stellaris: Console Edition. It sees you exploring numerous planets in a procedurally generated galaxy. After you touch down, there are a host of alien races to meet, who could become useful trading partners or another enemy to add to a growing list.
Beyond exploring the outer reaches, you will need to manage your resources and discover new ways to help your empire progress. That might be by investigating the various scientific anomalies that pop up around the universe or by changing things internally, such as altering policies, traditions and factions.
