All Xbox Series X/S owners get a free 86-rated sci-fi adventure for a limited time, you don't even need Game Pass
Just download and play – but be quick because the trial offer doesn't last long
Quick Summary
Xbox owners get the chance to play The Alters for free this weekend ahead of its PS5 debut.
It's part of the lineup of games available in the Xbox FreePlayDays promotion, and doesn't even require Xbox Game Pass membership.
Xbox has announced the last batch of games available as part of its FreePlayDays weekly promotion, and one of them is a hidden gem from 2025 that you don't even need Xbox Game Pass to play.
There are six games available to get stuck into at no extra cost this weekend, including the recently released NBA 2K27, but it's The Alters that stands out the most for me. Not least because it's a game that scored 86 on Metacritic last year yet not many have heard of it.
Indeed, it's not even available for PS5 yet – that version is coming in November – so Xbox Series X and Series S owners can get a heads up on their rivals... for free.
The Alters is a sci-fi survival adventure with a twist – you're stranded alone on a hostile alien planet, but you do have the capability to create clones of yourself, with different skills sets and personalities.
It's a clever concept that's helped through great voice acting, dialogue and an involving, expanding story. The game looks great too.
You can play it for free for up to three hours throughout the coming weekend – until the end of play on Sunday 18 October. And if you fancy continuing, you can either take out an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or Premium subscription or pay just $15.74 / £13.38 for it, which is less than half the usual price.
More Xbox FreePlayDays games
If you do have an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Premium or even Essential subscription already, you can also play five other games for free this weekend.
Also available until the end of 18 October are the aforementioned NBA 2K27 – 2K Games' latest basketball title – plus Crusader Kings III, Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop, Soccer Story, and Ravenswatch.
There are deals available for them too, so you can continue to play for less after the weekend's promotion runs out. They start at just $2.99 / £2.51.
