What’s new in July 2023 for Xbox Games with Gold members
Xbox Games with Gold lives another month to give two relatively okay games to subscribers. Are there still subscribers or is everyone just on Game Pass now? Who knows, but there are free games, so we’re here to report on them!
Below are your free games for July and the dates they’re available to download:
- Darkwood, July 1 to 31
- When the Past Was Around, July 16 to August 15
First up is Darkwood, which was released in 2017 and is a top-down survival horror game. Honestly, it was probably one of the best horror games released that year, so this is a solid offering for July.
It’s the day-night cycle that defines Darkwood, where you scavenge and hunt during the day to build weapons, create traps, and fortify your hideout in order to survive through the night. It’s a slow-burn atmosphere rather than relying on jump scares and for us, that makes it all the scarier. It’s the anticipation of something coming to get you.
On the complete opposite side of the gaming spectrum, we have When the Past Was Around, which was released in 2020. This is a point-and-click adventure game that focuses on two characters, Eda and The Owl. It focuses on love, moving on, hardships, and the joy and pain that love can bring told through disjointed rooms from memories and time.
The hand-drawn graphics are very pretty and fit the aesthetic that the gameplay is going for. And the musical score and subtle sound effects help to give it more of a meditative feel and will stick with you for days.
Neither of these games are big endeavors; Darkwood will take you about 18 hours to beat and When the Past was Around won’t even take you two.
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