Each month, Xbox Live Gold and PlayStation Plus members receive a selection of free games alongside online multiplayer access. Each platform usually offers its users a completely different crop of games for $59.99 a year, per program.
Xbox owners can expect to receive up to four games for Xbox One and Xbox 360 through the Games With Gold Program, and PlayStation fans are offered up to six titles for PlayStation 3, 4, Vita and VR.
Amazon and the popular streaming platform Twitch have recently thrown their hats into the ring, offering free PC games for Twitch Prime subscribers. Since Twitch Prime is a branch of Amazon Prime, anyone with an Amazon subscription can download these titles.
Sony, Microsoft and Twitch have recently announced this months free games. Heres a quick look at the description, critical score, and ESRB rating of each title, as well as the average critical score and value of both free game programs.
PlayStation Plus
PS Plus games are made available on the first Tuesday of every month and can be downloaded for free throughout the month. Unlike Xboxs free games, anything obtained through PS Plus will become inaccessible if your membership expires. Thankfully, your free games will be waiting for you if you subscribe again.
Mad Max
Platform: PS4
Metacritic Score: 69
ESRB Rating: M for blood and gore, intense violence, strong language and use of drugs.
Inspired by George Millers classic film series, Mad Max follows Max Rockatansky as he survives a post-apocalyptic wasteland. After the War Boys steal his signature car, the Interceptor, Max teams up with a mutant car mechanic to rescue his ride and discover the fabled Plains of Silence.
TrackMania Turbo
Platform: PS4
Metacritic Score: 81
ESRB Rating: E
According to the PlayStation Blog, TrackMania Turbo is a polished PS4 arcade racing game where your goal is to achieve the perfect racing time. You can hone your skills with 200 pre-built tracks, then create and share your own custom tracks to make the competition last forever.
In Space We Brawl
Platform: PS3, PS4
Metacritic Score: 54
ESRB Rating: E for mild language.
In Space We Brawl is a cooperative, fast-paced twin-stick shooter offering over 100 customization options. Players can work together to conquer maps covered in enemies, asteroids and black holes.
Toy Home
Platform: PS3
Metacritic Score: 57
ESRB Rating: E
According to its store page, Toy Home is a toy car racing game where your home becomes a racetrack. Players can race across bedrooms, kitchen tables and moonlit living rooms to collect coins and discover hidden secrets.
99Vidas
Platform: PS Vita
Metacritic Score: 61
ESRB Rating: E
"99Vidas" is a 16-bit beat em up set in modern day and pays tribute to classic beat em ups from the 80s and 90s. Players can take on 6 stages full of relentless enemies and powerful bosses in both single-player and co-op.
Q*Bert Rebooted
Platform: PS Vita, PS4, PS3
Metacritic Score: 44
ESRB Rating: E
Classic arcade gaming icon Q*Bert returns in this reimagined version of the classic 1980s arcade game. Players must avoid enemies as they attempt to traverse 2D towers in multiple game modes, including a new 3D take on the gameplay formula.
Average Metacritic Score: 61
Total Value: $98.94
Xbox Games With Gold
Xboxs free games are usually divided across both of Microsofts consoles, with two titles featured for Xbox One, and an additional two for Xbox 360. Its important to note Xbox One owners can also download the Xbox 360 titles, thanks to backwards compatibility. Additionally, any games downloaded as an Xbox Live Gold subscriber will stay in your digital library, even if your subscription lapses.
The Witness
Platform: Xbox One
Date Available: April 1-30
Metacritic Score: 86
ESRB Rating: E for alcohol references.
The Witness is a single-player game set in an open world with dozens of locations to explore and over 500 puzzles. Each puzzle builds upon the concepts of previous challenges, helping you learn as you explore an abandoned island.
Assassins Creed Syndicate
Platform: Xbox One
Date Available: April 16-May 15
Metacritic Score: 78
ESRB Rating: M for blood, drug references, strong language and violence.
Explore Victorian London as Jacob and Evie Frye, twin assassins who aim to liberate those oppressed by the Industrial Union. Players will raise gangs, fight in boxing matches, steal important items and hunt ghosts with Charles Dickens as they free London from the Templars.
Cars 2: The Video Game
Platform: Xbox 360
Date Available: April 1-15
Metacritic Score: 72
ESRB Rating: E10+ for cartoon violence.
Race with Lightning McQueen and friends and train to become a world-class spy in this companion to the 2011 film of the same name.
Dead Space 2
Platform: Xbox 360
Date Available: April 16-31
Metacritic Score: 90
ESRB Rating: M for blood and gore, intense violence and strong language.
Engineer Isaac Clark returns after waking up on the Sprawl, a massive space station infested with Necromorphs. Players will fight through hordes of alien monsters as they battle dementia, guilt and shadowy organizations to save the Sprawl.
Average Metacritic Score: 82
Total Value: $129.96
Twitch Prime
Just like PlayStation and Xbox, streaming platform Twitch now offers five free PC games on the first of the month for Amazon/Twitch Prime subscribers. While the free games arent offered for Mac, Windows users can access their monthly free games through the free Twitch Desktop App.
Tales from the Borderlands
Metacritic Score: 86
ESRB Rating: M for blood and gore, drug references, sexual themes, strong language and violence.
Set after the events of Borderlands 2, players will guide Rhys and Fiona as they work together to recover stolen cash and survive encounters with gangsters, bandit lords and Vault Hunters in this sci-fi comedy adventure.
SteamWorld Dig 2
Metacritic Score: 85
ESRB Rating: E10+
In order to save an old trading community from mysterious earthquakes, players must delve beneath the town to discover the source of the tremors. Players will mine for resources and upgrade their equipment as they explore subterranean caverns.
Kingsway
Metacritic Score: N/A
ESRB Rating: N/A
Kingsway is an RPG in which you use a mock operating system to manage your adventure. Enemies and traps are popups, while quests are delivered through emails. Players can choose from various character classes to journey through a randomized adventure.
Tokyo 42
Metacritic Score: 70
ESRB Rating: T for violence, crude humor, blood, mild language, use of tobacco and suggestive themes.
Tokyo 42 is set in a hyper-stylish, futuristic Tokyo and challenges players to become assassins and uncover dark conspiracies. Players can work together or alone to progress through the games open world and complete various challenges.
DubWars
Metacritic Score: N/A
ESRB Rating: N/A
DubWars combines action-packed arcade shooting with electronic music to create an engaging, intuitive experience. Players will fire in sync with a songs rhythm and play along to various tracks to progress through each music-based level.
Average Metacritic Score: 80
Total Value: $84.95
Xbox owners can expect to receive up to four games for Xbox One and Xbox 360 through the Games With Gold Program, and PlayStation fans are offered up to six titles for PlayStation 3, 4, Vita and VR.
Amazon and the popular streaming platform Twitch have recently thrown their hats into the ring, offering free PC games for Twitch Prime subscribers. Since Twitch Prime is a branch of Amazon Prime, anyone with an Amazon subscription can download these titles.
Sony, Microsoft and Twitch have recently announced this months free games. Heres a quick look at the description, critical score, and ESRB rating of each title, as well as the average critical score and value of both free game programs.
PlayStation Plus
PS Plus games are made available on the first Tuesday of every month and can be downloaded for free throughout the month. Unlike Xboxs free games, anything obtained through PS Plus will become inaccessible if your membership expires. Thankfully, your free games will be waiting for you if you subscribe again.
Mad Max
Platform: PS4
Metacritic Score: 69
ESRB Rating: M for blood and gore, intense violence, strong language and use of drugs.
Inspired by George Millers classic film series, Mad Max follows Max Rockatansky as he survives a post-apocalyptic wasteland. After the War Boys steal his signature car, the Interceptor, Max teams up with a mutant car mechanic to rescue his ride and discover the fabled Plains of Silence.
TrackMania Turbo
Platform: PS4
Metacritic Score: 81
ESRB Rating: E
According to the PlayStation Blog, TrackMania Turbo is a polished PS4 arcade racing game where your goal is to achieve the perfect racing time. You can hone your skills with 200 pre-built tracks, then create and share your own custom tracks to make the competition last forever.
In Space We Brawl
Platform: PS3, PS4
Metacritic Score: 54
ESRB Rating: E for mild language.
In Space We Brawl is a cooperative, fast-paced twin-stick shooter offering over 100 customization options. Players can work together to conquer maps covered in enemies, asteroids and black holes.
Toy Home
Platform: PS3
Metacritic Score: 57
ESRB Rating: E
According to its store page, Toy Home is a toy car racing game where your home becomes a racetrack. Players can race across bedrooms, kitchen tables and moonlit living rooms to collect coins and discover hidden secrets.
99Vidas
Platform: PS Vita
Metacritic Score: 61
ESRB Rating: E
"99Vidas" is a 16-bit beat em up set in modern day and pays tribute to classic beat em ups from the 80s and 90s. Players can take on 6 stages full of relentless enemies and powerful bosses in both single-player and co-op.
Q*Bert Rebooted
Platform: PS Vita, PS4, PS3
Metacritic Score: 44
ESRB Rating: E
Classic arcade gaming icon Q*Bert returns in this reimagined version of the classic 1980s arcade game. Players must avoid enemies as they attempt to traverse 2D towers in multiple game modes, including a new 3D take on the gameplay formula.
Average Metacritic Score: 61
Total Value: $98.94
Xbox Games With Gold
Xboxs free games are usually divided across both of Microsofts consoles, with two titles featured for Xbox One, and an additional two for Xbox 360. Its important to note Xbox One owners can also download the Xbox 360 titles, thanks to backwards compatibility. Additionally, any games downloaded as an Xbox Live Gold subscriber will stay in your digital library, even if your subscription lapses.
The Witness
Platform: Xbox One
Date Available: April 1-30
Metacritic Score: 86
ESRB Rating: E for alcohol references.
The Witness is a single-player game set in an open world with dozens of locations to explore and over 500 puzzles. Each puzzle builds upon the concepts of previous challenges, helping you learn as you explore an abandoned island.
Assassins Creed Syndicate
Platform: Xbox One
Date Available: April 16-May 15
Metacritic Score: 78
ESRB Rating: M for blood, drug references, strong language and violence.
Explore Victorian London as Jacob and Evie Frye, twin assassins who aim to liberate those oppressed by the Industrial Union. Players will raise gangs, fight in boxing matches, steal important items and hunt ghosts with Charles Dickens as they free London from the Templars.
Cars 2: The Video Game
Platform: Xbox 360
Date Available: April 1-15
Metacritic Score: 72
ESRB Rating: E10+ for cartoon violence.
Race with Lightning McQueen and friends and train to become a world-class spy in this companion to the 2011 film of the same name.
Dead Space 2
Platform: Xbox 360
Date Available: April 16-31
Metacritic Score: 90
ESRB Rating: M for blood and gore, intense violence and strong language.
Engineer Isaac Clark returns after waking up on the Sprawl, a massive space station infested with Necromorphs. Players will fight through hordes of alien monsters as they battle dementia, guilt and shadowy organizations to save the Sprawl.
Average Metacritic Score: 82
Total Value: $129.96
Twitch Prime
Just like PlayStation and Xbox, streaming platform Twitch now offers five free PC games on the first of the month for Amazon/Twitch Prime subscribers. While the free games arent offered for Mac, Windows users can access their monthly free games through the free Twitch Desktop App.
Tales from the Borderlands
Metacritic Score: 86
ESRB Rating: M for blood and gore, drug references, sexual themes, strong language and violence.
Set after the events of Borderlands 2, players will guide Rhys and Fiona as they work together to recover stolen cash and survive encounters with gangsters, bandit lords and Vault Hunters in this sci-fi comedy adventure.
SteamWorld Dig 2
Metacritic Score: 85
ESRB Rating: E10+
In order to save an old trading community from mysterious earthquakes, players must delve beneath the town to discover the source of the tremors. Players will mine for resources and upgrade their equipment as they explore subterranean caverns.
Kingsway
Metacritic Score: N/A
ESRB Rating: N/A
Kingsway is an RPG in which you use a mock operating system to manage your adventure. Enemies and traps are popups, while quests are delivered through emails. Players can choose from various character classes to journey through a randomized adventure.
Tokyo 42
Metacritic Score: 70
ESRB Rating: T for violence, crude humor, blood, mild language, use of tobacco and suggestive themes.
Tokyo 42 is set in a hyper-stylish, futuristic Tokyo and challenges players to become assassins and uncover dark conspiracies. Players can work together or alone to progress through the games open world and complete various challenges.
DubWars
Metacritic Score: N/A
ESRB Rating: N/A
DubWars combines action-packed arcade shooting with electronic music to create an engaging, intuitive experience. Players will fire in sync with a songs rhythm and play along to various tracks to progress through each music-based level.
Average Metacritic Score: 80
Total Value: $84.95
