The Xbox Game Pass subscription service is already a great way to get access to several games that might be new to you, but it’s also getting better and better at giving you a chance to play incredible new games on day one of their release. Really, that’s probably one of the best features of the service. Being able to play something on Xbox Game Pass the day it comes out means you don’t have to pay anything extra while still getting to experience the new shiny while everyone else is still talking about it.

Of course, Xbox Game Pass features many 10/10 games from days gone by, which allow subscribers to step back into a world of nostalgia or try out games they missed out on from years ago. But there’s really no better feeling than hearing about a new game and pulling up Game Pass to see that it’s going to be available for you to play for free with your subscription instantly. And one of those new games happens to be releasing in just a couple of days.

Blood Dungeon may not be winning any awards for mind-blowing graphics, but the gameplay already looks like something that will offer hours of entertainment. This fast-paced bullet hell platformer taunts players with the tagline of “Can you survive the Blood Dungeon?”

Calling itself a bullet heaven platformer rather than bullet hell, this action roguelike is a bit of a blend of Enter the Gungeon and Neon Abyss. While your character is constantly autoshooting, you run and jump through the levels of dungeons while trying not to get killed by the hordes of monsters. There are over 100 quests to complete, but also over 100 enemy types to face down, each with their own skills and moves.

Collecting bones in the levels allows you to purchase permanent upgrades from the Dogmancer, while upgrading your build is done by increasing your blood level.

Perhaps the two things I’m most excited about are the nine unlockable playable characters, each with their own traits and weapons to master, as well as the incredible “dungeon dnb” soundtrack that accompanies the game. The unlockable characters include a flying bug, a spider-type creature called Leggy, and many more uniquely ridiculous “bunkmates.”

Blood Dungeon features online leaderboards with special daily dungeons to conquer, as well as six survival arenas. Chests are hidden throughout the arenas to give you even better items and weapons, increasing your chances of survival by at least a tiny bit.

Blood Dungeon is made by the same team behind Nidhogg, and is going to be available on many platforms. Releasing on August 25, the game will be a day-one title for Xbox Game Pass, but you will need to have Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass in order to play. Sadly, it isn’t available for Premium-only members. There is currently a demo of the game available on Steam if you’re eager to try it out before its release.

Number of Devices Concurrently

Standard subscription plan allows two accounts playing at once, with four accounts playing at once on Friends & Family plan

Highest Resolution

1440p streaming

Number of Accounts

~35 million subscribers

Compatibility

Xbox Series X|S, PC, ROG Xbox Ally, Android, iOS, Samsung & LG TVs, Meta Quest, Web Browser

Price Per Month

Essential $9.99 | Premium $14.99 | Ultimate $29.99

Price per year

12-month membership codes only available at certain retailers