Xbox Game Pass Members Were Right About This Freebie: "Incredibly Addictive"

1 week ago 25

Published May 17, 2026, 3:00 PM EDT

Bruno Yonezawa is a Gaming Senior Writer for Screen Rant. He's been practicing professional journalism for over 10 years, and is also a communications specialist. He's played games all his life and turned that passionate hobby into a passionate career, in an industry where he's worked as a writer, editor, analyst, and more.

There are tons of titles that are added for free on Xbox Game Pass every month, and several of them can easily go unnoticed. This is especially true when they come alongside larger, better-known games like The Witcher 3, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, and day-one releases like Outbound and Forza Horizon 6. Even so, there are plenty of smaller games that are well worth your attention, like the instant 10/10 hit Mixtape on Xbox Game Pass, which is already a 2026 GOTY contender.

There are plenty of hidden gems to be found in the catalog, even if they don’t get a whole lot of publicity and have smaller marketing budgets than AAA titles. Mixtape is an example of that, as is Hades 2, but there are several other great indies that deserve your attention. For example, you can now play Inkonbini on Xbox Game Pass if you’re looking for something cozy. However, there is a title that was added a while back that you should definitely check out.

TCG Card Shop Simulator Is Truly "Addictive"

TCG Card Shop Simulator joined Xbox Game Pass in February this year, and it was instantly met with acclaim from players across the platform. Indeed, some players called the simulation game “incredibly addictive,” referring to how easily it grabs and retains its players with its easy yet dense gameplay mechanics. The game isn’t even complete yet, as it is still in its Early Access period – called Game Preview on the Xbox platform.

Xbox Game Pass users fell in love with TCG Card Shop Simulator, praising its gameplay loop. One user mentioned that they had assumed they would play the simulator for 20 minutes to complete their daily quest on Xbox, but that they found themselves “hooked” by it. I didn’t give it much thought when I first heard of it, as simulators are not among my preferred genres, but I found myself pleasantly “hooked” to TCG Card Shop Simulator, too.

Don't Underestimate This Freebie On Xbox Game Pass

I sat down with the game to at least check out what players were talking about, and caught myself playing for five hours straight; no pauses whatsoever. TCG Card Shop Simulator proved to be truly “addictive” in the sense that I could not find the force to stop playing this hidden gem on Xbox Game Pass, as I gradually upgraded my store and the services and products it had to offer.

As your store gets more popular, there are more duties to handle, and while it is a job simulator, it feels like a delightful job to fulfill. Describing all the mechanics in detail could potentially take away from some of the surprise during the gameplay experience, but I highly recommend checking out TCG Card Shop Simulator for free on Xbox Game Pass; if my word isn’t enough, take it from the other players who convinced me.