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Following the company's recent announcement of Xbox Game Pass membership updates, featuring a price increase for the top tier to $thirty monthly, many members are seeking fresh methods to maximize their membership. For those keeping their membership or thinking about joining, here are this week's picks.

Our selected games feature a acclaimed Japanese role-playing game, a delightful independent adventure, and a brilliant puzzler set to leave the service shortly.

Persona 4: The Golden Edition

One of the best ways to get your money's worth from Game Pass is by diving into a extensive, engaging role-playing game — and Persona 4: The Golden Edition matches that bill perfectly. You step into the part of a high school student who has just moved to the quiet rural town of Inaba. During the day, your objectives include forming new friends, taking on employment, and managing studies. By night, you work to solve a disturbing serial murder case by venturing into unique dungeons based on your friends' deepest insecurities.

With a unforgettable cast of characters, tactical turn-based combat, impeccable art design, and a storyline packed with twists, Persona 4 Golden is considered a masterpiece for good reason. It also features a highly engrossing gameplay loop that will keep you up late into the night, repeatedly.

Sopa - Tale of the Stolen Potato

Although major titles like Ninja Gaiden 4 are a key attraction for the service, the subscription also showcases smaller games. A perfect example of this is Sopa - Tale of the Stolen Potato. Inspired by Spirited Away, this enchanting indie game is a magical realist tale steeped in South American culture. You follow Miho, who, after helping his grandmother make soup, is transported to a vibrant realm populated by potato-nabbing frogs and various quirky creatures.

Sopa plays out like an educational computer title from the 1990s, as Miho tackles challenges and helps the world's inhabitants by gathering an assortment of items. Though it's a bit rough around the edges, Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato is a sweet small game that openly showcases its love for the region's culture.

Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure

Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure is set to leave the service on October 15, leaving only a few days to experience it via subscription — and you definitely must. Developer the creators designed one of the best puzzle games of this generation in 2023's Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure. Its core puzzle mechanic revolves around moving among worlds inside other dimensions, and often you'll carry those worlds, in the form of colorful spheres, alongside you.

While it doesn't have explicit guidance, everything about Cocoon's challenges is built in a very natural manner, though they can test you as well. 2023 was a big year for games, so it's no surprise if Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure was a bit overlooked by many players. We should rectify that now.