The Xbox 360 library is massive, which is great if you are collecting, but not so great if you are staring at more than a thousand games and trying to decide where to start. The best Xbox 360 games cover nearly every major genre, from shooters and RPGs to racing, horror, fighting and open-world games.
Quick picks: the best Xbox 360 games to start with
If you only want a short list, start with Halo 3 for shooters, BioShock for story-driven action, Mass Effect 2 for RPGs, Red Dead Redemption for open-world adventure, Forza Motorsport 4 for racing, Dead Space for horror, and Portal 2 for puzzle and co-op play.
This list focuses on games that still stand out for gameplay, influence, replay value or the strength of their Xbox 360 release. It is a play recommendation guide, not a ranking of rarity or resale value.
25 Xbox 360 games worth playing
- Halo 3 — A defining Xbox 360 shooter with a huge campaign and multiplayer legacy.
- Gears of War — Cover-based combat, heavy atmosphere and one of the system's signature franchises.
- Gears of War 2 — Bigger battles and one of the most memorable campaigns in the series.
- BioShock — Story-heavy first-person action with one of gaming's most recognizable settings.
- Mass Effect — A major sci-fi RPG built around player choices, squad relationships and exploration.
- Mass Effect 2 — One of the strongest character-driven RPGs of the generation.
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim — Huge open-world fantasy RPG with enormous replay value.
- Fallout 3 — Post-apocalyptic exploration and RPG systems in an enormous open world.
- Fallout: New Vegas — Deep quest design, player choice and a cult following that has only grown.
- Red Dead Redemption — Open-world western action with a huge story and memorable characters.
- Grand Theft Auto V — One of the biggest releases of the generation and still a major collector/playable title.
- Batman: Arkham City — Excellent superhero combat, exploration and atmosphere.
- Assassin's Creed II — A major step forward for the series and still one of its most loved entries.
- Dark Souls — Challenging action RPG combat with deep world design and huge long-term influence.
- Dead Space — One of the defining survival-horror games of the Xbox 360 generation.
- Left 4 Dead 2 — Fast co-op zombie action with huge replay value.
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare — One of the games that helped redefine console multiplayer shooters.
- Call of Duty: Black Ops — Strong campaign, multiplayer and Zombies content.
- Forza Motorsport 4 — A standout racing game for car fans and simulation players.
- Burnout Paradise — Open-world arcade racing built around speed and spectacular crashes.
- Street Fighter IV — A major fighting-game release that helped bring the genre back into the mainstream.
- Mortal Kombat — A strong reboot that brought the series back to its classic style.
- Portal 2 — Clever puzzle design, great writing and excellent co-op.
- Spec Ops: The Line — A military shooter remembered for its unusual story and themes.
- Skate 3 — A hugely replayable skateboarding game that still has a dedicated following.
Best Xbox 360 games for kids and families
For family game nights, the Xbox 360 has a large library built around familiar characters, local multiplayer, racing and motion controls. LEGO games, Sonic, Disney/Pixar releases, Hasbro games, Kinect titles, Skylanders and Minecraft are useful places to browse.
Age suitability varies by title, so check the ESRB rating, content descriptors, player count and any required hardware before choosing a game for a particular child. Browse our curated Xbox 360 family games, LEGO Xbox 360 games, and Xbox 360 Kinect games.
Best Xbox 360 racing and car games
For racing fans, Forza Motorsport 4 is one of the system's standout simulation-style releases, while Burnout Paradise focuses on fast open-world arcade racing. The console also has a deep Need for Speed library. Browse Forza games and Need for Speed games.
Best Xbox 360 Kinect games
The Kinect library covers sports, dance, fitness, family and action games. Kinect Adventures is the best-known starting point, while Kinect Sports, Dance Central, Kinectimals and several Just Dance releases offer different styles of motion-controlled play. See the full Xbox 360 Kinect games collection.
Best Xbox 360 games for collectors
Collector interest is not always the same as “best game.” Lower-print releases, horror games, licensed titles, special editions and games that never received modern physical reprints can attract stronger collector demand.
Best cheap Xbox 360 games
One of the best things about collecting Xbox 360 is that many excellent games are still affordable. Browse our Xbox 360 games under $15 collection for budget-friendly options.
Shop Xbox 360 games
Browse more than a thousand Xbox 360 games at Zypher Trading, including Halo, Gears of War, Guitar Hero, and Spider-Man.
If you are selling instead, see current Xbox 360 trade-in information or learn what affects Xbox 360 game value.
