Xbox Live Gold subscribers are signed up for the subscription service primarily to play games online, but another perk of the service is the free games that players are gifted every month. For nearly a decade at this point, Xbox Live Gold subscribers have been treated to two free Xbox 360 games and two free Xbox One titles every month, and May 2022 will be no different. Now, with just a couple of days left in April, Microsoft has pulled the curtain back on the Xbox free Games with Gold for May 2022.
Like always, the free Games with Gold for May 2022 will be staggered, meaning subscribers will get access to two of them on May 1 and the other two on May 16. On May 1, Xbox Live Gold subscribers can claim Yoku's Island Express and Hydro Thunder Hurricane for their digital libraries, while The Inner World - The Last Wind Monk and Viva Pinata Party Animals will be free on May 16.
Available from May 1 to May 31, Yoku's Island Express is a well-reviewed game that combines platforming and pinball elements. Hydro Thunder Hurricane, available from May 1 to May 15, is an Xbox Live Arcade boat racing game that also received mostly positive reviews from critics and was generally well-received by the public. The Inner World - The Last Wind Monk will be available from May 16 to June 15, and it's a point-and-click adventure game that earned praise for its funny story and fun puzzles.
Free Xbox Games With Gold for May 2022
- Yoku's Island Express (May 1 - May 31)
- The Inner World - The Last Wind Monk - (May 16 - June 15)
- Hydro Thunder Hurricane (May 1 - May 15)
- Viva Pinata: Party Animals (May 16 - May 31)
And finally, Viva Pinata: Party Animals will be available for Xbox Live Gold subscribers to claim from May 16 to May 31. A spin-off of Rare's Viva Pinata series, Viva Pinata: Party Animals is a party game that was developed by Krome Studios. Often compared to Mario Party, Viva Pinata: Party Animals is the lowest-reviewed free game coming to Xbox Live Gold subscribers in May 2022, but it may still appeal to Viva Pinata fans who missed out on it the first time around.
Thanks to the way the Xbox free Games with Gold games are distributed, subscribers will still have time to claim one of the free Games with Gold for April 2022 when May starts. Hue will remain as one of the Xbox free Games with Gold games until May 15, so anyone interested still has a couple of weeks to claim it for their collection if they so desire.