Xbox Free Play Days for November 5-8 gives players two different ways in. Anno 117: Pax Romana and Crime Boss: Rockay City do not require Game Pass for this promotion. PAYDAY 3, Nowhere Prophet, BALL x PIT, Deceive Inc and Age of Wonders 4 are the membership selection, while IXION has a separate two-hour trial.
Check your access before starting a large download. Anno 117 and Crime Boss need no Game Pass for this promotion. All of these trials provide temporary play, rather than games you keep permanently.
Anno 117 and Crime Boss are the no-membership options
Xbox Wire's current announcement separates Anno 117 and Crime Boss from the member games. Both are available to try during November 5-8 without Ultimate, Premium or Essential. Sign in to your Xbox account and look for the trial entitlement on the relevant game page.
Anno 117 centres on building and governing Roman provinces. If you are choosing one game for a quieter session, its city-building premise is quite different from the heists offered elsewhere in this selection. Ubisoft's launch trailer shows the game's setting and construction systems:
The trailer is a look at the game, not a statement of this weekend's entitlement. Use the Xbox promotion for the access dates and check the edition selected in the store. A trailer can show content that does not settle what a particular trial includes.
Crime Boss is another option if you prefer heists, with solo, bot and co-op possibilities described in the announcement. Agree with friends which game you mean before downloading: Crime Boss and PAYDAY 3 are separate games with different access conditions in this promotion.
PAYDAY 3 and the other member games
The five member games require Game Pass Ultimate, Premium or Essential. PAYDAY 3 offers co-operative heists, while BALL x PIT combines ricocheting combat with building a home base. Nowhere Prophet, Deceive Inc and Age of Wonders 4 fill out the selection with different styles of strategy and multiplayer play.
PAYDAY's official launch trailer provides background for the heist game:
The older trailer shows the game's co-op heist setup. For a first session, agree who is joining and check that everyone has access. Use the current Xbox announcement for this weekend's dates and membership rules.
There is another reason to try PAYDAY 3 this weekend: the developer's Double Infamy event runs until November 9 at 19:00 CET (18:00 UTC). The increased progression period extends beyond Xbox's November 8 trial date. It does not extend your Xbox trial entitlement, so keep the two deadlines separate.
IXION's two-hour limit needs its own plan
IXION is offered as a two-hour trial during the same weekend. The play allowance and the promotion window are separate limits. A calendar window lasting several days does not promise several days of unrestricted play, so set aside time to try it when you can pay attention.
The announcement describes managing a space station and its population while dealing with survival pressures. That is a different first session from joining a familiar multiplayer shooter. Read the tutorial prompts and decide whether the management rhythm interests you before considering a purchase.
On the console, check the edition and trial label before installing. Availability varies by game and region. If you also play on PC, check that store separately; this Xbox offer does not establish what another storefront includes.
Install first, compare purchases afterwards
Xbox directs players to signed-in game pages or the Free Play Days collection in the console Store's subscription area. Check available storage before queuing several games. Picking one or two you genuinely want to try leaves more of the weekend for playing them.
Xbox says earned Gamerscore and achievements continue into a purchase; its Anno description also explicitly says progress is saved when buying the game. You are not required to buy simply because you started a trial. Use your session to answer whether you want to continue, then check the edition and final regional price.
The announcement gives November 8 as the end date without a precise cutoff hour. Do not plan a last-minute session around an assumed timezone. If you want a longer-term subscription choice instead, our November Game Pass guide separates those additions from this short promotion.
Frequently asked questions
Which games need no Game Pass this weekend?
Xbox lists Anno 117: Pax Romana and Crime Boss: Rockay City as the November 5-8 options without the specified Game Pass memberships.
Is IXION unlimited for the whole weekend?
No. Its offer has a two-hour play allowance during the weekend window.
Are the games free to keep?
No. Free Play Days supplies temporary access. Buy a game or obtain another valid entitlement to continue afterwards.
