Shoot The Devil in the face and tear apart Hell
Each month, Microsoft extends a quiet gesture to its most loyal subscribers — not through spectacle, but through access. In December 2020, four games spanning mystery, absurdist comedy, arcade action, and puzzle whimsy arrive at no additional cost for Xbox Live Gold members, representing a combined retail value of roughly $75. It is a modest but meaningful ritual in the ongoing negotiation between platform holders and the communities they cultivate — a reminder that belonging to an ecosystem carries its own small rewards.
- Microsoft is offering four free games to Xbox Live Gold subscribers throughout December, with a combined retail value exceeding $74 — real savings for those who would have purchased any of them outright.
- The lineup spans both Xbox One and backward-compatible Xbox 360 titles, meaning owners of the new Series X and Series S consoles can claim everything without needing older hardware.
- Saints Row: Gat out of Hell stands out as the crowd-pleaser of the bunch, while The Raven Remastered, Bleed 2, and Stacking each serve distinct but narrower tastes — making this a month of niche value rather than universal excitement.
- Achievement hunters have an added incentive: all four games together offer up to 3,200 gamerscore points, giving completionists a reason to dive in even beyond the free price tag.
Microsoft's Games with Gold program is delivering four titles to Xbox Live Gold subscribers in December 2020, spread across the month in two waves. The combined retail value clears $74, though the real appeal depends on how much any given player cares about the specific genres on offer.
Leading the lineup is The Raven Remastered, a graphical update of a point-and-click mystery set in 1964 London, built around a stolen ruby and the possible return of a legendary thief. At $29.99, it's the most valuable title in the bundle and available all month. Joining it from December 16 onward is Bleed 2, a skill-heavy arcade shooter where players deflect bullets and air-dodge through waves of enemies — fast, stylish, and priced at $14.99 normally.
The first half of the month belongs to Saints Row: Gat out of Hell, a standalone spin-off that sends Johnny Gat and Kinzie Kensington into the underworld to rescue a friend's soul. It's the kind of game that leans fully into its own absurdity — historical cameos, a sentient gun, and an actual musical number — and it's widely considered the highlight of December's selection. Rounding things out is Stacking, a Double Fine puzzle adventure in which players inhabit Russian nesting dolls to solve creative challenges, following the smallest doll on a mission to free his family from a villainous industrialist.
Both Xbox 360 titles run on current hardware through backward compatibility, so newer console owners lose nothing. The month won't be remembered as a landmark for Games with Gold, but for subscribers already eyeing any of these titles, December offers a clean reason to download before the prices return.
Microsoft's monthly Games with Gold program is rolling out its December lineup, and for subscribers to Xbox Live Gold, the timing could hardly be better. The company is handing over four titles across the month: two for Xbox One and two backward-compatible games from the Xbox 360 library. Altogether, if you were to buy them separately, you'd spend roughly $75. For Gold members, they're free.
The Raven Remastered arrives first, available throughout December. It's a graphical overhaul of a classic point-and-click mystery set in 1964 London, where a stolen ruby from the British Museum kicks off an investigation into whether someone is impersonating The Raven, a legendary thief who vanished years earlier. The game lets you piece together the crime from multiple perspectives, and it carries a $29.99 price tag if purchased outright. It's the most expensive title in this month's bundle.
Bleed 2 joins the roster on December 16 and stays available through mid-January. This one's a fast-moving arcade action game centered on Wryn, described as the world's last remaining hero, fighting off an invasion of villains. The mechanics revolve around air-dodging and reflecting bullets back at enemies, a skill-based approach to what amounts to a stylish bullet-hell experience. It normally costs $14.99.
For those with nostalgia for the Saints Row franchise, Gat out of Hell offers a standalone spin-off that lets you play as either Johnny Gat or Kinzie Kensington as they descend into Hell to rescue the Boss's soul. The game leans hard into absurdist humor—you'll encounter historical figures, old allies, returning enemies, a sentient firearm, and a full musical number. It's available December 1 through 15 and would cost $14.99 on its own.
Rounding out the month is Stacking, a puzzle adventure from Tim Schafer's Double Fine Productions. The premise is delightfully odd: you inhabit Russian nesting dolls, jumping between more than 100 unique dolls to solve puzzles using their individual abilities. You play as Charlie Blackmore, the tiniest doll in the set, on a mission to rescue his family from an industrialist villain called the Baron. It becomes available December 16 and runs through the end of the month, also priced at $14.99 normally.
One practical advantage for newer console owners: both Xbox 360 titles are backward compatible, meaning they'll run on Xbox One and the newer Series X and Series S machines. So even if you don't own an older console, you can download everything. The four games combined could add up to 3,200 gamerscore points if you're chasing achievements.
The selection this month is a mixed bag by most accounts. Saints Row stands out as genuinely entertaining, the kind of game that rewards players willing to embrace its chaotic energy. The others are solid enough—The Raven Remastered has its fans among adventure game enthusiasts, Bleed 2 appeals to arcade action devotees, and Stacking offers a unique puzzle experience. But none of them are the kind of blockbuster releases that make people feel like they're getting an extraordinary deal. Still, for Gold subscribers who were planning to buy any of these anyway, December is a month to load up before the prices return.
Citas Notables
Saints Row is always a ridiculously good time— BGR reporting
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Why does Microsoft give away games like this every month? Is it just goodwill?
It's partly goodwill, but mostly it's about keeping people subscribed. Gold membership costs money, and these free games are a reason to renew. They're also a way to introduce players to titles they might not have tried otherwise.
So the $75 value—is that real, or is that inflated?
It's real in the sense that those are the actual retail prices. But retail price doesn't always mean what people actually pay. Still, if you were genuinely interested in even two of these games, the subscription pays for itself that month.
The article mentions the selection isn't especially compelling. What makes a month feel compelling versus just... fine?
When you get a recent, popular game—something people are actively talking about—that changes the perception. This month has older titles and niche games. They're good, but they're not the kind of thing that makes someone say, "I need to renew my subscription for this."
Why does the backward compatibility matter so much?
Because it means you don't need to own old hardware. If you only have a Series X, you can still play the 360 games. That removes a barrier and makes the offer more inclusive.
Is there a reason Saints Row gets singled out as "ridiculously good time"?
It's the outlier in tone. It's deliberately absurd and funny in a way the other games aren't. For people who want to just have fun rather than solve puzzles or unravel mysteries, it's the obvious pick.