Key Highlights:
- Five games are available through Xbox Free Play Days this Halloween weekend, including WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers and Dead by Daylight.
- Four games require Game Pass Essential, Premium or Ultimate until 1 November, while Dead by Daylight is available to everyone on Xbox consoles until 2 November.
- UK discounts include WUCHANG for £31.49, Spirittea for £8.37 and Dead by Daylight for £10.31.
Microsoft has made five games temporarily free to play through Xbox Free Play Days, running across the Halloween weekend from 29 October to 2 November 2026, although only Dead by Daylight is available without a Game Pass subscription.
The latest promotion includes WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers, Darkwood, Spirittea and EVERSPACE 2 for Game Pass Essential, Premium and Ultimate members until Sunday, 1 November. Dead by Daylight remains available to all Xbox console players until Monday, 2 November, with no Game Pass membership required.
Unlike permanent giveaways featured in GLN’s Free Games coverage, these are temporary trials rather than free-to-keep games. Microsoft’s official Free Play Days announcement confirms the following availability:
| Game | Access | Free Until |
|---|---|---|
| WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers | Game Pass Essential, Premium or Ultimate | 1 November |
| Darkwood | Game Pass Essential, Premium or Ultimate | 1 November |
| Spirittea | Game Pass Essential, Premium or Ultimate, console and PC | 1 November |
| EVERSPACE 2 | Game Pass Essential, Premium or Ultimate, console and PC | 1 November |
| Dead by Daylight | All Xbox console players | 2 November |
WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers is a Soulslike action RPG set during China’s late Ming Dynasty, featuring demanding combat, monstrous enemies and a mysterious disease. The game originally launched in July 2025 and is already included in Game Pass Premium and Ultimate, making this weekend’s promotion particularly useful for Essential subscribers who do not normally receive it through their catalogue.
Its Standard Edition is currently discounted by 30% on the UK Xbox Store, dropping from £44.99 to £31.49. The Deluxe Edition costs £34.99, while the Deluxe Upgrade Pack is reduced to £5.59.
Darkwood takes a different approach to survival horror, tasking players with scavenging a corrupted forest during daylight before defending their hideout at night. The Xbox Series X|S version also supports native 4K resolution and importing existing saves, according to its Microsoft Store listing.
Spirittea offers a considerably more relaxed experience, combining supernatural mysteries with running a bathhouse for troublesome spirits. Players can explore the town, build relationships and help ghosts resolve their problems while managing the business.
The game’s inclusion is particularly notable because Spirittea left Xbox Game Pass on 15 November 2025. The Halloween promotion temporarily restores access for eligible subscribers, with its UK purchase price reduced by 50% to £8.37.
EVERSPACE 2 has a similar history. ROCKFISH Games’ single-player space shooter was removed from Game Pass on 15 October 2024, making this another opportunity for former subscribers to return without immediately buying it. Xbox is advertising an 80% discount on the base game and up to 50% off the Titans and Wrath of the Ancients expansions.
Both Spirittea and EVERSPACE 2 support Xbox Play Anywhere and are included in this weekend’s promotion on PC as well as Xbox consoles. WUCHANG and Darkwood do not have explicitly confirmed PC access through this particular Free Play Days offer.
I would prioritise the two returning catalogue games if you previously played them through Game Pass. Spirittea and EVERSPACE 2 have been absent from the subscription library for some time, whereas WUCHANG remains accessible to Premium and Ultimate members beyond the weekend.
Dead by Daylight is the only title available without a subscription, and its longer trial coincides with the Haunted by Daylight Halloween event. The event introduces Void Portals that let Survivors and Killers travel between locations, alongside abilities powered by collected Void Energy.
The UK Xbox Store has reduced Dead by Daylight from £25.79 to £10.31, representing a 60% discount. Selected downloadable content is also discounted until 4 November. Players considering additional Killers should also be aware of the upcoming removal of Dead by Daylight’s Chucky Chapter, although existing owners will retain access after its 24 November withdrawal.
To install the games, open the Xbox Store on Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S, select Subscriptions and scroll down to the Free Play Days collection. Alternatively, visit the individual Xbox game pages and sign in with an eligible account to find the available trial.
The promotion follows last week’s Xbox Free Play Days selection, which included Dying Light 2, Riders Republic and two timed Monster Hunter Stories trials.
Progress and achievements earned during this weekend can carry over if players purchase the games afterwards. However, access ends with the promotion unless the game is purchased or remains available through another valid subscription entitlement.
Four trials end on Sunday, 1 November, while Dead by Daylight remains free to try until Monday, 2 November. Microsoft has not specified exact UK cut-off times, so players should check the offers displayed on their Xbox accounts.
