There really is no limit to the genres that games can be put into. There is literally a game for almost every single scenario imaginable. Players often want to be soldiers, heroes, superheroes, and many other things. It should come as no surprise that there are some of us who like to play god.
This is what god games are about. They allow you to control almost everything in the game. This way, you can control the situation and see what comes about due to the decisions you make.
To be fair, not all of the decisions that you make may turn out well. After all, it is possible that even god may sometimes make mistakes (such as not releasing Half Life 3 over a decade after Half Life 2).
Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of god games to go about. While they were quite popular a few years ago, most of the major releases were on PC. Still, Xbox has a few games that allow you complete control. On top of that, there are many games where you can control most of the elements, although some decisions are still handled by AI.
Here, we have listed a few games that allow you to control most of what goes on in the world around you. In some, you have direct control. In others, you have the chance to influence major events. Here is our list of the 10 best god games for Xbox Series X / S.
The Sims 4
| Genre: | Simulation |
| Developers: | Maxis & Blind Squirrel |
| Release Date: | 11/16/2017 |
| Find at: | Microsoft Store and Amazon |
| Multiplayer: | N/A |
| Average Playtime: | 20 hours |
The Sims is not a god game in the truest sense. For one, you do not have control over every single aspect of the world. However, it is a simulation game that gives you a lot of leeway with how you shape the characters and the world around them.
You get to create characters, their homes, and decide how they are going to behave. The happiness of your Sims will depend entirely on the decisions you make. If you want, you can try to create a world that is as close to perfection as possible.
On the other hand, those looking to have a bit of fun can experiment and watch the chaos that ensues. Since players can add content to the game, there are a lot of new things for you to try. There really is no limit to the number of unique interactions that can take place in the game, making its replayability very high.
From Dust
| Genre: | Simulation |
| Developers: | UBISOFT MONTPELLIER |
| Release Date: | 7/26/2011 |
| Find at: | Microsoft Store and Amazon |
| Multiplayer: | N/A |
| Average Playtime: | 6 hours |
In many ways, From Dust is the game that gave rise to the popularity of the genre. This is a game that allows you to be a god who is in charge of everything. The primary purpose of the game is for you to guide a lost tribe on its journey to find ancient powers.
The only problem is that the very forces of nature that you created threaten to end the tribe and kill everyone before they can realize their mission. It is up to you to both guide the tribe and create an environment where they can achieve their goals.
One important thing to remember is that the game originally came out in 2011. As such, the visuals lack the quality and the fidelity that we have come to expect from modern consoles. Since there is no remaster or optimization by the developers, you will just have to suck it up.
Babel Rising
| Genre: | Simulation |
| Developers: | Mando Productions |
| Release Date: | 12/21/2009 |
| Find at: | Microsoft Store |
| Multiplayer: | N/A |
| Average Playtime: | 4 hours |
It seems that Ubisoft was one of the main publishers supporting god games during their heyday. Just like From Dust, Babel Rising is also published by the same company, although the studios behind the development are different.
While you are a god in both of the games, your roles differ in each of them. Instead of building things up and helping the tribe, you are responsible for the destruction of the Babylonians in Babel Rising.
Specifically, it is your job to stop the Babylonians from building the tower of Babel. Use your wits and come up with a strategy that involves floods, earthquakes, and any other natural disaster that you can imagine. Your only goal is to make sure that the tower of Babel never sees the light of day.
Unfortunately, this is a game that was created with the Kinect in mind. As such, the controls do seem a little off. On top of that, the graphical quality of the game is even worse than From Dust. Unfortunately, fans of god games do not have a lot of options to choose from and must put up with the visuals.
Reus
| Genre: | Simulation |
| Developers: | Abbey Games |
| Release Date: | 10/10/2016 |
| Find at: | Microsoft Store and Amazon |
| Multiplayer: | N/A |
| Average Playtime: | 8 hours |
Reus is the next game on our list of the best Xbox god games. When fans of the genre think of a modern title that is a god game in its purest sense, they think of Reus.
What we love is how the developers have experimented with the genre. You are in control of massive giants who respond to your every wish. Through them, you can do absolutely whatever you want to the world. Basically, you control everyone but the human race.
This is where the objective of the game becomes apparent. Through the giants, you are responsible for ensuring the prosperity of the human race. That is not too simple, as giving the humans too much will cause them to let their greed get the better of them.
There is a solid progression system here. New items are unlocked as the humans advance. You have the option of both rewarding them and punishing them. In certain cases, punishing is definitely the better option.
Minecraft
| Genre: | Action, Adventure, Survival |
| Developers: | Mojang/Microsoft Studios |
| Release Date: | 9/19/2017 |
| Find at: | Microsoft Store and Amazon |
| Multiplayer: | Local Co-op (2-4), Online Multiplayer (2-8) |
| Average Playtime: | 50 hours |
Minecraft is not exactly a god game, but you probably knew that it would still be a part of this list. At its core, Minecraft is a sandbox that allows you to do and build anything you want.
This is where the ‘god’ element comes into play. You can set up a world according to your liking, and then shape and reshape it at will. Unfortunately, you can only do that from a first-person perspective once you are in the game.
Still, players get enough autonomy here for us to feel that it would be a worthwhile game to play for fans of the genre. Even apart from the building aspect, this is a great game that many people will find something to enjoy. This is why it was also a part of our list of the best open-world games for Xbox.
Planetbase
| Genre: | Action, Adventure, Strategy, Simulation |
| Developers: | Madruga Works |
| Release Date: | 5/2/2017 |
| Find at: | Microsoft Store |
| Multiplayer: | N/A |
| Average Playtime: | 6 hours |
Planetbase is another one of those games that does not give you limitless control over what you can do. In fact, it is primarily a strategy game. However, there is an entire race that you can control in this single-player adventure, and you have more things to do here than in most other strategy games.
Basically, you are in charge of a bunch of space settlers starting out on a new planet. Due to the harsh conditions of the new planet, there are a lot of unforeseen problems that will arise as you play through the game. It will be your job to make sure that the settlers survive and can avoid these problems in the future.
There is no limit to how much you can grow your base. However, it is possible for all of your hard work to be eradicated in an instant (perhaps making you the person who is fighting the god rather than being one). Still, Planetbase is quite similar to the god games of old.
Aven Colony
| Genre: | Simulation, Strategy |
| Developers: | Mothership Entertainment |
| Release Date: | 7/24/2017 |
| Find at: | Microsoft Store and Amazon |
| Multiplayer: | N/A |
| Average Playtime: | 29 hours |
Aven Colony is the next game on our list of the best god games for Xbox Series X / S. As a concept, it is quite similar to Planetbase. However, it is better in two respects: There are additional elements due to there being a lot of alien life forms on the planet, and the graphics are much better.
Apart from that, you get to basically control the survival and the expansion of the first human colony on another planet. There are a lot of natural elements that you need to account for, such as the low-oxygen atmosphere of the planet.
While the game is not quite as unforgiving as Planetbase, it does present an interesting and unique concept of its own.
Plague Inc.
| Genre: | Simulation |
| Developers: | Ndemic Creations |
| Release Date: | 9/17/2015 |
| Find at: | Microsoft Store |
| Multiplayer: | N/A |
| Average Playtime: | 3 hours |
Even though Plague Inc. is not included on most of the other lists of god games, we think this is as good a god game as any other. There are two different versions of the game that can be purchased on the Xbox: ‘Evolved’ and ‘the Cure’.
In the Evolved version, you get to control the outbreak and the spread of the disease. Using simulation data from real-life outbreaks, Plague Inc. provides a simulation experience unlike any other. Your goal: Infect the entire world.
In the Cure version of the game, the roles are reversed and it is up to you to prevent the spread of the disease. Here, your goal is to take effective measures that would eventually completely eradicate the disease from the Earth.
Both of these versions have their challenges. While you are fairly limited at the beginning, you do eventually have the power to do basically anything you want. On top of that, each playthrough of the game is completely different, and there are numerous combinations of diseases, preventions, and strategies to try.
Tropico 6
| Genre: | Simulation |
| Developers: | Limbic Entertainment |
| Release Date: | 9/26/2019 |
| Find at: | Microsoft Store and Amazon |
| Multiplayer: | N/A |
| Average Playtime: | 35 hours |
The Tropico games have slowly refined their formula over the years, and all of that comes to fruition in Tropico 6. To be fair, some of the games released before the sixth iteration are actually better. However, none of them can match Tropico 6 in terms of scale.
While you do not get to play as a god, you do get to play as the president. And by president, we basically mean dictator. You control a collection of islands and are responsible for making sure that you end up as the world’s greatest dictator.
With thousands of people willing to do your bidding, there are no rules in the game. All you need to do is to make sure that you hold onto power and get rich in the process. Of course, you can also go the peace-loving route and be a revered statesman. However, what’s the fun in that?
Cities: Skylines
| Genre: | Simulation |
| Developers: | Tantalus Media |
| Release Date: | 2/15/2023 |
| Find at: | Microsoft Store and Amazon |
| Multiplayer: | N/A |
| Average Playtime: | 28 hours |
The last title on our list of the best god games for Xbox Series X / S is Cities: Skylines. Those acquainted with the genre will know what the game is about. You are responsible for planning, developing, and managing a city. Your goal is to ensure the best possible outcome for your citizens.
It is suprising just how advanced and in-depth the game’s mechanics are. For example, not making sure that there are enough burial grounds may have second and third-order effects that could severely make the city worse.
There are also numerous expansion packs available for the game, each with its own spin on the genre and/or additional content. As such, there truly is endless replayability here for someone who likes the basic concept of the game.
The only thing to keep in mind is that due to the slow-paced and passive nature of the title, Cities: Skylines is not everyone’s cup of tea.
