In 2015, an Xbox exclusive was released called Screamride. The game is part coaster building, part skill-based test track runs, and part demolition game. It’s weird, it’s wild, and as someone who is a huge fan of RollerCoaster Tycoon…it’s also a game I never played. To me, the idea of bastardizing a great roller coaster game with weird, precise-moment button-pressing sections was a serious sin. I didn’t get it, and I didn’t want to.
Flashforward 10 years, and here I am absolutely loving Screamride. Why? Because it’s on Game Pass. Say what you want about Game Pass (I know it’s pretty polarizing), but for me it’s been great because it’s given me the chance to try out tons of games I’d never actually buy. For $30, I’d never buy Flock, but on Game Pass, I tried it out and loved it. Conversely, with all the great reviews, I would have 100% bought Clair Obscur – but after trying it once on Game Pass, I actually hated it and was soooooo glad I didn’t blow $70.
And that’s how I came across Screamride. It’s on Game Pass and I love roller coasters, so I figured why not? If I hated it, oh well, it’s not like I spent any money. But it turns out this is a seriously fun game that everyone needs to check out.
Screamride is fun and chill
My favorite part about Screamride is that it’s stupidly fun and chill. The game has three main modes: You can ride roller coasters, which requires a bit of piloting around steep turns, jumps, and through boost sections; you can slingshot riders in giant balls through buildings, causing absolute chaos; and you can build your own coasters.
It’s brainless fun, and oh holy hell, that’s why I love it. In the current era, where games sell themselves as “giant open world soulslike roguelike looter shooter sandbox base-building extraction games that have so much lore you need to read through all the subreddits to fully understand it,” there is something so damn enjoyable about a game that’s like “hey, just pick me up and smash things or ride roller coasters.” It’s so refreshing, so chill, and honestly, just great fun.
It’s easy to pick up and put down
Thanks to its easy-to-understand, short levels and pretty basic controls and concepts, Screamride is one of those games that’s really easy to pick up and put down whenever you want. It’s not Elden Ring, where you need to get in the mood, turn down the lights, and huddle up for hours of gaming. It’s the kind of game where, if you only have 20 minutes before lunch, you can boot up Screamride and play for a bit, then easily put it down when you need to eat.
I also think it’s a great daytime game too, since it’s so fun and non-committal. I can’t play hardcore FPS or RPG games during the day. I just can’t. For me, they need to get the proper attention they deserve, where it’s dark outside and my day is done, and I've got nothing left to do but devote myself to the game. But with Screamride, I feel like I can just ride a coaster for 10 minutes while I wait for my friend to arrive, then set the game down. It's really refreshing that have that kind of casual relationship with a game these days.
It’s a true Xbox exclusive
I own and love my Xbox Series S. I don’t care what anyone says, it’s been a great console. And if you’re an Xbox person like me, then you know how rare it is to find a true Xbox exclusive these days – even Forza, Halo, and Gears are going multiplatform. But Screamride is one of the few games left that you can only play if you have an Xbox.
I know it’s stupid, but as an Xbox owner in 2025, small things like that are all we have to cling to now that Xbox has decided to go fully multiplatform. Plus, unlike many Xbox exclusives that were released for Xbox and PC, Screamride really is an Xbox exclusive. It never saw a PC release and isn’t even available on the PC version of Game Pass.
Just play Screamride, you’ll love it
On top of its fun, chill, and delightfully easy gameplay, Screamride also received pretty good reviews when it came out. IGN gave it an 8.2/10, GameSpot gave it a 7/10, and Eurogamer gave it a 3 out of 5. No, it isn’t a AAA masterpiece, but it was never supposed to be. It’s a fun game with an old-school vibe that’s perfect for passing the time. Plus, if you have Game Pass, you don’t even have to pay to try it out.