Free Xbox One Games This Weekend For Gold Members Include Halo: The Master Chief Collection

Sometimes, the staggering number of games out there can feel overwhelming, especially if you plan to be part of the discourse surrounding the immeasurable amount of games. Thankfully, Microsoft's making the decision of what to play a little easier with its newest offering of free games for the platform's Free Play Days event.

The news comes via the official Twitter account of Microsoft's Larry Hryb, aka Major Nelson. From now until Sunday, February 10, at 11:59 PM PT (2:59 AM ET / 7:59 AM ET on Monday), Xbox Live Gold subscribers can play Fishing Sim World, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, and The Sims 4 all for free.

In addition to playing these three vastly different games for free during the weekend, each game will receive a discount of up to 25-80%. Fishing Sim World sees a 25% discount, priced at $15 in the US instead of $20. The Master Chief Collection also gets a 25% discount, dropping from $30 to $22.49. The Sims 4 sees the largest discount of the three titles at 80% off the base game, going from $40 to $8. Additionally, select The Sims 4 expansions--like Cats & Dogs, Seasons, and others--will receive a 50 percent discount.

For the uninitiated, The Sims 4, developed by The Sims Studio and published by EA, is the fourth major entry in the long-running The Sims franchise. Similar to previous iterations and spin-offs, The Sims 4 is a life simulation where you control avatars as they go about their lives, interacting with them in a variety of ways and exploring their oftentimes eclectic personalities. Halo: The Master Chief Collection, developed by 343 Industries and published by Microsoft Game Studios (which has just been rebranded), is a compilation of the platform's most iconic first-person shooter. It bundles Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary (a 2011 enhanced remake of 2001's seminal shooter, Halo: Combat Evolved), Halo 2: Anniversary, Halo 3, and Halo 4 in one package, streamlining Master Chief's journey. Developed and published by Dovetail Games, Fishing Sim World is just what the name sounds like: a fishing simulator where you... catch fish in what's pitched as "the most authentic fishing simulator ever made."

All three games are available to download and play for free now. Just head over to the official Free Play Days part of the Microsoft Store, or search for them on the Xbox One's marketplace. If you're willing to part with some cash, there are some nice Xbox One game deals on Xbox Live this week, or you could also download the just-released free-to-play battle royale shooter from Respawn, Apex Legends.