Xbox Games with Gold January 2017 free games: 'World of Van Helsing: Deathtrap,' 'Rayman Origins' and more announced

Janna Dela Cruz Monday, December 26, 2016

A screenshot of "Rayman Origins," one of the free games for Xbox Games with Gold January 2017 | Microsoft Store

Microsoft will be starting the year right with an exciting batch of free games coming to the Xbox Games with Gold program for January 2017.

As usual, there will be two titles for the Xbox One and another two for the Xbox 360. Thanks to Xbox One with Backward Compatibility, players of the current-generation console can avail themselves of the last-gen freebies as well.

The first Xbox Games with Gold freebie for January 2016 is "World of Van Helsing: Deathtrap," a tower-defense game with role-playing game (RPG) elements.

It will be available for free for the whole month of January, allowing Xbox Games with Gold members to save $19.99.

The second Xbox One free game for January 2017 courtesy of Xbox Games with Gold is "Killer Instinct Season2 Ultra Edition." The game is priced at $39.99, but subscribers can get it for free from Jan. 16 to Feb. 15.

Xbox Games with Gold subscribers who rock the Xbox 360 can welcome the year with a free download of "The Cave," where players traverse outrageous locations such as a subterranean amusement park, a medieval castle, and for the ultimate adventure, deal with a fully armed and ready-to-launch nuclear tipped intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

This game can be downloaded for free from Jan. 1 to Jan. 15. For the second half of the month, Xbox Games with Gold subscribers will then be able to grab "Rayman Origins" without shelling a single cent.

Players will fill the shoes of Rayman and his trusty buddies, Globox and the Teensies to save the Glade of Dreams from the "nefurrious" Darktoons.

Xbox Games with Gold members will assemble a team of four to explore this co-op comic adventure, which is set in "a lush, 2D world" packed with "unexpected secrets and outlandish enemies."

Usually priced at $14.99 each, "Rayman Origins" and "The Cave" will save Xbox Games with Gold subscribers a good amount of money while still allowing them to experience unique adventures on each.