Xbox Games with Gold January list: official games for the first month of 2017 released

The new year also brings in a new month which means new games for Xbox Games with Gold subscribers. The upcoming batch for January — and with one game even spilling to the following month — features a double-double mix of different genre titles for both Xbox One and Xbox 360 console users.

The news was shared by Xbox veteran Larry Hyrb, also known as his social media alias Major Nelson, and then was picked up by multiple media outlets. On Xbox One, gamers can start their year right with the "World of Van Helsing: DeathTrap" ($19.99 ERP), which will be free for the whole month of January. The game offers a tower defense schematic coupled with role-playing elements. It has three gaming modes to choose from including Player versus Player(PvP), Single Player and Cooperative Campaign. Around midway of the month, "Killer Instinct Season 2 Ultra Edition" ($39.99 ERP) will be joining the Xbox One party. Given that it will only be available mid-January, the title will be accessible to gamers until the 15th of February to make up for a full month of enjoyable gameplay.

Leading on to Xbox 360 owners, "The Cave" ($14.99 ERP) will immediately be available as the New Year turns and will remain so until the 15th of the same month. First coming into the video gaming market in 2013, the puzzle-platform/adventure gives players the option to build a team of three characters to explore a mysterious cave. The game was received with mixed reactions. Some critics applauded the wit and humor incorporated in it but its repetitiveness tended to be tiring for a seemingly simple game.

Lastly, Ubisoft Montpellier's "Rayman Origins" ($14.99 ERP) boards the Xbox 360 bundle starting Jan. 16 to 31. The platform video title features a side-scrolling platformer which is similar to its predecessors in the franchise. It has been received very well and garnered widespread critical acclaim dubbed as the "best 2D platformer not called 'Mario.'"