Achievements – they’re one of the ways Xbox Live has changed gaming, and they’re here to stay. If you’re someone who can’t let go of a game until you’ve claimed all of its Gamerscore, you’ve no doubt already exhausted the Xbox 360 games with super easy achievements.
Now, almost two years into the system’s life, we’re finally able to compile a list of easy Xbox One achievements. These games are the most efficient for earning Gamerscore, as they give you the most points in the shortest time with the least effort. Take advantage of these games and you’ll watch your name skyrocket up the leaderboards.
Before we start, please note that PlayStation’s Trophy system works a bit differently than achievements. Obtaining every Trophy in a game nets you a Platinum, but small downloadable games (like many of the ones in this list) don’t offer a Platinum. Because of this, our list of the easiest PlayStation Platinum Trophies went more in-depth on fewer games. In this list, we’ll focus on quantity since all Gamerscore is equal on Xbox. Also, a link to an achievement guide will be given for each game; these may contain spoilers.
Starting the list off is a remaster of a classic game (also known as Out of This World in the US) that’s been released on nearly every platform known to man; you can check its Wikipedia page if you think I’m kidding. Though old, this game was extremely innovative due to its cutscenes and other unique effects for the time; a perfect candidate for making into a movie.
The twelve achievements are a breeze, and the game only takes 2-3 hours to complete. Eight of the achievements can’t be missed as you progress through the game, and the other four won’t give you any trouble as long as you know where to look; check out a guide for the game if you need some help.
An indie game that does things differently, Thomas Was Alone stars shapes as main characters and has a wonderful narrator dictating the story. You’ll get through their story in just 3-4 hours, with achievements awarded for beating the game, jumping and dying a certain number of times, and finding collectibles.
Using a guide for this game will ensure that you don’t miss any of the collectibles along the way, but there’s a level select to quickly find any you missed the first time. In all, this game barely requires any effort beyond finishing the story, and it’s worth playing for the narrator alone.
This standalone expansion for Forza 2, meant to promote the movie launch of Furious 7, is a ridiculously easy way to earn achievements, as it hands them out like free samples. It’s a good idea to follow the guide to make sure you don’t miss anything, but you basically just have to play through the story missions and perform simple maneuvers.
This isn’t the best racing game you’ll ever play, and it’s essentially a demo, but it’s worth spending the 2-4 hours to add 1,000 Gamerscore to your name. This game was free for a short time when it launched, so if you’ve had an Xbox One for a while, this one might already be in your library waiting to be mined for achievements!
Child of Light is a delightful RPG surprise from Ubisoft that takes place in a fairytale-like world. In it, you’ll control Aurora as she searches for her father, meeting all kinds of interesting companions along the way. Amazingly, every line of dialogue in the game rhymes.
This is longer than the other titles on this list, but Child of Light is absolutely worth playing. It’s an accessible RPG clocking in at 11-12 hours, with forgiving gameplay mechanics including a unique battle system where you can interrupt enemies in real time. Most of the achievements are unlocked through normal gameplay, though you’ll have to complete the game’s few short sidequests (with a guide, if needed) to earn them all.
If you’re sick of playing low-quality titles for achievements and need a great game to change it up, this is a can’t-miss title. Those new to RPGs will find it a great introduction to the genre, and its childlike fantasy world is a welcome contrast to the ultra-violent games that flood the industry. What’s more, when the game is done, you can enjoy its emotional soundtrack while studying.
This bizarre title has you controlling Ray, who accidentally gains the ability to read people’s minds. It’s a side-scrolling game that’s a sort of hybrid between the platformer, adventure, and point-and-click genres. Much of the gameplay involves traversing areas and figuring out what sticker to place where or how to solve people’s problems and advance.
Aside from a few skill-based sections, the achievements all revolve around reading the minds of specific people. Since you’ll need to hit everyone in the game for the last achievement, you’ll probably want to follow a guide here to streamline your efforts. If you’re not lollygagging, you should clean up this game in 3-5 hours. Stick It is really goofy, but that’s what makes it enjoyable. With great writing and smart humor, it’s a shame this game was somewhat overlooked.
Well, it’s Monopoly. There’s not too much to say about it; there have been over a dozen versions of Monopoly released in video game form, and this is the latest iteration. Since it’s a board game, there’s no story mode, so the achievements require various actions in-game.
Your results may vary slightly with this game depending on luck, but anywhere from 2-5 hours is a good estimate for earning the 15 achievements. A guide will help you hone in on the situations you need to get through this as quickly as possible. Since you can play “multiplayer” with a single controller, you can rig the game to earn the points.
Going through all six games here will cost you about $70 and earn you 6,000 Gamerscore; not a bad haul for a few days’ worth of work! Of course, these are far from the only games you can clean up easily, but I tried to avoid shovelware games and make this list fun. Those looking for more should look at this Xbox Achievements thread which groups easy games into time slots, and also includes Xbox 360 games. You’ll have more than enough material to go through with that!
Looking at the opposite end of the spectrum? Punish yourself with nigh-impossible gaming achievements or some of the hardest games of all time.
From what easy games have you earned Xbox One achievements? Do you have an opinion on the achievement system? Leave your thoughts, games, and strategies in a comment below!
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