15 Video Games That Take Place On Christmas
Much of the world transforms on December 1st. Seemingly overnight, trees are put up, lights are strung, and everything becomes just a little more jolly. For many, no part of the holiday season is more comforting or timeless than Christmas movies or music, but far too frequently, video games seem to be left out of holiday media discussions.
While it’s true that video games don’t have as storied of a relationship with the Yuletide season as other forms of entertainment, there are still plenty of quality games that take place on Christmas for players to enjoy.
Updated on November 29th, 2022 by Quinn Levandoski
As the holidays approach once again, many gamers are looking to add to their favorite Christmas movies, TV shows, and music with festive video games. Though no notable Christmas-set games have come out over the last year, there are still plenty of classics that are well worth revisiting.
From wholesome holiday festivities to tongue-in-cheek parodies of Santa and the Christmas season, there’s something for all gamers to enjoy across a bevy of genres and platforms that’s sure to perfectly scratch any Yuletide itch.
The Escapists: Santa’s Shakedown/Sweatshop
Santa and the overall holiday season are meant to bring feelings of comfort and joy, but that isn’t the case in these two add-ons for The Escapists and its sequel. Here, the prison escape games take on a festive flair as players are put into the jingling shoes of Buddy the elf (with no official connection to the famous Buddy from the classic movie Elf), who needs to escape from Santa’s oppressive control.
Like in the base game, players will have to collect items, focus on their stats, and work within the set time schedule to plan their escape, which can be achieved in a handful of different ways using unique additions like presents, tinsel, and stockings. Some holiday DLC content can come off as low-effort, but these pieces of DLC meet the already high quality that The Escapists is known for with smart, challenging puzzles for players to solve.
Tom Clancy’s The Division
Tom Clancy’s The Division doesn’t technically take place on Christmas, but its version of Manhattan has been practically frozen in time with Christmas decorations adorning streets and buildings.
In the game, a viral outbreak on Black Friday brings society to a crumbling halt, and everything descends into chaos.
The streets of New York City are a beautiful mess of make-shift fortifications and holdovers of the holiday season, and there’s palpable dissonance between the violent gangs roaming city blocks and the Christmas decor adorning several areas. Though technically an MMO, the game is worth playing as it can be enjoyed equally alone or in a group, and the monetization is much less intrusive than in other, similar titles.
Alone In The Dark 2
The Alone in the Dark name has largely lost its positive brand recognition due to a poor modern video game reboot and a similarly poor film adaptation, but the franchise was synonymous with horror in the 1990s. This sequel saw supernatural investigator Edward Carnby solving a disappearance and murder in a spooky, “abandoned” mansion on Christmas.
While the game doesn’t concern itself too much with the holiday, a smaller side-project was released by the studio as a promotion before the full game came out.
This horror experience, titled Jack in the Dark, tasked players with protecting Santa from a slew of evil toys that have come to life. It’s a perfect balance of genuine horror and cheesy goodness that’s well worth seeking out, even for those unfamiliar with the series.
Bully – Chapter Three
Though they’re best known for the Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption series, Rockstar has several IPs that deserve sequels. Among them is Bully, a game that sees players guide protagonist Jimmy Hopkins through a year at a new prep school as he attempts to rise through the social ranks and earn the respect (or control) of the school’s various cliques.
The entire game doesn’t take place on Christmas but instead follows the characters through an entire school year. Bully‘s third chapter moves into winter, and the school becomes adorned with snow, Christmas trees, and other classic icons of the holiday. While not as popular as other Rockstar IPs, Bully‘s world-building and memorable protagonist make it a must-play, especially as it received a more modern remaster.
Home Alone
Movie tie-in games aren’t releasing with the consistency that they were a decade or more ago, but the holiday classic Home Alone received several games on different platforms that take place as Kevin McCallister is left home alone on Christmas. Each version of the game is different, but they all center around making one’s way through the McCallister home, evading the Wet Bandits and other obstacles.
Unfortunately, their age means that only players with original copies or a classic system emulator can experience these fairly obscure titles. They haven’t aged particularly well with dated visuals and gameplay mechanics, but there’s still nostalgic charm to be found for fans of the films.
Batman: Arkham Origins
Batman stars in some of the best superhero games of all time, and the Arkham series is largely considered the Dark Knight’s finest virtual representation. Unfortunately, Batman: Arkham Origins is often considered the black sheep of the Arkham family.
The only game in the series not developed by Rocksteady, this prequel goes back to early in Batman’s career and shows him fighting for his life against eight supervillains trying to claim a bounty on his head.
The whole game takes place on Christmas Eve, and Gotham City looks stunning with its holiday decor and blanket of snow. Consider pairing Arkham Origins with the movie Batman Returns for a Caped Crusader Christmas double-feature.
Bayonetta 2
The original Bayonetta was a surprise hit of an action game, and its sequel, Bayonetta 2, was also released to critical and commercial acclaim. However, due to this second game being exclusive to the Nintendo Wii U (and later ported to the Switch), it wasn’t quite able to reach the same audience as its predecessor.
That being the case, many gamers may not know that Bayonetta 2 takes place almost entirely on Christmas, and the game even opens with the titular hero finishing her Christmas shopping when angels attack.
Rodin, who procures several of Bayonetta’s weapons, even shows up dressed as Santa Claus throughout the game.
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales may not be the full sequel that fans have been waiting for, but it’s still one of the best Spider-Man games available to play.
This entry in the beloved open-world franchise shifts its focus from Peter Parker to Miles Morales, and it’s set in New York City during the holiday season. The game opens on Christmas, and the city is adorned with all the lights, trees, and wreaths that players would expect to see. Even as the game progresses closer to New Year’s Day, the snowy backdrops maintain the festive feel.
Dead Rising 4
The holidays may typically be a time for family and togetherness, but Dead Rising 4 uses Christmas as a backdrop for fighting near-endless waves of the undead. Every game in the now-seemingly-defunct franchise has emphasized using unconventional items as weapons, and Dead Rising 4 lets players utilize plenty of Christmas decorations as they help protagonist Frank West clear his name and investigate a zombie outbreak in Colorado.
The game steers clear of most of the obvious “Christmas consumerism is like a zombie virus” analogies, but it’s still good fun to kill the undead to a Christmas music soundtrack.
Duke Nukem: Nuclear Winter
Duke Nukem Forever may be one of the biggest video game flops from a major developer, but the franchise was once a respectable (if crude) shooter series.
Duke Nukem: Nuclear Winter is a 1997 expansion game that added several Christmas-themed levels to Duke Nukem 3D. In this game, aliens have kidnapped Santa, and Duke needs to go to the North Pole to set things right. On his mission, Duke fights such Christmassy enemies as evil snowmen, elves with shotguns, and even Duke Nukem lookalikes dressed in Santa outfits.
Saints Row 4: How The Saints Saved Christmas
The Saints Row franchise has poked fun at several pop culture tropes, and Saint’s Row 4: How The Saints Saved Christmas turned its crosshairs on Christmas specials.
In the base game, the Third Street Saints were granted superpowers in order to escape a simulation run by alien invaders.
This expansion sees the Saints heading back to the simulation in order to save Santa Claus after a future version of Shaundi travels back in time. She warns them about the evil Santa Clawz that will terrorize the future if the Saints fail their rescue mission.
Parasite Eve
Parasite Eve is one of few video games based on books, and it also happens to take place on Christmas. The game, based on Hideaki Sena’s 1996 novel of the same name, is centered on a fairly bizarre premise: “What if mitochondria were actually part of a sentient being waiting to overtake the entire planet?”
The narrative begins during a Christmas Eve opera at which almost everyone spontaneously combusts. From there, the player follows protagonist Aya Brea for a week following Christmas as she attempts to stop the villain Eve from using mitochondria to kill the human race.
Yakuza
The Yakuza and Christmas may not seem to have much in common, but several games in the series take place on or around Christmas. Yakuza 0 doesn’t have many Christmas references, but holiday decorations can be seen during several missions. Yakuza Kiwami also contains holiday decor, and there is Christmas music playing in the background during several missions.
One such part of the game even sees the player helping someone find a Christmas gift for their crush. Yakuza Kiwami 2 takes place around Yuletide as well, and players even have to hunt down a character dressed as Santa Claus.
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
The Metal Gear series may have several popular games released in the West, but Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake was not originally released in North America or Europe. It wasn’t until 2005 that players in these markets got Metal Gear 2 as an add-on to the Metal Gear Solid 3 HD Remaster.
The plot focuses on dwindling oil reserves and the resulting conflict leading to the development of fuel-producing algae. Soldiers from Zanzibarland kidnap the responsible scientist and threaten to hold this fuel source hostage with the threat of nuclear weapons. On Christmas Eve, Solid Snake is sent in to rescue the scientist and save the world.
Hitman Holiday Hoarders
Hitman‘s Agent 47 has taken on a wide array of targets throughout his various games, and even Santa impersonators aren’t above his wrath.
This mission set sees the player tracking down and stopping Harry Bagnato and Marv Gonif, two thieves attempting to steal Christmas presents in Paris. This mission set was initially released as a fundraiser for the World Cancer Research Fund, and it was brought back for a limited time in 2018 for Hitman 2. The game is now a permanent mission in Hitman 3.
NEXT: 10 Best Christmas Horror Games
The most festive Christmas-themed video games for the holidays
It’s likely this Christmas hasn’t quite felt the same for you, thanks to a year filled with financial and social hardships.
The cost of living is skyrocketing, and coronavirus cases are on the rise worldwide. The holiday period has simply lacked the pizzazz of the glittering, shiny years of the past. If you’re feeling a bit bummed this Christmas – don’t fret! There’s still plenty of time to bottle the holiday spirit and feel the refreshing buzz of the new year. To that end, video games could certainly help.
From wholesome exploration and friend-making in Disney Dreamlight Valley, to not-so-wholesome Christmas assassinations in Hitman, there are plenty of colourful, light-filled Christmas gaming experiences that’ll help you feel the joy of the season.
Here are a few of our favourite Christmas-themed video games (and video game levels) to sprinkle some holiday buzz into your life.
- Kingdom Hearts 2
- Yakuza Kiwami
- Overwatch 2
- Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- The Darkside Detective
- Hitman 3
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons
- Disney Dreamlight Valley
Christmas Town,
Kingdom Hearts 2
Image: Square Enix
Kingdom Hearts 2 has a great representation of Christmas within the Halloween Town world.
As you’re progressing through the Nightmare Before Christmas storyline, you’ll eventually wind up travelling through a special door to Christmas Town, where you’ll encounter Santa Claus and various elves in the process of creating presents.
You can help this production process via the Toy Factory, and eventually work to save Christmas by taking down the evil Oogie Boogie and his minions. On completion of these tasks, you’ll gain free access to roam around a winter wonderland, dressed as a gothic Santa, and even arm yourself with a candy cane-themed keyblade.
As one of the best worlds in the entire Kingdom Hearts series, Christmas Town is a pure joy – and should help spark those festive holiday feelings.
Yakuza Kiwami (or most Yakuza games)
Image: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
Yakuza Kiwami takes place around the Christmas period, and often feature plenty of festive spirit. As you wander the streets of Kamurocho (a fictionalised version of Kabukicho in Shinjuku, Tokyo), you’ll be surrounded by fancy decorations on every street corner, and festive jingles in every shop.
While the main plot doesn’t necessarily focus on Christmas, you’ll still be able to enjoy all the sights and sounds of the season as you play through the story and wander the streets.
Really, you can jump in with any Yakuza video game to feel the same holiday joy – most entries in the franchise take place in December, and feature plenty of fun lights, wreaths, and Christmas trees in your nearby surrounds. If you wind up playing Yakuza 5 this holiday season, you’ll also be able to take on a mission wherein you dress up as Santa Claus and beat up some predatory ‘santa hunter’ thugs. There’s nothing that screams Christmas more than that!
Overwatch 2
Image: Activision Blizzard
Yes, Overwatch 2 is a Christmas video game. Between rounds of running and gunning, you can spend the holiday period earning special Christmas-themed skins for your favourite characters, and exploring fresh new game modes. You may even have Christmas skins from prior years in the original Overwatch, which should all have transferred to the upgraded version of the shooter.
While the Christmas theming is largely cosmetic, it helps Overwatch 2 feel colourful, vibrant, and very festive – the perfect vibe to enter the new year with. If you’re keen for some frosty winter wonderland adventures, don your stockings and elf hats, and head on down to the arena in Overwatch 2.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Image: Insomniac Games
Spider-Man: Miles Morales, the essential, bite-sized spin-off to Marvel’s Spider-Man, is one of the definitive Christmas video games. The entire story of this adventure takes place in December, with decorations, lights, and missions to match. In fact, there’s an entire segment devoted to Miles coming home for Christmas dinner with his mother and best friend, Ganke. Together, they share warm tales and discuss the holiday season in heartfelt tones.
It’s a wonderful scene, and helps players get to know Miles and his world a little bit more. It’s also a great way to ring in your own holiday dinners, and feel those warm fuzzies starting to build.
If that’s not enough, go for a walk in the world of Miles Morales. Stare at the gorgeous, glittering decorations. Visit brightly-lit streets. There’s no doubt this adventure will spark warm holiday feelings.
The Darkside Detective
Image: Spooky Doorway
The Darkside Detective and The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark, both excellent point-and-click adventure games in their own right, each have a unique, spooky case file dedicated to Christmas. Each game is made of multiple supernatural-themed mysteries which can be tackled individually. For those strong Christmas video game vibes, you’ll want to check out ‘Buy Hard’ in The Darkside Detective and ‘Ghosts of Christmas Passed’ in The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark.
In ‘Buy Hard’, you investigate a creepy shopping mall as you help hapless police officer Dooley find the perfect last-minute gift for his nephew. It all goes awry when Krampus appears, and transforms the season in hideous ways.
‘Ghosts of Christmas Passed’ also tackles Christmas joy – this time, with a journey through space and time to meet the demands of unruly ghosts. Both adventures are extremely worthwhile, hilarious romps, and present a funny, horror-tinged take on Christmas.
Hitman 3
Image: IO Interactive
If you’re looking to express some of your Christmas joy in less wholesome ways, consider jumping into Hitman 3 these holidays, and try literally tackling Santa. In the special bonus mission ‘Holiday Hoarders’ (available temporarily in Hitman and Hitman 2, and permanently in Hitman 3), you’re tasked with wandering Paris, France, and finding the best ways to take out two professional thieves named Smokey and Slick.
It just so happens that this mission takes place over the holiday period, complete with a colourfully-decorated sandbox world to roam through, and a Santa actor you can harangue (or kill) to disguise yourself in the iconic red suit. You even get a special ‘Secret Santa’ achievement for dispatching the bad guys in the suit – how’s that for a Christmas miracle?
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Image: Nintendo
In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Christmas is replaced by ‘Toy Day’ – a non-denominational celebration that brings your village together via the magic of gifts.
Throughout December, you’ll be able to dress up in special Christmas-themed outfits, collect gifts for your animal neighbours, and even decorate your town in shades of green and red. Toy Day is a special event in the game, and only comes around once a year.
If you’ve got a spare chance over the holiday break, pop in to see how your Animal Crossing villagers are doing. They might appreciate a smile and a nod, or even a small gift when you’re able. On Toy Day (24 December), you’ll get a visit from a special NPC named Jingle, and get to take part in gift-wrapping and gift-giving activities that’ll delight your entire village. It’s all very twee, and should help spark some real-life Christmas charm.
Disney Dreamlight Valley
Image: Gameloft
Just like Animal Crossing: New Horizons before it, Disney Dreamlight Valley aims to foster wholesome, warm, and loving vibes as players establish themselves in a cartoonish world, make friends, and take on mini-quests across a mysterious island.
The neat twist in Dreamlight Valley is that everyone you encounter comes from iconic Disney films – and they all need your help. As you take on new requests and explore further into the heart of a darkness-drenched paradise, it’s up to you to turn the tide, and refresh the lives of each Disney denizen.
With the latest update, a brand new festive Star Path (Season Pass) has been unveiled, with a range of Christmas-themed goodies in store for avid players. Earn enough points, and you can eventually unlock new Christmas dresses, lights, decorations, and more – all of which can help your town sparkle. You can also spend December exploring the game’s special Frozen-themed land, which includes snow, castles, and plenty of festive magic.
For those that celebrate, GamesHub wishes you a Merry Christmas over the holiday break! We hope any time away you have is refreshing, and leads you well into the new year.
The best New Year and Christmas games for PC
The New Year is here and we wish you Happy Holidays.
And what is the New Year without that very New Year’s mood, which everyone talks about and remembers from childhood and which more and more often disappears when we get older?
How to create a New Year’s mood? Of course, with the help of games – it is unlikely that you expected any other offers from us. Here are a few games, including special Winter, New Year and Christmas add-ons to help you through this often difficult task.
Hitman 2
You can’t think of anything better to set the mood for the New Year than dressing up as Santa Claus in bright festive Paris to stop villains who are stealing from unsuspecting Parisians. This literally goes against everything Santa stands for, so taking matters into your own hands as Agent 47 is a must to protect Santa’s honor.
47 has a lot of different clothes, but his Santa 47 suit is sure to make you go out and bake some gingerbread cookies or sing a few Christmas carols. It just so happens that you have to kill a little here, but for the sake of enjoying the view of Parisian fireworks, this can be frankly ignored.
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Batman: Arkham Origins
This “Die Hard” video game world takes place on Christmas Eve. If you think that Die Hard is a Christmas movie ( and it really is ), then this game will definitely put you in the Christmas mood. If not, just think of it as a spin-off Christmas story that takes place in a truly festive video game.
Either way, there’s something aesthetically pleasing about watching Batman fight crazy bad guys under the snow in downtown Gotham City. Batman and crime don’t have weekends or holidays, so for villains like the Joker, Christmas Eve means nothing.
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Saints Row 4: How The Saints Save Christmas
Saints Row 4 brings some festive DLC to the extra missions and Season Pass. It’s a funny holiday tale with a twist, true to the spirit of Saints Row. In this wild story, Santa Claus is the bad guy, and the Saints must do everything to prevent him from listing the entire universe as a naughty child.
Honestly, that’s exactly what you’d expect from a hell of a mixture of Saints Row and Christmas. Filled with bright, brilliant attacks, crazy holiday weapons, equally crazy cars and funny dialogues, this DLC will have a lot of fun and will create a New Year’s mood.
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Borderlands 2: How Markus Saved Mercenary Day
Like the Saints Row 4 Holiday DLC, Borderlands 2 gives us its own take on Christmas with Yetis, snow-covered landscapes and evil snowmen ready to get their hands dirty. Well, or branches. The frozen city of Imbirthon is literally overrun by snowmen looking for battle. Their leader, Mr. Snowball, is filled with vicious holiday energy and is willing to do anything to kill the Vault Hunters.
It reminds me of the old horror comedy The Snowman (Jack Frost, 1996), with a creepily realistic snowman that was intended to be attractive. Don’t remember? Well, good. Despite all the insane features of this expansion, it’s exactly what New Year’s Eve in Borderlands should be, so sit back, sit back, make yourself some delicious tea, and get ready to kick ass for a crowd of snowmen.
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Dead Rising 4
Dead Rising 4 is more like the aforementioned Die Hard than good Christmas movies, but still gives us a festive atmosphere. Its action takes place on Christmas and shortly before and after it, and sometimes this is quite enough.
Our old friend Frank West is back fighting zombies and breaking news. But this time he is a college professor who helps his students. If you’re looking for more Christmas vibes, Dead Rising 4 has a holiday DLC where Frank fights zombies dressed as elfs and reindeer. Christmas and zombies, what else do you need to be happy?
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Yakuza 5
Arguably the best game in the series, Yakuza 5 takes place in December, so between alley fights we’ll have to explore cozy winter Japan. In particular, Saejima has a holiday episode with a man dressed as Santa Claus. True, he is beaten on the ground, but it’s still Santa!
Saejima himself shows his Christmas spirit by dressing up as Santa, kicking thugs’ butts, and unwittingly entertaining children in the process.
Santa is in town and ready to spank the bad guys who have been naughty all year.
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Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds
In the northern hemisphere, New Year’s is inseparable from winter, and The Frozen Wilds DLC for Horizon Zero Dawn is a sweet snow gift for those who love cold weather. And while it’s not particularly New Year’s in the festive sense of the word, the setting, weather, and snow are great reminders of the atmosphere of the festive season.
The Horizon Zero Dawn we all know and love is a phenomenal game in its own right, and this DLC just adds a frosty freshness to it. It is worth playing wrapped in a large blanket, in comfortable warm clothes and a mug of something hot.
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Monster Hunter World: Iceborne
Like The Frozen Wilds, Monster Hunter World: Iceborne takes us on a nice cold journey through a new snowy land full of gigantic creatures and monsters. For some, the New Year comes right after it gets colder.
Therefore, if you are also a fan of the cold, Iceborn will definitely create a New Year’s mood for you.
Have fun battling huge frosty monsters alone or with friends, or prepare a delicious and warm treat before heading out into the cold. Think of this game as a cute, but a bit dangerous trip.
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Bully
In the iconic school game from Rockstar Games, winter arrives during one of the story chapters, and with it, the holidays. The streets and squares are covered with snow, the students put on hats and scarves, and the buildings are decorated with Christmas and New Year paraphernalia.
It’s time for some mischief, snowball fights and pushing nerds into the snowdrifts. The main thing is not to forget that this is just a game, and in reality, some funny pranks can cause serious harm.
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Wasteland 3
Despite the post-apocalyptic setting, Wasteland 3 is a very frivolous and funny game. It is full of references and jokes, and some missions and dialogues make you laugh to tears.
Speaking of references, it’s impossible not to mention Santa’s workshop, which can be found while exploring the snowy Wasteland. At first glance, it seems harmless, but it’s worth a little chat with Santa himself and his elves, and you will understand that dark secrets are kept here. What is most interesting – you can leave everything as it is, save the poor hard workers or subjugate the factory to yourself and make a profit from it! The latter may not be very noble, but hey, who in the post-apocalyptic world would tell you what to do?
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Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales has Christmas spirit oozing from the screen. In the opening scene, a pair of Spider-Men rush through a Christmas-decorated supermarket, where a costumed Santa Claus so amusingly threatens to destroy the destruction they have caused, and further events unfold in New York, hung with garlands.
Moreover, by unlocking one of the costumes, Miles can dress up in a cute winter outfit: a hat, fur earmuffs, a scarf and leggings.
It looks very New Year’s and immediately sets the right mood!
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The Sims 4
The beloved life simulator The Sims 4 has seasons, including winter, which brings the New Year to the Sims world. Sims decorate their homes, put on holiday costumes, visit each other and, of course, meet Santa who gives them presents!
Here you can decorate the Christmas tree and have a New Year’s party, but be careful – without your supervision, the holiday can turn into a real nightmare, where the children will set fire to the house, Santa will start an affair with one of the guests, and the organizer of the event will fight with his soulmate.
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The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Skyrim itself has a New Year mood, with its winter landscapes and mission to save the world. Climbing the snow-covered peak, you will surely shiver from the contemplation of the frozen expanses, and entering the tavern, you will order a mug of something warming.
If this is not enough, you can always refer to the work of modders.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has received many modifications dedicated to Christmas and New Year. You can decorate your house with garlands and set a snowman outside the gate, dress up as an elf and pick up a battle candy, replace the soundtrack with something suitable for the atmosphere, and even complete a chain of themed quests! Everything you need to get in the Christmas mood.
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Rise of the Tomb Raider
Rise of the Tomb Raider doesn’t have a Christmas atmosphere, but it does have a winter feel to it! And close to the heart of a Russian person: in this game, Lara Croft goes to Siberia, in search of the mythical city of Kitezh.
Ice caves, frozen tombs and even a meeting with Baba Yaga await players. A great option if you want to play something authentic for the winter holidays.
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Frostpunk
Frostpunk is a game about a cold apocalypse: according to the plot, the entire planet plunges into icy darkness, and humanity tries to escape by huddling in freezing cities.
This is a strategy about survival and making damned difficult decisions, disasters, hardships and… hope. When there are snowdrifts and a blizzard outside the window, the best solution is to get comfortable at the computer, make a cup of hot tea, turn on Frostpunk and be glad that you are on this side of the monitor.
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STEEP
STEEP will help you realize the desire to drop everything and go on a ski vacation – even in the virtual world. The game is dedicated to extreme sports, and offers to ski or snowboard in exciting multiplayer competitions.
The project gives a feeling of freedom and a festive mood, and although there is no Santa Claus and a Christmas tree, you will still get your share of the New Year’s atmosphere in STEEP.
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Disney Dreamlight Valley
Disney Dreamlight Valley looks like a fairy tale in itself, with so many characters from different Disney titles in the game, and with one of the updates, the game was filled with Christmas and New Year themed decorations, including new clothing options, home decor, makeup and recipes.
Now it’s a magical winter fairy tale where you can have fun with the characters you’ve known since childhood.
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The Darkside Detective
The Darkside Detective is a wonderful detective quest with witty humor and lots of references. The main character will have to solve several intricate crimes, including an extremely difficult Christmas case, where unexpected discoveries await him. Despite the danger pursuing the protagonist, this adventure promises to be very fun.
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The Escapists – Santa’s Sweatshop
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be Santa’s elf and have to work all year round making all sorts of toys? Maybe this elf was separated from his family, or maybe he sees his calling in a different activity?
The Escapists – Santa’s Sweatshop offers a new perspective on the adventures of an elf. This is a free add-on in which the little hero will try to escape after 20 years of captivity in order to reunite with his family.
To implement the plan, the player has access to new items, characters, quests and, of course, a festive soundtrack!
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Viscera Cleanup Detail: Santa’s Rampage
In this spin-off of the famous cleaner simulator, you have to deal with the aftermath of Santa’s rampage, who lost his temper, unable to cope with the endless requests of greedy children.
As an employee of Polar Sanitation Inc, you will use a broom and mop to clean up Santa’s workshop of bloodstains, trash and scattered gifts. Not the most pleasant sight, but someone has to do the dirty work, right?
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Cthulhu Saves Christmas
Comedy jRPG in which you play as Cthulhu himself, who is going to save Christmas! The thing is that the lord of madness has lost his powers, and he can only return them if he defeats the Christmas League of Evil and frees Santa Claus.
The hero has to gather a team of loyal followers, go on a journey through uncharted lands, fight Krampus and other villains, and return Christmas to the world! A fun and funny game filled with lots of jokes, easter eggs and adventures.
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New Year’s Eve Miracle
New Year’s Eve Miracle is a simple visual novel about a mouse who wants to see a real miracle for the New Year. The game is short and not at all difficult, but atmospheric and cute – just what you need to create a New Year’s mood.
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Online Games
Many MMO games have themed events for various occasions – including Christmas and New Years, of course. They can be very diverse: somewhere the locations are covered with snow, and Christmas trees sparkling with lights appear on the squares, somewhere whole modes and maps are added, designed in the New Year’s style, somewhere the characters are transformed, trying on new outfits for themselves and skins for weapons .
The list of such games is very large: almost every major online project does not miss the opportunity to please its audience with interesting activities. It’s up to you to decide which one to choose: winter madness in GTA Online and Red Dead Online, limited-time modes and new items in Fortnite, themed costumes and graffiti in Overwatch, large-scale events in a number of MMORPGs and so on.
The Best Online Christmas Games of 2022
Christmas leaves its mark on any product in the media space, and online Christmas games are no exception. From big-budget blockbusters to simple and uncomplicated video games ─ all Christmas games online in 2022 promise to be really interesting.
After picking the best of them, we have compiled a list of online Christmas games 2022 that all Christmas lovers will enjoy, even those who have never seen snow. If you haven’t checked out our last year’s list yet, now is the time to do so.
What are the best online Christmas games to play?
When choosing the best Christmas games online, it is best to start from how you spend the holidays, as well as your preferences in games. Some people love online Christmas games and dislike offline, others choose intimate Christmas games with friends and family, and some prefer to download the game and play it alone – it’s all up to you.
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
After the incredible original, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales can safely be called a standalone project that introduces several new elements.
The game takes place on and after Christmas. In it, Miles Morales for the first time officially takes the place of Spider-Man and solves his own problems during the holidays.
Of all the online Christmas games in 2022 on this list, this one is the closest to the real dates of the holidays.
Although the original game was released in 2020, Miles Morales just recently came out on PC, making it one of the best Christmas games on PC in 2022. Even if you don’t get a chance to check out the new PC games, the PS4 and PS5 versions are just as epic and remain some of the best online Christmas games ever released.
More about the game:
Release date: November 12, 2020
Developer: Insomniac Games
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Genre: Action-Adventure
Game Mode: Single-player
Overwatch 2
Since Overwatch 2 is already considered one of the best games of 2022, it only makes sense that it will take its rightful place in the top online Christmas games over the same period.
Every year from mid-December to early January, Overwatch hosts the Winter Wonderland event, and 2022 is no exception.
Special game modes and maps make Overwatch 2 one of those Christmas games on PC that’s great for party gamers. In addition, it is F2P, so newcomers will enjoy the opportunity to play for free the game that has captured so many gamers’ hearts around the world.
More about the game:
Release date: October 4, 2022
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
Genre: Online FPS
Game modes: single player, online multiplayer
What games are coming out for Christmas?
When it comes to the new Christmas games on PC and console that gamers are looking forward to in 2022, there aren’t many major companies that are using the holiday theme.
However, games like Marvel’s Midnight Suns, The Calisto Protocol, and Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion will release in December. In the foreseeable future, it will not be possible to download these games to the phone.
What about tablets?
For tablet lovers, we recommend discovering the top online iPad games from our list. Whatever your preference, the gaming world has a solution for every device.
Dead Rising 4
When some of us think of unusual Christmas games online in 2022, zombies come to mind for some reason. Maybe we’ve seen enough horror movies, or maybe games like Dead Rising 4 are just too funny. In this game, players go free in the open world during Christmas to survive among the zombies and thin out their horde.
Dead Rising 4 doesn’t stop with the Christmas theme, adding launchers and other holiday-inspired weapons to its ever-imaginative arsenal.
Remember, the Christmas games that gamers are addicted to in 2022 don’t have to be cute. They just sometimes help keep us warm by making our pulse quicken.
More about the game:
Release date: December 6, 2016
Developer: Capcom Vancouver
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Genre: Action Adventure
Die Hard Trilogy
Yes, we consider these films to be Christmas, and the same applies to games. So it shouldn’t be surprising to have Die Hard Trilogy for PlayStation 1 on our list of must-have retro games in 2022. It may take a bit of emulation to run the game, but it’s worth it.
Die Hard Trilogy includes games based on each of the first three films, serving as a third-person shooter, first-person shooter, and puzzle/racing game.
Of course, only the first two films can claim to be the online Christmas games of 2022 among avid gamers, but they are each entertaining in their own way nonetheless.
More about the game:
Release date: August 31, 1996
Developer: Probe Entertainment
Publisher: Fox Interactive
Genre: Action
Game Modes: Single Player
World of Warcraft
We know that World of Warcraft (WoW) isn’t the newest game, and it probably isn’t what they have in mind others when they think of Christmas games online in 2022. And yet, WoW has long celebrated its version of Christmas with an annual event called the Feast of Winter Veil.
From December 16 until the New Year, WoW adorns the top MMORPG 2022 on PC. Like other online Christmas games, the franchise is full of events with new dishes, holiday gifts and special tasks.