Read update
- 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.
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.