“Taking it all in all, with the walk and the evening, and the blessed sense of charity, so rare in me,—the feeling, natural at such a moment that even my worst enemies in college were really funny and odd rather than detestable, while my friends were ‘the many men so beautiful’—this was as good a day as I could wish to have.”
-C.S. Lewis on Christmas Eve
You might have asked Santa for video games on Christmas, but did you have the chestnuts to ask for Christmas video games?
Our own Sometimes Vaguely Philosophical Mage (@overthinker1) asked some such, but on Twitter, and not in a letter bound for the North Pole. It’s an interesting question: while we all know about Christmas songs and Christmas movies, what Christmas video games are there?
First we must ask: what counts as a Christmas video game? I think that the popular embrace of Die Hard as a Christmas movie because it takes place around Christmas gives a general answer. Christmas video games are those which are based on, themed on, and take place around Christmas time. You could potentially make the argument to include video games which include Christmas-themed holidays, characters, levels, stages, events, or expansions.
Well, here’s our list of the 12 Christmas video games… of Christmas. Have you played them all?
#1. King of Kings: The Early Years
O Wisdom Tree, O Wisdom Tree… your bootleg-quality Bible games were hilarious. And bad.
For those of us that grew up with religious parents, we got games where we played as Moses or the Wise Men instead of Link or the Super Mario brothers. I actually got both.
King of Kings: The Early Years doesn’t really do justice to the source material any more than cheaply-made, knock-off propaganda would for, well, anything. But for the purposes of this article about Christmas video games, it clearly must take the number one spot. Two of its three internal games (The Wise Men and Flight to Egypt) are lifted directly from the original Christmas story. It’s actually the only game I can think of about the nativity.
Still, it mildly references the origins of a poor man who died a criminal’s death and changed the course of history, and that message of humility and charity, albeit couched in more saccharine religious overtones, lies at the heart of what Christmas is and what it means, and even why we have it in the first place.
#2. Daze Before Christmas
If you’re hitting the wassail a little too hard, you might just experience a daze before Christmas. You might not have heard of this one before, but don’t be too surprised. Daze Before Christmas was Norwegian developed and published only in Australia for the Mega Drive and Australia plus Europe for the SNES. The US release never materialized beyond an empty Christmas wish, like so many boxes laid bare on Boxing Day.
Daze is special when it comes to Christmas video games, though, since you get to play as Father Christmas himself. Set your gaming joys a-tingle with Kris Kringle, or if you’ve got a cramp in your Krampus, you can transform into Anti-Claus, Santa’s evil twin not played by Tim Allen.
#3. Christmas Nights Into Dreams
I mention Nights Into Dreams with some sadness. I had an episode of MAGE CAST planned for the original Nights, which I was going to christen “‘Twas The Nights Into Dreams Before Christmas”, slated to release this very Christmastide week, but alas! I decided I ultimately needed a break from the show until the New Year.
Anyhow, Christmas Nights Into Dreams is neither DLC nor expansion. It’s an entirely separate game, stocking-stuffed to the brim with two, count ’em two, Christmas-themed levels in total. It came bundled with a couple of Saturns, with a few games, or issues of the Sega Saturn Magazine.
Oh and I nearly won a copy of Christmas Nights Into Dreams in a giveaway on Twitter. That makes me wistful, too. Quick, onto the next game!
#4. The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie’s Revenge
Sticking with the wholly night theme, there’s Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie’s Revenge, one of multiple video game adaptations for Tim Burton’s holiday crossover fantasy. Mentioning it is sort of cheating since it technically covers both Halloween and Christmas, but I left out Kingdom Hearts II and its Christmas Town for this.
Oogie’s Revenge serves as a sequel to the film, taking place a year later with Jack Skellington getting bored with Halloween all over again. That dude needs to read a few self-help books on contentment. Anyway, Oogie captures Christmas Town to become the Seven-Holidays King, and Jack learns a powerful lesson through this new adventure that he already learned in the movie.
#5. Die Hard Trilogy
The “Yes, it is a Christmas video game!” of video games.
As we move out of games that take their names from Christmas and on into games that take place on or around Christmas, we continue to test the elasticity of the term “Christmas video game”. Be that as it may, the new Christmas tradition seems to be pushing the polemic that yes, indeed, finally, Die Hard is a Christmas movie. Okay, it’s 2019. We’ve all seen that picture of the ornament resembling Willis crawling through the air duct.
For those out there that aren’t in for the mushy stuff, Die Hard Trilogy has more explosions and gunfights and terrorists than even the holly-jolliest among us can stomach. Mixing different genres and gameplay motifs, the Trilogy proved to be a smash hit. But the real secret is…
(SPOILERS: highlight to reveal) It’s A Wonderful Life is the best Christmas movie.
#6. Parasite Eve
When you think of Christmas, you probably think of New York, spontaneous combustion, and body horror, right? Yeah, me neither. Still, Parasite Eve takes place right on Christmas 1997, according to the introductory cutscene.
I have heard Parasite Eve’s horror compared to the solitary eeriness of not celebrating Christmas and having to go run an errand or something only to find all the stores are closed, and that smells like some crazy “woe is me” mentality to me: “Parasite Eve is a horror game that moves not with grotesque imagery, but the familiar darkness of looking in on the most wonderful time of the year from the outside.”
Slow clap.
Ultimately, sacred or secular, Christmas is inclusive. It’s for everyone. Just like mitochondria! You hardly need to be Christian to enjoy Christmas (or Xmas, if you like). That’s clear. We’re at a point in civilization where you can celebrate it however you like, by attending to its spiritual concepts or hanging out with others or just chilling drinking hot cocoa and watching Netflix. Some of us have to work, yes. Some of us don’t, another yes. That doesn’t prevent anyone from celebrating however they like/can, whenever they like/can. I myself have had to work on Christmas. It sucks… but I’d rather work around it than write that quote I shared above.
Might I suggest: if you’ve no Christmas plans this year, why not play some Parasite Eve? If you want to know more about the game, check out our MAGE CAST episode “Midichlorians”.
#7. Home Alone 2: Lost In New York
Time for more controversial movie opinions. Home Alone 2 > Home Alone. Why? Tim Curry. John Williams’ score. The Big Apple. Better house traps. Mr. Duncan pronouncing the word “turtledoves”. The gangster movie scene in the hotel room. And I won’t mention the Trump cameo.
It’s a safe bet to include a game based on a Christmas movie. If you’ve ever had the unfortunate displeasure of playing this game, though, you’ll know it just about fails to capture anything about the warmth, love, joy, or laughter of Christmas. In fact, it kind of sucks.
I didn’t celebrate Christmas as a kid, let it be known, and there was a time when I identified with Kevin’s disgust of his own family, but Lost In New York wraps it up nicely. I don’t know if the game does. Pretty sure I’ll never play it again.
#8. Arkham Origins
Silent Knight observes Christmas, too. By punching criminals in the face.
Batman’s origins get fleshed out a bit more in the Arkham game universe, and the game treats us to some great Gotham settings as well as decent vocal performances (though the absence of Mark Hamill is glaring, as good as Troy did). Arkham Origins was a game I thought to be clunkier than the Rocksteady games, but sometimes Christmas turns out like that. Despite all the planning and prep, things don’t come out perfect.
Honestly, I think Arkham Origins has more than simply taking place on Christmas Eve going for it. It’s about family. Because remember, why else did Bruce Wayne don the mantle of the bat other than because of family?
#9. Secret of Mana
Okay so now we’re in shaky territory. Not all games are based on Christmas or take place on Christmas. Some of them include single Christmas-themed levels or have Christmas characters in there. Such is the case with Secret of Mana, which I justified because the cover art is green and red for cryin’ out loud.
In Secret of Mana, players can encounter not just Rudolf with his primrose proboscis but they also get to meet the big man himself, good old Saint Nick. How many other Super Nintendo JRPG classics can you think of that feature the Santa Claus as an NPC? “Mana” is a Polynesian word that means magical power, and really, what could be more magical than Christmas?
#10. Stardew Valley
Of all the farming and daily life sims out there with Christmas-esque holidays, I wanted to mention the king of them all: Stardew Valley. In Winter, the residents of Pelican Town gather together to commemorate the Feast of the Winter Star (which is honestly the lamest substitute name for non-Christmas Christmas ever: I mean it’s got the star motif, the tree, the presents and gift-giving, the wintry air, and it’s on the 25th).
You may scoff at receiving 12 Eggs for Christma— I mean “the Feast of the Winter Star”, but that’s better than receiving 10 lords a-leaping. Trust me.
#11. ClayFighter 63⅓
Switch 2 letters and you get “Satan” from “Santa” but add 4 letters and 400lbs and you get what? Sumo Santa! Bet you didn’t think you were going to have to do math in this article, eh?
Hark, the girdled waistlines sing for this flabby Father Christmas. Jiggle bells ring for this jolly old elf. He shook when he laughed like a bowl full of jelly. ClayFighter 63 1/3 doesn’t just have a clever title. It also has the true spirit of the season: Sumo Santa fighting the war on Christmas, sleighing his claymation opponents.
Don’t believe me? Well then. Tonight you will be visited by three ghosts!!!
#12. Merry Gear Solid: Secret Santa
Whenever you think you have an original idea, odds are somebody already thought of it before you. So it was just a few weeks ago when I put forth the idea for a stealth Christmas video game about Santa sneaking into homes to deliver presents, trying to avoid being caught by awakened children or family dogs, grabbing the cookies and milk (or brandy and mince pies depending on your locale), and so on. Guess someone else already thought of that.
While it isn’t the AAA sneakfest I envisioned, there is Merry Gear Solid: Secret Santa, which can we all admit has the perfect name? This one lifts more than the title, though. It melds Christmas lore with gameplay from the Metal Gear and Metal Gear Solid games.
Bonus: The Grinch
Honestly, I just wanted to include that screenshot somehow. Don’t you miss games based on movies?
Well, it’s just about time to settle down for a long Winter’s nap. Christmas is my favorite holiday so let me wish you a hale and hearty merry Christmas. I acknowledge that Christmas can also be a painful time for some; this is the second Christmas without my grandmother and so it’s an unusual one for my family, but we want to continue to make new joyful memories.
I wish you peace and gladness, fond memories made, time spent with friends or family or both, and may all your nights into dreams come true!
Mele Kalikimaka.
Red formerly ran The Well-Red Mage and now serves The Pixels as founder, writer, editor, and podcaster. He has undertaken a seemingly endless crusade to talk about the games themselves in the midst of a culture obsessed with the latest controversy, scandal, and news cycle about harassment, toxicity, and negativity. Pick out his feathered cap on Twitter @thewellredmage, Mage Cast, or Story Mode.
Dead Rising 4 is a Christmas game and The Division takes place sometime after Thanksgiving and everything is decorated for Christmas, you know… before everyone died of the flu.
The only game I have played from this list was Christmas NiGHTS Into Dreams…, although I have played a demo of the Die Hard game. I was very surprised to find out that the Christmas NiGHTS Into Dreams… game only consisted of 2 levels, one of which was the same as one of the levels from the original NiGHTS Into Dreams… game, but with a few changes. I also remember, following the completion of the game, the player was shown a picture of the main characters (Clarence and Elliot) standing in front of a huge star, with a high-pitched voice proclaiming “With the help of NiGHTS, Clarence and Elliot found a star”.
How many of the games have you played? Are the games good?
I’ve played 6 of these and they’re not really the best games, imo! King of Kings I own and it’s… well, it’s Wisdom Tree.
There are bunch of shareware/shovelware Christmas games. Guess that makes more sense than putting the time and effort into making a fully Christmas themed game that would probably sell only slightly and under specific circumstances.
Yeah, I found a ton of those and decided to pretend like they don’t exist at all lol