Now that November is here, the holiday season has begun and many are putting away their favorite horror games in favor of something to celebrate the holidays. The tricky part is that there isn't a "holiday" genre that correlates with celebrations like Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Years, or other occassions in the same way horror games pair nicely with Halloween.
While there isn't a holiday genre in gaming, there are plenty of holiday-themed games for enthusiasts to enjoy. Some have ties to specific holidays, but others are able to be enjoyed even after the season ends and the new year begins.
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
When Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales revealed it was set in December around the holidays, fans were excited to explore a snow-covered New York City on a scale never seen before. The city is its own character in Insomniac's Spider-Man games, but with Miles Morales the studio was able to hit players in the nostalgia as they reminisce about holidays while swinging through the city and fighting crime. Whether it's chasing Rhino through a mall or walking across a snow-dusted Central Park, Miles Morales captures winter with excellent accuracy. What's more, a lot of its narrative revolves around celebrating with family and one's community, making for a perfect end-of-year game for anyone looking for those fuzzy feelings.
Batman: Arkham Origins
The debate surrounding Die Hard's status as a Christmas movie has been raging for years, but many gamers agree that Batman: Arkham Origins is a Christmas game. Set on Christmas Eve several years before the events of Batman: Arkham Asylum, a $50 million bounty is put on Batman. The game has players fight their way through waves of Christmas-themed levels, and similar to Miles Morales, explore Gotham under heavy snowfall. It's perfect for anyone looking to cozy up with a warm drink and knock some heads together while enjoying Christmas vibes.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Few games do holidays like Animal Crossing, and the most recent entry in the series makes holidays in the winter months feel special. New Horizons serves as a comfort game for anyone looking to enjoy the season while playing their Switch next to a fire, and with the addition of Brewster's cafe in the upcoming 2.0 update, Animal Crossing has never been cozier. The best part about the game is that no matter what holidays someone celebrates, Animal Crossing wants to celebrate with them. It includes all sorts of seasonal items for different holidays. Plus, it's a great time to get plenty of excellent gifts from the villagers who inhabit one's island.
Saints Row 4: How the Saints Save Christmas
The Saints Row series is known for slapstick humor and its willingness to "lean into the bit," which is exactly what the Saints Row 4: How the Saints Save Christmas does. This DLC expansion is full of irreverent humor and feel-good holiday vibes. While How the Saints Save Christmas specifically centers the titular holiday, there are aspects for everyone to enjoy from fighting off giant gingerbread men to reenacting classic holiday movies. It's a great experience for anyone who likes the characters in the Saints Row series; it essentially serves as the "holiday episode" that a lot of television shows produce to showcase the magic of the spirit. It's clear to anyone who has played the Saints Row franchise that if anyone needs to be moved by the holiday spirit, it's the Third Street Saints.
Dead Rising 4
The Dead Rising series was a perfect match for the holiday season due to several games' shopping mall settings, but Dead Rising 4 was the first to make good on the premise and deliver a holiday-filled outing for Frank West. Dead Rising 4's wackier tone makes the game feel like a do-it-yourself Home Alone video game thanks to the elaborate contraptions Frank makes to dispatch undead hordes.
Fortnite, Overwatch, GTA Online
One of the best things about live-service titles is they're able to constantly update to fit the season, and games like Fortnite, Overwatch, and GTA Online are some of the best examples of service games that lean into real-world seasons. Whether it's something as simple as giving players holiday-themed skins to more involved holiday modes, it's always nice when an online game is able to celebrate with its players, whatever background they might come from. What's more, service games tend to shift from holiday settings right into winter ones as the new year comes about, giving players more reason to stick around and enjoy the season.