Friday, December 19, 2025

Top 5 Best Christmas Themed Games For The Holidays (No. 3)

Second to last post of 2025 fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

I’ve been doing these seasonal lists since 2023, so not too long ago. That year was fairly easy to make, but last year’s was more of a challenge, but 2025 takes the cake for being the hardest I’ve done so far. There’s not a lot of Christmas games out there, or to be honest not a lot of good ones. On top of that, I haven’t played a bunch of them, and this year in particular I didn’t touch most of them. Still, I wanted to end 2025 on a jolly note, so put on some warm clothes, get that cup of cocoa with the little marshmallows on top, and take a look at the top 5 best Christmas themed games for the holidays.....number 3!

5) Jazz Jackrabbit 2: Christmas Chronicles (Video)

Now, I swear to God I played this at some point. If it wasn’t the full game, then it was the demo. Jazz Jackrabbit 2 was fundamentally the same as that of the original: you run around blasting the enemies of Devin Shell, find new ammo types, look for secrets, get a high score, etc. They do neuter your speed, and the levels are larger in scale, but the gameplay is mostly untouched, and like the original JJ, number 2 got some Christmas levels as well! I recall playing what I thought was the demo level, and I think I liked it enough. It was wintry, it was seasonal, and it was fun! I’m not giving this the best recommendation, on account of not playing this for ages, but the few scraps of memory I do recall of it were nice enough to put it on here.

4) Universes Beyond: Warhammer 40K (Video)

So, a bit of an odd one, since the grimdark future of the 41st millennium has absolutely nothing to do with Christmas.....but it does for me.

Back in 2022, Wizards Of The Coast released the very first entry into their Universes Beyond line of products, and of course it was 40k themed. The Imperium Of Man, the forces of Chaos, the Necron Dynasties, and the Tyranids were all brought into the realm of Magic The Gathering, and to say they were successful is understating things. They were something I was really looking forward to getting for Christmas that year, so I simply asked my Mom for them, and sure enough she said yes. Problem was that the pricing for all 4 of them was higher than I originally saw them at, but she still bought them. However, an interesting thing happened when she did.

She gave me a big job to do that November. Our small barn next to the house needed a giant cleaning job to do, and if I cleaned it over a certain amount of time, I’d get them early. Sure enough, I managed to clean that barn as good as I could (Ma helped at times), and the deal was made. Though I got them a few weeks prior, none-the-less it was all done in the name of the Christmas spirit, so I couldn’t help but grandfather them onto here.

3) Christmas NiGHTS Into Dreams (Video)

Essentialy a demo with more bells & whistles attached to it, this quirky little side-release of a cult classic is just filled with Christmas magic. You have the same two characters from the base game, but the world is just so colorful with all of the various little nick-nacks, baubles, trees, and other little things that fill our child-like wonder with glee. On top of that, there’s a few unlockables to get, and actually has some funky quirks that crop up depending on not only what time of the year it is, but when during the day you play the game as well. I’ll eventually get my hands on this, and if I happen to do another one of these lists next year, you might see this again.....with a better description than what I put here!

2) Christmas Stories: Nutcracker (Video)

Much like the last title, I never played this game, but I have seen a playthrough of it, and the Christmas nature is front & center. A mix of a puzzle game & hidden object game (Think of the old I Spy books), Christmas Stories: Nutcracker is also highly deceptive as well: from the start the holiday season is incredibly apparent, but there’s this sinister undercurrent that’s almost felt right from the beginning. As you get further & further in, this vibe just increases, and they decides to take the mask off & show how batshit the story actually is! There’s definitely a happy ending most definitely, but you gotta get through 10 kinds of weird before you see it. If you would like some Christmas cheer that’s painted in numerous coats of crazy, then Christmas Stories: Nutcracker is for you! 

1) Cultic: Chapter 2 (Video)

If Alone In The Dark 2 just about destroys the concept of what a Christmas game is, then chapter 2 of Cultic fully shatters it.....reforges it.....then shatters it again. 

Yes, the second chapter to one of the biggest tribute to the classic game Blood, it’s a little weird to see this at the number 1 spot, but I don’t care! For everything that Chapter 1 & Interlude did well, Chapter 2 turns the knob up to 11, and breaks every window in a five mile radius. The gameplay is smoother yet hits harder. The atmosphere is thicker. The graphics are more detailed, and the levels are more expansive with more things to do. Even the effort was improved, as all of the previously mentioned aspects show that Jason Smith really knows what he’s doing. Though he did have to bring an extra developer to help (On account of how much bigger the game is), the work put in is incredibly evident. As for the seasonal connections? Just look at the first 2 levels and the 7th one. Trust me on this.

And those were once again, 5 more seasonal video games to play. Like last year, it was a challenge to assemble this year’s list, and I have a feeling that next year will be even harder (If I decide to do one). Still, you might find something fun here, even if some of these are a bit.....weird. See you all sometime this month for the last end of year post, and the last post of 2025. Take care!


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If you’re curious about last year’s list, click on the link below:

Top 5 Best Christmas Themed Games For The Holidays (No. 2)

Also, I made this list before the Home For Cultmas bonus level was released yesterday. If a 4th list is made next year, you can bet that it’ll be there!

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