admin What are the best Christmas games? Winter is now in full swing and we are deep into the most wonderful time of the year. With time off from work and school, frigid weather keeping you indoors, and the opportunity to receive brand new games from loved ones, the holidays are undoubtedly the best time of year for gaming.
Whether you want to play a couch co-op game with family and friends, take a single-player jaunt through a snow-covered paradise, or earn special season-exclusive items in your favorite title, there are plenty of wintery games to sink your teeth into this Christmas.
Here are the best Christmas games and winter games:
Mario 64
Cool, Cool Mountain has earned meme status in recent years as fans of the game admitted to dropping the baby penguin off a cliff instead of returning him safely to his mother. We don’t recommend this unless you want to get on the naughty list this year.
This isn’t Mario’s only chilly adventure; you can also head to the Shiver Region in Paper Mario, race around the DK Pass in Mario Kart 7, or tee off in Mario Tennis Aces.
View prices: Nintendo switch
Understory
You can take a pacifist, neutral, or genocidal route in Undertale, and I strongly believe that Santa uses the decisions you make while playing to decide whether you get on the naughty list or not. That said, the festive village of Snowdin will feel very different depending on how you play the game, but it still exudes Christmas cheer even if you’ve chosen the genocide route.
You can find Papyrus and Sans’ house in Snowdin. The building is permanently decorated with a wreath and Christmas lights, making you feel festive just walking past. As long as you befriend Papyrus as you play, you can pop in and spend some quality time with the character during Christmas.
If you’re looking for similar titles, check out our lists of games like Undertale and the best visual novel games, some of which take you on a beautiful winter adventure.
View prices: Nintendo switch And Steam deck
Donkey Kong Land: Tropical Frost
The evil Snowmads have frozen Donkey Kong Island. Team up with all your favorite Kongs for some tasty, healthy couch co-op fun that the whole family can enjoy.
Tropical Freeze is full of penguin enemies, so if you’re one of those Mario 64 players who have a vendetta against the flightless bird, we recommend taking out your rage on them in this title.
If you’re more of a Nintendo Switch 2 fan, Donkey Kong Bananza also has the Freezer Layer, home to that classic winter animal… The zebra?
View prices: Nintendo switch
Final Fantasy VII
The original Final Fantasy VII might not be the first game that comes to mind when you think of festive fun, but it has a great wintery area with a pretty fun snowboarding mini-game. In the mini-game, Cloud hops on a snowboard to collect balloons while avoiding snow Chocobo and ice-covered trees.
Unfortunately, you won’t be rewarded for boarding with style, but you’ll still want to play the game again and again. When you’re done snowboarding, you’ll find yourself in the Great Glacier, a huge snowfield where you’ll definitely get lost at least once.
If you search the area thoroughly, you will receive a powerful summons after defeating an evil snow witch. Take a look at our list of best final fantasy games for more RPGs to play this holiday season.
View prices: Nintendo switch, Android, iOSAnd Steam deck
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
In Animal Crossing, winter starts on November 26 and ends on February 24. During this time you can buy some clothes for the cold weather, participate in Christmas events with your villagers, and maybe even encounter a few snow people around your island.
There’s a new ACNH update coming on January 5, 2026, so now’s a good time to dive back in and get reacquainted with your villagers, or maybe even start a new save and see what fruit you get this time.
To fully enjoy the season and maybe earn some Christmas money, we recommend that you take all Animal Crossing amiibo cards, our guide for every ACNH villager, and our Animal Crossing history lesson to learn all the important history tidbits.
View prices: Nintendo switch
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
Why are Pokémon Scarlet and Violet on our Christmas games list, you ask? Well, Glaseado Mountain, that’s why. This real-life winter wonderland isn’t as vast as Pokémon Sword and Shield’s Crown Tundra, but it’s just as fun to explore as you encounter Snorunt, Cubchoo, and other adorable ice creatures.
Better yet, with the Indigo Disk DLC you can even encounter the legendary Articuno as you stroll through the snow. If that’s not enough, the Hidden Treasures of Area Zero DLC offers another icy refuge, with the Polar Biome taking up an entire quarter of the Blueberry Terrarium.
Despite the low temperatures, this is home to some fiery starter Pokémon like Chimchar and Scorbunny. It may not be Lapland, but if you’re looking for a holiday-appropriate adventure, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have you covered.
View prices: Nintendo switch
Pikmin 3: Deluxe
The Fortress of Festivity level has arrived In Pikmin 3: Deluxe you must maneuver between Christmas presents, slide down a beautifully decorated tree and use Pikmin to steal fruit from a delicious festive cake.
In addition to the Fortress of Festivity, Pikmin 3: Deluxe also has a number of snow levels, so you don’t have to wait for things to do on Christmas Day if Pikmin is your favorite game.
Even though Pikmin 3 didn’t have any holiday fun, it’s still a great game to play with family and friends over the break, as the couch co-op is extremely fun – as long as you don’t have a partner who isn’t paying attention and has every intention of getting the little guys hurt.
View prices: Nintendo switch
Banjo Kazooie
My personal favorite Christmas level of all time is Freezeezy Peak by Banjo-Kazooie. In this level, Banjo and Kazooie compete in an epic sleigh race against Boggy the polar bear, protect some adorable Twinklies from the evil Twinkly Munchers, and transform into a chubby walrus to acquire musical notes.
Banjo-Kazooie is one of them Nintendo Switch Online N64 games, so you do need a Nintendo Switch Online+ Expansion Pack membership to access, but it’s worth it for the wealth of titles available for you to sink your teeth into.
If you’re not sold on NSO yet, there are plenty of other great games available for you to sink your teeth into over the holidays. I also recommend The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, Pokémon Stadium, and Yoshi’s Story.
View prices: Nintendo Switch Online
That’s all for our list of the best Christmas games on Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck and mobile. We hope you’ve found something to play this holiday season.
