We don’t know about you, but we can’t think of anything better than polishing off some roast potatoes on Christmas Day before sitting down to play some games – it’s what the holidays are all about, right? Well, ok, there are some more important things but if you’re looking for something festive to play this holiday season, we have everything you need to know about the best Christmas games out there right now.
Now, before we get stuck into this list, we just want to make it clear this list of the best games to play at Christmas this year is only going to feature games that are easily available. We know there are a lot of you out there with fond memories of 1991’s Home Alone tie-in game and the infamous Die Hard Trilogy from 1996. But, you’re going to have a tough time dropping into these on a whim – unless you’re lucky enough to own a copy of them and a working platform to play it on.
It’s also worth noting that if you’re looking for something to play during the holiday season, but you’re not too fussed about how festive it is, you should check out our recommendations to the best PS5 games and the best Xbox Series X games to play right now.
The best Christmas games are:
- Dead Rising 4
- Overwatch 2
- Apex Legends
- The Division
- Hitman 3
- Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales
- Batman: Arkham Origins
Dead Rising 4
If you’re looking for a sandbox action-adventure game where you can go to town on hordes of the undead in the same way you would a delectable plate of roast parsnips and stuffing balls, all while still maintaining that tinsel-fuelled festive cheer that comes with Christmas, you’re looking for Dead Rising 4.
The latest entry in Capcom’s iconic Dead Rising series, this game sees former photojournalist Frank West pick up his baseball bat and camera once more as he investigates another mystery in another zombie infested shopping mall. It is also, funnily enough, set during Christmas 2022 – so, there’s never been a better time to jump in and be thankful this wasn’t some prophetic prediction of what’s to come. Dead Rising 4 is also the first game in the series to ditch the timer system – and features an open world setting – so you can sleigh zombies to your heart’s content – without any cause for concern.
Overwatch 2
If you’re looking for something a little less undead, then Overwatch 2 might just be the game for you this holiday season. Although not strictly Christmas themed, this is one of the best free shooting games on the market right now and there’s a lot to look forward to when it comes to Christmas celebrations.
Just like Overwatch, this game’s Winter Wonderland seasonal event will run throughout the holiday season and into January. Throughout this cool event, players will be able to jump into several LTMs like Mei’s Snowball Offensive and Yeti Hunter while also experience some festive variations of existing maps. Both of these modes are a lot of fun to play with friends and, unlike Overwatch, this game is free-to-play. So, we can’t think of a better multiplayer experience than this for the holiday season.
Apex Legends
Okay, maybe we can think of one more. If you’re looking to take a break from climbing the Apex Legends ranks or you’re looking to finally give this battle royale shooter a go – this is the perfect time to do it. The Apex Legends Wintertide event start time is fast approaching and, much like Overwatch 2, Respawn Entertainment has a fantastic LTM on the way.
We know what you’re thinking: Apex Legends isn’t exactly a Christmas videogame – and you’re not wrong about that. However, it’s far from a bad option if you’re looking to play something with your friends and family during the holiday season. Especially when you consider that the Winter Express LTM is back for a few weeks. This mode will have three squads of three fighting one another over a moving train – what’s more action-packed than that?
The Division
If you’re looking for something a little less stressful, though, we can’t recommend The Division enough when it comes to a fantastic third-person shooter for the holiday season. In this Tom Clancy game, you play as a Division Agent tasked with investigating a viral pandemic that hits Manhattan on Black Friday – and dealing with any criminal activity as a result of that.
We know we’re committing a festive crime by saying Black Friday is part of Christmas, but looting and shooting your way through Manhattan’s snow-covered streets is a lot of fun – and there’s a lot of looting and even more shooting to be had in Ubisoft’s The Division. Just, maybe have some Mariah Carey on in the background while you’re playing? This isn’t quite as festive as it could be.
Hitman 3
But, that’s where Hitman 3 comes in – specifically, the Holiday Hoarders bonus mission that was released for Hitman in 2016. If you’re looking for some more methodical murder this holiday season, Hitman 3 is easily one of the best stealth shooters ever made and the Holiday Hoarders mission brings a bit of festive cheer to that.
Throwing players (and Agent 47) into a Christmas themed version of The Showstopper, a mission from Hitman, you’re tasked with eliminating two targets who are trying to steal Christmas presents from the hotel the mission is set in. As you may already expect, you can get your hands on a Santa outfit during this mission and wreak havoc as Father Christmas with a Bartoli 75R, which is as hilarious as it sounds.
Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales
Let’s be honest, we couldn’t make a list of the best Christmas videogames without including Insomniac Games’ Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales. This 2020 spin-off from Marvel’s Spider-Man continues Insomniac Games’ story with fantastic open-world superheroics that take Spider-Man-in-training Miles Morales on his own adventure over Christmas while Peter Parker is away on a trip to Symkaria for a couple of weeks.
Featuring a wonderful cast of characters and stellar acting performances from Nadji Jeter as Miles Morales, Jasmin Savoy Brown as Phin Mason, and veteran VAs like Troy Baker, Ashly Burch, Fred Tatasciore, Travis Willingham, and Darin De Paul (among others), this is easily one of the best PlayStation exclusive titles out there – and one of the best superhero games full stop.
Batman Arkham Origins
If you don’t have a PlayStation console and you’re more DC than Marvel, then you need to check out Batman Arkham Origins if you haven’t already. While it might not be held quite as highly in public opinion than the other Arkham series games, it features a classic comic book caper packed with Gotham City’s worst villains set on Christmas Eve. So, what’s not to love about that?
Building on the series’ combat system and introducing a fast travel system, this is far from a bad open-world Batman game. It’s also an iteration of Batman we don’t often see in videogames, one where he’s a little more fresh-faced and tenacious in his crime fighting. You’ll also be pleased to know that Roger Craig Smith also does a stellar job of playing the role of Batman- so, don’t worry about missing out on Kevin Conroy’s iconic portrayal here.
But, that’s all you need to know about the best Christmas games to play this holiday season. You don’t see this holiday season shown in games too often, but it’s always worth checking out when it’s done right – and seasonal events are always a great way to bring some festive cheer to the live service games you play regularly. That includes the best competitive FPS games out there and the best battle royale games available. Happy holidays!
