The festive season is upon us again. It is on our TVs with endless Christmas films to stream, in high street shop windows, and of course on the radio. But what about our favourite pastime: video games?

From snowy open worlds to one-off festive missions and full-on Christmas platformers, Christmas games and holiday-themed levels have become a cosy little tradition of their own. Whether you are on PS5, Xbox, Switch, or dusting off a PS1, there is a festive video game out there for you. If you want more ideas beyond this list, you can always dive into our broader round-ups of the best PS5 games and retro favourites once you are done here.

So if you fancy swapping Christmas films for Christmas video games, here are our Top 8 Christmas Games & Festive Levels To Get You Into The Holiday Spirit.

1. Spider-Man: Miles Morales – A Modern Christmas Game in New York

Insomniac’s 2018 Spider-Man was rightly praised for its brilliant depiction of New York City, giving you the full wall-crawling toolkit to explore an open-world Manhattan. So when the studio returned just two years later with a Miles-focused follow-up on a similar map, many players were not expecting anything dramatically new.

What we actually got was a city transformed into one of the best Christmas game worlds around. Winter has truly set in: streets and rooftops are covered in fresh snow, parked cars are layered with ice, and citizens are making snow angels in parks or skating on frozen lakes. Even Miles can unlock a weather-appropriate outfit, complete with woolly hat, earmuffs, scarf, and long socks. He has never looked so cosy, and the city has never been more magical to swing around.

There is no in-game hot chocolate stop sadly, but if you want a festive PS5 game that still plays like a blockbuster superhero adventure, Miles Morales is an easy recommendation. Once you are done, it is also worth checking out our full Spider-Man: Miles Morales review and wider superhero game coverage if you want to stay in cape-and-cowl territory.

2. Hitman – Holiday Hoarders (World of Assassination)

Santa and Agent 47 have more in common than you might think. Both excel at sneaking into buildings, both keep a list of people to “visit”, and both are experts at leaving presents without anyone noticing. The presents in 47’s case are just a lot more explosive.

The most recent Hitman trilogy began in 2016, and its first major level is a lavish Parisian mansion filled with grand halls, marble staircases, and roaring fireplaces. It turned out to be the perfect setting for IO Interactive’s free seasonal mission, Holiday Hoarders, still one of the best Christmas missions in games.

Here, Agent 47 must eliminate two robbers, Harry “Smokey” Bagnato and Marv “Slick” Gonif, a cheeky nod to a certain Christmas film duo, before they steal all the presents and escape. As you move through the level you will hear the distant jingle of bells and jolly “Ho Ho Ho” echoes. Lurk in the right spot and you may even catch Santa himself in the act, giving you the chance to knock him out and steal his outfit. Complete all the challenges and you unlock the Santa 47 suit for use in other missions.

The mission returned briefly in Hitman 2, and in Hitman 3 it became a permanent part of the World of Assassination, with the Santa suit easier than ever to unlock. If you like your Christmas games with a darkly comic twist, and want more, our Hitman World of Assassination guide and best stealth games list will keep you sneaking long after the decorations come down.

3. Daze Before Christmas – 16-bit Festive Platforming

Time for a trip to Christmas gaming past, because Santa Claus is coming to town.

Daze Before Christmas was released in 1994 on the Mega Drive exclusively in Australia, before later making its way to the SNES in North America and Europe. It is a 2D platformer that sees Santa trying to save Christmas after an evil mouse steals all the presents. Presumably the licence for The Grinch was a bit too expensive.

Santa must run and jump through festive levels, collecting presents and defeating enemies with his Christmas magic. He has limited health, but there is a twist: Santa can transform into his evil alter ego, Anti-Claus. In this form he is invincible, but cannot collect presents, so there is a constant trade-off between safety and progress. Once you finish each stage, Santa hops into his sleigh to drop gifts down chimneys, all in a night’s work for jolly old Saint Nick.

If you love retro Christmas platformers and 16-bit charm, Daze Before Christmas is still worth dusting off if you have a way to play it. 

4. The Grinch (PS1) – Classic Christmas Movie Tie-in

You’re a mean one, Mr Grinch.

You might be surprised to learn that we did get a Grinch video game around the time of the Jim Carrey film, and that it was actually pretty solid. It was developed by Artificial Mind & Movement, the studio that would later go on to create the hugely popular Dead by Daylight.

In The Grinch on PS1, you play as the green menace himself and, at times, his dog Max. You platform your way around Whoville hunting for missing blueprints for all his dastardly gadgets. The Grinch can ground pound and use his smelly green breath to scare off adversaries while he searches, and later levels introduce extra gadgets that mix up the gameplay.

The game has very little direct connection to the film – Jim Carrey and Anthony Hopkins do not reprise their roles – and reviews at the time were mixed. But as a nostalgic Christmas game for PS1 it has a strange charm, and if you are craving some festive late-90s weirdness, there are far worse ways to spend an evening.

If this scratches that movie-tie-in itch, you will probably enjoy our feature on films that expanded in video games, which digs into other oddball adaptations from the same era.

Check out more movie-inspired games here.

5. James Pond 2: Codename Robocod – Santa’s Fishy Secret Agent

James Pond returns after the success of his mission in Underwater Agent, having defeated the villainous Dr Maybe. This time there is trouble at Santa’s workshop, and there is only one fish for the job. Pond comes equipped with his new Robocod suit, which allows him to stretch his body to an almost indefinite length so he can reach high platforms and crawl along ceilings to surprise enemies.

Robocod has you bouncing through colourful levels and piloting various vehicles to defeat the nasties that have taken over and captured Santa’s helpers. Depending on the version you play, these helpers are either penguins or elves. In some editions, the penguins were modelled on the mascots from McVitie’s Penguin biscuits thanks to a promotional tie-in, and shortly after the game’s release the biscuits reportedly outsold KitKat for the first time.

Originally released on the Amiga, Atari ST, and Mega Drive, James Pond 2: Codename Robocod was later ported to just about everything, from Game Gear to PS1, PS2, PSP, and even Nintendo Switch. It is a forgotten gem among Christmas games for retro fans, and still a joy to revisit. If you are building a backlog of underrated platformers, Robocod deserves a spot.

6. Bully/Canis Canem Edit – Christmas at Bullworth Academy

It is the most wonderful time of the year, at the most notorious school on PlayStation.

Bully, known as Canis Canem Edit in the UK, was another controversial Rockstar release on PS2. News stories at the time focused on claims that it glorified bullying, but the game itself is far more nuanced, and it even features a full chapter set at Christmas.

The “Christmas is Here” mission activates after Jimmy goes to sleep for the first time in Chapter 3. He wakes to an announcement that a Christmas present from his mother is waiting for him at the school office. Step outside and Bullworth has been transformed: the grounds are covered in snow, students wander around in winter clothes, and the halls are decked in festive decorations.

This change is temporary, but you can extend your time in the snow. If you choose not to collect the present, you can freely explore the wintery map and complete certain objectives, though you will not be able to attend class or progress the main story while the seasonal state is active.

Bully is worth revisiting at any time of year, but its Halloween and Christmas missions give you the perfect excuse for a festive replay. If you want a deeper dive into why it still holds up, our Bully retrospective and Rockstar games ranked features are well worth a read.

7. Batman: Arkham Origins – A Christmas Eve in Gotham

Much like the beloved film Batman Returns, Batman: Arkham Origins is a Batman story set on Christmas Eve. Gotham City is coated in snow and glittering decorations, adding a surprisingly cosy backdrop to one very bad night.

Set eight years before Arkham Asylum, the game follows a less experienced Batman who is still an urban myth to the GCPD. He is used to dealing with street-level thugs, but this night is different. A bounty placed on his head by Black Mask draws eight professional assassins to the city, forcing The Dark Knight into a gauntlet of boss fights and investigations.

Arkham Origins was initially treated as the black sheep of the Arkham series, being the first not developed by Rocksteady and the only one without Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill in the key roles. Roger Craig Smith and Troy Baker stepped in as Batman and the Joker respectively. Over time, however, Origins has earned a lot more respect from fans, to the point that many are now clamouring for a proper remaster or current-gen port to sit alongside the rest of the Arkham collection.

If you fancy some caped crusading with a frosty twist, Arkham Origins is one of the best Christmas games for superhero fans. Once you have finished, it is the perfect gateway into our Batman: Arkham series ranking and wider superhero game guides.

8. Astro Bot – Winter Wonder (PS5)

The recently crowned Game of the Year 2024 did not stop at its excellent main campaign. After launching with a tight, inventive platformer, Astro Bot received a set of brutally precise speedrun levels for its most dedicated players. Just when it seemed Team Asobi were done, they dropped one more free stage that earns Astro a spot on this Christmas games list.

Winter Wonder is a dedicated Christmas-themed level that is a little more relaxed than the other extra stages. Astro visits a snowy world filled with festive decorations, robots in Santa hats, and a handful of manageable enemies. One of the level’s best tricks is that it lets you jump between the various power-ups from the main game, encouraging you to experiment as you track down seven new special character bots and a pile of hidden presents.

It is a short but delightful freebie that leans entirely into festive cheer and clever mechanics, and it is a perfect excuse to fire Astro Bot back up for a seasonal PS5 session. For more on why we rate it so highly, check out our full Astro Bot review.

So there you have it: eight Christmas games and festive video game levels spanning superhero sandboxes, stealth remixes, old-school platformers, and snowy schoolyard scrapes. There are plenty more wintery moments tucked away in gaming history, from limited-time Christmas events to hidden holiday Easter eggs.

If we have missed your favourite Christmas game or holiday-themed level, let us know in the comments and share your own seasonal traditions. It might give someone else a new festive favourite to play this year!

Christmas Games FAQ

Q. What are the best Christmas games to play this year?
A. If you want modern Christmas games on PS5 and PS4, Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Astro Bot’s Winter Wonder level are great starting points. For something darker, Batman: Arkham Origins and Hitman’s Holiday Hoarders mission deliver snowy, seasonal takes on familiar worlds. Retro fans should look at James Pond 2: Codename Robocod, Daze Before Christmas, and The Grinch on PS1.

Q. Are there any free Christmas game events?
A. Yes. Live-service titles like Fortnite, Call of Duty, and MMO-style games often run limited-time Christmas events with snowy maps, skins, and challenges. Hitman’s Holiday Hoarders mission is a particularly good example of a free festive update that became permanent. It is worth checking the in-game news for your favourite multiplayer game every December.

Q. Which Christmas games are best for kids and families?
A. For family-friendly festive fun, Astro Bot, Daze Before Christmas, The Grinch (PS1), and James Pond 2 are great picks. These Christmas platformers are colourful, relatively light on violence, and easy to pass around the sofa. Spider-Man: Miles Morales is also a good choice for older children, with a positive tone and a snowy New York playground to explore.