The Holiday season is coming soon, which means you have to start thinking not only about presents, but also about what you’re going to do after the supper is over and the guests are gone. We can help you with both. Below you’ll find twelve of the best games for you to play on Christmas, whether you’re celebrating it, or just enjoying a day off.
The list includes some of the coolest, latest video game releases, a game or two suitable for the kids (in case you have to keep them occupied), and plenty of options for teens and adults alike. With our recommendations you won’t have to wonder what to play on this year’s winter holidays.
| Game | Release | Genre | Developer | Sale | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Random Winter 5 Steam Keys | Random | Random | Random | % | Read more |
 | Halo Infinite (Xbox, Windows 10) | 2021-12-08 | Shooter | 343 Industries | 44% | Read more |
 | Battlefield 2042 (PC) | 2021-11-19 | Shooter | DICE | 48% | Read more |
 | Jurassic World Evolution 2 (PC) | 2021-11-09 | Construction, Simulation | Frontier Developments plc | 59% | Read more |
 | Battlefield 2042 | Gold Edition (PC) | 2021-11-12 | Shooter | DICE | 52% | Read more |
 | Minecraft Java Edition | 2013-11-19 | Action | Mojang | 37% | Read more |
 | Random Winter 1 Steam Keys | Random | Random | Random | % | Read more |
 | Grand Theft Auto V: Premium Online Edition | 2015-04-14 | Adventure | Rockstar North | 71% | Read more |
 | Football Manager 2022 (PC) | 2021-11-09 | Sports | Sports Interactive | 40% | Read more |
 | Dark Souls III | Deluxe Edition | 2016-04-11 | RPG | FromSoftware, Inc. | Read more | |
 | Dead By Daylight | 2016-06-14 | Adventure | Behaviour Digital Inc. | 70% | Read more |
 | No Man's Sky | 2016-08-12 | Adventure | Hello Games | 73% | Read more |
 | Jurassic World Evolution 2 | Deluxe Edition | 2021-11-09 | Construction, Simulation | Frontier Developments plc | 55% | Read more |
 | Random Winter 10 Steam Keys | Random | Random | Random | % | Read more |
 | Horizon Zero Dawn | Complete Edition | 2020-08-07 | Adventure | Guerrilla | 70% | Read more |
 | The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition | 2016-10-27 | Adventure | Bethesda Game Studios | 54% | Read more |
 | Red Dead Redemption 2 | 2019-11-05 | Adventure | Rockstar Games | 61% | Read more |
 | Dragon Age: Inquisition | 2014-11-20 | RPG | BioWare | 79% | Read more |
 | Dark Souls II: Scholar Of The First Sin | 2015-04-01 | RPG | FromSoftware, Inc | 55% | Read more |
 | Dying Light | Platinum Edition | 2015-01-26 | Adventure | Techland | 94% | Read more |
 | Dark Souls III | 2016-04-11 | Adventure | FromSoftware, Inc. | 30% | Read more |
 | Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition | 2015-07-29 | Adventure | Mojang | 1% | Read more |
 | Dark Souls: Remastered | 2018-05-24 | Action | QLOC | 23% | Read more |
 | Squad | 2015-12-14 | Action & Shooter | Offworld Industries | 44% | Read more |
 | Project Zomboid | 2013-11-08 | Indie | The Indie Stone | 38% | Read more |
 | NBA 2K22 | 2021-09-10 | Simulation, Sports | Visual Concepts, 2K Games | 77% | Read more |
 | Overwatch | 2016-05-24 | Action & Shooter | Blizzard Entertainment | Read more | |
 | ANVIL | 2021-12-02 | Action & Shooter | Action Square | 80% | Read more |
 | Tabletop Simulator | 2015-06-05 | Indie | Berserk Games | 69% | Read more |
 | Grand Theft Auto V | 2015-04-14 | Adventure | Rockstar North | 64% | Read more |
 | Terraria | 2011-05-16 | Adventure | Re-Logic | 37% | Read more |
 | Hearts Of Iron IV: Cadet Edition | 2016-06-06 | Simulation | Paradox Development Studio | 82% | Read more |
 | Don't Starve Together | 2016-04-21 | Economy | Klei Entertainment | 29% | Read more |
 | Control | Ultimate Edition | 2019-08-27 | Action | Remedy Entertainment | 71% | Read more |
 | The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition | 2021-11-11 | Adventure RPG | Bethesda Game Studios | 56% | Read more |
 | The Sims 4 | 2014-09-04 | Simulation | Maxis | 84% | Read more |
 | Assetto Corsa | 2014-12-19 | Indie | Kunos Simulazioni | 71% | Read more |
 | Green Hell | 2018-08-29 | Survival, Simulation | Creepy Jar | 36% | Read more |
 | Golf With Your Friends | 2016-01-29 | Indie | Blacklight Interactive | 69% | Read more |
 | Sid Meier's Civilization VI | Platinum Edition | 2016-10-20 | Economy | Aspyr (Mac, Linux) | 87% | Read more |
 | PAYDAY 2 | 2013-08-13 | Action & Shooter | OVERKILL - a Starbreeze Studio. | 74% | Read more |
 | Hell Let Loose | 2019-06-06 | Indie | Black Matter Pty Ltd | 33% | Read more |
 | Stellaris | 2016-05-09 | Strategy | Paradox Development Studio | 89% | Read more |
 | Cities: Skylines | 2015-03-10 | Economy | Colossal Order Ltd. | 86% | Read more |
Age of Empires 4
| Release: | 2021-10-28 |
| Genre: | Strategy, Real-Time |
| Developer: | Relic Entertainment |
This year a classic real-time strategy series Age of Empires graced us with a new instalment, and wouldn’t you know, it’s really good. The game features 4 campaigns which will take you on a highly eventful journey through history, starting in the Middle Ages and going into the Renaissance. There are eight civilizations to choose from, ranging from the Holy Roman Empire to China.
The gameplay is also going to feel immediately familiar to fans of the old AoEs. You have to build an efficient city, turtle up behind its walls as soon as you can, and recruit units of various types, because in a true old-school RTS fashion there are some rock-paper-scissors dynamics to the real-time combat. Just be mindful not to ignore the economy, or your army will go out in a blaze or funeral pyres.
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Farming Simulator 2022
| Release: | 2021-11-22 |
| Genre: | simulator |
| Developer: | GIANTS Software |
Sometimes what you need to have a satisfying gaming experience is to hop on a powerful machine and harvest something. The Farming Simulator series has been delivering this kind of power-farming experience for years, and the most recent entry, Farming Simulator 22 is no different. From tending to and harvesting crops to animal husbandry FS22 has everything needed to fuel your farming fantasy.
Of course, it would be a Farming Simulator game without a staggering number of licensed and faithfully recreated machinery. In FS22’s case the list of farming equipment has over 400 entries, coming from more than a hundred manufacturers. It might not be as whimsical as Stardew Valley, but there’s no denying that the realistic approach of Farming Simulator 22 has its own relaxing charm.
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Football Manager 2022
| Release: | 2021-11-09 |
| Genre: | Sports |
| Developer: | Sports Interactive |
The world’s most comprehensive simulator of running a football club has lived to see another instalment. Football Manager 2022 is here, arriving with over a hundred different leagues, a database of half a million of real football players, and a cadre of assistants. It also has a very nice new interface including an excellent Data Hub giving you all the performance metrics you need and desire.
FM2022 truly benefits from long years of experience, delivering a deep and broad managerial experience, coupled with an accessible, easy to read and interpret presentation. Making new acquisitions, managing the tactics, and handling rising crises is as exciting as it could be. If running a football club is your greatest dream, no series delivers on it better than Football Manager (2022).
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Forza Horizon 5
| Release: | 2021-11-09 |
| Genre: | Racing |
| Developer: | Playground Games |
In terms of open world racing games, few titles can match up to the Forza Horizon series, including its latest instalment, Forza Horizon 5. This time the series takes you on a trip to Mexico, transformed into a massive map filled with diverse locales. The immersive open world is further enhanced by dynamic weather acting differently between the games’ multiple biomes. It’s pretty awesome.
Of course a vast, lovely landscape is no use if you’ve no car to drive around, but FH5 has you covered with a huge stable housing over 500 different, customizable, cars. Forza Horizon 5 remains multiplayer-friendly, with not only plenty of regular races to participate in, but also creative modes like the Piñata pop minigame, which is, indeed, about cooperative wrecking of piñatas.
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Halo Infinite
| Release: | 2021-12-08 |
| Genre: | Action, FPP |
| Developer: | 343 Industries |
Long-time coming, Halo Infinite brings back Master Chief, the Banished, and the series’ true main draw: phenomenal multiplayer. Although it’s been spruced up with new toys like the grappling hook, the core and heart of Halo remains the same, and the best part is that if it’s just the multiplayer that you’re interested in you can check it out for free, you only need to pay for Battle Pass for extra goodies.
However, if you want to dive into the singleplayer story mode, seeing what’s up with Master Chief after Cortana glitched herself into villainy, you’ll need to pay. And it’s worth it, because it mixes the familiar tight gunplay with a semi-open world structure, letting you take down enemy encampments and tangle with the same faction you might know from Halo Wars 2.
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Inscryption
| Release: | 2021-10-19 |
| Genre: | Card game |
| Developer: | Daniel Mullins Games |
Inscryption is a curious game which seemingly came out of nowhere, and quickly rose to the ranks of the highest-rated games on Steam. The premise is quite unusual: it’s a roguelike, a deck-building game, AND a horror. It comes from the developer who made Pony Island a few years before, so you know you’re into something weird, dark, and absolutely engaging your attention.
Aside from building a deck and using it to roguelike your way out, you also have to solve puzzles reminiscent of escape-rooms. Unfortunately, to speak of the story would be to spoil it, and it’s better that you discover it yourself. Inscryption is weird, it’s dark, and sitting at a over 90% of positive reviews on Steam it clearly does something worth checking out.
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Jurassic World Evolution 2
| Release: | 2021-11-09 |
| Genre: | Streategy |
| Developer: | Frontier Developments |
Do you think you can do a better job than John Hammond or the people who actually launched a park filled with deadly genetically modified superdinos? Well, you can prove it by playing Jurassic World Evolution 2, a bigger, better, snazzier sequel to JW: Evolution 1. There are more than seventy different dinosaur species for you to develop, hatch, care for, and show off to your visitors.
In terms of innovations compared to the previous game, now you’re building as park in contiguous United States rather than a remote island. It means more biomes, and, more importantly, bigger maps. There are, of course, several modes, including a story-based campaign, a what-if mode Chaos Theory, and the indispensable Sandbox mode letting you just go hog wild on park development.
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Minecraft
| Release: | 2015-07-29 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Mojang |
Recommending Minecraft is never a bad idea, because it remains one of the most engaging games for anyone who wants to build amazing things with very few restrictions. The idea is simple: the world is made out of blocks corresponding to (mostly) natural resources, you can use tools to put these blocks in your pockets and use them to build something directly, or craft specific items using a special table.
That’s pretty much if for the gameplay premise. Of course, there are more complexities to consider, like properties of different materials, or using animals for food and resources. There are even survival mechanics in the appropriate game mode. Minecraft is also extremely mod-friendly, so if you somehow find the absurd range of options to be limiting, there are mods which can help you out.
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Monster Hunter Rise
| Release: | 2022-01-12 |
| Genre: | RPG |
| Developer: | Capcom |
After the smashing success of Monster Hunter World and its Iceborne expansion Capcom still managed to do something fresh and exciting for Monster Hunter Rise. One sweet addition are the wirebugs, useful little insects acting like impromptu Spider-Man webs, enhancing your mobility and providing new combat moves. And then there are Palamutes, your big, rideable dog friends.
The general idea stays the same: you’re a hunter capable of and equipped for taking down large (and occasionally huge) monsters threatening the area. Each big monster is effectively a boss fight, and your rewards are resources for new weapons and armor. Monster Hunter games have a satisfying gameplay loop and learning the ins and outs of the weapons and monster movesets is very rewarding.
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Resident Evil Village
| Release: | 2021-05-07 |
| Genre: | Horror |
| Developer: | CAPCOM CO., LTD. |
Resident Evil Village is a direct sequel to Resident Evil 7, putting you back in the shoes of the chronically unlucky Ethan Winters after a three-year time skip. He spent that time living his best life with Mia and caring for a newborn daughter. Unfortunately, things go pear shaped and he finds himself in a wintry European village filled with mutants and a ruling class of powerful weirdos.
Resident Evil Village keeps the first-person perspective from RE7 and uses it very well to not only increase immersion in the spooky, scary, and horrifying locations. Each mutant lord’s area presents a different theme and style, from a vampire mansion to a haunted house, and if Ethan is going to save his daughter, he’ll have to confront the rules of the place, including the elusive Mother Miranda.
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Ruined King: A League of Legends Story
| Release: | 2021-11-16 |
| Genre: | RPG |
| Developer: | Airship Syndicate |
Ruined King: A League of legends Story launched hot on the heel of the smashing success of another LoL title: the animated show Arcane. Don’t be mistaken, however: Ruined King stands on its own. Developed by Airship Syndicate, it shares some aspects with a previous game of the studio: Battle Chasers: Nightwar, especially the jRPG-like turn-based combat and Joe Madureira’s art style.
The story involves a mysterious Black Mist threatening to envelop the pirate city of Bilgewater, and a tight crew of champions who decide to do something about it. The roster is composed of six heroes: Miss Fortune, Ilaoi, Braum, Pyke, Ahri, and Yasuo, but you can only take three people. As a result, you have to consider hero synergies and challenges ahead to find the best team comp for the job.
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The Sims 4
| Release: | 2014-09-04 |
| Genre: | Simulation |
| Developer: | Maxis |
The promise given to you by The Sims series is enough to be interested: you can build a house, decorate it however you want, and have a satisfying family life. The Sims 4 features a very robust Create-a-Sim system, letting you customize your Sims to a dramatic degree, as well as decide their personalities and aspirations governing how they behave in the game proper.
Since its release in 2013, The Sims 4 has collected a large number of expansions and content packs, which add more items, new careers, occasionally even entire new mechanics and areas. On top of it all, the AI controlling your Sims can handle most things even without your input, which allows you to watch your toon people like they are fish in an aquarium, living their little, silly lives.
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Random Winter Key Steam Game
| Release: | Random |
| Genre: | Random |
| Developer: | Random |
If the glut of choices is overwhelming and you’d rather rely on guided chance, consider checking out the random key offer. With several safeguards in place to ensure you’ll get a game is good at minimum, this way you can give yourself a surprise gift, something that doesn’t usually happen.
Depending on the tier you choose the random games you might draw have different minimum base price, as well as specific minimum review average, to ensure you don’t risk getting a dud. The keys come in bundles ranging from 1 to 10 keys, giving you a chance to get them in bulk if you want to.
May December be jolly
This concludes our list of video games you should play yourself and games answering the age-old question “what to get my friends for holidays?”. Whoever you’re trying to treat this winter holiday season, we’ve got you covered.
We also have more than games if you’d like to diversify your holiday gift spending. We’ve got gift cards, subscriptions, and more.