Recently, our calendars have turned to the year 2024, and we celebrated New Year’s Eve just a few days ago.
Although it is a significant and widely celebrated holiday, it appears that it is rarely mentioned in games, movies, or TV shows, unlike Christmas, Easter, or Halloween.
Today, we will have a look at some games with a storyline set on New Year’s Eve, where players can participate in celebrations related to the change of date or explore themes related to this occasion. Here is a list of 5 New Year video games!
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
| Release date: | 2020-03-20 |
| Genre: | Sandbox |
| Developer: | Nintendo |
The fifth instalment of the beloved relaxing simulator series created by Nintendo.
The game takes us to a picturesque island full of anthropomorphic, charming animals. The game allows us to do pretty anything we want – we can complete quests, explore the island, build and furnish our house or start a bamboo farm.
Animal Crossing’s world is synchronized with the real clock and calendar, meaning that both the time of day and the seasons change according to what we see outside in real life. Various holidays are also celebrated in sync with the real world.
On New Year’s Eve, the island hosts a party – a traditional gathering of the island’s residents in front of the town hall, a countdown to midnight, and hours of fun!
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The Sims 4
| Release date: | 2014-09-02 |
| Genre: | Life Sim |
| Developer: | Maxis |
The fourth full-fledged instalment of the legendary EA simulator. As in each instalment, players create their own Sim or Sims family and guide their destinies as they please.
Why mention this game? Because it allows the organization of birthday parties, weddings, and holiday celebrations, including New Year’s Eve. Just organize a party according to the in-game calendar, and you can enjoy your own New Year’s Eve celebration!
The Sims 4, like its predecessors, offers players a plethora of diverse add-ons that enhance gameplay by adding thousands of unique decorations and items for our Sims. Thanks to this, we can organize a truly spectacular party!
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Hitman: Absolution
| Release date: | 2012-11-19 |
| Genre: | Action & Shooter |
| Developer: | Feral Interactive (Mac) |
The fifth full-fledged instalment in the series, combining stealth, shooter, and action gameplay. Players take on the role of the titular Hitman, whose task is to fulfil a series of assassination missions worldwide.
While, unlike the previously mentioned games, players cannot organize a New Year’s Eve celebration here, the storyline of Hitman: Absolution takes us to one!
The fifth mission in the game – “Hunter and Hunted” – consists of seven segments, each taking us to a different location and presenting slightly different objectives. The last of them is called “Chinese New Year,” where, as the name suggests, we find ourselves in the midst of New Year celebrations (the mission must be completed in disguise).
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Tom Clancy's The Division I & II
| Release date: | 2019-03-15 |
| Genre: | Action |
| Developer: | Ubisoft |
Created with multiplayer gameplay in mind, this series combines action, looter shooter, and RPG elements. Players embody members of the titular Division, tasked with quelling riots, defeating warring factions, and saving a city plunged into chaos.
Why do we consider these titles as New Year video games? Primarily due to the setting, especially in the first instalment of the game. Riots in Manhattan began on Black Friday – that’s when terrorists released a dangerous virus on banknotes, decimating the city. The game’s action takes place in the weeks following Black Friday, including Christmas and New Year.
Additionally, due to the game’s MMO nature, various thematic events are often organized in the game, including those related to the New Year.
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Pretty much any MMORPG
Here we won’t delve into individual titles.
Practically, every MMO or MMORPG can be considered a New Year video game. Why? Most of them are synchronized with the real calendar.
This means that special events, additional quests, and tasks are organized for changing seasons or upcoming holidays. The appearance of available skins often changes, and sometimes, special season-themed maps are added.
In many games, such as Fortnite, Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn, Minecraft, World of Warcraft, GTA Online, Aion, or Elder Scrolls Online, you can encounter special winter celebration events with festivities related to Christmas and New Year!
Summary
Although at first glance, less attention seems to be given to New Year in games, compared to other celebrations, but claiming that creators have forgotten about this holiday is far from the truth.
Many games, especially those focused on mass, multiplayer entertainment, pay as much attention to New Year’s Eve as they do to other occasions throughout the year. How about you? What titles would you add to our list?