Month: December 2021

If you’re like us, you’re getting ready to settle in with your favorite games during your time off. It’s been a long year, and it’s probably been a while since you completed some missions. What we love about this time of the year is that some of the top game developers are providing special Christmas events during which you can earn unique rewards.

Here’s our list of the best Christmas games events in 2021 that are bound to give you bundles of joy. Please note that you need to own the titles on your PC or console to be able to access these events.

Ark Survival Evolved: Winter Wonderland 2021

What better way to spend these holidays than with your favorite dinosaurs in Ark Survival Evolved. For those that don’t know this game yet, it features you as a human survivor in a world filled with ancient creatures that you can kill or tame. You level up and earn abilities, unlocking new items along the way. There are various maps you can play for different experiences.

Every year, Ark Survival Evolved hosts a Winter Wonderland special, and 2021 sees the 6th release. It takes place between December 14, 2021, and January 6, 2022.

Here are some of the new items you can expect from this Christmas game event:

• Raptor Claus makes a return, flying on its sled between midnight and 2 am while dropping Coal and Mistletoe
• Gacha Claus is also back and will produce Gacha Crystals when you feed it Coal and Mistletoe
• Some game elements have improved aspects, such as harvesting, breeding, and taming
• New dye colors are available for the Christmas season, such as Jade, Dark Magenta, and Dino Light Red
• You can place a Snowman, Christmas Tree, Holiday Stockings, and Lights
• Some gift boxes are available to find with uniques skins for the season
• New Chibi pets will be available
• All items and skins from the previous Winter Wonderland will also be making a return

Minecraft: Christmas skins and New Year celebrations

It’s been a busy year for the survival crafting game, Minecraft. We saw the launch of two massive packs, the Caves and Cliffs updates I and II. However, the fun won’t end there. There are three events you need to look out for over the course of the next few weeks.

The first concerns Minecraft Christmas skins and packs. The marketplace will be full of content creators offering new appearances and items for your characters and worlds. You should also keep an eye on Minecraft Realms, as there may be some Christmas events hosted by other players.

Secondly, the Minecraft New Year Celebration event is running from December 21, 2021, to January 4, 2022. There will be items on sale during this time, and you might also receive one of the free giveaways. Make sure you don’t miss any of the free creator maps and item drops in the marketplace.

Finally, the Minecraft YouTube Creator Skin Pack for Bedrock Edition is set to release within the next few weeks, which will be free for the first year. You’ll find various packs from at least 10 creators, adding diversity to your skin lineup.

Euro Truck Simulator 2: Christmas deliveries

One game we probably spend way too much free time on is Euro Truck Simulator 2. We’ll definitely be starting up our truck engines again, as the Christmas Toys of Yesteryear Event 2021 is now live until January 16, 2022. Gamers worldwide will be taking to the streets to deliver as many gifts as possible across Europe.

Of course, it means working together as an online community. There are set milestones whereby you receive rewards for different tiers. As a personal reward, you’ll unlock unique items once you’ve delivered 15 presents. To access this Christmas game event, you need to apply for jobs in the World of Trucks external market that have the “Gifts” label on them.

Roblox Christmas Games: Welcome to Bloxburg!

Roblox game developers are always keen to create titles that match the season. Christmas games are no exception. A few of the more notable ones for 2021 include Snowman Simulator, Ski Resort, The North Pole, and Saving Christmas 2021.

However, there’s a massive Christmas event held every year called Welcome to Bloxburg. Players that take part in games during this event will receive a special badge with gifts on the logo. You’ll also see a variety of new items and actions, such as sledding, photo-ops with Santa, ice skating, and snowmobiles. You can see the full developer log for the update here.

Call of Duty Vanguard: Festive Fervor event

Another game franchise that’s always on top of holiday events is Call of Duty, with COD: Vanguard having the latest items. During Festive Fervor, you’ll have the chance to hunt Krampus, the demon that’s said to harass naughty children during Christmas. You can also take the fight to Elf Team Six for additional rewards.

The Festive Fervor event takes place between December 16, 2021, to January 5, 2022. It’s also available for Warzone Pacific and COD Mobile, with different rewards for each one. You’ll see special mission cards explaining what you need to do as well as a countdown timer for how long the event lasts.

Fishing Planet: Merry Fishmas!

Continuing with the Krampus Christmas game trend is Fishing Planet’s Merry Fishmas event. There are some crazy fish to catch if you want to save the festive season. To do so, you’ll receive new fishing kits designed specifically for them.

You can participate in Merry Fishmas from December 17, 2021, to January 4, 2022. The main goal is to catch specific fish that have stolen some of Santa’s items, such as the beard, hat, and glasses. You’ll need tokens to activate the Jukebox that will attract them, and there’s some magic bait to assist you. For some extra fun, you can make snowballs or inspect Christmas stockings for in-game gifts.

Fortnite Winterfest 2021

Back to the shooting action brings us to the Fortnite Winterfest for 2021. If you’ve been playing the battle royale’s Christmas game mode lately, you’ll notice that Spider-Man has joined the selection of skins from the No Way Home movie. Some unique quests are also available, which you can only participate in during this time.

The Winterfest for Fortnite is scheduled to last from December 16, 2021, to January 6, 2022. There’s a Winterfest Lodge you can access where you’ll receive a daily reward during the event. You’ll find plenty of new game modes, creator items, skins, and gameplay elements for you and your crew to unlock.

Among Us: Holiday Cosmicubes

Among Us has seen a resurgence in players with the latest update that brought new impostor and crewmate roles. Also included in the list of new features was Cosmicubes, which you could unlock with Stars. These items held special skins and outfits that you could place on your character to set it apart from the others.

Innersloth added some Holiday Cosmicubes on December 17, 2021, and we suspect there may be more coming. The items so far include the Snowbean cube that delivers six skins, three visors, 11 hats, and three nameplates. Each one contains a specific element of Christmas that you’re bound to enjoy with each game you play.

Fallout 76: Holiday Scorched Event 2021

Welcome to the Nuclear Winter! Taking place from December 21, 2021, until January 4, 2022, the Holiday Scorched event returns to Fallout 76 for a Christmas game filled with mayhem. You’ll find unique Scorched creatures running around in festive clothes, and it’s your job to take them down for special rewards.

Some of the items from previous years Holiday Scorched events make a return, while there are new ones to decorate your home. These include Holiday Junk, holiday currency, unique ammo for these Scorched monsters, and so much more. You can use the new currency at a trader’s shop to buy new materials or gift wraps to make presents. 

Stardew Valley: Feast of the Winter Star 2021

Finally, we have the annual Feast of the Winter Star available on Stardew Valley. On the 18th day of winter, the Mayor will inform you of the event and tell you to whom you need to give a gift. The festival takes place on the 25th day of winter in Pelican Town, where you will receive your present from a random player, and yours will be given to your recipient.

There are two other features to take note of. The first is that the towns are updated with Christmas decorations to put you in a festive mood. Secondly, you can attend Pierre’s booth where you can buy unique items for your home. 

Are you ready to update for Christmas?

As you can see, there are plenty of Christmas game updates to enjoy this holiday season. While we only shared our favorite ones, you can be sure there are many more out there. If there’s a specific title with an event that excites you, please feel free to share with us.

Here are a few other guides you can have a look at regarding Christmas games and apps:

• Christmas Games for Android
• The Best Christmas apps for 2021
• The Best Christmas Arcade games

Everyone is getting for the festive season, preparing their favorite hobbies for what should be an enjoyable time. At the top of that list are games that feature Christmas themes, and you’ll find several of them in various genres. Some of the best AAA games even have Christmas updates for the next few weeks.

If you’re looking for some family Christmas game ideas, here’s our list of the best ones to look at for 2021.

Santa Claus in Trouble

Christmas won’t be the same without presents, which is why your help is needed in Santa Claus in Trouble. It seems the man in red has lost his gifts and needs to search through ten levels to find them. To do so, he travels over various platforms and overcomes a few obstacles.

The Christmas game mainly features jumping mechanics where a fall means you fail. There’s a scoreboard that reflects how many gifts you retrieved, so you’ll be aiming for the highest points possible. Compare it with your family’s level runs to see who can be the top player in the house.

Chicken Invaders II: Christmas Edition

Do you remember the retro game Space Invaders that was so popular in the 80’s on the classic Atari console? Well, chickens have had enough of how they’ve been treated and are attacking earth. Such is the premise of Chicken Invaders II: Christmas Edition. It’s a DLC update to the original game, with the chickens dressed up in festive gear.

You’ll also spot some other lovable creatures, such as the snowman. There are massive eggs that offload massive rewards once destroyed, but you’ll need your wits about you when you reach the boss levels. So, which do you destroy first: the chicken or the egg?

Snowboard Santa

What happens when Father Christmas takes a break in the North Pole? He goes snowboarding, of course. In Snowboard Santa, you have a side platform game where you attempt to do some jumps over snowy hills and rack up points. The graphics may be basic compared to other titles, but it’s still an exhilarating experience.

There are only a few levels, but you can challenge your children to see who can go the furthest with the most points. As you progress, you’ll find it more challenging to remain on your board. It’s an addictive game, but the fun only lasts for a few days.

Christmas Crisis

Here’s a fun Christmas eve game that’s set the night before the special day. Christmas Crisis sets the scene with an introduction as to why you need to help deliver gifts to various homes. It also has a side-scrolling gameplay mechanic, and you’ll drop the presents as you sleigh through the night sky.

As far as the actions go, there are only a few buttons to manage. You’ll control the direction of the flight and throw the gifts onto homes. Players that know the Paperboy game from 1985 might be familiar with this type of gameplay.  Make sure you don’t miss any for the ultimate score.

Santa Ride

Here’s another family Christmas game idea if you’re keen on collecting lost presents. Santa Ride has 3D graphics and gameplay, and it feels slightly like a racing game. There are start and endpoints, and you have a specific amount of time to complete levels.

The challenge is not missing any gifts along the way. You won’t be able to turn around, as the sleigh will just continue forward. The more presents you collect, the higher your final score will be. You’ll also have different levels for a change of scenery.

Christmas Eve Crisis

Not to be confused with the earlier-mentioned game with a similar name, Christmas Eve Crisis is another side-platform game where you help Santa collect lost gifts. However, the plot of this story is that he replaced his reindeer with a new motor, which fails and causes him to crash. With only your assistance, he needs to find all the presents before Christmas arrives.

The mechanics are basic and easy for your children to play. You’ll run through various levels, jumping and overcoming obstacles to collect all the loot you lost before. While Santa doesn’t have much expression or animation to his movement, we’re sure you’ll have fun completing the stages.

Talking Santa

Have your children perhaps annoyed you all year long with Talking Tom and Talking Angela on your mobile phone? Well, Outfit7 has decided to add to the hilarity with Talking Santa. That’s right; you can now interact with him and see how he responds to your speaking and actions.

There are also a few other fun features. For instance, you can open gifts he has for you or send a few Christmas postcards that are bound to make you smile. If you want to share the excitement, there’s a recording tool to capture what you make Santa do, which you can then upload to social media channels.

Christmas Super Frog

Why did the frog cross the road? To get the presents on the other side. Christmas Super Frog is a top-down arcade game where you guide the small amphibian across a busy road with cars, trucks, and even candy cane. When you do obtain the objective, there’s a gift waiting for you.

It may seem easy, but the levels become increasingly more challenging you progress. There’s more traffic and the vehicles fly past at lightning speed. If you have a lot of patience this festive season, you might as well give it a try.

Santa Claus Save the Christmas

Here’s a Christmas game that plenty of retro gamers will enjoy, bringing back some NSES nostalgia. Santa Claus Save the Christmas lets you play as the man in red while jumping onto platforms and avoiding enemies. As you reach higher levels, you’ll find more rewards and hazards to overcome.

In total, there are 81 levels, which means you’ll be playing well beyond Christmas. You can also replay from the beginning if you want to beat your high score. There’s plenty of Christmas music and graphics to enjoy along the way.

Loco Christmas Edition

Finally, Santa needs your help stocking trains so the presents can reach the children on time. Loco Christmas Edition has a shooter at the bottom of the screen, and you’ll need to place the correct color bags in the right train compartments. You’ll need to time it properly if you want to succeed.

Fortunately, the trains are slow when you begin so you can get the hang of it. However, they speed up with each level, which means you’ll need to have your focus on if you want to win. Loco Christmas Edition is an entertaining casual game for when you have nothing better to do. 

Get your Christmas gaming on!

We hope you enjoy some of the titles on our list of the best Christmas games for 2021. We’re sure we’ll see more appear in the next few days, after which the focus will surely switch to New Year. If you’d like some action on your phone, check out our list of Christmas games for Android.

It’s that time of the year again where people worldwide are getting into the festive spirit. As such, you’re probably searching for the best Christmas list of apps to enjoy on your mobile phone or PC.

As a gift to you, here are the top applications we recommend for a jolly good time.

ElfYourself

If you’re looking for a fun Christmas elf app that lets you dance as one of Santa’s little helpers, try ElfYourself. It has an editing feature where you can place your head on an elf’s body. When you’re ready, you can select from the library of songs for your character to dance to. You’ll also be able to share the video with your family and friends on social media.

There are various ways you can add your face, such as choosing an image from your phone or social media or taking a new photo. You’ll also find pre-designed filters to assist with the video blending for a realistic experience. The entertainment of this app will probably only last until New Year, but we guarantee you’ll have a few laughs along the way.

Christmas Time Pro

Are you eagerly awaiting Christmas and would like an app on your PC to remind you when it is? That’s the premise of Christmas Time Pro. You’ll see a timer appear on your desktop counting down to the exact second for the special occasion. After the festive season passes, you can disable it until the following year.

The only other feature is that you’ll receive a festive wallpaper to keep you excited for the special day. If anything, your children will enjoy looking at your PC to see how much time is left. It also helps if you have a lot on your plate and don’t have the time or energy to calculate it yourself.

Animated Christmas Lights

One of the top recommended app lights for Christmas is Animated Christmas Lights for Windows. As the title suggests, it places a widget on your desktop with lights that flicker, adding to the festive atmosphere. While you can’t rotate any of the items, it’s still enjoyable to see on your screen leading up to the special day.

There are only a few configurations you can use to make some adjustments. For instance, you can change the opacity to make the lights slightly more transparent or increase the shadows. You can even open more instances if you want to litter your screen with animated Christmas lights. If you don’t like the color arrangement, feel free to change it.

Holiday Lights Designer

Another light app for Christmas is Holiday Lights Designer. However, this application takes the effects a bit further. Instead of just placing lights on your screen, it helps you design your home so you can decide which is the best placement in any of your rooms. It’s especially beneficial if you have no idea where to put the lights this festive season.

How it works is that you take a photo of any part of your house, inside or outside. There are several light options you can choose from, while you can also have a look at the various layouts available. You can place an entire string of lights or work on one bulb at a time. The trick is being able to mimic the design in real life, so we hope you’re up to the challenge.

Merry Christmas Photo Frames

Would you like to design exotic festive frames with your photos for the holiday season? Merry Christmas Photo Frames has a wide selection you can choose from, making it as easy as placing your images inside the frames. It makes for a delightful surprise if you plan on making them for friends and family.

The beauty of this app is that you can also add other elements. You’ll find several stickers you can apply, which children will absolutely love, while there’s an option to add text to make it more personal. Even though the templates are standard for all users, you can still make them unique and stand out from the crowd.

Free Christmas Tree

With most items becoming virtual these days, it’s no surprise to find this Free Christmas Tree as part of the selection. Even if you have a real tree set up in your home, it’s a nice companion for your desktop if you find yourself working over the festive season. The graphics look realistic, so at least you can say you made some effort this year.

Fortunately, there are some customizations options you can play with to make it more enjoyable. You’ll find various skins to change at any time, while you can alter the countdown clock’s font. As soon as Christmas is passed, you can continue the countdown to New Year if you wish.

Christmas Elf

Here’s another Christmas Elf app you can add to your desktop, but it serves a different function. Instead of making you dance on your phone, this elf will aid you with decorating your screen. It works on any operating system from Windows XP and up, and we even tested it on Windows 11 and found that it works.

What makes this one of the best Christmas apps for 2021 is the number of configurations you have. You can change the colors of the lights around the border of the screen and set how they flicker. There are several festive songs you can play, while you also have different trees to place on your screen. If you live in a warm climate for the holidays, you’ll love the snow patterns that fall on your desktop.

Greeting Cards Software

Are you struggling with designing cards and would like a Christmas card app to assist you? Greeting Cards Software has several templates and layouts you can use, as well as some editing features built-in. It’s not only reserved for Christmas, as you can also use it for other occasions, such as New Year, weddings, or birthdays.

The interface is easy to use, and you can quickly download any of the available card formats. There are also different sizes you can choose from, but you’ll need to ensure that it matches your printer’s settings. If you want to save paper, feel free to share the Christmas cards electronically or on social media.

Merry Christmas PNG Pack

When you’re looking for more than just lights, trees and borders, the Merry Christmas PNG Pack may just be perfect for you. These small images are ideal for changing the icons on your desktop to match your holiday spirit. Instead of standard images, you can change them to Santa’s hat or snowballs.

There are about 50 icons you can try. You’ll need to keep in mind where you save them so that you can quickly access them for your icons. They’ll help you set the mood for Christmas by adding items like snowmen, trees, balls, and more.

Google Santa Tracker

The last item you should add to your Christmas wish list for apps is the Google Santa Tracker. It’s a fun program for children who want to see where Santa Clause is during the special day. For a more entertaining experience, be ready to don that Santa suit when midnight arrives.

There are a few mini-games included in the Christmas app. You can help elves wrap presents or aid with other challenges. While there are some easy ones for the children, you’ll also find more difficult ones for adults so that the entire family can enjoy them.

We wish you a Happy Christmas

There you have it, our list of the best Christmas apps for 2021. We had fun making this list for you, setting the festive spirit for us in our remote offices at home. We hope you find some enjoyment with them, and feel free to share other applications you discovered online.

You can also check out our articles on the best online stores for our last minute Christmas shopping and how to create a Christmas card in Photoshop.