Small Christmas/Winter Indie Games
Today, I made a latte in my big Charlie Brown Christmas mug and sat down to play some Christmas games. I wanted to explore what people have released on itch.io for the season. Here are the games I played and loved. Click on the titles to check them out!
The Not-Deer Stew
A few games on this list fall within the "festive horror" category because I can't pass up a good horror game at any time of the year. This one is a folk horror game about a winter ritual where you make not-deer stew in the middle of a snowy forest. The atmosphere is perfectly wintry, it makes great use of sound design, and there are some neat secrets to discover in the woods. The final part of the recipe took me a few tries to complete; it was harder than I thought it'd be! I loved the rich lore in this game and enjoyed being in its bone-chilling world.
Cookie's Bakery
An adorable Game Boy-style game where you bake cookies for various townspeople in the lead-up to the Winter Festival. You have to figure out which kind of cookies they want based on their dialogue. Super cozy and heartwarming.
Alpine Alpaca
A fun downhill skiing game that uses a deck-building mechanic. It seems simple at first, but don't let that fool you! It becomes complex as you keep playing, and I kept trying to get new types of cards to help me plan out my route and beat my high score. I'll definitely be returning to this game.
Tornuktu
Another horror game -- and a really scary one! Honestly, it's amazing what indie developers can do to create truly unsettling horror experiences with limited resources. This is a linear narrative game that takes place during polar night in rural Alaska. It keeps you on edge and is another game that uses sound to great effect. I also loved learning about a new-to-me cryptid: the tornuktu from Alaskan folklore!
A Quiet Winter Walk Home
A lovely game about discovering as much as you can on your winter walk home from the train station. There are lots of references to other games and things. I played it twice because I missed a few details on my first playthrough and I wanted to find everything!
Surprise Stack
An advent-style game with 24 levels where you play with physics to collect presents without waking a cute sleeping dog. I played through all 24 levels in one sitting and had a blast. It's a clever puzzle game with fun, brightly colored assets and upbeat music. I think this one would be great to share with kids. Even if they're just watching you play, I think the gameplay will get a lot of laughs.
The Krampus Case
A brilliant piece of interactive fiction with fantastic writing. This game had me laughing out loud as I tried to gather clues and find the missing Santa Claus, who was kidnapped by Krampus on Krampusnacht. It's another advent-themed game, so you can play it day by day or all in one sitting, like I did. Either way, it's great!
For Goodness Sake
This is by the same developer who did Dead Letter Dept., which was one of my top games of the year. They have a unique atmospheric style that I really love. Their games feel like their own little worlds that are easy to get lost in, and the horror is more of a creeping sense of dread than overt jump scares. For Goodness Sake sees you completing chores around the house on Krampusnacht while contemplating the morality of choices that led your classmates to be taken by Krampus. Will your thoughts lead to your kidnapping as well, or will you be spared? The perfect game for the season -- I saved this one for last because it's my favorite of the bunch.