It’s the holiday season, and all things are merry and bright. If you’re basking in the warmth of Christmas and you’re keen to extend those glowing feelings to your gameplay sessions, there’s so many fantastic, iconic Christmas-themed video levels you can romp through this week.
From classics to more modern entries, these are the best Christmas-themed video game levels that’ll inject some festive cheer into your day.
The best Christmas video game levels – quick links
Holiday Broadcasting – Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko
Holiday Broadcasting is the first level of Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko, and one of its most memorable. Agains the backdrop of a high drama spy story starring a cartoon lizard and a live-action woman, you must enter a Christmas-themed world where evil elves serve a monstrous Santa, and presents are to be exploded, not opened.
This level is just a silly, over-the-top blast, and it’s the perfect way to kick off the weird and wonderful action of Gex 3. The better news for playing this level in 2025 is that the recently-released Gex Trilogy lets you get stuck in on any modern console.
Halloween Town – Kingdom Hearts
Ask any Kingdom Hearts player to list their favourite levels, and it’s more than likely Halloween Town will be mentioned. This level features an adaptation of The Nightmare Before Christmas story, complete with the heroes of Kingdom Hearts interfering: Sora, Donald Duck, and Goofy.
As you attempt to ‘seal’ Halloween Town’s keyhole (for the good of the universe), you’re invited into a cutesy, somewhat dark adventure that celebrates Halloween and Christmas in equal measure. It’s a very sweet little journey, and one that adds so much joy to Kingdom Hearts.
Home A-Labyrinth – Minos
As a neat Christmas treat, Minos developer Artificer has released a Home Alone-inspired holiday spin-off game adapting the mechanics of Minos in jolly fashion. Here, you’re playing through unique trap-based scenario, using the game’s mechanics to chain together your defence, and protect your home from some suspicious bandits.
This level essentially serves as a bright-eyed Minos teaser, introducing the game and its labyrinthine stages in the guise of holiday cheer. If you’re looking to make the season feel more ‘Christmassy’ then you should make time to check out this special level.
Batman: Arkham Origins
Batman: Arkham Origins is an all-time Christmas game. While the crux is that you’re travelling as Batman, working through yet another dastardly villain’s plot, the entire story takes place during Christmas, and there’s frequent references to holiday through the adventure.
Not only is it always snowing in the game, you can also come across all sorts of cosy installations as you put away bad guys, from pretty lights to cool Santas. Even Batman deserves a chance to celebrate Christmas, and Batman: Arkham Origins allows him to do exactly that (even if he has to take down a menagerie of evildoers first).
Holiday Hoarders – Hitman: World of Assassination
If you’re looking for an off-kilter Christmas-themed video game level this year, why not make time for Holiday Hoarders of Hitman: World of Assassination? Like other levels in this game, Holiday Hoarders is all about surreptitious murder – but this time, you get to dress up as Santa and infiltrate a party.
Like the Minos spin-off level, this one is also inspired by Home Alone. Your job is to put away two nefarious thieves, using every part of your arsenal to do it subtly, and escape attention. Whether that’s in a Santa suit, or using the various decorations to your advantage, is up to you.
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Much like Batman: Arkham Origins, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a very good super hero video game that takes place at Christmas, and is brimming with holiday cheer. As you explore this game’s version of New York, you’ll come across all sorts of neat, beautiful decorations. You’ll even take part in a Christmas dinner, as a lovely story about family plays out against a darker tale of drama and heroics.
If you’re looking for a game that captures the look and vibe of Christmas, but still heavily features action and engaging gameplay, then Miles Morales is the title you’ll want to jump into this holiday season.
Buy Hard – The Darkside Detective
‘Buy Hard’ is the special Christmas Episode of the point-and-click adventure game The Darkside Detective. As the name suggests, it’s partially inspired by Die Hard – but it also contains references to many, many Christmas films, while being its very own, very fun little thing.
Here, you play as the titular Darkside Detective, who attempts to save the world from supernatural forces. In Buy Hard, it’s all about rescuing kids from the evil of Krampus, using clever tactics to find and combine items that can help your quest. If you’re looking for a light-hearted and funny adventure, this particular video game level is spectacular.
How Rush Saved Mercenary Day – Borderlands 4
One of the newer entries into the Christmas video game canon is ‘How Rush Saved Mercenary Day,’ the first Bounty Pack for Borderlands 4. This particular bounty is entirely Christmas-themed, introducing Christmas-packed missions and various prizes, including special cosmetics for your chosen Vault Hunter.
If you’re keen for something a bit more nostalgic, you can also jump into Borderlands 2 to experience the original tale this new DLC is based on, ‘How Marcus Saved Mercenary Day.’ Like its successor, this special mission is all about celebrating Christmas by completing themed missions, while followed by festive trees, lights, and Santa.
