Chill Out With These Popular Winter Themed Computer Games

There’s something about a winter setting in a video game that heightens the emotion of every moment. Desperation, isolation, and urgency are all put in focus when your monkey brain thinks that resources are scarce and freezing temperatures are closing in.

Who could forget the literally chilling opener to The Last of Us Part 2? As if the undead enemies weren’t enough to fear, the snow-covered forest makes you feel like you are the only living thing on Earth.

But winter games aren’t always bleak. Some, like the Horizon: Zero Dawn expansion, The Frozen Wilds, are packed with beautiful vistas and reactive environments.

Which will you play this winter? Here are a few of our favorites.

Tom Clancy’s The Division

Known simply as “The Division” by its loyal fanbase, this third-person tactical shooter takes place entirely in winter. It’s set in New York during the aftermath of a global pandemic. Your team must roam the post-apocalyptic streets, fighting off factions of survivors to regain control of Manhattan.

Winter is a character in and of itself in The Division. It’s a reminder of the bleak and unforgiving natural world that caused the pandemic and drove your rivals to murderous tribalism. The snowy city becomes a true urban jungle that’s both familiar and eerily foreign. This keeps the action thrilling and intense throughout the game.

Until Dawn

Until Dawn is a narrative-driven horror game set in a cabin in the woods (of course) on snowy Blackwood Mountain. The winter setting highlights the isolation of the eight teen protagonists as they try to survive “until dawn.”

Unlike most games, Until Dawn doesn’t require the player to engage in much action. Instead, you make choices based on clues you find—but those choices have deadly consequences that change the course of the game.

Much like the winter setting, Until Dawn is unforgiving. It’s drenched in blood and not recommended for the squeamish. But those looking for a top-notch horror experience won’t be disappointed. This game could be a movie. It has incredible music and sound effects and even features the voices of famous actors like Oscar-winner Rami Malek and Hayden Panettiere.

Frostpunk

Frostpunk is a city-survival game set in an endless volcanic winter. Your task is to build a city that can survive the harshest of environments. This isn’t a Starcraft-style city builder. There are no enemies or combat. Your enemy is the winter, and the challenges you face are related to resource management, politics, labor, and general survival.

If you’re looking for an action game, Frostpunk isn’t for you. But if you like realistic city-building simulators, Frostpunk is among the highest-rated in the survival genre.

Metro Exodus

Metro Exodus, the third game in the Metro series, is a post-apocalyptic first-person shooter set in Moscow. While the game takes place over the course of a year, it’s set during a nuclear winter (that still counts as winter, right?). Even so, multiple parts of the game take place in actual Winter (one chapter is even titled, “Winter”).

As you might guess, the Russian winter environments are intense. Snow cover renders the streets all but invisible, and just about everything is encased in thick layers of ice.

If you like exploring wintery environments, this is the game for you. Metro Exodus lets you veer off the beaten path to explore large environments in each chapter. So, you can achieve your objectives quickly or stop to smell the radiated roses.

Batman: Arkham Origins

Batman: Arkham Origins is the third game in the critically acclaimed Arkham series. This time, Batman is tasked with tracking down the Joker and other villains in an open-world Gotham City. The entire game takes place in winter, giving fans of Batman and the chilliest of seasons the chance to explore a frozen Gotham from top to bottom.

Winter is a major theme in the game, which is reflected in the game sounds. The music is peppered with festive jingling bells and macabre holiday hooks (Batman is first confronted by his foes on Christmas Eve). The action is complemented by steady snowfall, giving the game a unique atmosphere.

Winter is Coming—Time to Get Cozy with a Winter Themed Game!

Winter-themed games are beautiful, eerie, and engrossing. But the best thing about them is that you get to explore those icy snowscapes while bundled up warm at home! As the days grow shorter, now is the time to make a cup of hot cocoa and cozy up with a new winter game. Which will you play next?