The most digitally wonderful time of the year
We love Christmas time! The festive season is celebrated across all forms of entertainment — from folklore and literature to holiday tunes and the Hallmark Channel. You can’t escape the Christmas spirit! We love our movies and songs, the cozy magic of family and friends gathering, and that whimsical winter atmosphere. And yes, this extends into gaming too. Even though video games are a relatively young medium, they’ve been capturing the holiday spirit almost since the beginning. This month, we’re celebrating December by highlighting some of our favorite snowy and wintery levels in gaming. Here are 21 Snowy Game Levels worth checking out:
Table of Contents
1) Breaks over Roach
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009) – Cliffhanger hanging from a cliff! In this bombastic sequel to the OG Modern Warfare, we find ourselves in the harsh and unforgiving mountain ranges of Kazakhstan. Soap, now a captain, leads Roach in a mission to infiltrate an ultra-nationalist camp. Armed with a heart detection device (I’m sure those exist), you must sneak your way around and destroy several key targets. The highlight of this level is the absurdly action-packed jet-sky chase once you are discovered and have to go loud. Blasting through the snow, in a no-holds-barred open slay, jumping over gorges, laughing all the way!
2) Get Jiggy with it this Christmas
Banjo-Kazooie – If you want to explore a level in December that fully encapsulates the festive Christmas spirit like a Rankin/Bass playground, look no further. Freezezy Peak appears around the mid-way point of this iconic 3D platformer and stands as one of the most Christmassy levels ever put in a game. Grant Kirkhope’s catchy, jingle-laced tune, the snow-drenched winter wonderland, the childlike whimsy and magic — it’s all right here.
Watch Mikhail’s ranking of all the Banjo-Kazooie levels video here ^
3) Are you Yeti?
Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage – Colossus. Spyro is sent to help a village of Buddhist monks who are being tormented by a rampaging yeti. Spyro must save the village and stop the yeti. This world is brimming with a genius combination of humor and culture. Tibetan-style temples and statues with a cartoonish spin are delightfully silly. Not to mention, the enemies — goats and rolling yaks — are just the chef’s kiss on this cake of absurdity. Ever want to play a game of hockey in the Himalayan mountains? No? Well, you can here anyway.
4) He’s a what?!
Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath – Stranger’s Wrath really gives you a hard left turn for the second act of the game. After it’s discovered that Stranger is a Steef, the bounty-hunter aspect of the plot is dropped, and Stranger is now leading a rebellion against the evil Sekto Spring Damn Company. Sekto is trying to crush the final native stronghold, Last Legs, and launches a full-scale invasion. Stranger makes his way over to repel the enemies and push further toward the dam to free the natives’ water. This is where the game really kicks things into full gear and becomes nothing short of epic in scale. Storming the beach, seeing the scope of the invasion, the relentless bombardment of the city, and repelling the hordes of enemy tanks and foot soldiers against the winter backdrop makes this look like something right out of a battle on the Eastern Front. Absolutely epic.
5) Ice bear ready to roll
Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back – Bear it. Crash bandicoot finds himself in a winter tundra, along the way what does he find? An adorable polar bear cub. Thinking that going on foot will take too long, Crash thinks “why not?” and hops on the bear and goes on the ride of his life. The pacing and music for this level are tier one Crash Bandicoot. Avoiding the frozen tikis, jumping the gabs and being sure not to miss any boxes along the way make this a challenging and one of the most entertaining levels in Crash 2.
6) One man’s trash…
Ren & Stimpy: Stimpy’s Invention – In the cult classic game Stimpy’s Invention, we are on a quest to retrieve all the parts of Stimpy’s titular device. We find ourselves in a freezer wonderland! This land is complete with bouncing walruses, living frozen chickens, and ice cream eyeballs. It captures the absurdity of the show perfectly — of course there would be an expansive winter tundra inside a common household refrigerator, with a festive Christmas soundtrack to boot!
7) Big things come in small packages
Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy – Well, we had a swamp, a beach, a lava level, and now, finishing the cycle, we have the snowy mountain of the classic Jak and Daxter. Accompanied by a festive jingle-bell ring, our brave and illustrious heroes set out to liberate a fort being held by the Dark Eco forces. The mountain has a lovely, jolly feel; the cool blues and whites paint a beautiful picture. If only we were able to make a snowman.
8) A Rocky Getaway
It Takes Two – A couple whose relationship is on the rocks, tested by a living book who wants to show them that perhaps what’s broken can, in fact, be fixed. The Snowglobe is a cartoonish representation of all the time they would spend together in the snowy mountaintop cabin. This has all the makings of a Hallmark Christmas special in the best ways — a lively and joyous place with snowball throwing, ice skating, and skiing. The perfect place to fix any rocky marriage, for sure.
9) Santa’s little helper
Tomba! 2: The Evil Swine Return – The crème of the crop, the literal North Pole, and home to the big man in the red suit himself. Tomba is on his epic quest to save his girlfriend Tabby, taking him far and wide. He finds himself in an epic snowy fantasy land that has ho-ho-ho written all over it. Grabbing the nice warm sweater he needs, he continues his quest and runs into the man himself — Santa Claus! Being a bit overworked and a tad stressed, he has misplaced his Christmas sack. Knowing Christmas is at stake, Tomba courageously searches and recovers it. You literally save Christmas in this game — that’s got to be an accomplishment no other ’90s platformer has even come close to. Not to mention, you get a badass flame hammer for your troubles. Who wouldn’t want that as a Christmas present?
10) Penguin murder
Super Mario 64 – Penguin homicidal thoughts aside… this level, just like Freezezy Peak, carries the spirit of the holidays with its catchy soundtrack, hostile snowmen, and whimsical vibe. It’s one of the first levels that comes to mind when I think of snowy levels in video games. Sure, there’s another snowy level later on, but this one is much more iconic. Take a speedy slide down Cool, Cool Mountain and try not to slip off the ledge.
11) Thank God for tunnels
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves – The Train Segment. Nathan Drake once again does the impossible, fighting off hordes of Serbian mercenaries — a one-man army taking on big, burly goons, tanks, and attack helicopters. What honestly strains believability the most isn’t the gunfights, but his apparent immunity to frostbite. (Just bring some gloves next time dude) Uncharted 2 is one of the greatest action games of all time, and this entire sequence serves as a perfect scenic transition into the latter half of the game, where you brave the dangerous Himalayas.
12) Here it comes
Snowboard Kids 2 – My darling SBK2. I could very well just leave this entire game here, but if there’s one track that carries the Christmas spirit the most, it’s certainly Jingle Town. Christmas trees, snowmen, white rabbits, cozy villages — and a soundtrack that feels like a warm Christmas mystery playing in the background. And to top it all off – you have to fight a giant robotic killer snowman with bombs afterwards – Ho ho ho!
13) At long last
Metro Exodus – Novosibirsk (The Dead City). This is it. This is where you’ve been trying to get to the entire game. Your crew aboard the Aurora has faced countless harsh challenges along the way, and it’s all come down to this. Christmas may be a magical time — but this isn’t magic. This is hell frozen over. You feel the weight of the stakes here. The people you love are depending on you. Failure is not an option.
14) Chill out bro!
Donkey Kong Bananza – Freezer Layer. A newer entry on our list – DK Bananza is full of some great levels but the one with the chill Zebras is a standout for sure. This is the level where you learn the Zebra bananza trick to sprint over crumbling platforms. While the trick is very situational – This stage contains so much good energy that I had to place it on here. Frat guy Zebras in Icy Lava worlds? Hell yeah!
Watch Mikhail’s Jabroni Review of Donkey Kong Bananza ^^
15) Stop the cap
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 – Ice Cap Zone works so well as a snowy level because it gets everything right without overstaying its welcome. The pacing, music and spectacle are all top notch. The intro launches you into the snow with speed without overwhelming the player. Its flashy 90s Sega Magic.
16) Everything happens for a reason
The Last of Us – The Winter segment. This is one of my favorite segments in any game, ever. After Joel is gravely injured in Colorado — with no idea what’s happened in between — you’re suddenly playing as Ellie for the first time, hunting a deer in the snowy woods. You come across a seemingly harmless couple of fellas, but appearances can be very deceiving. What follows is a perfectly paced, tense, and deeply disturbing sequence that strips away any sense of safety, forces Ellie to grow up fast, and cements The Last of Us as something far more than just another survival game.
17) Father and Son
God of War (2018) – The cornerstone of all the 9 realms. Midguard is harsh, brutal and heavy with consequences – Just like Kratos himself. It’s stoic, it’s reflective, it can be quiet, it can get loud, it’s just a brilliant hub world.
18) Jaw dropping
Dark Souls 3 – You know those moments in a game where you’re already impressed — where you think you’ve seen everything it has to offer — and then it pulls a magic rabbit out of its hat? That’s the moment you first lay eyes on Irithyll of the Boreal Valley. Holy crow, man. The first time you discover this gorgeous, neo-gothic frozen city is absolutely breathtaking. It’s one of the most beautiful reveals in all of gaming. Honestly, jaw dropping — and it’s not just a pretty face either. Some of Dark Souls III’s most memorable and punishing encounters happen right here, turning that sense of wonder into tension. And Pontiff Sulyvahn is one of the best boss fights in the whole series.
19) Wake em’ up a little!
Red Dead Redemption 2 – Look, I get that this isn’t everyone’s favorite part, but the opening hour or two of one of the greatest games ever made is still excellent. If you enjoy strong world-building that introduces your ensemble cast at a measured, humble pace, you’ll appreciate what the story is doing here. This opening perfectly captures the Van Der Linde gang at their lowest — feeling lost, giving up on hope, and at their most desperate — while showing how they’ve somehow managed to keep pushing forward. It’s a very strong start that lets the player settle into their cowboy boots before the real game swings into motion.
20) I’ve got a bad feeling about this
Halo: Combat Evolved – Up to this point, you’ve been mowing down hella aliens, uncovering the mystery of the ring world. Now, you descend deeper into the ring’s inner structure to figure out why the Covenant are so desperate to keep you out. This is the very first time you’re introduced to the Scorpion, and the level — especially for its time — feels massive. It gives you so much freedom and versatility in combat, letting you tackle encounters in multiple ways. I could’ve picked Two Betrayals as well, but that level essentially builds on this one with a few extra twists, so I went with Assault on the Control Room because it’s the first time you truly experience it.
21) Up in the clouds
Kirby 64 The Crystal Shards – Above the Clouds. Between this and the first level on Shiver Star, either could’ve worked, but I slightly prefer this one. It’s far more replayable, and that soundtrack is just irresistibly charming. Kirby 64 is such an underrated gem on the N64, and this level really shows why. The bubble mechanics even feel a lot like the barrel cannon sections in Donkey Kong Country, which adds a fun layer of platforming flair.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year for gamers in 2026!
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