Casting Spells & Crushing Moblins: Eurogamer's Christmas Day Gaming Dreams (and Digital Nightmares!)
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Dive into the whimsical world of Eurogamer staff's Christmas Day gaming aspirations, where digital escapism collides with festive chaos, leading to a delightful mix of comfort games, ambitious backlog clearing, and the occasional board game showdown.
Right, so you know that feeling when you've prepped for a grand magical ritual, got all your reagents lined up, only to find the cat's knocked over the cauldron and your apprentice is trying to summon a daemon in the living room? Yeah, that's pretty much what the festive season feels like for us gamers. Grand plans of digital escapism often collide head-on with the glorious, chaotic reality of family, food, and the sheer impossibility of finding a quiet half-hour.
That's why I've been tinkering with an old scroll from Eurogamer, where their intrepid crew laid out what they *hoped* to be playing on Christmas Day. And bloody hell, it’s a brilliant glimpse into the universal gamer struggle – the eternal quest for uninterrupted screen time amidst the bedlam. Forget 'what *were* we playing'; this is about the digital promised land, the games we truly *aspired* to conquer.
First up, we had **Tom Orry**, who was hoping to dive into the 'Geometry Wars-alike' *Sektori* on his Switch 2 or Steam Deck. Now, Tom’s bought his son *Metroid Prime 4* and *Civ 7* (fancy, eh? The Switch 2 sounds like a wizard's dream machine), but he's already resigned to his fate: probably just some *Mario Kart World* with the fam, desperately trying not to disgrace himself. Reckon that's a common enchantment failure, mate. We all set out to explore vast new galaxies, only to find ourselves bumper-to-bumper with nan and grandad on Rainbow Road. The noble quest for solo play often yields to the unwritten family law of 'Thou Shalt Play Together... and probably lose to an over-sugared six-year-old'.
Then there's **Marie**, dreaming of *Tiny Bookshop* on her Switch 2. A management game about owning a cosy seaside bookstore? Sounds like the perfect antidote to wrapping paper chaos and the relentless search for that one tiny toy spoon that inevitably gets binned (RIP, tiny spoon). It's the digital equivalent of a warm cuppa by the fire, a real comfort spell. Management games with a 'cosy vibe' always grab me, too – they're like a warm, digital blanket against the cold, hard edges of reality. A true escape hatch from the festive frenzy.
**Kelsey** had loftier ambitions: tackling her backlog, specifically *Clair Obscur: Expedition 33*, a Game Awards 2025 winner. She'd dropped it after hitting a wall with Act 1's final boss. Sound familiar? We've all been there, staring down the glowing eyes of a digital gatekeeper, only to retreat to the safety of our Steam Winter Sale purchases. The holidays are meant for clearing that backlog, for finally conquering those digital dragons we’ve left slumbering. But, like a mischievous imp, new games always seem to pop up, distracting us from our noble quest. The struggle is real, Kelsey; don't let those shiny new distractions lead you astray!
**Ed**, bless his cotton socks, was all about pure escapism with *Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment* on Switch 2. His mantra? Gaming at Christmas is for *escaping* family, not playing with them. Fair dinkum, Ed! A handheld, some headphones, and thwacking moblins as Princess Zelda – now that's a genius strategy for post-turkey transcendence. It’s like a personal portal to peace, a cloaking spell against unsolicited festive cheer. Sometimes, a good old-fashioned hack-and-slash is the most cathartic magic of all.
**Connor** was eyeing up *Soulframe*, noting its 'weird' nature, and also diving deeper into *Warframe*'s latest update, 'The Old Peace'. Jumping into a missed gem or exploring a deeply updated favourite? That’s the true spirit of holiday gaming for many. *Soulframe* being 'weird' has my curiosity piqued; those are often the games that truly sink their hooks in, given the time. And the casual aside of "Between these I'll see my family and friends I suppose"? Classic gamer priorities, mate. You’ve gotta keep your priorities straight, even if it means fitting friends around your farming schedule.
Now, **Taps** had a truly relatable take: holiday gaming is either a brilliant, cerebral game you *should* have finished, or a big, simple-minded open-world triple-A map-marker-athon. And, crucially, the latter always wins. Enter *Star Wars Jedi: Survivor*. He reviewed it as 'quite good' and stands by it, but that doesn't stop the quiet urge to go back and mop up lightsaber parts and differently coloured ponchos. It’s a testament to the power of a well-crafted, even if 'just quite good', open world. Sometimes, you just need to click your fingers for BD-1 to toss you a healing snack while you wander, soaking in that earnest, warm-hearted Star Wars magic. It shows us that even games that aren't 'masterpieces' can still capture our hearts, providing that comfort food experience when our brains are too full of festive cheer.
**Victoria** was conjuring up some co-op fun with her son in *Lego City Undercover* on Switch 2. She jokingly calls it "Baby's first GTA," and honestly, that’s spot-on! The joyous anarchy of smashing cars into bricky ruins, driving anything you fancy – it’s a brilliant reminder of gaming’s simple, destructive pleasures. Lego games are a fantastic nexus for family fun, letting parents and kids alike embrace their inner chaos agent without actually, you know, smashing up the living room. It’s controlled, brick-based mayhem, and who doesn't love that?
**Alex** paints a picture of festive exhaustion, the kind where you've run a marathon just by consuming a kilogram of gravy. His plan? A comfort food game after the bedlam subsides. After finishing *Metroid: Zero Mission*, *Super Metroid* was next on the list. A classic replay, a familiar world to wash away the 'complex feelings' about *Prime 4* (oh, the drama!). Whether it's *Balatro* or *PBA Pro Bowling*, sometimes only a beloved, well-worn game can truly soothe the soul after a day of socialising and dog-wrangling. It's the gaming equivalent of collapsing onto your favourite couch with a good book, letting the familiar narrative carry you away.
And finally, **Bertie** reminded us that not all quests are digital. He's obsessed with the board game *Avalon*, a social deduction game about accusing others of lying. It’s like *Traitors* but with more Arthurian flair. The psychology of it, the 'base instinct to defend ourselves from attack,' the astonishing patterns we convince ourselves are true (a twitch, a laugh, silence – all signs of guilt!). It’s a precarious fun, especially when playing with partners, testing the very fabric of your relationships for a win. It’s a different kind of magic, a human spell-casting game where observation and deception are your main tools. A brilliant reminder that 'gaming' encompasses so much more than just pixels on a screen.
So there you have it, a whirlwind tour through the hopeful, chaotic, and utterly relatable gaming dreams of a few intrepid souls. From escaping family with a handheld quest to navigating social deduction with loved ones, to simply finding a quiet moment with a 'quite good' open-world romp – it's a testament to how gaming weaves itself into the fabric of our lives, even when those lives are packed tighter than a dragon's hoard. Here's hoping your next gaming session, whenever it may be, is a truly magical one, free from misfired spells and overly aggressive relatives.
Source: Eurogamer (Published Dec 25, 2025 by Tom Orry)
Tags: gaming culture, holiday gaming, game recommendations, player perspective, indie vs AAA
Original article: Eurogamer