Santa Gets a Shotgun: DC’s stab at a checklist of Xmas Horror Video Games (1993 – 2022)

____________
Infogrames Alone in the Dark: One-Eyed Jack’s Revenge (1993)
‘It is Christmas of 1924, three months after Alone in the Dark. “Supernatural Private Eye” Edward Carnby and his partner Ted Stryker are investigating the kidnapping of young Grace Saunders. During Halloween, she enters a small toy store after dark and gets locked in it. There, the toys are alive, and Grace must save Santa Claus from an evil Jack-in-the-box.’

 

____________
John Dondzila Christmas Carnage (1994)
‘Cynics and scrooges who enjoy bad taste games can rejoice at last, for in Christmas Carnage there is finally a game for you. Anyone who enjoys the sanctity of the holiday season and the concepts of peace and goodwill would be better off avoiding it, as it doesn’t exactly share your ideas. However, perhaps a greater reason to give this one a wide berth would be the fact that it isn’t very good. After a needlessly gratuitous and graphic intro sequence which sees Santa Claus on the receiving end of a shotgun blast from a decidedly un-Christmassy snowman, the game settles down into a strict and rather predictable formula that reveals the game’s lack of imagination and originality.’

 

____________
Eric Spry & Pavel Hodek Doom: H2H Xmas (1995)
‘Nothing captures the spirit of Christmas quite like the sight of Santa Claus decking the halls with the guts of a demon and he carves with a chainsaw, all to the jolly MIDI notes of “Sleigh Ride.” You’ll get all that and more from H2H Xmas, a 1995 followup to Xmas Doom, to say nothing of littered egg nog and rows of Christmas trees. The Christmas cheer (which is never very thick here) wears off long before its 32 short and ugly levels end. Come instead for the challenge. H2H Xmas (named for the defunct Head to Head gaming network) is the work of several developers who all made their own levels, and all were apparently told their audience wanted lots of Revenants for Christmas. Too bad they didn’t include the receipts.’

 

____________
Square Parasite Eve (1998)
‘If you want to extend that Halloween feeling to Christmas a little, consider looking into classic PS1 genre mash-up Parasite Eve. Part horror game, part action RPG, it’s actually based on a Japanese horror novel, and tracks protagonist Aya Brea as she goes through complete hell on Christmas Eve. It features an opening where hundreds of people spontaneously combust. It’s Christmas Eve, and hundreds of people start burning to death out of nowhere! Happy Holidays!’

 

____________
Crystal Dynamics Evil Santa: Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko (1999)
‘Evil Santa is an evil version of Santa Claus. Evil Santa will start sending out presents and the Gex simply needs to tail whip the presents back at Evil Santa three times and he’ll be defeated. But due to the poor camera angle the timing might be a little difficult.’

 

____________
Tripwire Interactive Killing Floor: Twisted Christmas (2010 – 2021)
‘The Twisted Christmas event is a seasonal event in Killing Floor and Killing Floor 2. It occurs in December in most years. For Twisted Christmas, Zeds are changed to have a Christmas appearance, and there is usually a new Christmas-themed map to play on.’

 

____________
RuneStorm Viscera Cleanup Detail: Santa’s Rampage (2013)
‘Tragedy! Santa; the toy giving folk-hero, and purveyor of fine Christmas goods, has had enough. Endless requests from greedy children wanting more and more every year, tax increases, pressure from elf unions, bills, reindeer!

‘It is your duty, as an employee of Polar Sanitation Inc, to clean up the grizzly aftermath of Santa’s bloody rampage. Elves, reindeer and ruined masonry from Santa’s brief breakdown are all strewn across his famous workshop.

‘So don your cap, grab your mop, and get this place sorted out so the company can get a replacement in here ASAP, and restore Christmas for another generation!’

 

____________
Roope Lakeview Cabin Collection: Last Christmas (2015)
‘You’re going to die to Santa and his little helpers a lot. They’re terribly persistent and their activities can be hard to map out. You need to take a lot of time just figuring out how the Christmas killers behave within the game (and how items interact with one another), slowly whittling at the secrets as you explore new places and try new things.’

 

____________
Matt’s Creations Silent Santa 3 (2016)
‘A fantastic looking game full of festively evil cheer!

 

____________
Capcom Dead Rising 4 (2016)
‘Dead Rising 4 is a zombie game released in 2016 for PS4, Xbox One, and Windows. It takes place in a Christmas-themed Willamette, Colorado and includes a bunch of fun Christmasy bits. For example, a reindeer motorcycle called “Santa’s Little Melter” that you can use to mow down zombies.’

 

____________
Waygetter Electronics Tattletail (2016)
‘There’s no denying that the best part about Christmas as a child is getting presents. But what if the presents you receive are out to get you? In Tattletail you play as a small child who receives our furry friend over the course of a few days leading up to Christmas. You’ll have to play by his rules in hide and seek while making sure he’s fed, charged and groomed. But keep quiet or else one of his friends, or worse, his mother, will find you first.’

 

____________
Io Interactive Hitman 2: Holiday Hoarders (2016)
‘Holiday Hoarders is a downloadable mission for Hitman 2 released in 2016 for the PS 4, Xbox One, and Windows. In this mission, you’re stopping two thieves who are stealing presents. These thieves happen to be named Harry and Marv, a callout to the Home Alone thieves. You can also dress as Santa. And kill Santa.’

 

____________
Poison Games Christmas Night Of Horror (2017)
‘Christmas is in danger. Grab your gun and send those demonic creatures — including Slenderman, Momo, and Siren Head — back to Hell where they belong! Save Christmas!’

 

___________
Barry McCabe Frosty Nights (2017)
‘With intense binaural audio and not so cute snowmen, you play as a small child over the course of several nights trying to survive from an onslaught of attacks. You’ll be clicking your way around the room, closing up the windows, checking your closets and much more with the help of audio queues to drive away the scary jack frosts before they drag you away.’

 

___________
PuppetCombo Planet Of Bloodthirsty Santa (2018)
‘Visiting Santa’s workshop sounds great. Toys. Jolly guy in red giving you said toys. Good times all around. Except the Santa here is nine feet tall and craves flesh.

‘You’ve landed on a strange planet – the one Santa’s workshop is on. Screw the North Pole, I guess. Seeing as Santa is out bashing skulls here, you need to get off the planet before the unhinged Kris Kringle catches you. You need to pass through the village, workshop, and Santa’s Castle if you want to get away. The giant elf is persistent, fast, and monstrously strong, so escape won’t come easy.

‘If the idea sounds hokey, keep in mind that this is from horror giants Puppet Combo. Expect grainy filters, bloody smears, and jarring scares. These developers did a great job at really making the beloved holiday icon into a terrifying threat. You’ll definitely be looking over your shoulder at the next mall Santa you pass by.’

 

____________
Regl Studios Krampus is Home (2018)
‘Sebastian is a teenager who is waiting for his parents to come back home on a cold Christmas night. Soon he realizes that there is something evil lurking around. Experience Sebastian ‘s journey into a Surreal world like no other.’

 

_____________
Norboo Thirstiest Time of the Year (2018)
‘The game’s story starts simple. You’re hanging out in your house alone on Christmas. Not too bad, when you think about it, apparently. All of a sudden, you hear a sound just outside your house. Being the safety-loving citizen you are, you go to investigate. Then, it turns out to be the cranberry ghost – Lakh’Broan Jah’mes. He’s coming after you armed with a need to force-feed you Cranberry Sprite and one voice line. Why this is such a threat is never really explained, so it’s probably safe to assume that your character has a very deep allergy to Sprite and Cranberry, and drinking them will result in your death.’

 

_____________
Hertzole Santa Gets A Shotgun (2018)
‘The town has been overrun by evil snowmen! All the citizens are too scared to go outside during the Christmas times! Only Santa and his trusty shotgun can save them!’

 

_____________
GameBoy Studios Scary Santa Claus Granny (2019)
‘In this Santa Granny game you have to find so many interesting things for success in this escape mod game. You have to complete Christmas tree by finding objects in this haunted house game. Horror mod game with scream sounds add some more adventure. Santa Granny is moving in corridor so you have to be careful in this granny mod game.’

 

_____________
Adam DeLease Santa Claws (2019)
‘It’s 10:00 PM, you just got home. You walk inside and the door slams behind you, but no one’s there to greet you. Your parents aren’t around, they’ve gone out for the night. There’s a simple set of instructions left behind. Go to bed before Santa Claws comes, and whatever you do, DO NOT eat the cookies left out for him. Surely one bite couldn’t hurt though…?’

 

_____________
Nicholee Breyman Santa Claus Craft One Night Christmas Horror (2019)
‘Santa Claus Craft one night. Christmas horror gives you chirstmas nightmare. Merry christmas everybody. Now the Santa Claus Craft haunt you in this late year. Enjoy the horror game like never before.’

 

_____________
FreezeNova Christmas Survival (2019)
‘In this Christmas themed game you will have to survive the hordes of attackers.’

 

_____________
Amanda Duarte Dead by Santa (2019)
‘When bad kids go in a mission to steal gits from Santa’s house because they received coals for Christmas, the last think that they expect is to run from the crazy Mr. Claus.

‘Try to collect gifts along with other players and run away from Santa Claus’ house in this crazy survival horror game, where you have to yell at your microphone to move around on his backyard. But remember, you are angry at Santa, so you will not leave the place without saying some “nice” words to him.’

 

_____________
Deirdre V. Lyons, Braden Roy, Brian Tull Krampusnacht (2020)
‘A group of tourists (audience members) travel to a small Austrian village to experience Christmas holiday festivities with tour guide Micha (Deirdre V. Lyons.) An avalanche redirects the group of world travelers to a small cabin where a kind, elderly man Nikolaus (Stephen Butchko) invites them in to warm themselves by the fire and hear the tale of Krampus and St. Nikolaus. The magical story turns lugubrious, when the group meets the legendary Krampus (Brian Tull) and his menacing Perchten (Eliot Addams and Braden Roy,) where they become entangled in a fight between the forces of light and dark.’

 

______________
indie_games_studio Zombie Claus (2020)
‘You find yourself in a big empty house. Around the Christmas lights, but no friends, no family. You are alone. What for? Zombie Claus is a game in which everything is not as it seems. The main character behaved badly all year, for which a bad Santa wants to punish him.’

 

______________
ALollkenk LLD Ice Granny Santa Scream (2020)
‘Ice Granny Santa Scream is the best horror game 2020. The ice-cream seller is santa has come to the neighborhood! He has kidnapped your friend . When you meet Rod is santa, keep silent because Rod santa can hear every sound you make and He has frozen you using some sort of superpower. The horror ice santa scream seller, your best friend using some sort of superpower in this horror adventure ice scream & has taken him somewhere with his ice scream truck. Your mission will be hiding inside his van and solving the mystery of this evil villain.’

 

______________
Moad EL MOUSSAOUI Scary Piggy Santa (2020)
‘You have been studying abroad for 3 months, And you have decided to visit your family on Christmas holidays. However, Once you got home, you didn’t find what you’ve expected but a scary Piggy Santa!’

 

______________
Black Curtain Studio Hustomten (2020)
‘We have all heard the story of Santa Claus. But have you heard the one about the house elf? Most homes have one and certainly all farms have at least one farm elf. They look like a small person with a long beard and pointy hat and live under your floor or in the attic and other nooks and crannies. The house elf helps to protect your home from evil and misfortune and tends to the farm’s animals, as long as you remember to put out snacks. However, if you don’t, bad things will happen… Will you be able to bring enough snacks for Hustomten before midnight of Christmas Eve?’

 

______________
Digi-Chain Games Christmas Night Shift (2020)
‘Can you survive for five nights at the asylum during the Christmas holidays? Christmas has never been so terrifying!!! It’s Christmas at the Ravenhurst Mental Asylum – and you’re back for another week of work!’

 

______________
Scream FM Chimney Prowler (2020)
‘Christmas horror game with a twist! …please don’t let your kids play this, seriously…’

 

______________
Vic Scary Santa Claus Horror Game (2021)
‘The action takes place in an abandoned school. The player’s task is to get out of it. To do this you need to find 10 cards, which each time may be hidden in different places. The task is complicated by the fact that the player is pursued by a monster dressed as Santa Claus. The game offers first-person gameplay. You can open the doors available in large numbers and use the found objects. However, since there are no weapons against the monster, you only have to run away from it.’

 

_____________
anotherworld GmbH PAGAN PEAK VR (2021)
‘PAGAN PEAK VR takes the player on a journey to the darkest corners of the human mind. The player finds themselves in a mysterious alpine cabin, captured by the KRAMPUS KILLER. Their only chance to escape is to explore the cabin and solve the riddles laid out by the killer, emerging deeper and deeper into his psyche.’

 

______________
Barzda No More Snow (2021)
‘Fight off hordes of snowman and defeat Santa’s nemesis – Krampus. Arm up with a rifle, shotgun, machine gun, or rocket launcher to turn those creatures back into the snow. No More Snow is a short game I created as a Christmas project during the covid quarantine.’

 

_____________
Puppet Combo Christmas Massacre (2021)
‘Larry’s Christmas tree has been telling him to kill. But whose side is the tree really on? And can he trust what he’s hearing? CHRISTMAS MASSACRE is an 80’s inspired stealth slasher game with low-poly, PS1-style graphics. Sneak, stalk and murder your prey without being caught. You must kill without being seen to complete each level.’

 

_____________
Germfood THREE-HEADED SANTA: The Awakening (2021)
‘Gregory has made a fatal error when decorating his Christmas tree and accidentally summons Three-headed Santa! How will he escape the nightmare? Made in 2 days. – WARNING – Nudity (just some ass cheeks), Bad Language, Gore.’

 

_____________
Lamina Studios Nyctophobia: Devil Unleashed (2021)
‘It’s the Christmas holidays and you’re probably back at home visiting family but you’ll always have a bit of downtime where you don’t want to socialize with relatives or you’ve just got nothing to do. As a challenge to yourself this holiday, you’ve decided to investigate a said to be haunted asylum. While things are looking pretty normal, if not spooky, at first, things quickly go downhill and you’ll find out the reason why this place is abandoned.’

 

_____________
Purple Thunder Games Christmas Horror (2021)
‘Christmas Horror is a FPS (first-person-shooter) where you must find a way to escape Santa’s house using the scattered items around. You have two ways of escaping and even a way to finish santa forever! As a child, you have severe limitations such as carryng only 1 item per time and of course, being slowly than Santa. The game has no save system, so you just have one chance to escape. Good Luck and remember, be a nice child and maybe he forgives you.’

 

_____________
CoffeeOD Merry Marras (2021)
‘It’s holiday time and you are full of holiday spirit, but again you left gift shopping to last minute, great job. You noticed recently abandoned former youth center and decides to scout it for possible “gift ideas” that might had been left behind. Unlike your other life decisions this one surely won’t backfire, right? Just do your best and try to gather something, nothing more is expected from you.’

 

_____________
Bezbro and Yurtle Santa’s Cookies (2021)
‘Find all of Santa’s cookies. Get Santa a glass of milk. Throw cookies to distract Santa. Don’t get caught.’

 

_____________
Mistyczny Arbuz Project XMAS (2022)
‘Project XMAS is a retro style, horror, single – player game where you need to return to your home. The map on which you will play is completely procedurally generated so every approach to complete the game will be differend and specific. The game have really creepy sound engine so it’s highly recommended to play with headphones to hear that something is follow you… Your main objective is to return to your home… but you have limited battery and energy…’

 

_____________
DangerousBob Studio Krampus Kills (2022)
‘Krampus Kills is a horror shooter that tells the story of a little brat named Finley, age 10, who lives with his parents in a northern town called Oakville. On Christmas Eve, Fin patiently waits for Santa, but little does he know that the ancient demon known as Krampus, the anti-Santa, has come for his soul! The game features extremely heart-pounding jumpscares, multiple locations, and intense Christmas-themed Horror as Krampus, powered by a complex AI architecture, will track the player down, follow footsteps in the snow, and smash through walls to bring his new soul to the underworld!’

 

 

*

p.s. Hey. ** Dominik, Hi!!! Maybe if love hired some thug to stand behind the problem guy with a loaded weapon until he completes his assigned tasks, that could work. And maybe that thug could make a quick stop at ‘Anthrophosphere No.1”s owner’s house on the way, ha ha. But not before that same thug makes a quick stop at Jaco van den Hoven’s hair stylist’s salon. A sleepwalking love could be very, very handy! Love using Orban’s 👅 as 🧻, G. ** David Ehrenstein, The video was unavailable, but I think I can guess. ** CAUTIVOS, Hi. Re: Kevin, I would start with ‘Shy’. I think that’s his masterpiece. And it’s completely out of print in the US too. Kevin’s and Dodie’s work is as subversive as mine in their own ways, for sure. Thank you for wanting bring their work to light from one of their biggest fans. ** Robert, Hi. I’m sorry about the pix non-loading. My blog is very weird sometimes. Considering that I, or rather Zac and I, need the last batch of funding for our film rather badly, I would seriously consider selling my locks for $. I think there are probably many far more popularly appealing ways to get the money though. My guess is your family would say, ‘sure, Robert, we’ll preserve you, no problem’, and then when you’re dead they’ll just drop you in a cremation machine. But I don’t know your family, obviously. My week has been pretty okay. At the moment re: the film: We just hired our Line Producer and he’s drafting up an initial budget right now so we can see how much we have to pay people in the different departments. One of our on-the-ground producers spent the last couple of days looking at possible shooting locations, and we’ll get a report from her by Zoom tonight. Zac and I are working on a final revision of the script so we can hand it off to the Assistant Director to do the shooting schedule/shot list. And other smaller things. Basically, film work is my life right now. Oh, man, so sorry about the insomnia. Insomnia is easily one of life’s hugest enemies as far as I’m concerned. You don’t have any tried and true tricks to get sleep starving for you? I hope you’re rested by Monday. The weather here? It’s cold, not bad cold, but chilly, and my apartment has a unlocateable draft so it’s a little brrrr in here. What about there where you are? ** Jeff J, Thanks, pal. I haven’t listened to the EP yet but I will pronto. Oh, wow, fascinating that Williams read Gaddis. What a curious idea. I think that I think Armantrout’s later work is her best, but I would need to do an overview reading to be sure. That conference sounds amazing. Awesome that you met the Dorothy people, Danielle, I suppose? I’d love to meet her/them sometime. I admire the hell out of that press. And Danielle’s own fiction is very good. I recently read an older chapbook by her called ‘A Picture Held Us Captive’ that was lovely. Next week for Zoom should be good. Let’s sort out a mutually good time. I don’t have the new Re:Voir Clementi box only because I don’t have a DVD player. The restored ‘Blue Rascal’ was really great. I was blown away. And Balthazar was there to talk about him and film, so it was just excellent. ** _Black_Acrylic, I haven’t been imagining you with a caveman look, so that’s trippy. Welcome back to the clean cut set. Awesome about the Magic Chair. Yeah, it’s freezing here, so I’m imagining it is there too. Bundle up when you hit the sidewalks. And may the best (?) team win tonight! ** Steve Erickson, Hi. Everyone, Today Steve takes on the Iranian serial killer film HOLY SPIDER in a critical sense right here. I actually did a big search for Pierre Bressan yesterday and found basically nothing, not even a clip. I’ll try ok.ru and see if there’s enough there to make a post possible. Hope so. Thank you! Respect for you doing your critical duty prior to the listing. You’re a much bigger man than me. ** Kyler, Well, hi there, Kyler! Image loading proves for you too? Sorry. As usual, I have no idea what the problem was, and I can guess GoDaddy/WordPress wouldn’t know either. I’m doing my very best not think about our impending birthdays. Congrats on the new book! Great news! When’s it coming out? I’m good enough, and I hope you are too, buddy! ** Okay. Xmas time seems to make me want to do quirky stuff like make this post that you have before you this weekend. Surely it’ll be of use to someone out there. See you on Monday.