ay the holiday season away with these festive Android games

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Published 14 Dec 2016

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Decked-out games
roid holiday games 2016 lead

Some people find the year-end holidays overwhelming obnoxious, while others try to soak in as much of the seasonal spirit as they can before it disappears for another 11 months. If you fall into the latter camp, have we got a treat for you: even the games you play on your Android phone can be loaded with holiday sights sounds.

Many great Android games have been updated for the holidays, while some of these are loaded with familiar tmas images, others simply offer some winter gaming fun that’s perfect for right about now. Here’s a look at 10 of the top games you can play today, split between older favorites more recent fare, all of which have some welcome seasonal spirit.

Steppy nts
roid holiday games 2016 steppypants

Steppy nts is one of this year’s silliest free-to-play distractions, as you must avoid stepping on sidewalk cracks by individually raising thrusting forward each foot. That leads to a lot of awkward-looking animations goofy moments amid the oddball fun, it has a full-fledged holiday mode right now, too.

The game’s holiday level transports your lanky hero from the sidewalks to the rooftops, as he must make each step while not stepping on cracks or falling between houses. You’ll also need to avoid slipping on snow, all the while you’ll deliver presents you pick up by dumping them in chimneys. Even Santa makes an appearance as he brings you coins to spend on prizes.

Steppy nts (Free)

Angry Birds Seasons
roid holiday games 2016 angrybirds

One of the absolute best mobile holiday games is the gift that keeps on giving, as Angry Birds Seasons has been updated yet again—after six years of existence—with another winter set of stages. The latest is Ragnahog, a set of 25 levels with a Viking advent calendar theme plenty of ice, snow, garls along the way.

Of course, that’s just one of many winter areas in the game. You’ll find the original tmas batch of levels from years ago, along with a few other tmas winter-themed level packs along the way. Most of the old stuff must now be unlocked using in-game coins, however, but those can also be purchased with real money if you’re in a hurry. 

Angry Birds Seasons (Free)

Super Stickman Golf 3
roid holiday games 2016 ssgolf3

Noodlecake’s cartoonish golf series keeps getting better better, this year’s Super Stickman Golf 3 is loaded with free content: 20 courses, single-player multiplayer modes, plenty of power-up hats other goodies. And if you play right now, the game has been given a little bit of a holiday upgrade.

That’s clear from the menu screen, with the game’s logo wrapped in glowing lights, plus the new default golfer costume is a Santa suit (in male or female varieties). You can also pop on a Santa hat, while there’s no dedicated tmas or holiday course, Snow Field is a pretty ideal locale for Santa to hit the links.

Super Stickman Golf 3 (Free)

Thumb Drift
roid holiday games 2016 thumbdrift

Drifting your car around turns in racing games always seems a lot easier than in real life, but Thumb Drift’s squirrelly steering seems more on the mark. You’ll use one thumb or finger to maneuver your ride around a curvy course, keeping the car pointed forward can be a mean feat after the first few turns. It’s loopy fun, though, now it has a cool ride for the tmas season.

You can swap out your generic car for a sweet Santa sleigh, complete with a reindeer, but the change in what you see doesn’t alter how slippery the steering is. And when you ultimately crash into a wall, your sleigh will detonate into an explosive cloud of wrapped presents. The game’s Ice Road stage also has tmas sights now, but you’ll have to play quite a bit to unlock that late-game location.

Thumb Drift (Free)

A Good Snowman is Hard to Build
roid holiday games 2016 goodsnowman

Unlike most of the games on this list, A Good Snowman is Hard to Build doesn’t make an overt effort to be a holiday game. However, it is a puzzle game built around the premise of rolling up assembling proper snowmen, so we can’t help but think that it’s perfect for the season. so, it’s incredibly charming.

The title might be a mouthful, but it’s absolutely true: building a good snowman is indeed difficult, as you must roll three snowballs around a yard filled with fresh powder. Each roll makes the smaller balls larger, but you’ll need one of each size to build your snow buddy. Finding success means figuring out the correct positioning, order of maneuvers, number of moves needed to get the job done right.

A Good Snowman is Hard to Build ($4.99)

tpack yride
roid holiday games 2016 jetpackjoyride

Sure, it’s the oldest game on this list, but tpack yride still delivers marvelous fun. And if you haven’t played in a while, now’s a good time to check back in, since this frenzied side-scrolling runner has been decked out for the holidays. t-up tmas trees, wreaths, stockings now populate the hallways, amidst the rockets electric hazards. It snows occasionally, too.

You can also dress up Barry Steakfries with some sweet seasonal gear. A Santa hat outfit are available for purchase with in-game coins, along with a tmas tree jetpack that replaces your normal bullet-spewing one. And there’s a Santa sleigh available for purchase if you really want to rock the tmas theme: it usually sells for $5, but it’s down to $1 as of this writing.

tpack yride (Free)

to’s Adventure
roid holiday games 2016 altosadventure

Here’s another game that doesn’t have a strong holiday theme to it, but it’s perfect for winter shenanigans when the cold keeps you indoors. to’s Adventure is a side-scrolling snowboard game that opts for being super chill rather than over-the-top extreme: it’s calm soothing, the only trick available is a backflip. Not exactly the X-Games, right? 

ay Ski Safari if you want something livelier cartoonish; to’s Adventure does a great job of being warm inviting as you slide down the slopes, dodge hazards, soak in the gorgeous backdrops weather effects while setting new distance records. It’ll be a nice, quiet break between some of the more aggressive fare on this list. 

to’s Adventure (Free)

Table Tennis Touch
roid holiday games 2016 tabletennis

Table Tennis Touch offers a nicely convincing simulation of ping pong, as you lob balls back forth in realistic environments, the premium game added a trio of fresh mini-games just in time for the holidays. so, it has an adorable holiday backdrop, complete with decked-out trees, ornaments, cy canes, a special Santa-hat paddle.

In the mini-games, you’ll smack the ball at items found on the other half: you’ll try to knock down little snowmen, for example, or aim the ball to l inside a little gingerbread house. And bits of tinsel are stuck to a half-folded table in another game, in which you’ll try to hit those points targets while ensuring that the ball doesn’t stop bouncing.

Table Tennis Touch ($2.99)

Subway Surfers
roid holiday games 2016 subwaysurfers

Kiloo’s behind-the-back endless runner has been around for a few years now, but it’s still an entertaining pick for quick fun— one of the most reliable games around for having holiday-themed updates. Subway Surfers is back again with a tmas-themed skin, the seasonal spirit comes through all over the game.

Now your young hoodlum is escaping a man in a Santa hat ( his antler-wearing dog) as you run through the train yard, which is appropriately loaded with tmas trees, presents, other holiday sights. You can also unlock holiday winter-themed costumes of all sorts, plus you’ll find frosty penguin items to pick up on the tracks to complete challenges. 

Subway Surfers (Free)

Color Switch
roid holiday games 2016 colorswitch

Color Switch may not look like much with its black backdrops solid-colored shapes, but this collection of simple tap-based challenges has been a mobile sensation this year, racking up more than 125 million downloads. And now it has special tmas levels that add a bit of festive spirit, all while providing fresh challenges for fans.

In the tmas levels, you’ll tap the screen repeatedly to make a snowflake bounce higher higher while only passing it through only like-colored obstacles—such as a tree made of dancing ornaments. Color Switch offers a tricky challenge, but it’s also drenched in video ads that pop up very frequently. If you end up loving the game, spend the $3 within to kill the ads for good.

Color Switch (Free)