Building upon previous holiday releases, this puzzler feels more intricate and refined than ever. Developed by Vector 5, the newest installment, Santa’s Workout 2024 (https://vector5games.itch.io/), invites players to guide a dozing Santa and his elves through increasingly complex single-screen levels on the Commodore 64.
Instead of controlling characters directly, you drop limited-use icons—ranging from ladders and bridges to dig and direction-change orders—into the landscape, much like Lemmings, to alter their paths. Early stages teach basic interactions: elves climb ladders automatically, reverse course when blocked, and drop down when platforms end, while Santa only moves on command.
As levels progress, strategic planning becomes crucial; you’ll carefully ration out each action, experiment with building routes, and figure out how to rescue Santa from seemingly isolated spots. Misplaced instructions can be erased if characters haven’t used them yet, and certain terrain types allow digging or obstacle-clearing only under specific conditions. The interplay of resource limitations, changing objectives, and increasingly clever layouts turns every new puzzle into a meticulous exercise in foresight and adaptation.
This downhill racer by Relevo offers a wintery atmosphere filled with pine trees, jumps, and tricky obstacles. Though not strictly holiday-themed, Relevo’s Snowboarding feels like a classic arcade racer, drawing inspiration from Hyper Rally, Road Fighter, and Sky Jaguar, while channeling the spirit of Antarctic Adventure and a pinch of OutRun.
The controls require balancing speed and maneuverability, using aerodynamic tucks to gain momentum at the risk of reduced steering. As the difficulty ramps up, mastering stunts for time bonuses, weaving through slalom sections, and discovering secrets becomes essential. Each continent you visit adds variety, showcasing unique visuals, music, and new challenges. Impressively rendered on MSX, it boasts smooth scaling, crisp pixel art, and a nostalgic Konami-like charm.
A surprising blend of festive cheer and frantic arcade action makes this top-down shooter a worthy seasonal treat. Inspired by classics like Robotron and Smash TV, Santatron 2024 by John Girvin fills interconnected rooms with waves of dangerous toys, gingerbread men, and other mischievous holiday foes.
Piloting a heavily armed Santa on Amiga, you’ll rescue elves, dodge bullets, and strategically manage auto-fire energy to maintain high score multipliers. Each cleared grotto encourages exploration, revealing amusing seasonal twists and inventive room layouts. Procedurally generated environments keep you guessing, while a steady stream of power-ups refills health or grants temporary invincibility, ensuring just the right balance of risk and reward.
Enemies vary from simple chasers to projectile-spewing monstrosities, forcing quick decisions, evasive maneuvers, and the creative use of bombs once unlocked. With skillful timing, you’ll chain multipliers by continuously blasting foes, carefully sidestepping hazards that threaten to lower your score. It’s a deeply engaging experience where methodical movement, resource management, and lightning reflexes blend into a thrilling race for festive dominance.