5 Golden Games for Christmas

There's nothing quite like lighting up the Christmas tree and hunkering down in front of the fire with some great holiday-themed entertainment. If you're lucky enough to have some time off this holiday season, do yourself a favor and try out one of these games to enhance your spirit. While each offers a different holiday gaming experience, you can count on them all being enjoyable until your last drop of cocoa.

The Home Alone Video Game

Every year you can count on Home Alone as being one of the first movies to hit the TV networks during the holiday season. It's just one of those nostalgic films that everyone loves to revisit, and that you'll hear being quoted in daily conversation well into January.

Thankfully, if you have a Super Nintendo or Sega Genesis, the same warm and fuzzy feeling you get from watching the movie can be achieved by playing the game. Though the gameplay differs slightly depending on which version you have of this trap-'em-up game, all follow the same premise of the movie: Kevin is accidentally left home alone when the rest of his family goes on vacation. As a result, he has to keep burglars Marv and Harry from getting in. Players use household objects for weapons and traps in order to protect Kevin's domicile.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Available for Nintendo DS and Nintendo Wii, the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer game allows you play with the classic characters from the claymation story or build some of your own. You can help Santa save Christmas through a series of mini-games that include building toys in Santa's workshop, helping deliver presents, and cooking with Mrs. Clause in the kitchen.

The game would make a great Christmas gift this year, not only because it has a 4.5/5 stars on Amazon. This year also marks the film's 50th anniversary, and who doesn't want more ways to enjoy their favorite Christmas claymation film?

Ghosts of Christmas

Not too many gaming companies have attempted turning Charles Dickens' 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol, into a modern game. However, there's at least one new game that's managed to do so successfully.

The Ghosts of Christmas title uses the latest animation for clips featuring the classic storyline. Players must come up with the correct sequence of matches in order to win prizes and best of all, Scrooge doesn't get to keep the money you win. It's real money that you could put toward Christmas presents of your own. No download is necessary, as you can simply visit the site to play online.

The Grinchmas! App

Oceanhouse media created an app that allows you to decide whether the Grinch will be naughty or nice this year. If you choose to be naughty, you arm yourself with snowball ammo so you can pelt the Whos to make their singing desist. You'll have to race against the clock to see how many houses you can nail within the given time frame. If you choose to be nice, you can shower them with gifts. You'll do so by throwing the appropriately colored gifts to the town within the time allotted.

Santa's Village

The Santa's Village app was given a 4.3/5 from users, and with good reason. In this addicting little game, players must help Santa by building a bigger and better village in order to save Christmas from being ruined by the evil Grumpkins!

There are over 120 buildings and decorations to use in addition to a 3D feature that allows you to see your creations from every angle. Outside of the main objective, there are also fun mini games to take advantage of, like Snowball Frenzy and Reindeer Flight School.

If you really want to embrace the Christmas season, playing these games will certainly help you do just that. Even if you can't play them in front of a crackling fire, they're sure to put you in the holiday spirit no matter where you are.