With winter break being just around the corner and literally a few days away, many students will find themselves not really sure what to do during their three week vacation from school. Though there are things to expect like Christmas and New Years Day, after that, what else is there to do? For those looking for something to do over break, and to keep busy, here are some game recommendations from this year that will keep you busy and entertained for the entirety of break.

The video game that is being mentioned is the game that has won the Game of the Year Award, which should go to show how highly rated that praised this game; that game being none other than Elden Ring. Released on February 25th of this year and developed by FromSoftware, this was a highly anticipated game and sold over 12 million copies during its first month on the market. This game is phenomenal and features an intriguing yet captivating story that shows why it was voted Game of the Year. If you’re into the action role-playing and open world genres, this is a game that you should pick up and play.

Another game that won mine and millions of other peoples’ hearts was God of War: Ragnarök. Ragnarök is the follow-up game to the 2018 Game of the Year Winner, God of War, and is definitely a game that has revolutionized modern gaming, with incredible story-telling and camerawork so well done that it looks like everything is done in one continuous shot. This game was the runner-up for this year’s Game Awards, just barely missing out on first place to the winner, Elden Ring. For those wanting to continue the story of God of War, Ragnarök does exactly that and then some with improved gameplay and voice acting. 

My personal favorite for this year is Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Being a fan of the series since the age of seven, this was the game that was highly anticipated. Though it is a Nintendo exclusive. This game is praised for its voice acting, score and soundtrack, story, and overall gameplay. Though the game itself can take a very long time to finish, many reviews and critics have gone on to say that the amount of time needed to finish the game is worth it and is continuing to release DLC (downloadable content) that the same critics are giving high reviews for. This game is definitely a must-have if you are looking for an engaging story with one of the biggest open-world maps that games today have to offer!

The next game that will be covered is a game that holds a special place in millions of peoples’ hearts, and the crazy part is: it was made by one person. Stardew Valley, a game that is replayable and doesn’t lose its charm. A story about a farmer (you) coming from the city to inherit the grandpa’s farm in the beautiful Pelican Town, where you fix up the town, develop relationships with the townspeople, and build your farm up to the best it can be. A similar game like Stardew Valley is Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which features your character being a representative of a newly domesticated island where you also developing friendships with the islanders and improve your new island. If you’re into simulation games like these, why not try getting your hands on these two games?

However you spend your time during this Winter break, if you ever find yourself bored or not sure what to do, why not take a look at these games or look at some that you find interesting? We hope that you have an enjoyable break doing whatever it is that teens do during the holidays, and that if you do find yourself looking for games, you look into the one’s listed above!