Back Home for Christmas

Back Home for Christmas is a short, independent narrative adventure with a cute aesthetic that follows a penguin trying to find its way home in time for this holy day. It was developed by Ørjan Lopez (Illumine Games) and was first released on December 23, 2020.

The game features atmospheric environments and a fully voice-acted story written in rhyming text, in the tone of a traditional Christmas fable. Everything is accompanied by a soundtrack that changes and evolves throughout the journey. There are no challenges or complex mechanics — the player simply follows the story as it unfolds.

Published by Ørjan Lopez himself and available for free on Windows, Back Home for Christmas is suitable for all ages, including children, since the game automatically guides the player along the paths.

Videos

Acima, temos uma curta, porém concisa análise do Back Home for Christmas, em inglês. É uma das fontes desta publicação.

Achei também este vídeo sem comentários que mostra o game até o final.

About the game

A cute and cozy adventure game about a lost penguin who can’t find their way home for Christmas. Along the way, the penguin meets a cast of charming characters that provide help.

Features

• Fully voice acted story narrated like a traditional Christmas story.
• A family friendly game to get you in the Christmas spirit.
• Seamless soundtrack that changes and evolves throughout the game.
• Atmospheric and beautiful environments.
• A fun and quirky cast of characters.

Trivia

• Back Home for Christmas was developed with Unreal Engine. Maya, Adobe Photoshop, and Substance Painter & Designer were also used in its creation.
• The game resembles animated Christmas shorts such as The Gruffalo and other seasonal TV productions, which may have served as aesthetic inspiration.
• Back Home for Christmas has always been distributed for free, but for a time there was an option to make voluntary donations to the No Kid Hungry charity, which fights child hunger. During the donation period, US$530 were raised for the campaign.

Screenshots

More info and Christmas-themed adventures

• No Kid Hungry – The philanthropic institution that received voluntary donations during a certain period of time during the game’s distribution.
• Back Home for Christmas @ Gaming Room – Source, with more info and media. In Portuguese.
• Stickman Santa
• Christmas at the Overlook
• Ultimate Santa Battle
• Merry Christmas Stickman
• Adam and Eve: Snow
• Ice Queen
• Palkovil: The Way Home
• Escape The Maze (ETM): Xmas Edition