Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year.
Since graduating high school in Loudoun County, Virginia, my life has been one long road trip: Virginia Beach, VA; Buies Creek, Raleigh, Cary, Smithfield, NC; Columbus and Groveport, OH; and Front Royal, VA. That's a lot of shuffling! Add to that working demanding jobs in manufacturing, assembly, and retail, and the holidays have always been a... complex and demanding time for me.
For years, when I was away from family and friends, I had to build my own traditions. And for many holidays, those traditions revolved around finding a few video games that could deliver a much-needed dose of peace, a simple, effective way to manage the stress and loneliness that often served as my Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.
Things have calmed down somewhat over the past five years, which is a blessing. Yet, the habit remains. There is nothing quite like falling back into a comfortable game during the holidays. It's a happy place I still visit.
And so, here they are. Five Holiday Comfort Food Video Games that I have picked up along the way...
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1. Shenmue (Dreamcast)
| Detail | Info |
| First Played | 2001 |
| My Age | 25 |
| Location | Raleigh, North Carolina |
This game is the purest form of digital comfort. When I first played it in 2001, the world often felt chaotic, but Shenmue offered a quiet, stable existence in 1980s Japan. It's the simple routine of Ryo's life, feeding the cat, working a part-time job, and practicing martial arts, that provides incredible holiday ballast. It’s less about the revenge plot and more about stepping into a world where I know the bus schedule and the weather will be predictably beautiful. It's the ultimate routine when my own life had very little of it.
2. Civilization (III, VI)
| Detail | Info |
| First Played | Early 2000s (Mac) |
| My Age | 20s |
| Location | Cary, North Carolina |
The Comfort: Absolute Control and Immersion.
When the real world stress of the holidays gets high, nothing cuts through it like the promise of one more turn. Civilization has always been my mental escape hatch. From those early hours in Cary with Civ III to the sprawling empires of Civ VI, this series is the ultimate expression of low-stakes, high-investment escapism. I can spend a whole day feeling like I accomplished something monumental, like inventing electricity or conquering an entire continent, while completely forgetting about my own worries.
3. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PlayStation 3)
| Detail | Info |
| First Played | 2009 |
| My Age | 33 |
| Location | Columbus (German Village), Ohio |
Uncharted is my go-to blockbuster comfort game series. When I was in German Village, this game was a non-stop dopamine hit, a rush of climbing, swinging, and exploding that felt miles away from the cold reality outside. Nathan Drake’s charming banter and the game's seamless, movie-like pacing feel like sitting down with a beloved action film. It provides a thrilling sense of escapism and warmth, taking me to sun-drenched ruins and treacherous mountains without ever needing to leave the couch.
4. Assassin's Creed III (Xbox 360)
| Detail | Info |
| First Played | 2012 |
| My Age | 36 |
| Location | Columbus (German Village), Ohio |
This is a strange one, but AC III is one of the only games on this list that truly captures the look and feel of a northeastern winter holiday. The atmosphere of the snowy Frontier, the creaking wood of the homestead, and the historical setting in colonial America it just feels like the season. The act of hunting through the snow-covered woods or exploring the quiet, historical towns provides a contemplative, almost meditative rhythm that I'm not sure the developers even reallized possible. It’s a historical and seasonal immersion that grounds me during the holiday shuffle.
5. Red Dead Redemption 2 (PS4)
| Detail | Info |
| First Played | 2018 |
| My Age | 43 |
| Location | Groveport, Ohio |
By the time I played this in Groveport, I was finally finding a more stable life, and RDR2 surprisingly reinforced that feeling. It's not just the incredible detail of the open world; it's the simple act of returning to the gang's camp. Checking in on Dutch, listening to the conversations, or simply pouring a coffee at the fire, it provides a deep, almost surrogate sense of belonging and hearth-fire warmth. It’s the feeling of being part of a dysfunctional family during a hard time, and sometimes, that’s exactly the comfort you need during the holidays.
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HAPPY THANKSGIVING...
Looking back over this list, I see more than just five games; I see a timeline of my own life, marked by different addresses, career paths, and emotional states. Life is defined by its constant flux, the moving, the working, the searching for stable ground. But these games prove that comfort doesn't have to be a place; it can be a ritual, a feeling, or a digital world you can revisit anytime. Whether you find your peace through the quiet routine of a small Japanese town, the sprawling control of an empire, or the warmth of a fictional campfire, the important thing is recognizing those moments of stability when they appear. So, take a moment this holiday season. Set aside the complex reality, pick up your controller, and enjoy the simple, unchanging comfort of your favorite digital escape.
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Questions, comments: ljbaby654@gmail.com
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