As I sit here drafting this article, it is currently 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) outside on a long, hot, miserable day in the middle of what has been a long, hot, miserable Brisbane summer. This writer needs an ice cream!
Of course, I could always risk adding to the oven-like interior of my home by turning on the television and gaming system of choice before escaping to a gloriously chilly winter level in a video game. Not that I need an excuse to play this specific type of video game environmental biome. Whether you prefer to call them “snow levels”, “ice levels”, or “brrr levels”, winter-themed areas have, somewhat contradictorily, always made me feel warm inside.
Maybe it’s because I have spent most of my life living within an Australian subtropical climate where an alien invasion feels more plausible than snowfall, but as soon as I see the ground go white and the character’s clothing become fur-lined in a video game, I know it’s going to be something special.
Today, I am interested in exploring some of the thematic reasons why I find winter levels so fascinating. Because despite the temperature always being cold, I find there is such a large range of emotions that a snow-covered video game level can make me feel. And getting to the core of these emotions—the icy heart of the mountain, if you prefer—is what I’m keen to investigate today!
Winter Levels as Precarious
While winter may conjure up images of Christmas trees and hot chocolate, the reality is that the cold can be a harsh, unforgiving environment. And video games have a long and proud history of expressing this sense of frozen hostility—from Metal Gear Solid to The Last of Us.
Of course, from a gameplay perspective, we can’t talk about the more precarious side of winter levels without discussing their most infamous mechanic: ice physics. If you’ve ever played a platformer that forces you to jump on and between platforms that looks as though they’ve just been removed from an ice tray, you understand the pain I’m referring to.
Wintry locations in video games aren’t always going to be coated in festive spirit. A lot of the time you’ll be slipping off the same ledge after dozens of attempts or desperately be searching for a heat source as your character’s vitals plummet alongside the temperature, and all you can do is grit your teeth and keep trying.
Winter Levels as Mysterious
The first time I played the Snowpeak Ruins dungeon in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, I felt like I had been transported to a strange, distant universe separate from the rest of the game. And while the lovably odd yeti couple and the dungeon’s manor-like design certainly heightened this mysterious atmosphere, I don’t think it would have hit as hard if the level wasn’t also smothered in snow.
Again, this may be my Queensland bias shining through like an angry red sun, but snowy areas in video games have always held a degree of mystique for me. Often they appear in remote areas of the game’s map where civilisation and normalcy feel like a fading memory.
Other winter-themed levels that evoke this sense of peculiarity for me include the Mounts of Aroania from God of War: Ghost of Sparta (seriously, just listen to that unnerving music) and, of course, Metroid Prime’s iconic Phendrana Drifts.
Winter Levels as Exhilarating
The inherent extremities that accompany a snowy location—such as the temperature, weather, altitude, etc—ensure that such environments are like catnip to adventurers and thrill seekers around the world. And while I will never personally snowboard down Mount Everest nor surf on the icy waves of an avalanche, I’ll happily give it a go in a video game.
Whether I’m racing around in a big ‘ol truck in MotorStorm: Arctic Edge or racing down the slope of a mountain in 1080° Snowboarding, these wintry wonderlands feel tailormade for extreme sports.
One of my favourite examples of this is the Mount Wario track in Mario Kart 8. The towering snowy mountain is the perfect setting for a race that is equal parts exhilarating and expansive. Who knew that driving on snow could be this much fun?
Winter Levels as Enchanting
I’m sure many of you will agree with me: few other video game biomes do vibes better than winter levels.
Often, when I’m playing a snowy area in a video game, I will just stand still and soak in the enchanting atmosphere. The soft light, the beautiful landscape, the soundtrack that inevitably has sleighbells playing in the background… there’s simply no other word for it other than magical.
Some standout moments of magic in video game winter levels that come to mind include Valak Mountain in Xenoblade Chronicles (especially at night), basically all of the Winter Isles in Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, and yes, for the second time in this article, Phendrana Drifts.
Winter levels are truly incredible. I just wish Brisbane would now turn into one.
Explore more Winter Games
Looking for more wonderfully wintry video games to explore? Be sure to read our article on the 5 Cozy Games Perfect for Winter 2026!