What are we all playing this holiday?

Adam: I'm still catching up on the games I missed in 2017. That'll be primarily The Sexy Brutale, Battle Chef Brigade and Gorogoa. I'm also hoping that the copious amounts of brandy and pie I've hidden around the house will tempt Santa to pay a visit, and if he does I'm going to clobber him and nick a Nintendo Switch from his sack.

Lord help me, I really want to play Mario and Zelda.

Alec: For me, it's catch-up time on all the RPS advent calendar GOTYs I managed to miss. Tacoma, Opus Magnum, Nier Automata, The Nonary Games, Getting Over It and, well, basically anything not recommended by John. Although I did just buy Steamworld Dig 2, so I've already broken that resolution. Curses. Anyway, happy new Doctor Who, one and all!

Alice: Over the past week I've mentioned building a Christmas playing list including They Are Billions, Tiny Metal, and Bridge Constructor Portal. Today, as I packed my bags, I realised "Oh yes, I'm off to a lochside cabin to be quiet with chums and need to carry a week's food so I certainly can't bring my laptop too." So, uh, I suppose I'm playing a little Plunkbat 1.0 with The Lads before vanishing off for long misty walks and some frigid swims. My goal is to freeze solid out on a rock and become a local ghost.

Brendan: I will be getting my eyes blackened in Tekken 7. But also I want to play Okami and Gorogoa and Getting Over It and Horizon Zero Dawn and Zelda Breath of the Wild and oh no I've fallen off the PC.

But I will probably be playing a fun game I like to call "Stop the family dog from attacking the family cat from attacking the family baby from attacking the floor with pans." It may become a holiday tradition.

Graham: I'm back on the Plunkbat horse, thanks to the addition of the new desert map. It also just fits into my life in a way most other multiplayer games don't. When not at my computer this Chrimbo, I'll be spending time with family, including with a toddler who will wake up at any given moment and demand cuddles and reading and the drawing of cars. Plunkbat's (optionally) short rounds, quick reconnects and enjoyable solo mode mean I can play for as long as I've got and not sweat it if there's suddenly a kid to entertain. A true blessing.

John: The number one game I want to play this Christmas hibernation is Oxenfree, on the TV downstairs, with my wife Laura, who doesn't play any games ever but has agreed to try this. I've no desires at all to convince her of the joys of playing games, but I really want to share this story that I love so much.

Otherwise, I hope to catch up on bits and pieces I've missed over 2017, although am grimly aware that holidays with a three year old aren't holidays at all, meaning I shall likely spend the break looking forward to when work starts so I can play games again. I've put my life on upside down.

Katharine: I'll be at my parents this Christmas, so I'll mainly be relying on my Switch to fill in the gaps between polite conversation and waiting for my brothers to finally go and see The Last Jedi so we can talk about how flawed (but secretly great) it is. As such, I'll likely be hunkering down with Xenoblade Chronicles 2 for the duration, but I'm hoping to finish the Zelda DLC as well. Fortunately, I also have a gaming laptop I'm testing over Christmas, so I'll be able to dip into a few other treats when I'm all JRPG'd out. Right now, I've got my eye on Wolfenstein II and Spellforce 3, but that will probably change to something more sedate like Zero Time Dilemma or Danganronpa V3 when the inevitable turkey coma sets in.

Matt: [Fired. Yes, just days before Christmas. Get Grinched on. -ed.]