I’m flirting with the idea and has been doing some research on the origins of Santa Claus. Kind of want to make a game about his origin story. And there’s like so many ways to do it. So want them in the imagery because Santa Claus themselves are fusion Germanic and particularly eastern Christian origins. The sleeve that gives me a lot of options and time periods. They could be anyone from the Germanic tribes during the migration period The Visigoths the Vandals the Ostrogoths or possible latter ancestors the Vikings eventually going from raider to Rus Varangian Guard, to monk and eventually bishop then hermit. If I go farther back they can have a similar career cycle. But I want the protagonist to have a deep connection to the old ways maybe it’s even a source of mystical power. But the compassion of the Christian faith pushes them in direction to use it for the greater good? I’m just speculating would anybody be interested in a game like this and is anyone else have better ideas?
Sounds interesting 
. I don’t like playing as a goody goody though 
, so options to be less good would be nice. Leaving coal is the obvious idea. I don’t know what else, maybe trolling people with presents?
And option to swap reindeers with bike would be cool too
You could do something way off the norm like the Dresden file-esque Odin/kringle 
(I can see I’ve been reading way too much mythology lately if that’s the first thing that comes to mind.)
Anyway, it’s a good idea, kind of surprised there aren’t any holidayish based cogs out there
Definitely interest out there for a good Santa story, I reckon. And twisting the normal narrative is a lot of fun. Neil Gaiman, for example:
Nicholas Was…
older than sin, and his beard could grow no whiter. He wanted to die.
The dwarfish natives of the Arctic caverns did not speak his language, but conversed in their own, twittering tongue, conducted incomprehensible rituals, when they were not actually working in the factories.
Once every year they forced him, sobbing and protesting, into Endless Night. During the journey he would stand near every child in the world, leave one of the dwarves’ invisible gifts by its bedside. The children slept, frozen into time.
He envied Prometheus and Loki, Sisyphus and Judas. His punishment was harsher.
Ho.
Ho.
Ho.
Years ago I did a 50-strip webcomic called Hellidays with a young artist that started with the main character introducing himself as the person that killed Santa Claus. Took a lot of the classic holiday characters and took them in some pretty dark (and intentionally ridiculous) directions. It was rough around the edges but I had a lot of fun writing it. Might have to keep it in mind for a future story.
There’s been a comic series about the origins of Santa lately, Klaus I think. But having a game where you play Santa would be cool.
…especially if we get to take Krampus down a peg or two as well.
I thought it would be the Dutch “Sinterklaas”, and I got a little hyper XD Santa Klaus would be cool too 🖒
That his hands down one of my favorite R
Writer!!! Where did you get that from? Is that American Gods the novel or one of his short stories? Speaking of damn that he got to one of my ideas first that the role of being the gift giver was punishment / Redemption. Or at least one way to interpret it.
The Christmas devil could be a lot of different things let’s say if Santa Claus is a pagan beforehand and a fierce Warrior. They could represent a combination of their old beliefs their bloodlust their greed their need for wealth , power and vengeance and their Fury. To become the same thing must separate themselves from that both spiritually and literally. But a man cannot completely throw away at the darkess thier the heart only cast it into the shadow taming it learning to live with it and keeping it at arm’s length for should never be released again unless it’s necessary.
Be it Sinterklaas, Father Chrimas, Santa they’re all the same entity the christ-like gift giving figure.
I originally read it in a Gaiman short story collection a couple months ago. But I found the text online when I searched for it. Apparently there is a video retelling as well, you might want to check it out.
I think he sent it to people as a Christmas card years ago or something.
Also another interesting aspect that really that poem brings the home is being Immortal being especially of a particular nature he has to fight the hold onto his Humanity because over the years and by the very nature of his work he’s going to become less and less human and literally an idea made Flesh. Imagine the existential dread all that power all that might but you are losing Who You Are.
You can practically make a Greco-Roman tragic hero tail out of it go from great warrior king two in immortal Gift Giver and Punishment dealer. But it’s a constant battle to remember who you are and hold on to any vestiges of what you where until you’re no longer the man.