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12 video game decisions that will land you on Santa’s Nice or Naughty List
J
Jason Rodriguez
That’s because there are so many games with decisions that have… consequences. Some might lead to lovely outcomes, while others can drag you into a moral black hole, swirling into darkness as Santa watches and shakes his head. We’ve listed some in-game decisions that can land you on Santa’s Nice or Naughty List in everything from role-playing games (RPGs) and horror titles, as well as strategy and action-shooters.
Did you make the list? And if so, which one?
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Sparing Sinding or sacrificing him for Hircine
There are numerous situations in Skyrim where you’re forced to make a choice, from healing the Gildergleam and your dealings with the Dark Brotherhood to siding with the Stormcloaks or Imperials. But there’s one moment that really stood out for us: the “Ill Met By Moonlight” quest.
The quest involves a werewolf named Sinding who wants to gain the favor of Hircine, the Daedric Prince of the Hunt. This culminates in a showdown where you have to choose between sparing Sinding’s life or aiding the hunters who want to eliminate him. The kinder option might seem more feasible, since it nets you a powerful accessory that grants unlimited werewolf transformations. Sadly, Sinding is also unable to control his bloodthirsty urges—he’s likely to kill more innocents, and you might have to put him out of his misery if you encounter him again.
Fallout 4 - Helping or destroying factions completely
Your journey in Fallout 4 leads to encounters with the Minutemen, Brotherhood of Steel, the Railroad, and the Institute, all factions vying for control of the Wasteland. The moral implications of your choices often lead to siding with one faction and open hostilities with others.
However, if you play “nice” by helping Preston Garvey and the Minutemen, you might avoid issues with the Railroad and the Brotherhood of Steel altogether. This leaves the Institute as the only faction that you have to bring down.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard - Saving a city and keeping your allies alive for the final assault
A crucial moment happens just a few hours into Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s campaign when you’re asked to save either Minrathous or Treviso from a Blighted Dragon attack. This has major ramifications throughout the story, since the city you don’t defend gets corrupted by the Blight. Worse, it hardens the personality of the companion from that city; one companion’s romance arc can get permanently locked too.
During the game’s finale, you also have to ensure the safety of your allies. Picking companions that are poorly suited for the task can lead to numerous deaths. If you’re feeling “naughty,” you can make the wrong moves just to see the demise of so many erstwhile friends.
Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader - Recruiting potential companions or killing them outright
Speaking of companions, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader lets you recruit several allies of various starting classes. However, it’s also possible to prevent them from joining your group. More nefariously, there are ways for you to kill your companions outright.
It’s also worth noting that Rogue Trader lets you pick responses in line with belief systems: Dogmatic, Heretical, and Iconoclast. Given that the game is set in the grim darkness of the far future, Dogmatic responses aren’t the equivalent of “being nice” to others, since you’re more likely to berate, imprison, or murder those who don’t ascribe to the strict tenets of the Imperium of Man.
Total War: Warhammer 3 - Losing as Arbaal the Undefeated
Total War: Warhammer 3 is set in the Warhammer Fantasy Battles universe, which means it features the eternal conflict between the forces of Order and the hordes of Chaos. One particular Chaos leader, Arbaal the Undefeated, certainly presents an interesting mechanic.
As his moniker implies, you must keep winning battles as Arbaal. Otherwise, you’d either suffer a permanent diplomatic penalty with other Khornate factions, or you’d have to end the campaign prematurely. Then again, a “naughty” option is to simply reload a save whenever you lose in the hopes of avoiding this mishap entirely.
Civilization 6 - Building alliances or warmongering
Many strategy games use choice-and-consequence-based mechanics like infamy (also known as bad boy points), casus belli, or—in the case of Civilization 6—grievances. Playing nice with your neighbors often yields fruitful results, such as declarations of friendship, research pacts, and strong alliances. But if you want to be naughty, you can declare a surprise war. Most leaders dislike this action, but it can be advantageous in the early-game when capturing settlers, workers, and entire cities can lead to your eventual victory.
Marvel’s Midnight Suns - Light and Dark affinity
Your goal in Marvel’s Midnight Suns is to build a squad and take on hostiles in turn-based tactical battles. One of the coolest in-game features lets you increase your bonds with your teammates in conversations that affect your Light and Dark affinity.
These interactions fall in line with what we consider as “kind/supportive” (nice) versus “stern/aggressive” (naughty), and they’re both equally viable paths to take. Upon reaching maximum affinity for one option, you even receive a legendary card ability. From there, you can pick responses and actions for the opposing affinity, doing a complete 180 to get another legendary reward.
Marvel Rivals - Playing as Jeff the Land Shark
From one Marvel game to another, let’s talk about Marvel Rivals, a team-based hero shooter with a robust superpowered roster. One of these characters is Jeff the Land Shark, an adorable support class hero who can heal allies.
If you want to be naughty, then you can use Jeff’s ultimate to devour multiple friends and foes alike before swimming along the terrain and spitting them out over a cliff.
Remnant 2 - Destroying an entire world
Remnant 2 lets you unlock several classes or archetypes, and the game’s bosses have an “alternate kill” method that grants different rewards. One such opponent is Sha’Hala, a potential boss in the N’Erud world-ship. Rather than fighting its spectral manifestation, you can obtain a key item known as the Override Pin to fight its physical form instead.
Defeating Sha’Hala in this instance nets you a cool weapon called Aphelion. Unfortunately, using the Override Pin also causes the destruction of N’Erud, preventing you from accessing it outside of Adventure Mode runs. Now that’s one naughty decision that can put an end to your plans.
Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One - Accusing the wrong person
You solve cases as the iconic detective in Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One. This process includes gathering clues, recreating the scene of the crime, and making deductions in your own Mind Palace.
Even if you’ve found everything you need, you could accuse an innocent person, whether by accident or intentionally. While you’re still able to progress the story, the outcome has moral implications which might make you feel worse if you select the wrong decision.
Until Dawn and The Casting of Frank Stone - Trying to be a hero to save your girlfriend
Until Dawn and The Casting of Frank Stone are narrative-driven horror games where trying to be a brave hero in the face of terrifying foes can lead to survival—or an untimely demise.
In Until Dawn, Mike has to run across a snowy forest all the way back to the cabin to rescue his girlfriend Jessica. This section has multiple quick-time events (QTEs)—should you fail a single one, then Mike will arrive at the cabin only to see Jessica’s jaw ripped apart by a wendigo.
The Casting of Frank Stone, meanwhile, has a more gruesome outcome for Jaime. When faced with a decision to escape or save his girlfriend Chris, choosing the latter option causes Jaime to get sliced in half by the killer. The only way to avoid this is if you managed to obtain the firecrackers from a couple of chapters prior.
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl - The fate of the Exclusion Zone
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl takes you on a harrowing journey through the irradiated wasteland known as the Exclusion Zone. As you do your best to survive the harrowing ordeal, you’re presented with several options, including those that would cause you to take out characters from the previous games.
Based on your choices, your journey concludes in one of four different endings. These outcomes tend to be morally ambiguous, though the idea of a fully contained Zone or one that’s free to spread to usher in humanity’s evolution might seem “nice” at a glance.
These are just some of the important decisions in video games that can land you on the Naughty or Nice List. Whether you play by the rules or attempt questionable acts, there are always consequences to consider. It’s no different from spending time over the holidays to think back on the choices we made that led us to this point in our lives. Take some time this holiday season to check out the great games on the Epic Games Store.