The eerie silence of falling snowflakes and the blanket of white they create never fail to conjure some beautiful sights. As a snow—and in-game photography—connoisseur, I’ve been exploring the coldest games on the Epic Games Store, finding the fanciest flurries and sweetest snowflakes. 

Much more than a simple white texture layer, modern games feature snow that deforms realistically and ice that is slippery underfoot to create a whole interactive winter experience. Here's a list packed with 10 of the most interesting examples of in-game snow and ice for you to enjoy this winter.

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered

Horizon Zero Dawn has no shortage of snow across the more mountainous regions, especially amid the harsh permafrost of The Cut. Not only does the deep snow react and deform as Aloy and the machines move through it, but the dynamic weather means there are regular flurries that Aloy will interact with when left idle. Word is there’s even a way to make snow angels… (Hint: It’s in the game’s photo mode.)

 

SnowRunner

Tackling the more punishing winter conditions is the name of the game in SnowRunner, and it certainly doesn’t hold back. You may have six-wheel drive, chunky tires, and snow chains, but the Alaskan wilderness is always waiting with another ice patch or snow drift to make sure you won’t be going anywhere fast. On the plus side, that does leave plenty of time to appreciate the way the snow churns over as your rig's wheels struggle for grip.

 

God of War Ragnarök

A winter that is quite literally legendary must be pretty great, right? Well, perhaps not in the case of Fimbulwinter seeing as it’s the beginning of the end of the world and all that! Good thing this is just a game then, and the mighty winter that grips Midgard can be enjoyed in all its frozen glory.

And it certainly does have some glory. I mean, there’s deformable snow and then there’s this. Just look at the way it's pushed aside in Kratos’s wake as he plows through it and, not being content to just make a new pile, it also breaks up into clumps and balls. It’s these kinds of details that are easily overlooked but make all the difference when it comes to believability.

Death Stranding

One of the most incredible things about Death Stranding is the way it makes you pay attention to every detail of the terrain, including the snow-capped mountains. The ground gets slippery underfoot and soon has you wading knee-deep in soft powder. 

Sure, it’s possible to bring a truck or use ziplines to make the job easier, but it’s worth taking a walk in this most evocative version of the white stuff. It’s a remarkable experience and the rough terrain makes it all the more rewarding when you finally get where you’re going—before you realize you have to go straight back again, that is.

 

Steep

Getting up a mountain is all well and good, but it can be a whole lot more fun to come back down one. Steep offers the chance to do exactly that, often at speed, and it’s probably the ultimate snowy sandbox—maybe that makes it a snowbox?
Either way, the peaks and foothills around Mont Blanc are a festival of winter sports that will constantly invite you to come and play. Pick a sport and get out there to carve a deep route through the piste or launch another jump to kick up another spray of white.

Days Gone

As though there wasn’t enough to worry about in Days Gone between raging bears and hordes of zombie-like Freakers, there’s also a range of mountains that cut right across the map with bitter winter conditions. It’s a very beautiful area with a nice covering of snow to leave tire tracks in while cruising around on your bike. That doesn’t make it any safer though.

DEATHLOOP

Arkane Lyon’s time-loop shooter might not be the most obvious winter wonderland, but it’s one that certainly shouldn’t be overlooked. Fristad Rock has everything from pack ice to blizzards, and it’s definitely worth keeping a look out for the snowmen.

You may not be able to build one yourself, and you’ll have to leave it to the enemy goons to stick on a beer bottle for a nose and bottle tops as eyes, but you absolutely can go around kicking the snow out of them.

EA Sports WRC

There’s a lot of fun to be had traveling sideways at speed on a slippery road, especially in a legendary rally car. Seeing as that’s maybe a bit scary to do in reality (and against the law on public roads, apparently), EA Sports WRC is here to provide that fix instead.

Of course, things will definitely still go wrong in a spectacular shower of snow, ice, and barrel rolls, but who cares? That’s just another opportunity to capture some cool screenshots.

The Last of Us Part I

While Naughty Dog’s gritty sequel to this game features an iconically snowy sequence right from the start and even lets you have a snowball fight in the town of Jackson, I’ve always had a greater affinity for the winter section in the original. 

It’s the part that you play as a lonesome Ellie, and the harsh winter conditions work perfectly to emphasize the sense of desperate isolation that she feels. Granted, it’s not the most cheerful playthrough for this time of year, so I’ll just add that the snow is also really useful for tracking down that elusive deer.

Ghost of Tsushima

The island of Tsushima is well known for its vibrant color palettes with bright yellow ginkgo and red maple trees, so the pristine whites of the snow-covered highlands come as a surprisingly beautiful contrast. 

Grass, trees, and bushes are coated with some of the purest whites you could wish to see, creating a perfect canvas to highlight a flash of color or to make friends with an adorable fox.
That’s a wrap, so you should wrap up well and enjoy these lovely landscapes yourself on the Epic Games Store!