About Santa on Fire

Santa on Fire - A Mobile Exclusive

A Chimney Stuffed Full of Santa.

Introduction: Simplistic Holiday Cheer

Santa on Fire is an app available for download on the Google Play and Apple Stores. Play as Santa, trying to deliver presents to a little boy on Christmas Eve. However, this little boy doesn't realize that the chimney and its fire is actually dangerous to Santa. Help Santa survive by scrambling out of the chimney before he gets lit on fire.

Concept: A Christmas-y Time-Killer

There isn't much to this game. It's really as basic as it sounds. You click on the screen to help Santa hoist himself up a dark chimney while hot flames lick up behind him.

The concept itself isn't bad, but it is elementary. Saving Santa during Christmas is a classic tale that children and children at heart have seen countless times. This average, 3/5 concept falls short in its execution, as we'll discuss in a second.

Graphics and Audio: Boring

The art in Santa on Fire is cute, but it's not enough. You unlock outfits and new characters, but they are essentially just skins for you to apply. These are all holiday-themed, from Santa's reindeer to a snowman. There are some non-holiday ones like a black cat, as well.

This is pretty much the extent of the art. The fire, Santa, and the chimney are the focal points, and they're average at 3/5. They're some swell chibis, but simply not enough to carry an actual game.

Gameplay: The Same Ole Story Over and Over

This is where Santa on Fire starts its meltdown. There are two steps to each level. The first click causes Santa to leap forcefully up through the chimney, away from the flames chasing him. The second click catches him. Rinse and repeat until you escape.

However, the levels don't necessarily get progressively more difficult. They're just kind of there for you to move through. There are high scores and a leaderboard, but virtually nobody has played this game, so you're basically beating yourself. There isn't much fun in a competition against yourself, and there's even less fun in that when there's no difficulty to a game.

It's hard to enjoy a game that's the same thing over and over. The repetition and lack of real progression earn this game a 1/5. It might be fun for a few minutes, but you're best off spending this space on your mobile device on something with more bang for your buck-- even if this game's free.

Conclusion: Spend Your Precious Space Elsewhere

Honestly, I can't recommend this "game." It's the same repetitive level over and over again, even if the numbers change. There isn't any added challenge that I could find. While cute, the skins don't make me want to spend additional time trying to unlock them. I guess if I had absolutely no other holiday games, this must suffice.

But in 2020, with all of the free choices available, my advice is to steer clear of Santa on Fire and find something less simple.