Music for Slow Decembers
not in the mood for Christmas carols? some of them are good and I love, but I just need magical background music. here are a few game soundtracks I come back to every winter...
Let’s be honest: not everyone wants to hear “Last Christmas” on loop in every supermarket and café from November onward. If you, like me, prefer a more introspective, ambient, or even nostalgic sonic backdrop for winter let me suggest something better: video game music.
Game soundtracks are deeply tied to memory. If you’ve played the game, that music stays with you like scent, it can be weirdly comforting. Here are three game soundtracks I turn to instead of traditional Christmas carols. Cosy, nostalgic and magical.
Shades of Gray: Kat Dahlia
Atlantis II (1999)
listen/download link
Ook, let's start with my fave, this one is pure meditation mode. Just for a moment, forget your generic “relaxing chakra music” playlists. Pierre Estève composed this soundtrack for Atlantis II, a point-and-click adventure game with mythical themes and surreal settings, which not many people seem to know. I honestly don't think I ever met a person who was as obsessed about it as me. NEVER 
Here are some good ones to start with:
Highlands Illumination Rainbow The Abode Of The Purple Deposit Tibet Xibalba
I love this cos it's ancient, organic, sometimes haunting... like you’re slowly walking through a dream where everything is made of light and stone. And grass, and snow. There are many locations you need to finish in the game, so the music tries (and SUCCEEDS) to translate that to so many textural soundscapes. I revisit it every winter when I need something immersive but not distracting, but it's kinda a daily choice also.
Put on some headphones, light a candle, stare out the window. Trust me.
Seeds: Kat Dahlia
The Sims 1 (2000)
listen/download link
Legendary is an understatement. The Sims 1 soundtrack, especially the Build Mode and Buy Mode music, is iconic for a reason. Composed mainly by Jerry Martin, with contributions from jazz saxophonist Marc Russo and pianist John R. Burr, it’s basically new-age jazz piano perfection. Bossa nova, I think that's the word.
If you grew up with The Sims, you probably don’t realize how much this music shaped your idea of what calm and focus sound like. It’s melodic, emotional, clean — and just strange enough to feel otherworldly. I put it on during gift-wrapping, deep cleaning, or cooking... when I want to feel like I’m designing and enjoying the life.
Bonus: I also found a nice remix longtape of TS1 music, you can buy it here for $2 or more, really worth it!
My Garden: Kat Dahlia
The Watchmaker (2001)
listen/download link
I saved only 4 songs from this, but this one’s more personal. I played The Watchmaker (or Zegarmistrz, as I knew it in the Polish version) as a teenager, and I’ve never forgotten the eerie soundtrack. It’s atmospheric in a very ‘early 2000s European adventure game’ kind of way, definitely mysterious and dark.
The game itself was a puzzle-filled investigation in a strange mansion, occassional time-manipulation themes and a gothic edge. The music felt like cold air in a dark hallway. I haven’t got to know anyone who played it, so it's a gem!
There's something about computer games soundtrack that feels magical and is good for background music. I'm sure I could give some more recommendations, but these first came to my mind. Give me a year to come with a fresh list!
