Light up the Town: A Cozy Holiday Treat That Warms the Heart
Have you been stressing out a bit too much lately? Are competitive games full of sweats getting you out of sorts? Maybe you watched The Grinch, heard Cindy Lou sing “Where Are You Christmas?” and felt the same way. Or perhaps your neighborhood just does not have enough twinkly lights yet to make the season feel real. If any of that hits home, I have the perfect game for you.
On December 7th, the cozy, casual holiday game Light Up The Town launched on Steam, inviting players into a wintery world focused entirely on spreading joy.
What Is It?
Light Up The Town is a warm and cozy holiday decorating game playable by all ages. You play as Bean, a young ferret living in the idyllic town of Bellflower, Colorado. Bean’s father is the local electrician and master of seasonal décor, but an injury keeps him from doing his annual duties. With the town’s winter festival just around the corner, he asks Bean to step in. She is hesitant, but the promise of finally earning that long-desired bike helps nudge her along. Plus, brightening the town and lifting everyone’s spirits becomes its own reward.
As Bean, you explore the town and decorate homes, streets, and interiors with festive lights, garland, wreaths, toys, pastries, and more. The moment-to-moment gameplay is as simple as aiming, clicking, and throwing. Decorations can be placed anywhere, and the game offers roughly seventeen environments to explore, each with a peaceful soundtrack that enhances its cozy atmosphere.
Gameplay
Light Up The Town starts with a short tutorial in an open area, introducing you to the basics. Your backpack stores different decoration types, which you can flip through using TAB. Lights, garlands, wreaths, pastries, toys, and more help transform Bellflower into the holiday postcard of your dreams. While you primarily decorate outdoor spaces, you will also visit interiors like apartments, living rooms, and hospital waiting rooms.
Placing decorations is simple. Select an item, aim your mouse, and click. A string of lights or a bundle of garland shoots out and lands exactly where you aimed. If something sticks in the wrong spot, tapping Z instantly removes it. Long strands of lights or garland can be placed as continuously as you like, and pressing X snips the cord when you reach the end of a surface. Pressing V temporarily hides your pack to give you a clearer view.
If you ever feel like you want to remove something after building for a while, simply hold X until your cursor becomes scissors and snip away any unwanted items.
The game features multiple camera styles. Cinematic view offers a fixed, dramatic angle. First person helps with precision placement. Third person gives you classic over-the-shoulder exploration. In first and third person, the mouse cursor disappears in favor of a crosshair, which makes selecting new items trickier. I found myself tapping Q often to switch views when I needed to change items.
There is no limit to how many decorations you can place. Whether you are carefully color-coordinating every strand or just goofing off and seeing what sticks, the game lets you express yourself freely.
As you decorate, you fill a spirit meter, which unlocks new areas. You can immediately move on or keep tweaking your masterpiece. I unlocked seventeen different locations throughout the game, each with its own atmosphere. Some are bright and snowy, while others take place at night, offering really beautiful contrasts once the lights go up.
Decorations are unlocked gradually. Some come from townsfolk, but many must be purchased with coins found throughout the level. Coins are tucked in bushes, sitting on rooftops, hiding behind cars, and more. Getting them requires some light platforming, which unfortunately is not the game’s strongest feature. The camera can fight you a bit, and climbing to grab every coin can get frustrating. While I appreciate the attempt at gamification and enjoyed the little story climax tied to it, I am sure many players would prefer immediate access to all decoration types. For now, it takes time to earn them.
Thankfully, you can revisit any location as often as you like, improving your creations or wiping everything clean to start fresh. I hope the developers eventually add a creative mode or an easier unlock path, because the decorating is just that fun.
This is not a game you rush. It is a slow simmer, perfect for sipping a warm drink while watching your town transform. My only regret is that it does not support co-op, because decorating together would be delightful.
Presentation
This game absolutely nails the exact feeling it aims for. I have not played a title that captures the holiday spirit this well since Fireworks Mania. From its lighting engine to its art style, it evokes that classic postcard look, mixing cozy Americana with warm, sparkling charm.
The freedom to place lights anywhere, without invisible templates or restrictions, helps every player build something unique. No two towns look alike. And tucked between the creativity is a sweet little story about kindness, courage, and perseverance.
There is not much dialogue, but every character is voice acted, which brings the world to life. Townsfolk greet you as you pass by and compliment your work. Pressing E lets you interact with them further.
The winter ambience is spot-on, featuring crisp wind, chimes, and twinkling effects for each decoration. Filling the spirit meter plays a cheerful sound that reinforces your growing holiday impact.
Music is also beautifully handled. Gentle renditions of Christmas classics appear at just the right moments, and they are spaced well to avoid repetition. And if you prefer your own playlist, you can simply lower the music volume and play your favorites in the background.
The lighting engine is remarkably impressive, offering countless touch points for decorations. I had fun stuffing entire rooms to the point where sunglasses felt necessary. The contrast between dark, quiet streets and your newly lit displays is wonderful. Some areas are stuck in daylight, and I would have loved an option to view them at night to compare before and after. A progress movie, similar to PowerWash Simulator, would also be amazing.
I did encounter a few small bugs. I clipped through a wall once, got stuck on furniture, had some odd camera behavior, and a few lights stopped shining until I reloaded the area. But every issue resolved with a quick map fast-travel, a save and reload, or at worst a restart.
Parental Advice
This game is made for everyone. It is easy to understand, positive, and free of anything stressful or scary. Younger players may need help collecting coins due to the light platforming, but the decorating itself is perfect for all ages. Co-op would be amazing if the developers ever add it, but even taking turns or watching someone else create is a joy. It encourages creativity and reinforces a wholesome message.
Final Thoughts
Light Up The Town is the perfect game to slide into the holiday spirit. It beautifully captures the feeling of a crisp winter day or night, where colorful lights and decorations warm the heart and calm the mind. The platforming and coin collection can feel like minor bumps in an otherwise relaxing experience, but the ability to revisit and enhance past creations softens that issue. If you want a cozy, uplifting game for December, this is absolutely the one.
Decorating for the holidays has never been this much fun. The perfect Christmas game for the season that lights up your heart, your home and the neighborhood!
Developer: Meadow Studios
Publisher: Meadow Studios
Available On: PC, Steam
Platform Reviewed: PC, Steam
ESRB: E for Everyone
MSRP: $14.99 (Launch Price $13.19)
