New Year’s Eve doesn’t have to be limited to champagne and confetti in the real world. Video games offer their own ways to celebrate, from dazzling fireworks to high-speed races and creative parties with friends. Sometimes, getting together virtually is the only way everyone can be together.
In Animal Crossing, you can ring in the new year with a sky full of fireworks over your island. Fortnite Creative lets you throw your own custom parties with friends, complete with music, games, and chaos. Mario Kart brings the celebration to the tracks, where fireworks light up the sky as you race across Rainbow Road as the clock towards the new year ticks down.
No matter your style, these games turn the countdown into an interactive, unforgettable experience that’s perfect for friends and families who can’t be together to ring in the new year.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
- Platform: Nintendo Switch
- Release Date: March 20, 2020
- Playercount: Up to 8 players online
- Cross-platform: No
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is one of the few games that fully commits to New Year’s Eve as an in-game event. On December 31, the plaza transforms with decorations, party favors, sparklers, and a real-time countdown that syncs with the player’s system clock. Isabelle and villagers gather in the square, music ramps up as midnight approaches, and fireworks cap off the celebration.
Because islands are persistent social spaces, players can invite friends over to experience the countdown together. Everyone can dress for the occasion, emote, exchange gifts, and wander the island after midnight. It feels less like a mini game and more like a shared holiday ritual, which is why it remains the gold standard for virtual New Year’s parties.
Mario Kart World
- Platform: Nintendo Switch 2
- Release Date: June 5, 2025
- Playercount: Up to 24 players online
- Cross-platform: No
We have Mario Kart World listed here, but nearly any Mario Kart game will work. The series is known for gorgeous tracks that feature stunning visual effects, many of which are fireworks that would fit in on any New Year’s Eve parade or celebration.
Hop online, hit up a few tracks, and if you’re up for it–setup a race along one of those courses that feature fireworks just as the countdown triggers. We’re talking Crown City or several iterations of Rainbow Road, among others.
Mario Kart World does offer custom lobbies that make it easy to connect with friends, but you can also tout Mario Kart out as part of any in-person New Year’s Eve party too!
Fortnite
Lunar New Year is just a different type of party!
- Platform: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch, mobile
- Release Date: July 25, 2017
- Playercount: Up to four players per squad, bigger lobbies in Fortnite Creative
- Cross-platform: Yes
While Epic Games has been known to feature fireworks in live battle royale lobbies near the end of the year, the real party kicks off in Fortnite Creative. Here you can find player-made game modes that let you play your own way–including custom trivia night mods, prop hunt, and party royale-like modes.
Of course, there is absolutely nothing wrong with hopping from the battle bus together as the remaining hours in the year grow fewer and fewer. WinterFest takes place in Fortnite around the end of December each year, giving the island a snowy backdrop as you fight for your life.
Call of Duty: Warzone
- Platform: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
- Release Date: March 10, 2020
- Playercount: Up to 4 in a squad
- Cross-platform: Yes
Warzone doesn’t have the flexibility of something like Fortnite Creative, but its high-octane action makes for some scenes that feel like a New Year’s Eve fireworks show. Blowing up helicopters out of the sky or sending trucks off the ground with explosives are little milestones on the way to battle royale victory.
Warzone has become more popular than traditional Call of Duty–and for good reason. Battle royale brings the survival element of war that no other Call of Duty has before. Doing so, with friends, at the end of the year is a blast.
Final Fantasy XIV
- Platform: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
- Release Date: August 27, 2013
- Cross-platform: Yes
Final Fantasy XIV excels at player-driven celebrations. Housing districts, Free Company estates, and public hubs often host New Year’s countdowns organized by the community. Players dress up, set off fireworks, and gather around stages while DJs stream music externally.
The game’s strength is how social it feels even without official events. Emotes, glamour, and roleplay-friendly systems allow players to turn the night into a true virtual party. It feels communal, intentional, and uniquely festive.
GTA Online
- Platform: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC
- Release Date: October 1, 2013
- Playercount: Up to 32 players per session
- Cross-platform: No
GTA Online offers endless locations for hosting a New Year’s party, from penthouses and yachts to nightclubs and rooftops. Fireworks launchers, champagne animations, and curated music help sell the celebration without much effort.
Private sessions make it easy to turn chaos into a controlled party environment. Friends can dress up, take screenshots, and roam Los Santos together at midnight, blending sandbox freedom with a party atmosphere.
Minecraft
- Platform: PlayStation, Xbox, PC, Nintendo Switch, mobile
- Release Date: May 17, 2009
- Playercount: Depends on server or Realm
- Cross-platform: Yes
Minecraft is a blank canvas for New Year’s parties. Players can build stages, countdown clocks, and massive firework rigs, then invite friends to explore and celebrate together. Redstone allows for surprisingly elaborate countdown mechanics.
Because it is player-driven, each party feels personal. Whether it is a cozy survival world or a creative server spectacle, Minecraft lets groups define what celebration looks like.
Roblox
- Platform: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC, mobile
- Release Date: September 1, 2006
- Cross-platform: Yes
Roblox thrives on social experiences, many of which are designed specifically for events. Player-creators and professionals regularly create countdown rooms, concert spaces, and dance clubs perfect for New Year’s Eve gatherings.
Its accessibility makes it easy to invite large groups, even casual players. Jumping between games keeps the party moving, while social hubs provide a place to gather at midnight.
Fall Guys
- Platform: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch, Mobile
- Release Date: August 4, 2020
- Playercount: Up to 4 players per squad
- Cross-platform: Yes
Fall Guys feels like a party game by design, with colorful characters and short, high-energy rounds. Friends can queue together and treat matches as playful chaos while chatting through the countdown. The lack of downtime makes it ideal for New Year’s Eve. It keeps energy high without demanding focus, letting players celebrate and laugh together.
Some minigames offer the perfect backdrop for a New Year’s Eve gathering, including Short Circuit and Hex-A-Terrestrial, complete with a night sky and bright lights to get you in the festive mood.
No Man’s Sky
- Platform: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
- Release Date: August 12, 2016
- Playercount: Four players per party
- Cross-platform: Yes
No Man’s Sky offers a surprisingly calm party atmosphere. The Nexus serves as a shared social hub, while player-built bases can become private celebration spaces complete with fireworks and emotes. The game works well for laid-back New Year’s parties. Players can explore, take group photos, and ring in the new year against alien skies.
Sea of Thieves
- Platform: Xbox Series X|S, PC
- Release Date: March 20, 2018
- Playercount: Up to 4 per crew
- Cross-platform: Yes
Sea of Thieves turns New Year’s Eve into a pirate celebration. Crews can sail together, play shanties, drink grog, and fire cannons into the sky at midnight. The trick shots people have been able to pull off by launching themselves out of cannons, across the sea, and onto other ships are nothing short of incredible. Drunken-madness induced incredible, though.
Sea of Thieves adventures are less about competition or loot and more about the shared memorable moments created. Even just sailing under the stars can make for a wonderful way to ring in the new year.
Deep Rock Galactic
- Platform: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
- Release Date: May 13, 2020
- Playercount: Up to 4 players
- Cross-platform: Partial
Deep Rock Galactic leans into rowdy celebration through its Space Rig hub. Players can dance, drink at the bar, and trigger music before or after missions, making it a natural gathering spot. Honestly, the Overwatch-like mining adventure is a blast, but sometimes you don’t even need to jump into the action to have a good time.
A New Year’s party here feels communal and silly. It is perfect for smaller groups that want something social without leaving co-op gameplay behind.
