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A Christmas Wisp
About
A Christmas Wisp is a 2D endless runner inspired by The Running Dinosaur Game (2014). Players eliminate as many pesky elves as possible while dodging incoming obstacles. Each elf taken down adds to the overall score, but the longer the player survives, the faster the game becomes!
Project Info
Role(s): Game Developer
Team Size: 1
Timeline: 01 Jan 2021 - 04 Jan 2021
Engine: Unity (C#)
Tags: 2D, Arcade, Christmas, Elf, Endless-Runner
Updated: Mar, 2026
A Christmas Wisp was developed in four days as part of the 12 Devs of X-Mas Game Jam 2020, which had the theme Christmas Villains. The project came shortly after I graduated from my undergraduate degree at Southampton Solent University and included developers from my cohort.
In the game, players control a wisp using the mouse in an endless runner-style experience. The goal is to collide with as many elves as possible while avoiding obstacles that can damage the player. As the game progresses, the speed gradually increases, meaning the player’s defeat eventually becomes inevitable.
The game features two modes. The first is Classic X-Mas Mode, where players try to keep the elf population under control in a more balanced experience. The second is an Elfin' Catastrophe Mode, where the gloves are off, and chaos takes over. This mode spawns far more elves than usual and quickly becomes frantic. It ended up being my personal favourite of the two modes for obvious reasons. The game was later published on itch.io and submitted to the jam.
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As the solo Game Developer, I programmed the player controls, parallax background effect, scoring mechanics, and elf spawning behaviour. I also designed and implemented the two game modes, one focused on a more balanced gameplay experience and the other embracing the chaotic nature of the endless runner. Lastly, I created the 2D artwork in Photoshop, including the wisp, elves, trees, and background elements.
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Working on an endless runner taught me a lot from a technical perspective. I learned how to create a seamless parallax background by looping the artwork and how to gradually increase variables, like player speed, over time to ramp up the challenge. In this way, the project was a really valuable learning experience from a development standpoint.
While I think the core idea worked well and fit the theme, I would have liked more time to improve the visual presentation. I was not entirely satisfied with how the art came together, and the lack of animation and more detailed sound design meant the final result felt a little rough around the edges.
Even so, it was another project that I was able to take from concept to completion, and it played an important role in helping me build confidence with rapid development and experimentation.