Story walkthrough: five chapters
The story is five chapters about a vanished Santa. You clear a chapter by answering every letter that year before Christmas Eve. Use the chapter-clear achievements below as milestones, then plan the next gift line around the developer’s chapter schedule.
The store and the FAQ agree on the premise: Santa has vanished, and the chapters follow his clues. They do not print the clues. What they do print is the success test, which is the same every year: answer every letter by Christmas Eve. The developer says each clear unlocks something new for the next year. The FAQ does not name that something, except for the gifts that arrive on a schedule and the railway after the ending.
| Chapter | Chapter-clear achievement | Gift note | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Workshop Wakes | Candy canes | Steam achievements + Dev FAQ · 1 publisher |
| 2 | The Old Blueprints | Wooden toys arrive | Steam achievements + Dev FAQ · 1 publisher |
| 3 | Helpers & Letters | — | Steam achievements + Dev FAQ · 1 publisher |
| 4 | Plush Toys | Plush toys arrive | Steam achievements + Dev FAQ · 1 publisher |
| 5 | Every Letter Answered | Largest mailbag, per the achievement text | Steam achievements + Dev FAQ · 1 publisher |
Chapter 5 has a second achievement, Home for Christmas: “Fly the Great Flight and bring the sleigh home.” The FAQ does not describe the flight. I am not inventing a route for it. On 13 Nov 2026 the clear-chapter achievements sat between 25% and 30% globally, and Home for Christmas was 20%.
The Herd Comes Home is separate: “Open the year the reindeer return.” No chapter number is attached on the board.
Length, from the developer only: about 2 to 5 hours to the ending, depending on how long you decorate. One in-game year is about 25 minutes, or about 8 at 3×. After the ending the village continues. Pip can guide the opening steps; you can also start without Pip. See the beginner guide for the first year and creative mode if you want the village without chapter goals.
Questions
What if I miss the letters?
That chapter repeats next year with the same target. Your village and unlocks stay. There is no game over.
What happens after chapter 5?
The FAQ calls the later years Christmas Traditions. The letter target grows, the game records your best Christmas, and a railway unlocks.
Sources
- Developer FAQ on Steam — Pinned post by Cozy Gridworks, 13 Nov 2026
- Steam achievements — Official achievement names and global rates, 13 Nov 2026
- Steam store page — Public store listing, checked 13 Nov 2026
Checked 2026-11-13.