It's the most wonderful time of the year! If you're twiddling your thumbs waiting for Santa Claus, we've rounded up some of the best Christmas games to play on Android and iOS.

Whether it's running a festive farm, decorating a home, or baking yule logs, these Christmas-themed mobile games for Android and iOS are sure to keep you in the festive spirit. So don your most garish jumper, hang up your stocking, and dive in to the fun.

If you have kids, they might leave cookies out for Santa on Christmas Eve. Until then, play this excellent matching game. In Christmas Cookie, you swipe and tap to line up cookies so that they match or combine. You'll earn power-ups as you go, with the aim being to clear the board as quickly as possible.

If you've already mastered Candy Crush Saga, you should know what to expect here. With over 2,500 levels, and special events and challenges along the way, there's enough in this match game to keep you well occupied until the new year.

Download: Christmas Cookie for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)

2. Farm Snow

farm snow on android

This game lets you visit Santa Claus on his North Pole farm and build snowmen, make gifts, and tend to magical animals. You'll need to build toy factories and harvest trees if you want your farm to be ready in time for the big day.

Mechanically, Farm Snow is a city builder game, meaning you need to tap to build and collect things. Having to wait for the tasks to complete in real time can be a drag, but the added Christmas charm should help.

Download: Farm Snow for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)

3. Christmas Solitaire

Sure, you can play normal solitaire on your smartphone, but it's not holiday-themed. At this time of year, you want Christmas Solitaire instead. You need to stack the cards in order, drawing from the deck at the right moment. There are power-ups to aid you if necessary, offering increased odds of matches or card highlighting to show valid moves.

Of course, this is Christmas-themed, so each level is set against a cheerful holiday backdrop—and since there are 100 levels, that's a lot of festive fun.

Download: Christmas Solitaire for Android (Free, in-app purchases available)

4. Christmas Stories: The Gift of the Magi

Delve into a mysterious winter tale with this adventure from Big Fish. Your sister gets placed on the naughty list and is whisked away by an evil spirit. It's up to you to get her back in time for Christmas.

This is mainly a hidden object game, with wonderfully detailed and colorful imagery, but it's wrapped around an intriguing story and has enjoyable mini-games along the way too. Plus, there are collectibles and achievements to earn.

Download: Christmas Stories: The Gift of the Magi for Android | iOS (Free, premium version available)

5. Christmas Jigsaw Puzzles

For many, jigsaw puzzles are a relaxing way to pass the time, especially over the holiday season. But the problem with jigsaws is that you need a lot of space—something that the Christmas Jigsaw Puzzles app solves.

This game offers a large selection of festive puzzles to keep you occupied, and you can increase the difficulty by choosing how many pieces each puzzle has. You can also adjust options like whether pieces automatically snap into place.

Plus, it offers more than just traditional jigsaws. There are also switch, slider, and rotation puzzles using the same seasonal imagery. It tracks your best score across all of these, perfect for challenging friends and family.

Download: Christmas Jigsaw Puzzles for Android (Free, premium version available)

6. Delicious - Christmas Carol

One of the greatest things about Christmas is all the food. But if you've eaten too much turkey, you can still get your fix in the digital world. Take control of Emily as she runs her diners across 61 story levels and 30 challenge levels.

Customers will come to request their orders and it's your job to whip them up, serve them, and collect payment. Be sure to be prompt, or else you'll have unhappy customers. With delightful music and charm, this restaurant management game is a joy to play.

Download: Delicious - Christmas Carol for Android | iOS (Free, premium version available)

7. Christmas Games: Toy Party

Christmas Games Toy Party selecting a game

Toy Party is a great Christmas app for children and will be sure to keep them out of your hair for a while. There are nine games on offer. As kids play, they earn stars which they cash in for virtual toys to decorate a festive room. The games include puzzles, mazes, dominoes, and more.

The difficulty is adjustable and there are over 300 levels to play across all the games. With an easy interface, charming music, and a fun festive feel, children are sure to love this one.

Download: Christmas Games: Toy Party for Android (Free, premium version available) | iOS ($3.99)

Keep Your Kids Entertained This Christmas

Hopefully, you've found a Christmas-themed mobile game on this list that takes your fancy and keeps you (or your offspring) occupied until Santa Claus pops his head down the chimney. Of course, these games aren't just for Christmas. You can enjoy them all year round, just to get that seasonal magic whenever you want.