Every December, Linden Lab rolls out its annual Winter Wonderland, and every December, I tell myself, “Cait, you’ve seen it all. It’s the same as last year… and the year before that… and the one before that…”
And every December I arrive, blinking at the snow-glare like a confused reindeer, and immediately forget all of that because THE MOLES HAVE DONE IT AGAIN.
Yes, the four-region extravaganza is back, the village, the sled ride, the snowball arena, and the ice-skating rink, all shining with the kind of frosty charm that whispers: “You will slip. You will fall. You will still take a photo.”
❄️ The Great Snowflake Horror, I Mean, Hunt
Let’s start with the annual Snowflake Hunt, which is 100% optional and 200% compulsory once you pick up the shiny HUD at the landing point. Suddenly, you’re no longer a casual visitor; no, you’re on a mission.
These snowflakes appear randomly across all four regions, like glittery landmines of joy. I ran around for an hour, chasing sparkles like a deranged magpie, and managed to collect the full 200 snowflakes required to claim all the prizes.
And the prizes? Boopies!
Soft, adorable, proudly useless plushies with no purpose other than to hug, drag along as a pet or to sit in your home looking smug and cute. They make cute ‘boop’ noises, hence their name, I suppose. The folder even includes a special display shelf, because naturally one must curate one’s boopies.
❄️ Blood Sport on Ice: The Snowball Arena
Next up: the Snowball Arena, where you can launch frozen projectiles at your friends, your enemies, or strangers who looked at you funny. There’s even Capture the Flag, in case you want to feel sporty while wearing a puffer jacket the size of a baby elephant.
Sadly, I missed the annual Lindens vs. Residents Snowball Fight, where the community gets a rare opportunity to pelt a Linden in the face. Next year, my friends. Next year.
❄️ High-Speed Sledding (Insurance Not Included)
The sled ride remains a classic: fast, fun, and just dangerous enough to remind you that your avatar is, in fact, not insured. If you don’t crash into at least three rocks and one innocent passer-by, did you even go?
❄️ Ice Skating & Other Graceful Lies
The skating rink is gorgeous as always. I personally skate like a drunk penguin with performance anxiety, but the ambience is lovely.
❄️ A Note on Cuisine
I grabbed a corndog. It was free. It was… a corndog. Let’s leave it at that.
❄️ Same Every Year, And Still Perfect
The Winter Wonderland builds barely change from year to year, which is why I added three videos I made in previous seasons to this blog post.
But you know? That’s part of the charm. It’s a tradition. A frozen, sparkly, slightly chaotic tradition that keeps Second Life festive and fun.
If you want a place to explore, take photos, collect ridiculous plushies, fling snowballs, ride a sled, or simply hang out while eating questionable free food, Winter Wonderland 2025 is your destination.
Bundle up, grab the HUD, and may your snowflakes be shiny and plentiful!
