Overflow Santa – Festive Homebrew Arcade Game by the A/W/A Team

Overflow Santa is a holiday-themed homebrew game developed by The A/W/A Team, consisting of Eric Anschuetz, Robert Anschuetz, and John Weisgerber.

The game is a Christmas retheming of their earlier title, Overflow, and reflects both the team’s shared history and their continued involvement in retro game development decades after their original work.

The original Overflow first appeared as a type-in game published in the July 1985 issue of Antic magazine, a well-known publication associated with Atari computer programming and gaming. Created during the developers’ childhood years, the game was revisited nearly 40 years later, with the authors reuniting to update it using Assembly language. This modernized version of Overflow became part of the A/W/A Anthology, a collection of 14 games available through the AtariAge store.

Overflow Santa builds upon the updated version by introducing a festive Christmas theme. Players take on the role of Santa Claus, who throws snowballs to prevent toys from spilling off moving conveyor belts. The core gameplay remains true to the original design, focusing on timing, positioning, and increasing difficulty. The game begins at a manageable pace but steadily becomes more frantic, demanding faster reactions and sharper coordination as the action intensifies.

Scoring is based on successful prevention of toy overflow, encouraging repeated play and skill improvement. During testing, a reported high score reached 6,000 points, highlighting the game’s arcade-style challenge and replay value. The escalating difficulty curve makes Overflow Santa accessible to newcomers while still offering depth for experienced players.

Overflow Santa stands as a clear example of how classic game concepts can be respectfully modernized while retaining their original charm. It also serves as a celebration of retro development culture, combining historical roots, modern assembly updates, and seasonal creativity into a cohesive homebrew release that appeals to collectors and retro gaming enthusiasts alike.

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