If you’d told anyone in 2015 that Neck Deep’s breakup anthem ‘December’ would somehow become the alternative scene’s official Christmas song, they probably would’ve laughed. Yet here we are a whole decade later, and not only is the track bigger than it’s ever been, but the band have marked its tenth birthday by releasing a fully playable 8-bit video game. Yes, really — you can hop straight into pixelated heartbreak mode right now at december.neckdeepuk.com and lose a few hours pretending you’re escaping winter sadness one level at a time.
The game arrives at the perfect moment because ‘December’ is having a massive seasonal spike. On December 1st alone the song clocked its biggest streaming day of all time, pulling in 540.8k plays across all three versions. Over on TikTok it’s flying too, hitting 48k creations in a single day as everyone jumps on the yearly tradition of soundtracking frozen windows, night bus journeys and emotional damage with the world’s chilliest pop-punk anthem. Even BLACKPINK’s Rosé gave the song her seal of approval with a fan-favourite cover back in 2022, which still resurfaces every winter like some kind of wholesome seasonal ritual.
And because ten years of ‘December’ also means ten years of Life’s Not Out To Get You, Neck Deep are seeing out 2025 with a full UK anniversary tour for the record. It’s wild to think how far they’ve come since writing songs in the Barlow brothers’ spare room in Wrexham. What started as a teenage passion project has turned into one of the biggest British pop-punk success stories of the last decade, with top 5 albums on both sides of the Atlantic, global touring, a billion streams and a fanbase that somehow grows every single year.
The tour is a proper celebration too, with two huge hometown nights in Wrexham before rolling through Leeds, Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham and finishing at London’s O2 Academy Brixton. Boston Manor and Anxious are along for the ride, which basically makes this the best end-of-year pop-punk party you could ask for.
And if you’re feeling extra nostalgic, the band even dropped new embeds of both iconic guest versions: ‘December’ with Chris Carrabba and ‘December (Again)’ with Mark Hoppus, ready to ruin your feelings all over again.
Ten years on, ‘December’ is still the song that sneaks up every winter and hits a little too close to home. Turning it into a retro video game might be the most Neck Deep thing they’ve ever done, and honestly, we’re completely here for it. Go play it, get emotional, and then go buy tickets — because this anniversary run is going to be massive.
