To build a snowman on your Mac desktop, install Wonderfall, choose Snow and turn on Snow accumulation so snow piles up along the bottom of the screen. Then choose Play in the snow in the menu bar: drag along the snow to roll a snowball, stack three balls into a snowman, or flick a ball up to throw it. Your wallpaper and windows stay as they are.
Falling snow is nice to look at. Snow you can play with is better. Wonderfall 1.3 turns the snow bank at the bottom of your screen into something you can scoop up, roll and build with, and lets snow settle on top of your open windows too. This guide covers how to start, how to build a snowman that stands, and how to clean up afterwards.
How to make snow pile up on your Mac screen
- Install Wonderfall from the Mac App Store and choose Snow in the Season menu.
- Open Settings and, under More effects, turn on Snow accumulation. The weather area switches to Full screen, and snow starts to settle along the bottom of the display.
- Wait a minute. The more it snows, the deeper the bank gets. A higher intensity fills it faster.
- Choose Play in the snow in the menu bar. A short tutorial shows the three moves the first time. Press Esc or choose Stop playing when you are done.
How to roll a snowball
Press on the snow and drag sideways along the bank. The ball picks up snow as it rolls and grows, and the bank gets thinner where it passed. Release to leave the ball where it is.
How to build a snowman
A snowman is three balls stacked from largest to smallest. Roll a big ball for the base, a medium one for the body and a small one for the head, then drop each ball onto a bigger one. When the third ball lands, the snowman gets a beanie and a scarf in a random color and waves hello.
A few things to know:
- Carry the base gently. Shake it too hard and the head falls off.
- You can keep up to three snowmen on the screen at once.
- A finished snowman can take a hit: the first snowball knocks its hat off, the next one rocks it, and after that it starts to fall apart. Drop the hat back on its owner to put it on again.
How to throw a snowball
Grab a ball and flick it up quickly, then let go. A slow release just drops it. Snowballs splat against the screen and the edges of your windows, and a good throw will knock a snowman over.
Snow that settles on your windows
With Snow accumulation on, Full screen and the Over windows layer, snow also gathers on the top edges of your open windows and moves with them. Drag a window and the snow slides off. Wonderfall reads only the position of windows for this, so it does not need screen recording permission. Leaf piles and petal piles settle on windows the same way, and rain splashes on their edges.
How to clear the snow
Choose Shovel in the menu and drag across the bank to dig it out by hand, or choose Clear all snow and a little snowplow drives across the screen and clears it for you. In autumn the same command for leaves sends out a leaf sweeper.
Common questions
Which version do I need?
Snow play, snow on windows and the snowplow arrive in Wonderfall 1.3. Snow accumulation and the shovel are available from 1.2.
Why don’t I see Play in the snow in the menu?
It appears only when Snow accumulation is on, the weather area is Full screen and the Mac supports Wonderfall’s Metal renderer. On a Mac without Metal the snow still falls, but the snow bank and the play mode are hidden.
Will the snowman get in the way of my work?
No. Outside play mode, clicks pass through the snow to whatever is underneath. You can also keep the snow bank behind your windows with the Desktop only layer.
Can I add Christmas lights too?
Yes. Lights and snow are independent. Here is how to hang lights along the menu bar.
