Wicked Christmas
Wicked Christmas Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
The game contains 128 cards:
- 108 Number Cards
- 14 Blast Cards
- 6 Mischief Cards
Objective
In this game, your goal is to outlast the holiday chaos, strategically eliminating your gifts to end with the lowest score.
Setup
3-6 Players
Each player takes 20 cards face-down, without peeking. Cards don't need to be shuffled; simply make a large pile on the table and grab your cards.
Unused Cards
Any remaining cards are set aside as a Draw Pile to use when needed.
Arrange Your Cards
From the 20 cards, create three face-down stacks of 3 cards each. Do not look at your cards while making these stacks. Then, flip over the top card of each stack.
Arrange the remaining 11 cards in your hand in numerical order to make play easier.
Gameplay
Who Goes First?
It doesn't really matter who starts, but for a festive twist, try one of these:
- The person most likely to re-gift a present
- Hardest person to shop for
- Whoever has the best holiday disaster story
Gameplay Order
The game proceeds clockwise, starting with the first player.
Starting Play
The starting player may play any card, or as many matching cards as they have, from their hand and/or from their stacks to start the Gift Pile.
For example, they could play a single '5' from their hand, or three '7's if they have one in their hand and two in their stacks.
Following Play
The next player must play a card (or cards) of the same value as the previous play or any lower value onto the Gift Pile.
If a player plays a higher card than the previous play, they must pick up the Gift Pile, add it to their hand, and their turn ends.
If the Gift Pile was taken, the next player starts a new pile by playing any card.
Face-Down Cards
Each face-down card must be played blindly once the face-up card on top has been played.
When a face-down card is played, the player may also play any matching cards from their hand.
Creating a Blast
When 4 or more cards of the same value are played consecutively by one or more players, this creates a "Blast." All the cards are then removed to the Discard Pile.
Blast Cards
These can be played on any turn to clear the Gift Pile, giving the player an extra turn to start a new pile with any card(s) of their choice.
Mischief Cards
These can be played on any turn to introduce a mischievous twist, disrupting opponents' strategies and adding a new layer of strategy to your gameplay.
Card text as printed on the Mischief Cards (the sheet itself gives no separate list):
- Fruit Cake! - Everyone else takes a card from the Draw Pile and adds it to their hand. Place in Discard Pile after playing.
- Lump of Coal! - Player to the left takes two cards from the Draw Pile before their turn. Place in Discard Pile after playing.
Ending Play
Play continues until one player discards all their cards and goes out.
When a player goes out, the remaining players add up their points, counting all cards left in their hand and in any face-up or face-down piles.
The game ends once a player reaches the predetermined point threshold (300, 400, or 500 points).
The player with the lowest total score at the end of the game wins.
Scoring
- Gift Cards: Add up by their numerical values
- Blast Cards: 50 points each
- Mischief Cards: 25 points each
Strategy Tips
- 1's & 2's: Valuable cards to avoid taking the pile. Don't discard them carelessly!
- Blast Cards: Avoid holding onto these until the end. Keep an eye on your opponents' card counts!
- Intentional Pile Take: Sometimes taking the pile on purpose can help you create a 4-card "Blast"!