This is a gifted partnership / This post contains affiliate links
The Very Merry Christmas Game is the Family Game of Presents, Crackers, Christmas Songs… and Sprouts!
I’m hoping that I’m not the only one with fond memories of Christmasses gone by filled with the fun, laughter and competitiveness of family board games. One of the highlights of Christmas was pulling out the classic family board games and pitting yourself against family members. With each year a new game was added to the pile and it became a race to not only win but to figure out the rules before anyone else (as well as see if there was any leeway in them).
Family games night is something that I have continued with my own children. Mixing things up with traditional board games, computer gaming and the latest must-have family board games. This year, we have something a little special to enjoy over the festive season… The Very Merry Christmas Game.
The Very Merry Christmas Game
Move around the board collecting presents (present cards) to put in your stocking. Presents have a value depending on whether they’re nice… or naff.
Presents can also be given to other players – particularly the bad ones! You can take other players’ gifts off them and this is decided on the pull of a cracker.
All players’ presents are placed face down in the stocking so nobody knows what they’ve got but there are opportunities to take a sneaky look to find out which ones to get rid of and which ones to keep. Land on the singing space and you have to sing a verse from a Christmas song or carol to avoid losing one of your gifts!
Watch out for the two dreaded sprout cards as they could have a bad effect and make you lose out… The player with the best presents at the end of the game is the winner. All the joys of Christmas in this one box!
Contents:
- 42 Cracker Cards
- 32 Present Cards
- 4 Playing Pieces
- 2 Dice
- Game Board
- Party Hat
- Rules sheet
For 2 to 4 Players or Teams, Ages 8 to Adult
How to play The Very Merry Christmas Game
The object of the game is to be the player with the ‘best’ set of Present Cards in their stocking at the end of the game.
- To set up the game each player choose a coloured stocking and sits along the side of the board their stocking is situated. As well as placing their corresponding coloured playing piece (Santa) on their fireplace space (midway across each side).
- After shuffling the present cards and the cracker cards they are placed facedown in the middle of the board. Then each player takes two present cards and places them facedown on their stocking spaces (A & B).
- The player with a birthday closet to Christmas Day starts the game by rolling both dice and moving their piece (clockwise) the total number of spaces indicated bt the dice. The player on the left goes next and so on.
- Depending on which space they land on, will determine what action they need to do. For example, landing on the carol singers spaces will have them singing a few lines of their favourite Christmas song or carol. Whilst the present spaces will require a present card to be collected. They are able to look at this one and decide whether to their own Christmas stocking or one another player, once decided it is placed facedown on the relevant stocking space.
- The game finishes as soon as all the six places on all four stockings are full of present cards. It is then time to count up how many stars your presents have from your stocking to see who is the winner.
What we thought of The Very Merry Christmas Game
The Very Merry Christmas Game is aimed at ages 8+ so immediately you can see that it is going to be a little more brain taxing that your average family board game. And whilst it took us a little time to work out the rules and what we should be doing, I think the novelty factor of it being Christmas based helped us enjoy it. Tigger is at the younger end of the age range, so did need a little more assistance with the game, but so enough he got the hang of it.
There was a little family disagreement over who should start, as my birthday is December 29th and therefore 4 days from Christmas Day. Although it appears that because it is AFTER Christmas Day, I am in fact, the furthest away from Christmas Day.
It’s a fun game to play together, and a great way to use up the Christmas crackers if you opt to play with real crackers rather than flipping the card over. The singing aspect might not be to everyone’s taste but it’s all in the name of Christmas and having fun together.
Where can you buy The Very Merry Christmas Game?
The Very Merry Christmas Game is available to buy from Amazon, John Lewis and Debenhams.
No Comments