A Christmas party card game
A Christmas party card gamePart truth-or-dare,
part karaoke,
all heart.
The Christmas party game that makes everyone feel a little closer.
Connect at the Christmas table and create a new tradition this year.
3-10
players
8+
ages
1 min
to learn
15-70
minutes
How to play
Three steps, then the tree
One of you guesses. The rest perform
The performers pick a Truth or a Carol and do it together, while the guesser watches.
Do it in the style on the Challenge
As reindeer. As mall Santas. As if the tree just caught fire. The guesser cannot see this card.
Watch out for the Chaos
Chaos cards come out of the same deck and stay in play. Forget one, get caught, and an ornament comes off the tree.
Twenty-four days later
Twelve ornaments and you all get the star.
Every correct guess hangs one. Every forgotten Chaos rule knocks one off. Get to twelve by Christmas Day and the whole table sings one carol together and puts the star on top. Fall short and there is no star.
Nobody is scored and nobody is ranked. There is one tree and it is everybody’s.
Go on then
Truth, or Carol?
Pick one. These are real cards from the real deck.
Tap a card
The real magic of Christmas is what we give to each other.
Nobody is scored here. You all get the same tree.
Guess right, hang an ornament
One person guesses while everybody else performs. Get it and the tree grows. Miss it and nothing happens at all: you never lose anything for trying.
Break a rule, lose one
Chaos cards stick around all game. Forget one, get caught, and an ornament falls to the foot of the tree. It stays there, with the story of how it got there.
Twelve by Christmas Day
Reach twelve and you all sing one carol together and put the star on top. Finish short and there is no star. You clear the bar together or you do not.
Voices by the tree
What people are saying
“This would be the perfect game to play with both sides of the family at Christmas!”
I really liked playing the game. It was stupid but fun!
I know multiple people I want to gift this to.
I still can't believe I did that! But admittedly it was fun.
Free · live now
Demo the game now
Demo a digital version of the game that you can use in-person with your group. See how it works now.
Works on any device and just takes a minute to learn.
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Launch updates, playtest invites, and the occasional festive surprise.
Straight from the North Pole
Frequently Answered by the Elves
How many players can play?
Three to ten. At four and up there are two guessers working together; at three there is just one, and both other players answer. A big group makes the singing better, because everyone sings at once rather than taking turns.
Do you have to be able to sing or know the words?
Nope, and you are not doing it alone. On a Carol turn everybody sings at the same time, which is excellent cover. This game is not about skill: you can be Beyonce or you can be a rabid raccoon, enthusiasm beats pitch every time. There is a QR code with links to lyrics and recordings, and it is only one verse.
Do people vote on whether someone did their turn well?
No, this isn't that kind of game. Nobody is judged on their performance. The only thing anyone decides is whether the guesser got close enough to the Challenge card, and the table works that out together. A struggling group naturally gets generous and a cruising group gets strict, which is exactly how it should go.
Who wins?
Nobody is scored and nobody is ranked. You are all on the same side, decorating one Christmas tree over twenty-four days, and that tree is the only result there is. Get twelve ornaments on it and you have all earned the star. Finish short and there is no star: that part you either manage together or you don't.
What happens if we forget a rule?
An ornament falls off the tree, and that is meant to be funny rather than punishing. Chaos cards stay in play once they appear, up to three at a time, and any player can call out any other player at any moment. The broken ornament lands at the foot of the tree and keeps the story of what knocked it off.
Is it family-friendly?
Yup. Designed for exactly the mix of people who show up at Christmas.
How long does a game last?
You decide before you start. A Quick Christmas moves four days a round and takes about fifteen minutes; The Longest Christmas plays all twenty-four days and takes about seventy. Two in between. Whichever you pick you are after the same twelve ornaments, because a shorter Christmas pays more of them per correct guess.
Can I preview the gameplay somehow?
Yep! The digital demo is free to play at truthorcarol.com/play. You don't have to download anything or create an account. Open it on your phone or laptop and send all the other players to the same place, and tell them to join your game with a code you get. If you want to play it with other players using the digital game, you can do that, and if you just want to try it out and learn to play, you can do that too.
Is the game available to order?
Working on it! Join our email list for updates.
What languages will you launch it in?
English and German are most likely to be the first languages. Tell me if you're interested in having the game in another language!