How to play · Presents Requested
Learn to Play
Prefer to learn by watching? Start with this quick overview of the roles, rounds, and how the kids in Santa’s workshop are secretly trying to make or break Christmas.
Download Printable Rules
Print the PDF
The PDF includes setup, role reference, round structure, and examples. This page gives you a quick overview; the PDF contains the full rulebook.
How the Game Works (Quick Overview)
You’re all kids in Santa’s workshop. Nice Kids are trying to help the elves finish toys and earn Present Points, while Naughty Kids secretly break toys and manipulate the vote. In some games there’s also an Elf Kid with a personal Present Point goal.
This is a quick overview to get you playing; use it alongside the video and rulebook PDF for full details.
1. Setup
Get the workshop ready
• Place the board in the center and use the Setup Chart to set the Countdown and role tokens (Nice, Naughty, Elf) on the Present Point track.
Deal roles
• Shuffle the Naughty/Nice role cards and deal 1 facedown card to each player. Peek at your own role but keep it secret.
Give starting cards
• Deal each player 4 Bits ’n Bobs cards and 1 Event card.
• Shuffle the Toys and lay out the starting row under the board, with the Toy deck and Bits ’n Bobs deck (and discard piles) nearby.
Choose a Leader
• Pick one player to take the Leader’s Checklist and guide the round.
2. Roles
Nice Kids
• Want toys to be built, not broken, and push the Present Point marker toward the Nice side.
• Watch how people play and try to send Naughty and Elf Kids to Timeout.
Naughty Kids
• Secretly aim to break toys and pull the score toward the Naughty side.
• Bluff, mislead, and avoid being voted into Timeout.
Elf Kid (in some games)
• Scores points like a Nice Kid but is chasing a personal Elf Goal on the Present Point track.
• If the Elf reaches that goal space before the game ends, they win immediately.
3. Rounds & Winning
During each round
• The Leader seeds each Toy with 1 face-down Bits ’n Bobs card from the deck.
• In turn order, each player adds 1 card face down to any Toy, then may discard and draw back up to 4 cards. You can’t say exactly what you’re playing.
• Toy by toy, the Leader reveals the cards, marks matching icons as built or broken, and moves the team markers. If a Toy is both built and broken, it counts as broken.
Timeout vote
• Players discuss for up to 90 seconds, then point and vote at the same time.
• A simple majority sends that kid to Timeout. They reveal their role and move their hat token to Timeout; everyone else gains an Event card. If the Elf is sent out, move their goal marker farther away.
How the game ends
• The game can end when the Countdown reaches Christmas, when one side wins by Timeout, or when the Elf Kid reaches their goal space.
• The rulebook adds full scoring details and optional Stocking Stuffer missions for extra secret objectives.