It’s the most wonderful time of the year! And that means it’s time to have some fun singing songs, baking cookies, and, of course, trimming the tree! Let’s get into the holiday spirit and start our decorating!

What Is It?

Cooperative – Players work together to decorate the Christmas tree

Tile Laying/Grid Coverage – Players must cover the whole tree to win. The same style of ornament can’t be too close to each other, so players must be strategic in their placements

“Events” – When players cover star spots on the board with ornaments they’ll draw a holiday spirit card. Some will affect the game board, but most are question cars or little challenge (i.e. hum a holiday tune) all themed for the holiday

Who Is It For?

  • 2 to 24 Players – It’s probably fine at any count, though I admit I did not have a group of 24 to try it with, haha! It’s a family-fun sort of activity, so player count is probably not the most important thing
  • Ages 6 and Up – Great for all ages; very simple gameplay, and you can choose to play open-handed to make it easier for younger players too
  • Fans of Christmas tree decorating theme, simple tile laying, and fun events like Q&As

PROS

  • Aesthetics – huge board, cute ornaments, looks great on the table once it’s all done
  • Components – Nice quality tiles, and an awesome star for the top of the tree!
  • Smooth gameplay / quick turns
  • Most of the holiday spirit cards are super cute things to get everyone around the table chatting a bit

CONS

  • There were a bunch of extra tiles, so there didn’t seem to be a way to lose, which doesn’t sound so bad, but it just made it feel a little less like a game to me without some bit of challenge
  • I thought it was a bit odd that a few of the holiday spirit cards affected the board (took ornaments off). Those definitely felt off from the vibe of the game, and it was sad to flip those instead of a fun one
  • No rulebook – I thought the rules being on the board itself, though short, were a little distracting

Final Thoughts

Overall, I thought this game was fine. I liked the look of it as you put the tree together, and of course the final product is great. In general, I could definitely see a family enjoying this experience together around the holidays.

For me, I just felt like this didn’t have much “game” to it, I saw it as more of just an activity to do while watching a holiday movie, or to entertain the kids for a bit. It makes sense, since it’s for a wide age-range, I just wanted it to have a smidge more challenge I guess. It’s definitely super cute, so it you are looking for a family friendly activity for the holiday, check it out!

Additional Information:
My Final Rating – 5/10

Designer – John Carimando
Artist – John Carimando
Publisher – Gamey LLC
MSRP – $40.00
Website

*I was provided a copy of this game to do this review*

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