12 Days

Re-gift the cards you dislike, win the day with your best present and aim for the end-game bonuses in a Christmas-song card game.

Designers: James Ernest, Mike Selinker
Published by: Calliope Games
Editions by: Cheapass Games, Gamesmith, LLC

12 Days turns the song Twelve Days of Christmas into a quick card game from 2011. The gift deck has eighty cards, from one partridge in a pear tree up to twelve drummers drumming, plus one card each for Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Everyone gets twelve cards, and each of the twelve rounds a holiday card from 1 to 12 is up for grabs, worth that many points. In a round, you pass a present face down to the player on your left, open the presents and try to win the day with your best gift, then buy a new gift to refill your hand. Bonus scoring at the end rewards careful planning. Cheerful, short and sneakily tactical.

Eighty cards from partridge to drummersTwelve rounds with holiday cards worth 1 to 12Pass, open and buy in each round

Who it's for

You want a short seasonal card game with secret bids that a group of three to five can play in one sitting.

Not for you if…

You are looking for a game to play in July or a deeper strategy experience. It is a short holiday game by design.

Vibe's take

Cheerful and quietly cunning. You pass the card you hoped nobody would notice, bid in secret, and enjoy the groan when the partridge ruins a round.