The Nightmare Before Christmas: Take Over the Holidays! Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Objective
• Components
• Set-up
• Game Overview
• Playing a Round
• At the End of Each Round
• End of the Game
• Character Descriptions
  • Jack Skellington (Christmas - Advanced)
  • Santa Claus (Christmas - Basic)
  • The Mayor (Neutral - Basic)
  • Dr. Finkelstein (Halloween - Advanced)
  • Oogie Boogie (Halloween - Basic)
  • Sally (Neutral - Advanced)

Objective

Collect as many Holiday tokens as possible to earn points. At the end of the 4th round, the winner is the player with the most points.

Note: Depending on the Character you are playing, Holiday tokens have different values as seen on the Character mats.

Components

• 6 Character mats
• 126 Character cards
• 1 Middle Location card
• 12 Location cards
• 2 Oogie Boogie dice
• 1 Pumpkin Round tracker meeple
• 1 Zero First Player tracker
• 108 (1-point) double sided Holiday tokens
• 16 (5-point) double sided Holiday tokens
• 12 (10-point) double sided Holiday tokens
• 1 The Mayor's Mood token (double sided)
• 1 Jack's Research Tracker token
• Dr. Finkelstein's Experiment cards (6)

Set-up

1. Each player selects a Character to play, and then takes their corresponding Character mat and Character card deck. Shuffle the cards, then place the deck face down below the Character mat. Some Characters start with additional items:
   • Oogie Boogie has two dice.
   • The Mayor has a Mood token (which starts the game with the Joy side visible).
   • Jack Skellington has a Research Tracker token (which begins on the Start space of his character mat).
   • Dr. Finkelstein: shuffle the Experiment cards and split them into 2 stacks of 3 cards each. Place both stacks face-up next to each other, under the "Experiments" spot of his mat.
2. Place the Middle Location card in the centre of the table between all players, then place the Pumpkin meeple directly onto the 1st Round section of the Middle Location card. The Pumpkin meeple will be used to track the rounds during the game.
3. Shuffle the Location cards. Place 1 on the Middle Location card and 1 between each Character mat. Set the remaining Location cards aside; they will be used during future rounds.
4. Place the required number of Christmas and Halloween Holiday tokens directly on to each Location card. The number needed for each round is indicated on the Location cards. Notice that the number of tokens for each Location changes depending on which round is being played. For the Middle Location card, always place the number of tokens that are required for the 4th round.
   • Example: If Hinterlands is at the Middle Location, then for the 1st round, players need to place 3 Halloween Holiday tokens and 3 Christmas Holiday tokens onto this Location card, to meet the Round 4 token requirements.
   • Note: Place the 1-point Holiday tokens on to the Location cards. Players can choose to exchange these later for 5 and 10 point tokens once they have collected the required amount.
5. Randomly select the starting player. In following rounds, players will take turns being the starting player in a clockwise direction. The starting player takes the Zero First Player tracker and will pass it along to the next starting player at the end of the round.

Game Overview

Each player takes the role of a different Character, and whilst each Character will require a unique strategy to win, they all have the following:

• A Character mat explaining their specific abilities and the value of the Holiday tokens they collect.
• A total of 20 cards (with the exception of Dr. Finkelstein who has 26 cards). Each card has a number from 1-10 representing its strength and some also have effects. Cards that include a (+ #) or (- #) will modify the strength of that card if the conditions indicated on the card are met. Cards show their strength (1 to 10); a modified strength applies if the conditions on the card are completed at the end of the round.

Note: In a two player game, we advise that you do not use the neutral Characters.

Over 4 rounds, players will vie for control of the three Locations surrounding their Character mat (left, middle, and right) to earn Holiday tokens and win the game.

• Players must always place at least 1 card at each of their locations.
• At the end of each round the player with the highest total strength at each Location wins and collects the Holiday tokens for that Location.
• After collecting Holiday tokens, players move all played cards to their discard pile and save their single un-played card for the next round. This does not apply to Sally who might have played all of her cards (because of her stitch ability) or have more than 1 card left (if she used her ability to not play a card on her turn, except during the 1st round).
• Before beginning each round, players draw new Character cards up to the hand limit for the next round. Do not shuffle your deck between rounds. Players only have access to the number of cards for the current round:

Round	Cards in hand	Cards played	Unplayed card
1st	4	3	Keep the 4th unplayed card for the next round
2nd	5	4	Keep the 5th unplayed card for the next round
3rd	6	5	Keep the 6th unplayed card for the next round
4th	8	6	Take all the remaining cards for the last round

Note: At the beginning of each round, Sally always has 1 more card in-hand than the other Characters.

Playing a Round

Each round, in a clockwise order, players take turns playing their Character cards at any of the three Locations around them: to the left, middle, or to the right of their Character mat.

• On their first turn, players take turns placing their first Character card face-down at one of the three Locations of their choice. This card and its effects will be revealed at the end of the round.
• Then, players take turns placing their next Character cards face-up (unless noted otherwise). Players immediately resolve the "When played" effect, if there is one. Optional effects will be clearly marked. If the effect happens at the "End of round", players must wait for the end of the round to activate those effects.
• Cards with an End of round effect have a (hourglass) icon to remind everyone that an effect occurs at the end of the round.
• Remember, you do NOT play all your Character cards at once. The starting player places their first Character card face-down, then the second player places theirs, and so on. Then, back to the starting player who places their second Character card face up and resolves the "When played" effect if any, the second player then places theirs and resolves the "When played" effect if any, and so on. Card effects are mandatory unless noted otherwise.
• In the event of a tie, the player who played their Character card at the Middle Location first wins. To keep track of the order in which players have played their cards, place your cards along the top of your Character mat according to your position: the first player to place their Character card at the Middle Location will line the corner of their Character card up with the #1 at the top of their mat. The second player will line their Character card with the #2 at the top of their mat, and so on.

Players must play at least 1 Character card at each of their surrounding Locations before the end of the round. In later rounds, players will be able to play multiple cards at a Location. However, players must first place at least 1 Character card at each of their Locations before adding any further extra cards to a Location. As long as a player has 1 card at all three of their Locations, there is no limit to the number of cards they can play at those Locations. Special effects may change played card locations, but players cannot move cards if it would result in a round ending with none of their cards at a Location.

Once all the Character cards for the round have been played:

1. Beginning with the starting player and continuing clockwise: reveal the face-down Character cards and immediately resolve the "When played" effect if there are any.
2. Beginning with the starting player and continuing clockwise: resolve any "End of Round" effects.
3. Determine the winner at each Location card: tally the total strength of each player's cards, one Location at the time.
   • Start with the Location to the left of the starting player and continue clockwise around all outer Locations. Finish with the Middle Location.
   • The player with the highest total strength at a Location wins and collects the Holiday tokens at that Location.
   • Players store their Holiday tokens below their Character mat for final scoring later. Be careful not to flip the Holiday tokens while storing them, as this could alter the final scores.

Note:

• When a player plays more than 1 Character card on a Location, add the strength of each Character card to determine the total strength.
• If any Character cards have an effect showing a number in parenthesis, add or subtract this number from the total strength of the Character cards.
• Example: The Mayor's Card number 4 "End of Round: If the Joy side is visible, (+3). If the Panic side is visible, (-1)", if the Mood token is showing the Joy side at the end of the round, add 3 to the card, so 4+3 = 7 strength.

At the End of Each Round

1. Players discard the Character cards they played during the round, keeping their unused card in hand for the next round. Then replenish hands up to the round's limit (see Middle Location card or the table above).
2. Advance the Pumpkin meeple on the Middle Location to the next round.
3. Collect all Location cards and shuffle them with the deck of Location cards. Place Location cards between all players. Then place 1 on the Middle Location card. It is possible for the same Location cards to reappear during the different rounds. Set the remaining Location cards aside.
4. Place the corresponding Christmas and Halloween Holiday tokens on each Location card using the next round numbers. Remember that on the Middle Location, always place the indicated number of Christmas and Halloween Holiday tokens for the 4th round.
5. Give the Zero First Player tracker to the next player in a clockwise direction.
6. Start a new round.

End of the Game

After 4 rounds, players count their Christmas and Halloween Holiday tokens and calculate their final score according to the value of the Holiday tokens per Character. Some Characters receive additional scoring bonuses (detailed on their Character Mats).

The player with the highest total score wins the game. In the event of a tie, the tied players add up the strength of their remaining cards. The player with the highest strength wins. If players are still tied, the player who played their Character card at the Middle Location first in the last round wins.

Character Descriptions

Token values per Character (Halloween token / Christmas token): Jack Skellington depends on his Research Tracker; Santa Claus 1 / 3; The Mayor 2 / 2; Dr. Finkelstein 3 / 1; Oogie Boogie 3 / 1; Sally 2 / 2.

Jack Skellington (Christmas - Advanced)

The fearsome Pumpkin King of Halloween Town has found new inspiration! Now that he has discovered Christmas, he is doing his best to understand this Holiday and how to celebrate it.

• Jack has the ability to Flip tokens. He can flip Halloween tokens to Christmas tokens and Vice Versa.
• Jack also has a Research Tracker token to record his research progress toward unlocking the secrets of Christmas. The Location of the Research Tracker token at the end of the game determines the final value of Jack's Holiday tokens.

Santa Claus (Christmas - Basic)

Ho ho ho! "Sandy Claws", better known as Santa Claus, the King of Christmas, does not know Halloween and will be more than surprised when he arrives in Halloween Town.

• With Santa, it's all about Christmas cheer! He scores big on Christmas tokens, and makes sure to spread good will and gifts to all.

The Mayor (Neutral - Basic)

The Mayor of Halloween Town is used to sharing his feelings. He simply has to rotate his head to show his Joy or Panic side depending on his mood.

• Properly manage the Mayor's Mood token to make a winning impression on the town's citizens.
• Both the Mayor's Mood, and strength can change during the game. Several of his cards modify his strength based on which side of the Mood token is visible. His Mood token begins the game with the Joy side visible.

Dr. Finkelstein (Halloween - Advanced)

Dr. Finkelstein has been hard at work on a handful of Experiments that push the boundaries of Halloween Town's scaring potential.

• Within his deck of cards, Dr. Finkelstein has 6 Experiments to complete. To do so, he will need some ingredients that are present on several cards.
• The ingredients needed to complete Experiments can be found on cards 1-8 on the Character cards.
• Shuffle the Experiment cards, split these into two stacks of three cards, and place the decks face-up under the "Experiments" section at the bottom of the player mat. When Dr. Finkelstein completes an Experiment from the top of one of these stacks, move it to the "Completed" area.
• At the end of the game, add the value of these completed Experiments to the final score. If Dr. Finkelstein completes 4 or more Experiments, add the additional points as explained on the player mat.
• Dr. Finkelstein can work on 2 Experiments at the same time. If one stack runs out and there are still two or more cards in the other stack, these can be spread into two new stacks.

Oogie Boogie (Halloween - Basic)

Oogie Boogie is the no-good, bug-filled Villain. Always on a roll, be sure to watch out for his dice!

• After all cards for the round have been revealed and played, choose a Location. Roll Oogie Boogie's dice to add strength to the chosen Location. Once the dice have been rolled, add the value of the difference between the dice to Oogie Boogie's strength at that Location. Example: Oogie Boogie rolls a 5 and a 3, so he adds 2 to the total strength at the Location.
• Doubles: If Oogie Boogie rolls a double, he receives (+1) at all Locations.

Note: Card #4 "End of Round: If Oogie Boogie's dice are both odd or both even, (+3) at this Location." This card effect is activated even when the dice are used for another card. In addition, this card also gets the (+1) "if Oogie Boogie rolls a double, he receives (+1) at all Locations" bonus. So the card could have a total strength of up to 8.

Sally (Neutral - Advanced)

The lovely Sally was created by Dr. Finkelstein and made with several pieces stitched together. Sally cares for Jack and will do anything to protect him. She is not afraid to put herself in danger and use her stitched body parts to help him.

• At the start of each round, Sally begins with 1 more card than the other players. If a card has the STITCH ability, choose another Character card from Sally's hand to immediately discard (to Stitch). Place the Stitched Character card face-up underneath the one being activated to indicate that the STITCH effect has been activated.
• Sally can choose to ignore the STITCH ability on any card, and instead play the regular action. Sally also has the ability to simply not play a card on her turn (except during the 1st round), but still needs a card at each Location. If Sally ends the game with 0 cards in her hand and draw-pile, add 5 points to her final score.