Looking for a specific Santa’s Sleigh Ride rule? | Setup | Playing the Game | Action Cards | Winning the Game | FAQ | Components |
Objective
The objective of Santa’s Sleigh Ride is to be the first player to return to the North Pole after delivering presents around the world.
Setup
- Place the gameboard in the middle of the table.
- Each player chooses a playing piece and places it at the North Pole.
- Shuffle all of the cards and place them facedown next to the gameboard.
- The player’s whose birthday is closest to December 25th, starts the game. Play moves clockwise throughout the game.
How to Play Santa’s Sleigh Ride
You will begin each of your turns drawing a card. If the card is a Gift Card, you will add it to your hand. If you drew an Action Card, you will take the corresponding action. See the Action Card section below for more details on what each card does.
After you have taken a card and potentially taken the corresponding action, you will try to deliver presents to the city that you are currently in. Each city has a number printed on it. You need to find a set of Gift Cards from your hand that add up to the number on your current city. The cards cannot add up to a number higher or lower than the number on the city. The total has to exactly match the number on the space. If you cannot find a combination of cards in your hand that add up to the number, your turn ends.
Should you have a combination of cards that add up to the number on the city, you can play them.
Moving Your Pawn
You can then roll the die and move the corresponding number of spaces along the path. Check to see if you have enough presents in your hand to match the number on your new city. If you have the right combination of cards, you can play them and roll the die again. This continues until you do not have the right combination of present cards in your hand.
Your turn then ends. Play passes to the next player to your left/clockwise.
Santa’s Sleigh Ride Action Cards
Whenever you draw an Action Card, you must take the corresponding action immediately. After you take the action, you will discard the Action Card.
You Forgot to Fill the Stockings
When you draw this card, you are forced to move back three spaces/cities. Should you be in Seoul, Tokyo, or Osaka; you move back to the North Pole. If you are currently at the North Pole, you take no action.
Everyone in the City is on the Naughty List
Immediately move forward three spaces. You will have to try and give presents to the city that you just moved to.
Steal a Card
This card allows you to steal a card from one of the other players. The player you take a card from depends on which of the cards that you drew. The player you are taking a card from should hold the cards where you can’t see the value of each card. You will take one card and add it to your hand.
Milk and Cookies
You lose your current turn. Discard the card. The next player then takes their turn.
You Must Switch Place with Another Player of Your Choice
This card forces you to switch places with another player. You can choose which player to swap places with. The two players will swap the positions of their playing pieces. You must take this action even if you are in the lead and this action would move you back on the track.
Winning the Game
The first player to reach the North Pole wins Santa’s Sleigh Ride.
Santa’s Sleigh Ride FAQ
If you have any questions about how to play the game, leave a comment below on this post. I will try to answer any questions asked as best and as quickly as possible.
Components
- 46 Gift Cards
- 17 Action Cards
- 6 Player Pieces
- Six-sided Die
- Gameboard
- Instructions
Year: 2015 | Publisher: D Clef Games
Genres: Children’s, Roll and Move
Ages: 5+ | Number of Players: 2-6 | Length of Game: 15-30 minutes
Difficulty: Light | Strategy: Light | Luck: High
For more board and card game rules/how to plays, check out our complete alphabetical list of card and board game rules posts.