Race to Christmas 2026

During the days leading up to Christmas, children receive and exchange gifts with one another as they race to collect a variety of presents. Each turn, you choose which die to roll—the red die for smaller steps or the green die for longer strides—then move along a cozy, festive, hand-drawn path.

Land on a clock and the calendar advances; land on a present and you receive a gift from under the tree. You can swap gifts at any time, even during other players’ turns. The goal is set collection: build a set containing each different symbol—Santa, Stocking, Mistletoe, and Candy Cane—for exponential scoring payoffs, all while avoiding coal, which subtracts points. Alternatively, collect all six coal to immediately win the game and be crowned “The Grouch That Stole Christmas.”

Simple to learn and delightfully interactive, Race to Christmas blends classic roll-and-move nostalgia with modern set collection and open trading.

Designer Note: Originally created when the designer was just ten years old, Race to Christmas has been lovingly brought to life decades later with modern artwork and refined rules— all while keeping the magic of the childhood Christmas spirit alive.

—description from the designer