How to Play
Truth or Carol · the Christmas party card game
Truth or Carol
Part truth-or-dare, part karaoke, heart.
No talent required. Only enthusiasm.
3–8 players · ages 10+ · about 20 minutes
What This Is
This is the free digital demo of a physical card game that is still in the making.
The app deals the cards and keeps score. Everything else happens in the room. You answer out loud, you sing out loud, to the people around you. There is nothing to type. Gather your group first, in person or on a video call, ideally with a phone or laptop each.
On Your Turn
- Choose Truth or Carol, and whether to add a Challenge card for bonus points.
- Reveal your card.
- Do it. Answer your Truth out loud, or sing your Carol.
- Tap Sleighed It! to bank your points and end your turn.
Nobody votes and nobody judges. Once you have done the thing, the points are yours.
Card Types
Truth · 2–5 pts
Answer the question or prompt. The higher the points, the deeper the question.
Carol · 3–4 pts
Sing 20-30 seconds of a Christmas song. Looking at the lyrics or singing along to a recording is completely allowed. Each carol card links to both.
Challenge · +1, +2 or +3 pts
Decide whether you want to add a Challenge to your Truth or Carol card before you know what your Truth card or Carol card says.
A Challenge changes how you do your turn, making you improv in addition, for example: answer the Truth question as if you are royal, sing the Carol as if you are a grumpy elf. The bonus points stack on top of your original card.
Special Stuff
Christmas Magic · +3 pts to another player
Each player gets one Christmas Magic card per game. They are all the same, and using it is entirely optional. Play it at any time, even on someone else's turn, for any reason at all. It costs you nothing. One-time use, no regifting.
Spread the Joy · −1 pt to you, +1 pt to everyone else
Play it on your turn and the whole table does your turn with you: everyone sings the Carol together, or answers the Truth after you do.
If you drew a Challenge, everyone does it too. You earn one point less and every other player earns an extra point on your turn.
Does it help you win? No. Does it help you get through your turn and also have a great time? Yep.
(Note for the digital game: You won't have the option to Spread the Joy when you are playing on your own, because there is nobody to spread it to. Awww.)
Pass
Not feeling your card? Draw a fresh one of the same type and put the card randomly back in the deck. Try not to do this too often.
Winning
When a player reaches 25 points, the round is played out to the end and the highest score wins.
Anyone who hasn't yet had their turn in that round still gets to play their turn. If the player who reached 25 was the last to go in that round, the game ends right there.
Carol-Off (Tiebreaker)
If two or more players finish the final round on the same top score:
- One Carol card is drawn, and all tied players perform the same Carol.
- Each tied player also draws their own Challenge card to add to it (so 3 tied players = 1 Carol + 3 different Challenges).
- Once everyone has performed, the players who are not tied vote for who nailed it. The most votes wins.
- If the vote is tied, or if there is no one left to vote, it is a Jolly Tie and the winners share it.
Play at truthorcarol.com/play