The Nightmare Before Christmas TCG (2005)

About this game

"The Nightmare Before Christmas TCG" is an interactive, fast-playing trading card game suitable for any number of players. Each player manages his or her own version of Halloweentown, complete with its own Characters straight out of Tim Burton's film and its own set of Locales for those Characters to haunt, as well as Creations built by the Characters and Surprises to keep the game full of action and suspense. Each game lasts for 12 Rounds (the "12 Days until Christmas"), during which time each player creates the scariest version of Christmas he or she can. The players do this by playing Characters into their own versions of Halloweentown, and by using those Characters to build terrifying Christmas Creations. At the end of the 12th Day, the player with the most Scare Points in his or her Halloweentown wins the game! (This game has run out of print. A third expansion, "The Real World", was planned and sacked)

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 2 to 6.
• Rules load. At 2.0/5 this is a mid-weight game — expect a proper rules explanation before you start.
• Age. The publisher suggests 10 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.