Santa’s workshop is once again short on workers… and guess what? A Goblin without wickedness makes the perfect candidate!
Christmas is coming, and like it or not, Santa wants every Goblin working for him!
Taking advantage of the Goblins’ irresistible curiosity, the jolly red giant has hidden the dreadful Absorbe-Malice among the presents — a device that drains every last drop of evil from your soul.
To avoid becoming a helper elf, you’ll need to stay calm and hold onto your wickedness until the final Event of the game.
Lost your wickedness? Don’t panic! The legendary Enema of Malice can save you — if used before midnight (the final Event)! It lets you steal wickedness from an opponent and get back on the wrong path!
Each turn, you can draw up to 3 cards.
Use Traps, Instant Actions, Attacks, and Defenses to sabotage the other Goblins and mess with their plans. But be careful — every move might result in unwanted gifts being passed around...
At the end of each turn, an Event card is resolved, which might turn the tide of the game. Then, everyone opens the presents they received during the round — let’s hope there are no nasty surprises inside!
Oh, and one last thing…
Goblins aren’t exactly known for following rules! So play smart, play fast — and if someone forgets the rules… well, too bad for them. The sharper Goblins will surely take advantage of it!
For this first launch, the core project is Print & Play, available worldwide.
At the same time, we’re offering a very limited physical edition — only 100 First Edition decks (USA only) and 5 Collector’s Goblins (worldwide).
Why this choice? Because we’re a small indie team and we want to do things right and simple. Handling global logistics, customs, and shipping would only slow us down and create problems. By focusing on producing a few physical copies with U.S. shipping only, we can guarantee efficiency and reliability.
This way:
• Everyone can play thanks to the Print & Play (global).
• A few lucky backers can own a truly rare collector’s edition.
We prefer to start small, carefully, and transparently — so that every backer knows exactly what to expect.
Concept revival and initial redesign of Goblins Hate XMas!
Playtesting with friends and family.
Graphics and illustrations development.
Website and video tutorials.
Family & friends testing... wait, I mean, testing the cards WITH family & friends!
Kickstarter campaign launch.
Finalization of digital files (rules, Print & Play, graphics).
Delivery of Print & Play files (worldwide) — so everyone can play during the holidays!
Start of production for the limited physical editions (100 First Edition USA only + 5 Collector worldwide).
Council Pass updates, community playtests.
Shipping of limited physical editions (USA only + 5 Collector worldwide).
Release of the Web App.
It all started back in 2008: I was young, full of enthusiasm, and I decided the world needed a fast and fun game where no one would be left out like wallpaper while the others had fun… and so "Goblins Hate XMas!" was born — or at least, its prehistoric ancestor.
Armed with paper, pen, and a lot of naivety, I created the first version of the game… with 120 cards. One hundred and twenty! A deck that could have driven even Santa Claus to a nervous breakdown. And the cards needed illustrations… who would draw them? Me… with my own hands. The result? A set of illustrations so refined that even a rubber chicken with a pulley in the middle could’ve done better!
But you know what happens when low budget meets low artistic skill? The game ends up stashed away in the drawer of oblivion, next to half-finished DIY projects, lonely socks, and old consoles waiting to be repaired.
Years go by, and while the game gathers dust, I start a family! That’s when, together with my two daughters, I felt the urge to reopen that drawer. Said and done: I exhumed "Goblins Hate XMas!". The plan? Simplify the game and find a formula that’s even more fun and immediate. Within a few months, I had crafted a new prototype deck for testing. The excitement was real!
And here we are, in 2025: with the help of my wife Giulia and a close-knit group of visionaries (Nicola, Martina, and Paolo), I’ve formed a creative team, and we’re ready to unleash Christmas chaos in a game that will make anyone who dares play it laugh, scream, and sabotage!
Paolo
Art Direction
Nicola
Video & Animation
Matteo
Instagram Page
Martina
Marketing & Public Relations
Giulia
Influencer Outreach & Back Office
Giacomo
Game Testing
Tea
Game Testing
Valerio
Creator
GOBLINS HATE XMAS! doesn’t present any major challenges, except for logistical aspects of the limited physical edition.
The Print & Play files (worldwide) will be delivered before Christmas 2025. For the Physical First Edition decks (100 USA only + 5 Collector worldwide), shipping is planned for Summer 2026.
We’ll strive to answer backer questions quickly and keep the page updated. Backer feedback is very important to us, and we’ll do our best to make this campaign a transparent and positive experience for everyone.
