How to Play Star on Top
Hang the baubles, light the garlands, put the star on top! Everyone fills their own Christmas tree sheet, and each roll of two dice counts for all players. Small numbers at the bottom make room for a tall tree, and after 21 rolls the player with the most points wins. This page has all the rules, worked examples and answers to the most common questions.
- 1–6 players, solo mode
- Ages 6+
- 15–20 minutes
- Free and full edition
The game in 1 minute
- Everyone has a tree sheet with 21 empty baubles. Someone rolls 2 dice for all players.
- Choose 1 of the 2 numbers and write it in an empty bauble.
- The bottom row takes any number. A bauble higher up needs the 2 baubles below it to be hung, and a number at least as big as the smaller one.
- No place for your number? Cross out 1 empty bauble.
- After 21 rolls every tree is full. The player with the most points wins!
What is in the game
Full edition: the tree sheet (print one for every player and every game), 18 cards (12 event cards, 2 × “The game in 1 minute”, 2 × “Small numbers, tall tree”, “Playing alone” and “Count your points”), 2 fold-up dice, an ink-saver sheet and card backs, and a card file for print shops.
Free edition: the tree sheet and the rules. It has no event cards and no solo ladder.
You also need 2 dice (in the full edition you can use the fold-up dice) and a pencil for every player.
Your tree sheet: 21 roll boxes (tick 1 for every roll) and a tree of 6 rows of baubles: 6 at the bottom, 1 at the top, and the star above it. Rows are counted from the bottom: row 1 is the bottom row, row 6 is the top bauble. The 6 golden baubles have a small star. Baubles with a coloured ring belong to a garland: red at the bottom (6 baubles), blue-green in the middle (4) and yellow near the top (3). The top bauble is in no garland. At the bottom of the sheet are the hanging rule and the boxes for your points.
Setup
- Every player takes a tree sheet and a pencil and writes their name.
- Put 2 dice in the middle of the table.
- Full edition: shuffle the 12 event cards and put them face down next to the dice. For your very first game, leave them out.
- The youngest player rolls first. After each roll, pass the dice to the left.
A roll
One player rolls both dice. Everyone uses the same roll, at the same time.
- Choose 1 of the 2 numbers.
- Write it in 1 empty bauble where it can hang (see below).
- Tick the next roll box.
Roll again when everyone has written their number.
How to hang a bauble
In the bottom row any number can hang. Higher up, the 2 baubles right below it (one down-left, one down-right) must already have numbers, and your number must be the same as, or bigger than, the smaller of those 2 numbers. Look at the SMALLER number below. Nothing ever hangs on a crossed-out bauble.
No place? Cross out a bauble
If neither number can hang anywhere, draw an X in 1 empty bauble of your choice. A crossed-out bauble gives no points, and nothing can ever hang on it. You may cross out only when neither number fits. Tip: cross out a bauble high up that you will not reach anyway, not one in the middle of your tree.
| Below the bauble | You write | Hangs? |
|---|---|---|
| 3 and 5 | 4 | Yes (4 is 3 or more) |
| 3 and 5 | 2 | No (2 is smaller than 3) |
| 2 and 4 | 2 | Yes (the same is fine) |
| 2 and X | 6 | No (X holds nothing) |
Two examples
One roll, two choices
- The dice show 2 and 6.
- In row 2, the bauble you want sits on a 3 and a 5. The smaller one is 3, so you need 3 or more.
- The 2 is too small, but the 6 fits: you write 6 there.
- Or you write the 2 in an empty bauble of the bottom row, where any number fits.
Spot the mistake
- The dice show 1 and 4. Leo wants to hang a bauble in row 2, above a 2 and a 5.
- Leo says: “The bigger one is 5, so I need 5 or more. My 4 is too small.” He writes the 1 in the bottom row instead.
- That is wrong: you compare with the SMALLER number below, 2. Leo needs 2 or more, so his 4 fits in row 2.
End of the game: count your points
After the 21st roll every bauble has a number or an X. Fill in the boxes at the bottom of your sheet:
- Baubles: 1 point for every hung bauble that is not golden.
- Golden: add up the numbers in your hung golden baubles.
- Garlands: a garland lights up when all its numbers are different and none is crossed out. Bottom (red) 6, middle (blue-green) 4, top (yellow) 3.
- Star: if your top bauble is hung, colour the star: +5.
The player with the most points wins. A tie? The player with fewer crossed-out baubles wins. Still a tie? The player whose highest bauble hangs higher wins (same height: the biggest number in that row). Still a tie? You win together.
| Example game | Baubles | Golden | Garlands | Star | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mia | 14 | 18 | 3 | – | 35 |
| Grandma Rose | 14 | 29 | – | – | 43 |
| Ben | 15 | 25 | – | 5 | 45 |
Mia lit the yellow garland (3). Only Ben's top bauble hangs, so only he gets the star (+5). Ben wins with 45. Grandma Rose had the best golden baubles, but Ben kept a place free for the top.
Event cards FULL EDITION
There are 12 event cards, 2 of each card below; you use 7 per game. Before rolls 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 and 21 (the boxes with a small card), the player who rolls turns over the top event card and reads it out loud. It counts for everyone, for this roll only. Then roll. Cards marked with a red ! change how baubles hang: read them twice!
Northern Lights !
Aurora the Snowy Owl. This roll, your number may be smaller than the numbers below. The 2 baubles below must still be hung.
Star Die
Twinkle the Little Star. This roll, do not use the dice. Everyone chooses any number from 1 to 6. Tick the roll box as usual.
Little Bell
Jingle the Bell. The player who rolls rolls 3 dice. This roll, everyone chooses 1 of the 3 dice.
Snowflake
Flurry the Snowflake. Choose 1 die as usual. You may write a number 1 higher or 1 lower instead (from 1 to 6).
Helper Elf !
Pip the Elf. This roll, 1 hung bauble below is enough. Your number must be the same as or bigger than that one.
Kitten
Mittens the Kitten plays with the dice! This roll, everyone must use the smaller die.
First game: play without event cards.
Playing alone
Play with the same rules and roll the dice yourself. In the free edition, write down your points and try to beat them next time. In the full edition, find your tree on the ladder below (also on the “Playing alone” card), in the column for your game: with or without event cards.
| Without events | With events | Your tree |
|---|---|---|
| 0–34 | 0–36 | Little tree |
| 35–38 | 37–40 | Fluffy tree |
| 39–42 | 41–44 | Shining tree |
| 43–47 | 45–49 | Festive tree |
| 48+ | 50+ | Star tree! |
Ways to play
- Young players: say your choice out loud, and let an older player help you find a place where the number fits.
- Tip from the card “Small numbers, tall tree”: small numbers go in normal baubles, big numbers in golden baubles.
- Play again and again: put the sheet in a clear plastic sleeve and use a whiteboard marker.
- Colour the baubles when the game is over. Your tree is ready for the fridge!
- After the game, for parents: ask which number they are happiest with, whether it was luck or a choice they made, and what they would write differently next time.
Frequently asked questions
May I write the same number twice?
Yes, as often as you like. Only a garland needs different numbers.
Do I have to use the bigger die?
No. You always choose 1 of the 2 numbers.
May I cross out a bauble when I could hang a number?
No. You cross out only when neither number can hang anywhere.
Is the top bauble a golden bauble?
No. It gives 1 point, and the star gives +5.
Kitten: the smaller die fits nowhere, but the bigger one would. What now?
You must use the smaller die, so you cross out 1 empty bauble.
Little Bell: may I use 2 of the 3 dice?
No. You still write just 1 number.
The event card helps nobody this time. What now?
Nothing. It counts for this roll only, then it is done.
What do I need to print the game?
A printer, paper, 2 dice and a pencil for every player. For the cards and fold-up dice of the full edition, also thick paper or card, scissors and glue. Print a new tree sheet for every player and every game, or use a clear sleeve and a whiteboard marker. Not suitable for children under 3: small parts.
Ready to put the star on top?
The free edition is enough for your first family Christmas game. The full edition adds 12 event cards with 6 little helpers, the solo ladder and fold-up dice.