Okay, let’s talk about one of the most hilariously bizarre holiday party games you’ll ever play. The Reindeer Poop Game sounds absolutely ridiculous (because it is), but it’s also guaranteed to have your guests laughing until they cry.
Picture this: You hand your friends plates of melted chocolate blobs and challenge them to identify which candy bars they used to be. It’s part mystery game, part taste test, and 100% entertaining chaos. Trust me, this is the icebreaker your holiday party desperately needs.
What Exactly Is the Reindeer Poop Game?
Here’s the brilliantly simple concept: You melt 5-10 different chocolate bars into unrecognizable blobs (the “reindeer poop”), number each one, and challenge your guests to figure out which candy bar each glob used to be. Think of it as a chocolate detective challenge meets holiday hilarity.
The best part? Watching your dignified coworkers turn into serious chocolate investigators, sniffing and analyzing melted candy like they’re on some kind of holiday CSI team.
Best for: Holiday parties, family gatherings, adult game nights, office celebrations
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
Players: Works for any group size (perfect for 6-20 people)
What You’ll Need
Gather these supplies to pull off this questionably classy Christmas game:
- 5-10 popular chocolate bars (choose varieties people will recognize – see suggestions below)
- Parchment paper (for easy melting and cleanup)
- Numbered paper plates (one for each chocolate variety)
- Black marker (for numbering plates)
- Pens and paper (for guests to write their guesses)
- Small prizes (optional but recommended – reindeer-themed items work great)
Best Chocolate Bars to Use
Pick chocolate bars that are distinctive enough to identify when melted:
- Snickers (the peanuts are a dead giveaway)
- Twix (caramel lovers will spot this one)
- Kit Kat (wafer pieces are your clue)
- Reese’s Fast Break (peanut butter is unmistakable)
- Butterfinger (that unique crunch gives it away)
- 3 Musketeers (light and fluffy texture)
- Almond Joy (coconut flakes tell the story)
- Milky Way (smooth caramel center)
- Crunch (crispy rice for the win)
- Hershey’s (classic chocolate flavor)
How to Set Up Your Chocolate Crime Scene
Here’s how to transform perfectly good candy bars into mysterious blobs:
1. Find a private workspace. You don’t want your guests watching you deliberately destroy chocolate bars – it ruins the surprise!
2. Melt each chocolate bar separately. Use low heat in the microwave (15-20 second intervals) or a double boiler. The goal is melted but not exploded chocolate.
3. Drop each melted chocolate onto parchment paper. Let them cool into blob shapes – the messier and more unrecognizable, the better.
4. Number your paper plates clearly. Use a black marker to write bold numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.). Pro tip: Also write the number on the bottom of each plate along with the correct answer for easy checking later.
5. Transfer cooled chocolate blobs to numbered plates. Keep your master list handy so you know which blob is which.
6. Prepare answer sheets for players. Give each guest paper and a pen with numbered lines matching your chocolate samples.
How to Play
Setup: Place all numbered plates on a table where guests can easily access them. Set out toothpicks for poking and testing (some people are squeamish about touching the “poop” directly).
The Challenge:
1. Explain the mission. Tell your guests they’re chocolate detectives tasked with identifying which candy bar each melted blob used to be.
2. Hand out answer sheets. Each player gets paper numbered to match the chocolate samples.
3. Optional: Provide a word bank. List all the possible candy bars to make it slightly easier (or skip this if you want maximum difficulty).
4. Set your timer for 5-10 minutes. Five minutes for casual players, ten minutes if you’ve got serious candy enthusiasts in the group.
5. Let the investigation begin! Players can smell, poke with toothpicks, and even taste the samples (if they’re brave enough). Watching people analyze chocolate with the intensity of forensic scientists is half the fun.
6. Call time when the timer buzzes. Everyone must put down their pens.
7. Reveal the answers one by one. Build suspense by starting with easier ones and saving the trickiest for last. Award one point for each correct guess.
8. Crown your Chocolate Detective Champion! The person with the most correct answers wins your prize.
Pro Tip: Keep wet wipes nearby. Melted chocolate has a way of ending up everywhere, and nobody wants chocolate fingerprints on their holiday sweater.
Indoor Christmas Scavenger Hunt Printable for Kids
25 ready-made clues = zero stress for you – Just print, hide, and watch kids stay engaged for hours while you actually enjoy your coffee
Instant download, works today – Get it in minutes, print on regular paper, create Christmas magic in under 15 minutes of setup
Saves Christmas on bad weather days – Perfect indoor activity when kids are bouncing off walls and you need them happily occupied
One purchase, use it every year – Blank templates let you customize for different ages or create new versions as kids grow
Outdoor Christmas Scavenger Hunt Printable for Kids
Gets kids outside and active – Burns energy while solving 25 riddles and challenges around the yard (lifesaver when they’re hyped on holiday sugar)
Instant download, 15-minute setup – Print, hide clues, done. Perfect last-minute activity that looks like you planned for weeks
Works with your yard decorations – Turns your Christmas lights and lawn decor into part of the adventure kids will beg to do again
Reusable every year – Blank templates let you customize for different ages or add new challenges as kids grow
Difficult Christmas Scavenger Hunt Printable for Adults – Twelve Days of Christmas
Actually challenging puzzles for adults – 30 clever clues including ciphers, logic puzzles, and cryptic riddles that will genuinely stump your smartest friends
Print and play in minutes – Download, print, hide. Setup takes less time than wrapping gifts, but creates hours of laughter and memories
Flexible for any group – Pick 12 clues for a quick adventure or all 30 for an epic night. Customize with blank cards for personal inside jokes
Game Variations to Keep Things Interesting
The Blindfold Challenge: Have players wear blindfolds and rely solely on smell and taste. This cranks the difficulty (and hilarity) up to eleven.
Team Competition: Divide guests into teams of 2-3 people. Teams collaborate on their guesses, which makes it great for breaking the ice between people who don’t know each other well.
Kid-Friendly Version: For younger players (under 10), skip the melting entirely. Instead, let kids match wrapped candy bars to their unwrapped versions. They still get the detective experience without the mess.
Speed Round: Give players only 30 seconds per chocolate sample. Quick thinking required!
Why This Game Is a Holiday Party Winner
Look, is the Reindeer Poop Game sophisticated? Absolutely not. But here’s why it works every single time:
It’s an instant icebreaker. Nothing gets people laughing and talking faster than the sheer absurdity of analyzing fake reindeer droppings together.
Everyone can play. Whether you’re a chocolate connoisseur or someone who just likes eating candy, you’ve got a fair shot at winning.
It creates unforgettable moments. Years from now, your guests will still be talking about “that time we played the poop game at your Christmas party”.
Minimal skill required. Unlike trivia games that favor certain players, this levels the playing field. Anyone with taste buds can compete.
Prize Ideas Your Winners Will Actually Want
Skip the generic stuff. These prizes tie perfectly into your reindeer theme:
- Small gift cards tucked into reindeer-themed card holders
- “Official Reindeer Poop” bags filled with chocolate candies
- Plush reindeer stuffed animals
- Reindeer ornaments for their Christmas tree
- Chocolate advent calendars
- Holiday cookie cutters shaped like reindeer
Tips for Maximum Success
Test your chocolate blobs beforehand. Melt one of each variety a day or two before your party to make sure they’re actually identifiable. Some chocolates look identical when melted.
Keep it cool. If your party space is warm, the chocolate will get too soft and messy. Set up near a cooler area or use ice packs underneath plates.
Embrace the chaos. Someone will inevitably make a “this is so gross” comment. Lean into it! The game’s absurdity is part of its charm.
Take photos. You’ll want evidence of your dignified uncle intensely sniffing chocolate blobs. These are blackmail gold.
Have backup chocolate. Keep extra candy bars on hand in case you need to remake any samples (or for immediate consumption after the game – analyzing chocolate makes people hungry).
Final Thoughts
The Reindeer Poop Game might be the silliest thing you do all holiday season, and that’s exactly why you should play it. In a world of polite small talk and predictable holiday gatherings, sometimes you need a game that makes everyone laugh at something ridiculously absurd.
So grab those chocolate bars, embrace your inner child, and watch your holiday party transform from “nice” to “unforgettable”. Your guests might show up expecting elegant Christmas cookies, but they’ll leave talking about the time they became chocolate detectives at your legendary party.
Ready to make your holiday gathering one for the books? The reindeer are waiting (and apparently, so is their poop).
More Christmas Party Ideas to Keep the Fun Rolling:
How To Play The Candy Bar Game
Christmas Fish Bowl Game: The Ultimate Holiday Party Hit (Plus Free Word List!)
40 Hilarious Christmas Party Games for Adults That’ll Make Your Holiday Party Legendary
