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I love to play Trash or Treasure! My husband and I were first introduced to it when a friend in our new neighborhood hosted a party. None of us really knew each other so it was a great way to mingle with others you would not have walked up to without knowing. Plus the game is super fun!
Since that initial party, my husband and I have hosted several Trash or Treasure parties. One time it was for a way to get to know the other parents on my daughter’s softball team. One time we played with an 80’s dress up theme. One time we played it in lieu of our couples bunco.
Each time the other players raved about it and many went on to host Trash or Treasure with their other friend groups.
So how do you play? Well, you gather a group of friends, co-workers, family, etc. in multiples of four. If you are familiar with the game, Bunco, the players will be set up in similar tables of four.
Every player brings a bag with them. (The bags are filled with trash and treasures – keep reading.) I found that the reusable grocery bags work great for this game, but people have brought dollar store laundry baskets or even large paper bags.
The hostess can set up what treasures she would like to have every player bring in their bag, but we usually do a $10 item and two $5 items. This is where the players use their imagination.
Examples of $10 items:
Examples of $5 items
As the host/hostess, you can determine if you want a theme depending on the crowd you are inviting. Players will try to choose things to match the theme.
For example, if the theme was coffee, a player might bring a unique mug, a Starbucks gift card and some seasonal flavored creamer.
I think it is more fun to just let the players bring what they like. At every game there is always the one item that everyone wants.
Now onto the trash items. Players must also include three trash items in their bag. This is only limited the players imagination. We have seen some really gross things over the years (like a rotting banana peel), but you can also add lame things like junk mail or a broken pen.
Players have also brought hideous decor that might have been a white elephant gift at another party. Again, it’s up to you.
So onto the game: Players sit at tables of four, bringing their bags with them and placing them on the floor. The person across from you is your partner for that round. Each player will take the cards in front of them spread them out – face up.
The object of the game is to roll the dice and turn over the cards in front of you, taking turns clockwise.
When the cards in front of you are flipped, you may help your partner flip theirs. When a team has all the cards flipped, they yell “I got the treasure” and play ends for all players.
This is where the bags come in. The winners at each table (the team with the most cards flipped over), gets to pick a treasure out of the loser’s bag to their right. In exchange, the winner gives a trash item to the loser.
Like Bunco, the winners move to a new table and the losers stay, switching partners. This is a great way to meet new people or mingle with the people at the party you haven’t seen yet.
It’s good to establish the table numbers in advance.
The game ends at a time set by the host/hostess. We think 2 hours is a good time as it goes by fast! Some people think 1 hour is plenty. It’s up to you.
At the end of the game, all players go home with whatever is in their bag – sometimes trash and sometimes treasure.
I have several printable versions of this game available in my shop. If you have an extra large group like at a shower or family reunion, the game includes directions for tables of 10. Just add dice!
