You're absolutely better off going in knowing as little as possible (although I'd caution that the first few cards are annoyingly stupid and misrepresent what the experience will be). You can play by yourself or with as many people as you'd like, and as long as you treat all the items very gently, you can "reset" the game when you're done.* Currently $34 at Amazon.
(I almost ruined the very last step, but figured it out.)