White Elephant rules: how the game works, from setup to the last steal
In White Elephant, every guest brings one wrapped gift and draws a number. On their turn, a player opens a new gift or steals an opened one. Most groups limit each gift to two or three steals.
White Elephant is a party game, not an assigned exchange. Every guest brings one wrapped gift. Guests take turns either opening a new gift or stealing one that someone else has already opened. Everybody leaves with a gift, but not necessarily the one they brought, and the stealing is where most of the laughter comes from.
Unlike a Secret Santa, nobody is assigned a recipient, so there's no draw of names beforehand. The only random part is the order in which people take their turns. If you're deciding which format suits your group, read Secret Santa or White Elephant.
What you need
- One wrapped gift per person, all within the same price range, with no name on them.
- Numbers. Slips of paper or cards, one per guest, to decide the order.
- A place for opened gifts where everyone can see them, such as a table or a clear patch of floor.
- A referee. One person to call the turns and keep track of how many times each gift has been stolen.
Before the party
Tell everyone the budget and the date, and ask them to wrap their gift so it doesn't reveal what's inside. The best White Elephant gifts are things people would fight over: something useful, something delicious, something fun. A joke gift can land well in a group that likes them, but a few of them in a row can leave someone with a bad pick and a sour mood. Agree the budget so the gifts feel evenly matched.
Decide the rules in the next section before the party, and send them out with the invitation.
How a round works
- Draw numbers. Everyone draws a number, and that sets the order. Number 1 goes first.
- The first player picks a wrapped gift and opens it, so everyone can see what it is.
- Each later player has a choice: open a new wrapped gift, or steal an opened gift from someone.
- If a gift is stolen, the person who lost it goes straight away: they either steal a different opened gift or open a new one. They can't take back the gift that was just taken from them.
- Play continues through the numbers until everyone has had a turn.
- Many groups end with a final swap. Player 1 gets one last turn to swap their gift with anyone's, because they've had the least chance to steal.
The rules to agree on before you start
Most arguments come from the details. Decide these in advance and say them out loud:
- How many times a gift can be stolen. Two or three is common. After that, the gift is "frozen" and the person holding it keeps it.
- No stealing back straight away. Someone whose gift was just stolen has to pick something else.
- One action per turn. You either open or steal. You don't do both.
- Whether the first player gets a final swap. If yes, say whether they can take a frozen gift.
- Whether you can steal a gift you gave. Most groups say yes, since nobody knows who brought what.
- A time limit per turn, if your group likes to deliberate.
Tips for a good game
- Seat people in a circle so everyone can see the table and the thief.
- Keep the group moving. Past about 20 people the game starts to drag, so consider splitting into two groups.
- Allow a little theatre. A short pause before a steal is part of the fun. Long lobbying isn't.
- Take photos of the gifts as they're opened, which helps people remember who ended with what.
- Keep a few spare gifts in case someone arrives without one.
Common problems
- An odd number of guests. This doesn't matter, because there's one gift per person.
- Someone arrives late. Give them the last number, or have them take part with a spare gift.
- Someone doesn't want to steal. That's fine. They can open a new gift on every turn.
- Playing remotely. It works over video with a few changes. See our virtual exchange guide.
A note about this site
This site assigns each person a secret recipient, which is how Secret Santa and Kris Kringle work. It doesn't run a White Elephant game, because there are no assigned recipients, only a turn order. If you're planning a White Elephant, the guide you're reading is everything you need. If you'd like the assigned format instead, you can start a Secret Santa here.
Frequently asked questions
How many times can a gift be stolen?
It's your decision, and most groups pick two or three. Say it before the first gift is opened. A lower limit makes the game faster and gives people more certainty about what they'll end up with.
Are the gifts opened when they're picked?
Yes. That's what makes stealing possible, because everyone can see what's worth taking. If you wrap and hide the gifts permanently, the game becomes a gamble with no strategy.
How long does it take?
Plan on a minute or two per person, so roughly 15 to 30 minutes for ten people. It runs longer if the group enjoys a long steal.
Keep reading
- White Elephant, Yankee Swap, Dirty Santa: what's the difference?
Mostly the same game under different names, with a few rule differences worth knowing.
- Secret Santa or White Elephant: how to choose
Two very different games with similar seasons. Here is how to choose the right one for your group.
- How to run a virtual or remote gift exchange
Shipping, addresses, time zones and a reveal that works over video.