White elephant game: draw numbers, track steals, play
Add the players, pick your rules and draw the order. The game then shows whose turn it is, counts steals on every gift and freezes a gift when it hits the limit. Works for classic white elephant, Yankee swap and dirty Santa. Free, with no sign-up.
Add the players, then tap Draw.
How to run a white elephant gift exchange
Set it up on one phone or laptop before the gifts come out.
-
1. Add the players
Type one name per line: everyone who brought a gift.
-
2. Pick a rule set
Choose classic white elephant, Yankee swap, dirty Santa or custom. Settle it now, so nobody argues later.
-
3. Set the limits
Choose how many times a gift can be stolen (1 to 3), add a turn timer of up to 120 seconds if you like, and switch on the dice variant if you want to play with a die.
-
4. Draw the turn order
Tap Draw and numbered tickets come out one by one. Prefer paper? Print the numbers and pull them from a hat.
-
5. Play
The screen says whose turn it is: open a new gift or steal one. Record each open or steal and the tracker counts the steals for you.
-
6. Final swap
With Yankee swap rules, player 1 gets a prompt at the end to keep their gift or swap it once.
Pick your rules: classic, Yankee swap or dirty Santa
There's no official version, so the game lets you choose before the first gift is opened.
- Classic white elephant
- Open a new gift or steal an opened one, with the steal limit you choose.
- Yankee swap
- The New England name for the same game, usually with one extra rule: player 1 gets a final swap, because they never had the chance to steal.
- Dirty Santa
- The Southern take, with a hard cap: after its third steal, a gift is frozen and stays with its owner.
- Custom
- Mix your own house rules: steals per gift from 1 to 3, a turn timer and a final swap on or off.
- Dice variant
- Let a die decide each turn instead of free choice. You can choose which action each number triggers.
What the game keeps track of
- Turn order
- Every player gets a number from a random draw, shown as a list everyone can check.
- Whose turn it is
- "Ana's turn: open or steal" stays on screen, and the next name is ready.
- Steals per gift
- Each gift shows how many times it's been stolen, like 2/3, so nobody has to remember.
- Frozen gifts
- When a gift reaches the limit, it's marked frozen and can't be stolen again.
- Turn timer
- Optional, up to 120 seconds, for the friend who takes ten minutes to decide.
- Printables and a game link
- Print the numbers and rules on Letter or A4, or send the game link to the group chat so everyone sees the order on their phone.
White elephant rules in short
Everyone brings one wrapped gift within an agreed budget. In the drawn order, each player opens a new gift or steals one that's already open. Whoever is robbed opens a new gift or steals from someone else. A gift stolen too many times is frozen. The game ends when every gift is open.
For printable rules, steal-back etiquette, budgets and other gift exchange games, read our white elephant, Yankee swap and Secret Santa rules.
White elephant with dice
The dice variant is a popular white elephant twist. Instead of choosing, the player rolls and follows the rule for that number. The default table is:
- 1 = open a new gift
- 2 = steal a gift
- 3 = swap with the player on your left
- 4 = swap with the player on your right
- 5 = pass
- 6 = roll again
Set each number to the action your group plays: open, steal, swap left, swap right, pass, roll again or your choice. The steal limit and frozen gifts still apply.
Is the turn order fair?
The order is drawn with your browser's cryptographic random generator (crypto.getRandomValues), so every player has the same chance of every number. The draw is decided before the tickets come out; the animation just reveals it. Nothing you type is sent to our servers.
Going last is the best spot, because you see the most gifts before you choose. That's why many groups give player 1 the final swap. Draw the order in front of everyone, and if a gift isn't what it seems, that's the game, not the tool.
Where people play it
- Office holiday party
- Put the game on the meeting room TV. The timer keeps a 30-person swap moving.
- Family Christmas
- Dirty Santa rules with a 3-steal cap keep cousins from fighting over the same gift all night.
- Virtual white elephant
- Share your screen on the call so everyone follows the opens and steals live; the game link gives everyone the same player order and rules. Gifts are opened on camera or shipped ahead.
White elephant game FAQ
What is a white elephant gift exchange?
A party game where everyone brings one wrapped gift, then players take turns opening a new gift or stealing an opened one. It's also called Yankee swap or dirty Santa. Gifts are often funny or odd, within a small budget.
How do you play white elephant?
Draw a turn order, then on each turn open a new gift or steal one. Robbed players open or steal again, and a gift freezes after its last allowed steal. The game above handles the order and the counting.
Which rules should we use: classic, Yankee swap or dirty Santa?
Small group with time to spare: classic with 2 or 3 steals. Want player 1 to have a fair shot: Yankee swap, with the final swap. Big or competitive group: dirty Santa with the 3-steal freeze.
How do you pick numbers for white elephant?
Add the players and tap Draw: each person gets a random number. For a paper draw, print the numbers and pull them from a hat. You can also use the random name picker with the number of winners set to the number of players.
Can I print white elephant numbers and rules?
Yes. Print the numbered tickets and the rules you picked on Letter or A4 paper.
Can we play white elephant online?
Yes. Run the game on your screen during the video call and send the game link to the group chat. Agree beforehand whether gifts are opened on camera or shipped to the winner.
How does white elephant with dice work?
Each turn, the player rolls and does what the number says: open, steal, swap left or right, pass or roll again. Turn on the dice variant and the rule table appears on screen. Without a die, use our dice roller.
Is this white elephant game free?
Yes. It runs in your browser, with no account or app needed.
Holiday giveaway on your shop's Instagram?
Gifty draws winners from the comments on your Instagram post or reel, right on your iPhone, with no Instagram login. It's free to download and each draw uses one credit.
