White Elephant Gift Exchange Game
Type your players, or just a count. Get a random turn order you can re-run with a six-character game code, then host the whole exchange on one screen: whose turn it is, which gifts are frozen, and an undo button for the arguments.
Host tool
Draw order
Game code
Enter the same names and this code on the host tool and you get the same order again.
How the draw works
The order is a shuffle seeded by the game code. Enter the same names and the same code and you get the same order every time, so you can draw the night before, text the list to the group and still reproduce it on the day. Pick “New game code” to draw again.
What host mode keeps track of
- Whose turn it is, and who has to act after a steal.
- Which gifts are still wrapped and which are open, with the holder’s name.
- A steal counter on every gift. At the limit (three by default) the gift freezes and nobody can take it.
- No stealing a gift straight back, if you leave that rule on.
- The final swap for the first player, if you keep that rule.
- Undo for the last move, as many times as you need.
Pick the rules your group knows
Classic, Yankee swap and Dirty Santa play the same way here and differ only in the name on the screen. “Gentle” caps a gift at two steals and one steal per turn. “Chaos” allows five steals per gift. Every number can be changed. The rules page explains each option in plain words.
Print what you need
After you draw, download number slips to cut and draw from a bowl, and a one-page rules card for the gift table. Free PDFs carry a small “Made free at White Elephant Game” line at the bottom of each page. Host mode is free for up to 20 players; the paid plans go to 60.
Other games for the same party
Questions
What is a white elephant gift exchange?
Each guest brings one wrapped gift. In turn, players open a gift or steal one that is already open. When everyone has gone, each person keeps the gift in their hands. Yankee swap and Dirty Santa are other names for it.
How many times can a gift be stolen?
Three is the most common limit and it is the default here. After the third steal the gift is frozen and stays put. You can set any limit from 1 to 20, or none.
Can I get the same draw order again?
Yes. The order comes from the game code. Same names and same code give the same order. Write the code down or text it to the group.
How many players can I host?
Up to 20 players for free. The Party Pack and the Holiday Host Bundle go up to 60.
Does the first player get to swap at the end?
In the classic game they do: after the last gift is opened, player 1 may swap with anyone whose gift is not frozen. You can turn this off with one checkbox.
Does this work for a remote group?
Yes. Share your screen, or send the draw order and game code in the chat, and let the host click through each turn.