Steal or OpenWhite elephant game host, on one phone
Draw the turn order, track every steal and frozen gift, and undo any tap. Free, no sign-up.
Who's playing?
Type each name and press Add. You can fix names at any turn.
No players yet. You need at least 3.
House rules
Turn 1 of 8
Name
Open a gift or steal one.
Tap the gift to steal.
Turn order and names
That's a wrap
Who went home with what:
The game stays on this phone. Close the page and it picks up where you left off.
White elephant rules, plainly
Everyone brings one wrapped gift, usually $20 to $30, and puts it in the pile. Draw numbers for the turn order. On your turn you either open a gift from the pile or steal a gift someone already opened. If your gift is stolen, you pick right away: open a new gift or steal a different one. The turn passes on when someone opens a new gift. The game ends when every gift is open.
Steal limits and frozen gifts
Most groups cap steals so the game ends. The common rule: a gift is frozen after its third steal, and the third person to take it keeps it. Some groups freeze after two, or even one. With no limit, a popular gift can bounce around for a long time.
No stealing straight back
If your gift was just stolen, you can't take it right back in the same turn. You can steal it again on a later turn, if it isn't frozen.
The first player's last swap
Player 1 never got to steal, so once every gift is open they may swap their gift for any gift that isn't frozen. Then the game ends.
Yankee swap, Dirty Santa and the dice game
Yankee swap and Dirty Santa are other names for the same game. In the dice version, players sit in a circle with the gifts and roll one die each turn: for example, a 1 or 6 swaps gifts with a neighbor and a 3 passes everyone's gift to the left, until the host calls time. Write your own numbers on a card before you start, so nobody argues.
Tips for the host
- Agree on the price limit and the steal limit before anyone shops.
- Say the rules out loud once, then let the phone keep score.
- If someone taps the wrong button, press Undo.
Gift ideas people like to steal
Useful to almost anyone, easy to wrap and inside the usual budgets.
Under $20
- A heated hand warmerRechargeable and useful all winter.
- A giant novelty mugFunny on sight, and still a mug.
- Fuzzy socksFits nearly everyone.
- A card game for groupsGets played the same night.
- A phone stand and charging cableEveryone needs one more.
Under $30
- A small Bluetooth speakerUseful to anyone with a phone.
- A cozy throw blanketBig box, soft inside.
- A hot sauce or snack samplerShareable, gone by New Year's.
- An insulated tumblerKeeps coffee hot on the commute.
- A desktop puzzle or fidget toyFor the office crowd.
Under $50
- A heated blanketWarm, big and easy to love.
- A mini waffle makerOdd, fun, and actually used.
- Wireless earbudsA safe bet in any office.
- A smart plug two-packHandy for anyone with a lamp.
- A cast iron skilletHeavy box, lasts forever.
How the host page works
- Add the playersNames only, as many as you like.
- Pick the house rulesSteal limit, no stealing back, the last swap.
- Draw the orderThe phone shuffles it fairly. Then tap Open or Steal on each turn.
Everything stays on your phone. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.