Steal or OpenDirty Santa rules
Draw numbers, then each player opens a gift from the pile or steals one that's already open. A player who's stolen from opens or steals again. A gift is "dead" after its third steal and stays with whoever holds it. The game ends when the last gift is opened.
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.
Dead gifts
Dirty Santa's word for a frozen gift is "dead." Once a gift has been stolen three times, it's out of play: the third person to steal it keeps it. Dead gifts are what end the game; without them, the best gift can go around the room all night.
How long a game takes
With ten players and gifts dead after three steals, there are 10 openings and at most 30 steals, so up to about 20 minutes. Times assume about a minute per opening and 20 seconds per steal, our rough guess; a chatty group is slower.
House rules many groups add
- No stealing straight back: you can't take back the gift just stolen from you on the same turn. On here.
- A last swap for number 1: some groups give player 1 one swap at the end. Off here; turn it on under House rules.
- Dice: some families play Dirty Santa with a die instead of turns. This page doesn't roll dice; it runs the stealing game.
Questions people ask next
How many times can you steal a gift in Dirty Santa?
Usually three. After the third steal the gift is dead and can't be stolen again.
Is Dirty Santa the same as white elephant?
Yes, it's the same steal game under its Southern name.
Can you steal back a gift that was stolen from you?
Not on the same turn under the usual rule. You can steal it again later if it isn't dead.