In white elephant with stealing, everyone brings one wrapped gift and draws a number. On your turn you either open a new gift from the pile or steal an already opened gift from someone else. Whoever loses a gift opens a new one or steals from someone else. Two house rules keep it fair: a gift can be stolen at most three times, and you cannot steal back the gift that was just taken from you.
Below you find the full rules, the most common house rules, how to end the game and what to do when colleagues do not enjoy taking things from each other. If you prefer luck instead of choice, the dice version works without any stealing.
The basic rules
Set a budget in the invitation and ask for gifts that are funny or useful, nothing offensive.
Everyone puts one wrapped gift on a table and draws a number.
Number 1 opens a gift from the pile and shows it to the room.
Every next player chooses: open a new gift or steal an opened gift from someone else.
A player whose gift was stolen opens a new gift or steals a different one. Then the next number plays.
The game ends when the last gift is opened.
House rules that prevent chaos
Steal limit: a gift is frozen after its third steal and stays with its owner.
No steal back: you cannot immediately take back the gift that was just stolen from you.
One steal per turn: a chain of steals ends as soon as someone opens a new gift.
Last turn for number 1: at the end, number 1 may swap once, because they had no choice at the start.
Steal or dice?
Stealing means choosing, and some colleagues find it awkward to take a gift from someone else.
The dice version: the numbers decide who passes or swaps, nobody has to pick a victim.
Both work in groups of about 6 to 30. With more people, split into several circles.
Fair for everyone
Keep a spare gift or two for people who forgot.
Nobody has to steal. Opening a new gift is always allowed.
Everyone brings a small wrapped gift (set a budget, e.g. 10 €). Everyone sits in a circle with their gift and rolls in turns: each number triggers an action (swap left or right, all gifts move one seat, unwrap a corner). When the 10 minute timer rings, you keep the gift in front of you. Full rules below in our guide.
Players: 6 to 20
Time: 10 to 15 min
Materials: 1 to 2 dice, timer, gifts
2. Thank-you card swap
Everyone draws a colleague’s name and writes two specific sentences of thanks for something that happened this year. Cards are handed out (or read anonymously). Quiet, warm and memorable.
Players: 4 to 60
Time: 10 to 15 min
Materials: Cards, pens (or a shared board online)
Host tips
Write the house rules on one card and read them out before number 1 starts.
Put the opened gifts in front of their owners so everyone sees what can be stolen.
Agree in the invitation that gifts stay anonymous.
On your turn you either open a new gift or take an opened gift from someone else. The person who lost the gift then opens a new one or steals a different one.
Can you steal back in white elephant?
Usually not right away. The common house rule is no steal back: you cannot immediately take back the gift that was just taken from you.
How many times can a gift be stolen?
Most groups freeze a gift after its third steal. Agree on the limit before the game starts.
What is the difference to the dice version?
With stealing, players choose whose gift they take. In the dice version the numbers decide who passes or swaps, so nobody has to pick someone.
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