Variant
White elephant dice game
No turns to wait for and no hard choices: you roll, the die decides. Round one hands out the gifts; round two is a timed scramble of swaps. Gifts stay wrapped until the timer runs out, so nobody knows if they're winning.
Edit the round 2 actions (your family's version)
Round 1: getting a gift
- Sit in a circle with the wrapped gifts in the middle. Everyone needs to be able to reach.
- Pass the die (or this phone) around. Roll a 6: take any wrapped gift from the pile. Anything else, pass it on.
- Once you have a gift, you're out of round 1; keep passing the die along to people still empty-handed. When the pile is empty, round 1 is over.
Big group or impatient crowd? Make it a 5 or a 6.
Round 2: the timed swap
Set the timer (five minutes suits 10 to 15 people) and keep passing the die. Everyone holds exactly one gift at all times; gifts stay wrapped.
| Roll | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1 | Swap gifts with the person on your left |
| 2 | Swap gifts with the person on your right |
| 3 | Swap with anyone you choose |
| 4 | Everyone passes their gift one seat to the left |
| 5 | Everyone passes their gift one seat to the right |
| 6 | Pick any two other people: they swap |
When the timer ends, everybody opens what they're holding. Trading afterwards is fair game.
Dice game or classic?
The dice game is better for kids, for big loud groups, and for people who hate choosing. The classic open-or-steal game is better if you like strategy and a bit of drama. There's also the left-right story, where the gifts move every time the reader says "left" or "right".