The One True White Elephant Gift Exchange Ruleset
Gifts must:
- Cost less than the maximum price limit, to be announced beforehand. (Yes, zero is less than the maximum price limit, as is the negative value of a truly awful white elephant.)
- Be placed in a location where players can see all of them without touching them.
- Be wrapped for easy extraction. Gift bags are best.
- Number the exact number of players.
Players must:
- Choose a number at start.
- Unwrap a new gift or steal another available unwrapped gift on their turn or when an unwrapped gift is stolen from them.
- Never be without a gift after their turn is over.
- Display their gift unless it has been stolen three times.
When all gifts are unwrapped:
The player who went first may keep the gift they currently hold or steal another gift that has been stolen less than three times.
White Elephant is over when:
All gifts have been unwrapped, all players have a gift, and the player who holds the last gift in play decides to keep it.