The One True White Elephant Gift Exchange Ruleset
Gifts must:
- Number the exact number of players.
- Be wrapped so their contents cannot be visually discerned.
Setup:
- All gifts must be placed in a location where players can see all of them.
- Gifts may not be touched unless they are being unwrapped.
- Players should choose a number at the start to determine the order of play.
- Players need not reveal this number until their turn.
In turn, each player must:
- Reveal their number.
- Steal or unwrap a gift.
- Never be without a gift after their turn is over.
- Display their gift in plain view until the end of the game.
When a gift is stolen:
- The victim must unwrap a new gift or steal a different gift in play.
When a gift has been stolen three times:
- It is out of play, safe from theft for the remainder of the game.
When a gift is unwrapped:
- It remains in play until it has been stolen three times or the game has ended.
When all players have taken their turns:
- The player who went first may keep the gift they currently hold or steal a gift in play, triggering a final orgy of good fun and bad feelings.
White Elephant is over when:
- All players have a gift.
- The player who holds the final gift in play decides to either keep it or cannot steal another because no gifts remain in play.