White Elephant: How-To and House Rules
by Sarah Amyot
GAME RULES Gifts:
It’s that time of year–forced, dreaded, get-togethers with your office colleagues who you normally see over Zoom. Little do they know that behind the camera, you rock business on top and pj’s on the bottom. The party planning team carves out time for the not-so-surprising annual White Elephant (aka Dirty Santa) gift exchange. You’ve had 364 days to forget how to play, so here’s the quick and dirty on the game. As with many games, house rules come into play and can trump the official rules at any time. OBJECTIVE Primary: To walk away with the best gift (or at least something better than what you brought) Secondary: Pretend to (or actually) have fun PLAYER PROFILES: As a player, determine who you want to be ahead of time and purchase a gift accordingly: The Sabotager: This is the villain in the game and there can be multiple! This person typically brings a gag gift wrapped nicely to deceive other players, and steals gifts from others. They come prepared with a plan and are three steps ahead of everyone. The “I Don’t Care”: This person brings an unexciting gift and plays by the rules. They may or may not steal a gift. They hope the game goes fast so they can get home and finish their Netflix show. The Angel: This person brings a really nice gift and doesn’t want to ruffle anyone’s feathers. They won’t steal a gift and are hopeful everyone leaves happy. The Drama Queen: This person may or may not bring a gag gift. Everything is over the top and dramatic with them. They have eagle eyes and ask people to show their opened gift several times. If someone steals their gift (and they liked it), they will fall out of their chair and remember it for the next 364 days.
• Each player must bring a wrapped or bagged gift to contribute to the game. The gift must meet pre-set criteria, such as value and theme. • A typical amount to spend on a gift is between $10 and $20. • Example themes include thrift store, bring a gift from home, condiments, puzzles, work from home, the color blue, gifts that begin with C, house gadgets, and gag gifts. Taking turns: • Each person draws a number out of a hat and the game begins with the first number. The first person opens their gift, and each subsequent player can either choose a new gift or steal someone else’s. If a player’s gift is stolen, they can either open a new gift or steal from another player. • The first person has a special power—an additional turn. At the end of the game, they can steal a gift from another player. Stealing: • Gifts can only be stolen a limited number of times, typically three per game. This means that the third person has solidified themselves as the gift’s forever owner. Swapping: Players can swap gifts at the end of the game. House rule variations: • Mystery madness twist: no unwrapping gifts until the end. • The maximum stealing rule does not apply to the first person. • If the first person decides to steal, the game continues until someone decides to keep their gift, rather than steal • No swapping allowed, in or out of the game! Game play variation: • White Elephant meets Secret Santa: before the game begins, draw names and get a gift for your assigned person.
FALL 2024 | 15
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