White elephant online: a free virtual gift exchange game for your group
Run a white elephant gift exchange (also known as a yankee swap) right in the browser. One person creates a room, everyone joins by link from a phone or laptop, and the game handles the turn order, the steals and the frozen gifts. Free, 3 to 20 players, no accounts and no downloads.
Opens Gift Grab, our gift exchange game. No sign-up; invite the group by link.
What is a white elephant gift exchange?
A white elephant gift exchange is a holiday party custom: everyone brings one wrapped gift, the gifts go into a common pile, and players take turns either opening a new gift or stealing one that is already open. The most wanted gift usually travels around the room a few times. Some regions call the same custom a yankee swap.
On playparty.live the online version of this custom is a game called Gift Grab. It keeps the stealing and takes over what is awkward on a video call: drawing numbers, tracking turns and counting steals.
How to play white elephant online in 2 minutes
- Press “Start a free game” on this page and create a room. You get a link and a four-character code.
- Paste the link into the meeting chat or the family group. Everyone opens it on a phone or computer and types a name. No sign-up, no app, no emails or phone numbers.
- A room holds 3 to 20 players. If someone cancels, the host can add bots to fill the seats (at least one real player is needed).
- Leave the gift mode on “Ready-made set” for an instant game, or switch to “Our own gifts” if people have real presents.
- Start the game. The server draws the turn order, and the first player picks a gift to unwrap.
The interface comes in four languages, and each player sees the game in their own.
The rules of the online game
- The turn order is a random draw made by the server.
- On your turn you either unwrap any wrapped gift or steal an opened gift from another player (the button in the game says “Grab”).
- A player whose gift was stolen goes immediately: they unwrap a new gift or steal a different one. They can’t take back the gift that was just stolen from them.
- The chain of steals ends as soon as someone unwraps a new gift. Then the turn passes to the next player in the draw.
- A gift can be stolen a limited number of times (three by default). After that it is frozen and stays with its owner.
- When every gift is open, the first player in the draw gets a final move: swap with any gift that is not frozen, or keep their own. The host can switch this off.
What is inside a wrapped gift, and who brought it, stays hidden until the gift is unwrapped. The giver is revealed only on the final results card. There are no points and no winner.
Rule variations and the settings that match them
Every family and office plays a little differently. These are the house rules the host can set in the lobby.
| House rule | Setting in the lobby |
|---|---|
| A gift is locked after three steals | Grabs per gift: 3 (default) |
| A stricter, faster game: two steals and the gift is locked | Grabs per gift: 2 |
| More back-and-forth before a gift settles | Grabs per gift: 4 |
| The first player gets a last swap at the end | Final move for player 1: Yes (default) |
| No last swap for the first player | Final move for player 1: No |
| Keep the game moving | Turn timer: 30 or 60 seconds (Off by default) |
| No immediate steal-backs | Always on, built into the game |
When the timer runs out, the server unwraps a random gift for that player. There is no “unlimited steals” option; choose the closest limit.
White elephant on Zoom or any video call
The game doesn’t depend on a particular meeting app. Start the call wherever your group already meets and send the room link in the chat. Each person plays on their own device.
- Share one big view. Tap “📺 Big Screen” in the lobby, or open playparty.live/tv and type the room code, then share that window on the call. In an office, put the same view on the meeting-room TV.
- For a remote team. Ask people to keep cameras on: the reactions to a stolen gift are half the fun. A turn timer of 30 or 60 seconds keeps a large group on pace.
- For family far away. Grandparents only need to open a link and type a name. If a connection drops, the game goes on: after more than 20 seconds offline the server unwraps a gift for that player, and when they return they continue on their own.
Virtual gifts or real ones?
The ready-made set is the default. It holds 44 family-friendly joke gifts, such as socks, a cactus, a rubber duck, a mug and a blanket. Nothing has to be bought, wrapped or mailed, so it works as a warm-up, an icebreaker for a new team, or a practice round before the real exchange.
Our own gifts is the mode for a real swap. After the game starts, each player adds one gift: a name of 2 to 60 characters, an optional link and one of 8 wrapping colors. There is no photo upload. Anyone who hasn’t added a gift by the time the host starts the exchange gets one from the ready-made set, and so do bots.
The game decides who gets which gift. The presents are then handed over or mailed by the participants; the site doesn’t deliver or sell anything.
Gift themes and budget, in general terms
- Set one price cap that is comfortable for everybody, and announce it with the invitation.
- Pick a theme: something cozy, something for the desk, something handmade, or something you already own and never used, which is the original spirit of the custom.
- Keep it family-friendly. A gift that would embarrass someone in front of colleagues or kids is the wrong gift.
- Give the gift a clear name. It is shown once the gift is unwrapped and helps people decide whether to steal it.
After the last gift
The results card lists every player with their gift, the number of steals and the most wanted gift of the game. The “Share the results” button sends the results as text through the device’s share menu, or copies them. To keep the party going, switch the same room to Party Box or Bingo, or see more holiday party games and office party games.
Frequently asked questions
Is this white elephant game really free?
Yes. Creating a room and playing are free, with no sign-up and nothing to install. We don’t ask for emails or phone numbers.
How many people can play?
From 3 to 20 players in one room. The host can add bots to fill empty seats, as long as at least one real person plays.
Does it work on Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams?
Yes. The game runs in a browser tab, separately from the call. Send the link in the meeting chat and, if you like, share the Big Screen view.
How many times can a gift be stolen?
The host chooses 2, 3 or 4 steals per gift; 3 is the default. After the last allowed steal the gift is frozen and stays with its owner.
What happens if someone disconnects in the middle?
If a player is offline for more than 20 seconds or leaves, the server unwraps a gift for them so the game keeps going. A player who comes back reconnects and plays their next turns.
Do you ship the gifts?
No. The game only works out who gets which gift. Participants hand over or mail real presents themselves.