White Elephant Dice Game Rules
In the White Elephant dice game, everyone sits in a circle holding a wrapped gift and takes turns rolling a die. Each number means an action, such as pass left, pass right, swap with anyone or unwrap your gift. Play continues until every gift is unwrapped or a timer runs out, and you keep whatever you're holding.
Setup
- Gifts: each player brings one wrapped gift. At the start, everyone holds a gift. Hand them out at random, or have everyone pass their own gift a few seats to the left.
- Seating: a circle, so “left” and “right” are obvious.
- Dice: one regular six-sided die, or two for more variety. No dice? Use the free online dice roller, which shows the action for each roll.
- Timer: set one for 10–20 minutes. It stops the game from running forever.
A one-die rules sheet
| Roll | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Pass your gift to the left |
| 2 | Pass your gift to the right |
| 3 | Swap gifts with anyone |
| 4 | Unwrap the gift you’re holding |
| 5 | Everyone passes their gift left |
| 6 | Roll again |
A two-dice rules sheet
| Total | Action |
|---|---|
| 2 | Your gift is safe for one round |
| 3 | Everyone passes right |
| 4 | Pass left |
| 5 | Pass right |
| 6 | Unwrap your gift |
| 7 | Swap with anyone |
| 8 | Unwrap your gift |
| 9 | Steal any unwrapped gift |
| 10 | Everyone passes left |
| 11 | Trade with the person across from you |
| 12 | Roll again |
Seven comes up most often with two dice, so put the liveliest action there.
How to play
- Roll to see who starts (highest roll goes first).
- Going clockwise, each player rolls and does what the sheet says.
- Once gifts are unwrapped, “swap” and “steal” rolls get interesting, because now people can see what they’re taking.
- When the timer goes off, or the last gift is unwrapped, stop. Everyone keeps what’s in their hands.
Two-phase version
Some groups play in two phases: first roll until every gift is unwrapped, then start a short timer (5 minutes) where only swap and steal rolls count. The second phase is where the fun is.
Germany’s version
In Germany the same idea is called Schrottwichteln or Würfelwichteln (roughly “junk gift exchange” and “dice gift exchange”), often with gag gifts and a timer.
Tips
- Keep the rules sheet where everyone can see it, or put the dice tool on a TV.
- Pick gifts that are fun to hold, because they’ll change hands a lot. See family gift ideas.
- If you’d rather play the classic open-or-steal game, here are the standard rules. For remote groups, the virtual game runs the classic version for you.
Frequently asked questions
What do the numbers mean in the White Elephant dice game?
There's no single standard. A common one-die sheet is 1 pass left, 2 pass right, 3 swap with anyone, 4 unwrap your gift, 5 everyone passes left, 6 roll again. Our dice tool lets you set your own.
How long does the dice game last?
Without a timer it lasts until every gift is unwrapped, which can drag. Most groups set a 10–20 minute timer. When it beeps, you keep what you're holding.
Can you play the dice game with two dice?
Yes. Two dice give totals from 2 to 12, so you can add rarer actions on 2 and 12 and common ones on 6–8.
Is the dice game good for kids?
Very. Everyone is involved on every roll, there's no deliberate stealing, and luck decides who ends up with what.