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The Scarlet Pimpernel
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White Elephant
2011
Rules assistance for White Elephant
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–7 players
- 15 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.0/5
Rules assistant for White Elephant
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
White Elephant is a board game released in 2011 for 3–7 players, 15 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Brian Kelley and its main mechanics are Set Collection and Open Drafting.
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About the game
Some may know the classic White Elephant gift exchange game as Yankee Swap, Dirty Santa, Thieving Secret Santa, or Parcel Pass. The White Elephant Card Game simulates this classic holiday game in a quick, light family card game. In the White Elephant Card Game you play the part of a no-good cheapskate, unwilling to spend a measly dime on the people on your gift list. However, you will be attending several White Elephant parties. You can take some junk from your attic and exchange it for treasures to give as gifts. If you “play your cards right” you could fill your gift list for free and no one will be the wiser! Each player has a Gift List Card, a list of three people for whom to acquire gifts. The Gift Cards in their hand constitute their “attic”. There is one “White Elephant Party” for each card in a player’s attic. For each “party” a player “brings a gift to the party” by placing one Gift Card from their hand facedown on the table in front of them. The first player begins by selecting one of the gifts and “opens” it by turning it face up. The next player may then select a new gift, or “steal” an opened gift by taking a face-up Gift Card from a player who has an open gift. When a player steals an open gift they hold it in their hand until a new gift is opened. This way a gift may be stolen only once until a new card is turned over. When a new card is turned over all stolen gift cards are placed face up so the next player may steal any opened gift. This continues until the last gift is opened. At this point each player keeps the gift they have and a new party begins. This continues until all of the Gift Cards have been played. At the end of the game each player counts only the one highest-numbered Gift Card they received that matches each color on their gift list. The total of these cards is the player’s final score. The player with the most points wins.
Questions and answers
White Elephant supports 3–7 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for White Elephant is 15 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists White Elephant for ages 8 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
White Elephant has a complexity rating of 1.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
White Elephant belongs to these categories: Card Game. Its main mechanics are Set Collection and Open Drafting. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of White Elephant are: Brian Kelley. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists White Elephant as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.