Skip to content

Free browser tools that respect your files: everything runs locally, nothing is uploaded.

White Elephant Generator

Draw a random turn order for your gift swap and print a rules sheet that matches your stealing rules. Everything runs in this browser tab — no names uploaded.

Add your group

One name per row — each person brings one wrapped gift.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Draw the turn order

Stealing rules

Settle the three arguments before they start — the rule sheet below updates to match.

Each player may steal
A gift freezes after
Instant steal-backs

Your rule sheet

Steal cap 2 · gifts freeze after 3 steals · no instant steal-backs

  1. Every player brings one wrapped, unmarked gift — silly or sweet, at the price limit the group agreed on.
  2. With 6 players you need 6 gifts in the pool.
  3. The generator draws a random playing order; player 1 opens the game.
  4. On your turn, either open a new gift from the pile for everyone to see, or steal an already-opened gift from another player.
  5. Each player may steal at most twice per game — after that, you can only open new gifts.
  6. A gift is frozen after it has been stolen three times — nobody may steal it again for the rest of the game.
  7. No instant steal-backs: you cannot reclaim the gift that was just taken from you — open a new gift or steal a different one.
  8. When your gift is stolen, you immediately take a replacement turn: open a new gift or steal from someone else, following the limits above.
  9. The game ends when the last gift is opened and the final stolen-from player has finished their replacement turn.
Secret santa generatorElf name generator

Quick Answer

A white elephant generator draws a random turn order for your gift exchange so nobody argues about who goes first. Add your players, press draw, and pass one phone around — each person taps to reveal their own pick number, hidden from everyone else. This generator at https://practicalwebtools.com/other/party/white-elephant-generator also builds a printable rules sheet that matches your stealing rules: steal limits, gift freezes, and steal-backs.

How It Works

1

Add every player — each on their own row; everyone brings one wrapped gift

2

Press "Draw turn order" — the crypto-fair shuffle assigns pick numbers

3

Pass the phone: each player reveals only their own number

4

Set your stealing rules and print the matching rules sheet

Key Facts

  • Crypto-fair turn order via crypto.getRandomValues — every playing order is equally likely
  • One-phone reveal cards: each player taps to see their pick number privately, one at a time
  • Editable stealing rules: per-player steal limit (1–3), gift freeze after 1–3 steals or never, instant steal-backs on or off
  • The displayed rule text rewrites itself to match your exact rule choices
  • Printable rules sheet with a gift log table the organizer can fill in during the game
  • Roster and rules auto-save in your browser (localStorage) — reload and they are still there
  • Works for 3 to 200 players — family nights and office swaps alike
  • 100% client-side: no accounts, no uploads, works offline once loaded

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the basic rules of white elephant?

Every player brings one wrapped, unmarked gift at an agreed price limit. A random order is drawn; the first player opens a gift. Each later player either opens a new gift or steals an opened one. When your gift is stolen, you take a replacement turn immediately. The game ends when the last gift is opened and the final stolen-from player has finished their turn. This page prints the full sheet, adjusted to your stealing rules.

How many times can a gift be stolen in white elephant?

It is a house rule, which is exactly why arguments happen. The two common dials: a per-player steal cap (each player may steal 1, 2, or 3 times per game) and a gift freeze (once a gift has been stolen 1, 2, or 3 times, nobody may steal it again). Most groups land on a 2-steal cap with gifts frozen after 3 steals. Set both here and the printed rules sheet states your choice in plain words.

How does the random turn order work?

The roster is shuffled with a Fisher–Yates shuffle driven by crypto.getRandomValues, your browser’s cryptographic random source — the same class of randomness used for encryption keys. Every possible playing order is equally likely, and the code re-verifies the result is a true permutation (no duplicate or missing names) before showing it. Reveal cards then deal the numbers out one phone-pass at a time.

Can you steal back a gift that was just taken from you?

By default, no: most groups ban instant steal-backs, otherwise two players can ping-pong the same gift forever. If your group allows them, switch "Instant steal-backs" to Allowed and the rules sheet updates — steal-backs then still respect your steal cap and any gift freeze.

How many gifts do we need?

One per person — every player brings one wrapped gift, so a 10-person swap needs 10 gifts. The rules sheet counts your roster and prints "With N players you need N gifts" automatically. Price limits are typically 30 for office swaps; whatever the group picks, the sheet assumes gifts stay unmarked and identical in wrapping difficulty.

Do you store our names or need an account?

No. The draw runs entirely in this browser tab — you can watch the Network tab: nothing is transmitted. Names and rule settings live in your browser’s localStorage so a refresh does not lose your roster, and clearing site data removes them. No account, no email, no upload.