Basic rules
- Everyone brings one wrapped gift within the agreed price limit and puts it in the pile.
- Players draw numbers for turn order.
- Player 1 opens a gift from the pile.
- Each next player either opens a new gift or steals an opened gift from someone. A player who loses a gift picks again (open a new one or steal a different one).
- The game ends when every gift is opened.
Common house rules
- Steal limit: a gift is frozen after it has been stolen a set number of times (often 2 or 3) so the game does not drag.
- No instant steal-back: you cannot take back a gift that was just stolen from you on the same turn.
- Final swap: player 1 gets one last chance to swap at the end, since they had no one to steal from at the start.
Agree on the house rules before the first gift is opened.
Faster variations
For big groups, try a dice game (roll to open, swap or pass) or a left-right story where everyone passes gifts as the words come up.
Set the price limit
Pick a limit everyone can afford. If gifts are part of your holiday budget, the free gift budget per person calculator helps.