The Game Begins Promptly at 8:15 PM

PLAYING THE GAME IS OPTIONAL The White Elephant Game takes 1.5-2 hrs to play. (srsly) If you opt in, you need to stay for the whole game or people get mad at you. You must be present to play, no proxies are allowed. If you put in a gift, you have to play. Again, you don't HAVE to play, its fun to watch, but if you are watching … you’ll probably want to play.

THE GAME IS FOR GROWN-UPS You have to be 18+ to play. This is a grown-up game. It a brutal game where people will steal that gift you fell in love with immediately when you opened it with a gleeful smile on their face. You will feel elation, victory, and grave disappointment. You might cry, but you have to suck it up and take it. Just like life. Kids can’t handle it. We don’t want to be responsible for messing up your kid in a formative time of their life.

PROHIBITED ITEMS Anything food-related including booze, drugs (yes pot is a drug, even in vape form), coffee, coffee-cake, candy, etc; sex toys, porn, and NO GIFT CARDS. ZERO GIFT CARDS ARE ALLOWED.

MONEY LIMIT None. Don’t break the bank. Spending a bunch of money is highly discouraged. You will not receive the adoration you think you will.

WHAT TO BRING What's an awesome item that you would want to score at a gift exchange? Visualize opening it. OK stop. Did you visualize a garbage item someone was re-gifting because they don't like it? I bet you didn’t. That is *not* the thing to bring. Was it funny? Unexpected or interesting? Did it spark joy? Was it vintage or art or collectible or useful or amazing or super fricking cool? If yes, you are on to something. Wrap it up. Was it something that people are going to want to steal? Did it make you feel OMG, ROTFL, WOW, NEAT, GIMMIE, or HOLY SHIT? That's it. Was it so BAD it's GOOD? Put a bow on it, you’ve got it.

That said, don't put too much pressure on yourself. It’s easy. Just bring something fun that you yourself would enjoy. Remember: Everybody is different and likes different things. Embrace what you love. That's what makes life, and this game, so fun.

THE OFFICIAL WAY TO PLAY

- All players bring a wrapped gift, put it in the pile, & put their name in the bag.

- NO PROHIBITED ITEMS. See above.

- Names are drawn at random from the bag.

- The first player drawn just gets to open, there is nothing to steal yet. Life is not fair.

- The next player drawn chooses to open a wrapped gift from the pile or steal an already opened gift from another player

- If your gift is stolen, it's your turn again. You unwrap or you steal.

- A gift can only be stolen ONCE per round.

- A round begins when a new player's name is drawn and ends when a player decides to keep the gift they are in possession of.

- During each round, opened gifts must be displayed by the other players so the current player can properly steal it from you and break your heart. NO HIDING. DO NOT DISAPPEAR.

- A gift can only be stolen THREE times before it is *officially* out of play.

- When all the gifts have been opened and the final round is over, the MOB RULES. The BEST gifts are determined by number of steals throughout the game and the enthusiasm of the mob. WORST gifts are nominated and agreed on by the mob.

- The drunken, embittered, crowd then votes on which gift is the BEST and which is the WORST and those lucky players SWAP GIFTS.

- IT HURTS SO GOOD. The game is officially over. Merriment and 1:1 gift trading commences

- YOU MUST TAKE YOUR GIFT WITH YOU WHEN YOU LEAVE.