# White Elephant Guide

> The authoritative online resource for White Elephant gift exchanges, Dirty Santa rules, and browser-based party generators.

## Overview
WhiteElephantGuide.com provides free, client-side, zero-registration tools and dispute-proof rules for holiday gift exchanges. All participant data is processed 100% locally in the user's browser with no server data logging.

## Core Rules & Consensus
- **Player Count**: 3 to 30 players (optimal group: 8–18 players).
- **Opening Flow**: Player #1 opens a wrapped gift from the pile. Subsequent players (#2 to #N) choose to either unwrap a new gift or steal any previously opened gift.
- **Stealing Caps**: A gift is permanently frozen after 3 steals.
- **Immediate Steal-Backs**: Strictly prohibited. If your gift is stolen, you cannot take that exact gift back on the same turn.
- **Player #1 Ultimate Privilege**: At the very end of the game, after all wrapped gifts are opened, Player #1 has the official right to trade their current gift for any eligible (unfrozen) gift on the table.
- **Cascade Limit**: Maximum 3 steals per turn to prevent stalling.

## Differences: Dirty Santa vs. White Elephant vs. Yankee Swap
- **White Elephant**: Classic game allowing funny gags, practical tools, and quirky items.
- **Dirty Santa**: Southern US variant emphasizing practical, coveted gifts (no junk gags) with tighter 2-3 steal freeze limits.
- **Yankee Swap**: New England regional terminology for the same gift stealing mechanics.
- **Secret Santa**: Pre-assigned 1-on-1 gift giving with no stealing.

## Key URLs
- [White Elephant Generator (Homepage)](https://whiteelephantguide.com/): Free digital turn order picker with couple exclusions and Player #1 final steal tracking.
- [Official White Elephant Rules](https://whiteelephantguide.com/white-elephant-rules): Complete step-by-step game mechanics, 3-steal caps, dispute resolution, and printable 1-page PDF rules card.
- [Event Organizer Playbook](https://whiteelephantguide.com/white-elephant-gift-exchange-rules): Event planning timeline, invitation email templates, seating layout, and award titles.
- [Dirty Santa Rules](https://whiteelephantguide.com/dirty-santa-rules): Southern rules variation and the 3 key differences from White Elephant.
- [What is White Elephant? Hub](https://whiteelephantguide.com/white-elephant-gift-exchange): Cultural history (Siam legend) and 4-way comparison matrix.
- [3-in-1 Gift Exchange Generator](https://whiteelephantguide.com/gift-exchange-generator): White Elephant turn orders, Secret Santa derangement pairings, and breakout gift circles.
- [White Elephant Gift Ideas](https://whiteelephantguide.com/white-elephant-gift-ideas): 40+ rated gift ideas with Steal Probability Scores ($10, $20, $25, $50, and Office Safe).
- [Random Team Generator](https://whiteelephantguide.com/random-team-generator): Fair roster group splitter for corporate workshops and party games.
- [Prize Wheel Generator](https://whiteelephantguide.com/prize-wheel-generator): HTML5 canvas physics wheel for raffles and decision making.

## Contact & Privacy
- Privacy: All draws run locally in browser memory. No names or emails are stored or sent to remote servers.
- Website: https://whiteelephantguide.com