A good white elephant board game gets stolen. It is easy to recognize, fun to unwrap in front of a crowd, and useful to almost anyone who takes it home. Party games and quick card games do this best, because the whole room can picture playing them that night.
The quick answer: at a $20 limit, bring Exploding Kittens or Sushi Go!. At $25, bring Codenames or Herd Mentality. At $30, bring Hues and Cues. For a laugh that is still a good game, bring Poetry for Neanderthals, which comes with an inflatable club.
Prices are approximate at the time of writing. They often drop in late November, so read them as “about.” Every game name links to Amazon.
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How does a white elephant gift exchange work?
Everyone brings one wrapped gift under a set price limit and draws a number. The first person opens a gift from the pile. Each person after that can either open a new gift or steal one that has already been opened. Anyone who gets robbed picks again, either a new gift or another steal. Most groups cap steals, often at three per gift, so the last steal locks it in. The fun is in the stealing, which is why the gift you bring should be one people want to take.
What makes a board game a good white elephant gift?
- Instant recognition. If people know the name, they want it before the paper is off. Codenames and Exploding Kittens have that pull.
- A funny unwrap. The room is watching. A box with a pink cow or a foam burrito gets a reaction.
- Plays with a crowd. The person who takes it home should be able to play it at the next party, not need exactly two friends.
- Inside the limit. Going over the limit makes everyone else look cheap. Going way under makes you look cheap. Aim for within a few dollars.
White elephant board games at a glance
| Game | Players | Time | About | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exploding Kittens | 2 to 5 | 15 min | $20 | $20 |
| Sushi Go! | 2 to 5 | 15 min | $17 | $20 |
| Flip 7 plus Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza | 3 to 8 | 10 to 20 min | $18 for both | $20 |
| Codenames | 2 to 8 or more | 15 min | $25 | $25 |
| Herd Mentality | 4 to 20 | 20 min | $25 | $25 |
| Just One | 3 to 7 | 20 min | $25 | $25 |
| Skull | 3 to 6 | 30 min | $21 | $25 |
| Hues and Cues | 3 to 10 | 30 min | $26 list | $30 |
| So Clover! | 3 to 6 | 30 min | $28 | $30 |
| The Chameleon | 3 to 8 | 15 min | $27 | $30 |
Best white elephant board games under $20
Exploding Kittens
Exploding Kittens is the most stolen-looking box on this list. Players draw cards until someone draws an Exploding Kitten and is out, unless they have a Defuse card. Action cards let you skip, attack, and shuffle your way out of trouble. It plays 2 to 5, ages 7 and up, in about fifteen minutes, for about $20 at the time of writing. Nearly everyone has heard of it, which is half the battle.
Sushi Go!
Sushi Go! is a card drafting game in a tin. Pick one card, pass the rest, and collect sets of sushi for points. It plays 2 to 5, ages 8 and up, in about fifteen minutes, for about $17. It works for a family with kids, a couple, or a group of coworkers, which makes it one of the safest gifts in the pile.
Flip 7 and Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, as a pair
Two small games in one box beats one small game every time. Flip 7 is a push-your-luck card game for 3 or more, ages 8 and up, with a list price of about $8. Add Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, a slap game where players flip cards while chanting the five words, and slap the pile when the card matches the word. It plays 2 to 8, ages 8 and up, in about ten minutes, and sells for about $10 at the time of writing. Wrap them together and the pair comes in just under $20.
For more picks at this price, see our full guide to board games under $20.
Best white elephant board games under $25
Codenames
Codenames is the safest $25 white elephant gift there is. Two teams, two spymasters, one-word clues, and a grid of 25 words. It plays 2 to 8 or more, ages 10 and up, in about fifteen minutes. The refreshed edition costs about $25. Whoever takes it home will have a party game for years.
Herd Mentality
Herd Mentality wins the unwrap. The box has a pink cow inside, and the game is about giving the same answer as everyone else. Answer with the majority and you earn a cow; be the only odd answer and you get the pink cow. It plays 4 to 20, ages 10 and up, in about twenty minutes, for about $25. That 20-player count is rare, and it means the winner can play it at the same party.
Just One
Just One is a cooperative word game where matching clues cancel each other out. It plays 3 to 7, ages 8 and up, in about twenty minutes, for about $25. It suits a coworker with a family, since kids can play too.
Skull
Skull is a bluffing game with roses, skulls, and nerve. It plays 3 to 6, ages 10 and up, in about thirty minutes, for about $21. The round, coaster-like cards make it look like a nicer gift than its price, which helps it get stolen before anyone knows the rules.
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Best white elephant board games under $30
Hues and Cues
Hues and Cues has a big, bright board of colors that looks great when it comes out of the paper. One player gives a short clue for a color, and everyone guesses where it sits on the board. It plays 3 to 10, ages 8 and up, in about thirty minutes, with a list price of about $26.
So Clover!
So Clover! is a cooperative word game. Each player writes clues that link pairs of words on a four-leaf clover board, then the table works together to rebuild everyone’s clover. It plays 3 to 6, ages 10 and up, in about thirty minutes, for about $28. It is a clever gift for a group that does crosswords.
The Chameleon
The Chameleon is a quick bluffing game where one player does not know the secret word and has to fake it. It plays 3 to 8, ages 14 and up, in about fifteen minutes, for about $27. It is a strong pick for an adult crowd that likes calling each other out.
Our list of board game gifts under $30 has more picks at this price.
Funny white elephant games that are still good games
A gag gift gets a laugh and then goes in a closet. These get a laugh and then get played.
- Throw Throw Burrito. A card game where you collect sets of three, and certain cards set off a duel with two squishy foam burritos. It plays 2 to 6, ages 7 and up, in about fifteen minutes, for about $20.
- Poetry for Neanderthals. Get your team to guess a word using only one-syllable words. Slip into a longer word and the other team bops you with a two-foot inflatable club. It plays in teams, ages 7 and up, for about $20.
- Herd Mentality. It is already on the list, but the pink cow earns a second mention. Nobody unwraps it without laughing.
What should you not bring to a white elephant?
- Heavy strategy games. A two-hour game with a thick rulebook will not get stolen. People cannot picture playing it.
- Two-player-only games. Great for couples, risky for a stranger.
- Shock-humor card decks. They are fine among close friends and awkward at an office party. If the swap is at work, see our guide to a board game gift for a coworker.
- Games that need an expansion. Bring the base game, never just the add-on.
Whatever you bring, a game is a gift that asks people to spend time together. That is a better present than a candle. The game is the reason. The people are the point.
FAQ
What is the best board game for a white elephant exchange?
Codenames at a $25 limit, Exploding Kittens at $20. Both are widely known, play with a crowd, and get stolen.
What is a good white elephant gift under $20?
Exploding Kittens or Sushi Go!, or pair Flip 7 with Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza for two games under $20.
What white elephant gift gets stolen the most?
Gifts people recognize and can picture using that night. In games, that means party games like Codenames and Herd Mentality.
Are board games good white elephant gifts?
Yes, if they teach fast and play with a group. Avoid long strategy games and two-player-only boxes.
Still shopping?
If the exchange is next week, our guide to last-minute board game gifts can help. Subscribe to The Ludarium newsletter for more gift picks like these, and what to play once the paper is off.
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