Yankee Swap Rules

Yankee Swap is the New England name for nearly the same game. The difference is that a steal is a trade: you hand over your gift in exchange. Print the rules below.

Tip: in the print dialog, choose “Save as PDF” to get a file you can email.

Yankee Swap Rules

House rules for 15 players

15 playersGift limit $25Gift frozen after 3 steals

Before you start

  1. Everyone brings one wrapped gift worth about $25. No name tags, and disguise the shape if you can.
  2. Put all the gifts in one pile in the middle of the room.
  3. Each player draws a number. The number sets the turn order.

How a turn works

  1. Player 1 picks any wrapped gift from the pile and opens it so everyone can see it.
  2. Each next player chooses: open a new gift from the pile, or steal any gift that has already been opened.
  3. If your gift is stolen, you choose right away: steal a different opened gift, or open a new one from the pile.
  4. A gift can change hands only once per turn. When the person who lost it picks again, they must choose a different gift or open a new one.

Stealing rules

  1. A gift can be stolen 3 times. After that it is frozen and stays with its owner. Mark it with a sticker so nobody forgets.
  2. No immediate steal-backs: you can't take back the gift that was just stolen from you on the same turn.
  3. In a Yankee Swap, you swap: you hand your opened gift to the person you take from.

End of the game

  1. The game ends when the last gift in the pile has been opened and any steals on that turn are done.
  2. Player 1 never got to steal, so they get one final move: they may swap their gift with any unfrozen gift, or keep what they have.
  3. Whatever you hold at the end is yours. Trading after the game is allowed only if both people agree.

Free printable rules from whiteelephant.alexai.top

Yankee Swap vs White Elephant vs Dirty Santa

Yankee SwapWhite ElephantDirty Santa
WhereNew EnglandEverywhere in the USThe South
StealTrade your gift for itTake it; victim picks againTake it; victim picks again
GiftsUseful or funnyOften gag giftsAnything goes

Need turn numbers? Print numbered tickets. All ready-made PDFs are on the printables page.

FAQ

Is Yankee Swap the same as White Elephant?

Almost. Both use numbers, opening and stealing. In many Yankee Swap groups, a steal is a direct trade: you give your opened gift to the person you take from, instead of that person picking again.

Who goes last in Yankee Swap?

Player 1 usually gets a final turn after the last gift is opened, so they can swap with any unfrozen gift.

More White Elephant tools

White Elephant Dice GameOnline dice, timer and TV mode→Rules GeneratorPrintable house rules in 10 seconds→Rules With a Twist7 twists to spice up the game→Large Group Rules25–100 players without the 2-hour slog→Steal RulesSteal limits, freezes and steal-backs→Dice Game RulesPrintable rules for the dice version→Number TicketsPrintable numbers 1–100 for the draw→Steal rules explainedFreezes, chains and arguments settled→Gift Ideas94 curated ideas by budget and theme→