Gift exchange games and simple rules
Choose a passing game, a numbered draw or a clue exchange. Explain the rules before anyone opens a gift.
Updated
Numbered draw
Put a number beside each wrapped gift and let each participant draw a matching number. Keep an extra unnumbered gift only if your group has agreed a late-arrival plan.
Story pass
Seat players in a circle with wrapped gifts. Read an original story containing left and right; pass in the named direction. Open the gift held at the end.
Clue exchange
Give each gift a short clue that does not identify the giver. Read a clue, let its assigned recipient choose a wrapped gift, then confirm before opening.
Agree boundaries
Set any spending limit in advance. Allow a no-purchase option and avoid rules that repeatedly take a gift away from one person.