Dirty Santa is a party gift exchange game where everyone brings a wrapped gift, then takes turns either opening a new present or “stealing” one that someone else has already opened.

Basic idea

• Each person brings one wrapped, unlabelled gift, usually within a set price range (for example, 10–25 dollars).

• All gifts go in a central pile, and everyone draws a number to determine turn order.

Taking turns

• Player 1 picks any gift from the pile, opens it, and shows it to everyone.

• On their turn, each next player can either:
  • Open a new wrapped gift from the pile, or
  • Steal any already‑opened gift from another player.

Stealing rules

• If a player’s gift is stolen, they immediately take a turn: they can open a new gift or steal from someone else, but usually cannot steal back the exact gift that was just taken from them right away.

• Groups often cap how many times a single gift can be stolen (for example, 2–3 steals per gift) or how many times a player can be stolen from, so the game doesn’t drag on.

Ending the game

• The game typically continues until all gifts are opened and any final round of stealing (if your group uses one) is finished.

• Some versions give the first player one last optional steal at the end, since they had no stealing options on the very first turn.

Optional twists

• Many groups choose funny, “gag,” or themed gifts (like silly or slightly risqué items), which is where the “dirty” part of Dirty Santa comes from.

• House rules can change details like when stealing starts, whether there’s a time limit, or if gifts must follow a specific theme. These should be agreed on before the party starts.

If you tell a bit about your group (family, office, adults only, etc.), a custom set of simple house rules can be suggested.