Dice Gift Game at a glance
- Players
- 3 to 20 (best with 5 to 15)
- Game length
- About 30 minutes a game
- Phones
- One phone, passed around
- Where it works
- In the same room
- Who it’s for
- Families and kids, easy for young players
- Price
- Free. No app, no sign-up
- Languages
- English and Spanish
How to play the Dice Gift Game
You need one wrapped gift per player (or two or three each, if you like) and one phone, which rolls the dice, keeps the turns and runs a timer nobody can see.
- 1Set up. Enter the number of players, from 3 to 20, and how many gifts each person brought. Pick a rule set (Lucky is the default) and a stealing time: Short, Medium or Long. Names are optional; if you add them, type them in the order you sit and pass the phone to the left.
- 2Round 1, the pile. The phone shows how many gifts are left, and the big button shows whose roll it is. Roll a six (or a one, on Lucky rules) and take any gift from the pile. Roll anything else and nothing happens. Either way, pass the phone to the next player. If the count on the phone and the pile on the table ever disagree, fix it with the + and − buttons.
- 3Round 2, the secret timer. When the pile is empty, tap Start the secret timer. The phone picks a length inside your stealing time and keeps it hidden. Keep rolling in the same order: now a six lets you steal one gift from anyone you choose. On Chaos rules, a one and a three do something too.
- 4Keep what you hold. When the alarm rings, stop. If a steal is already happening, finish that one steal, then stop. Whatever you're holding is yours. Then everyone opens their gifts together.
The gifts stay wrapped the whole game, so you choose by size, weight and rattle. In Denmark, a lucky roller can end up with three gifts and someone else with none. That's why the phone has a Nobody leaves empty-handed switch, on by default: a six only steals from someone holding two or more gifts, and anyone with no gift when the alarm rings takes one from whoever holds the most. Turn it off for the traditional, merciless version.
One person can also roll for everyone and call out each result.
Rule sets
Pick one of three rule sets before you start. Each one says what a roll does while there are still gifts in the pile, and what it does once the stealing begins.
Classic
Roll a six to take a gift from the pile, then roll a six to steal one from anyone.
- Round 1: the pile
- 6 · take a gift from the pile
- Round 2: stealing
- 6 · take a gift from anyone
Lucky
A one or a six takes a gift from the pile, so it empties faster, and then a six steals.
- Round 1: the pile
- 1 · take a gift from the pile
- 6 · take a gift from the pile
- Round 2: stealing
- 6 · take a gift from anyone
Chaos
Like Classic, but in the stealing round, a one passes one of your gifts to your left and a three swaps a gift with anyone.
- Round 1: the pile
- 6 · take a gift from the pile
- Round 2: stealing
- 1 · give a gift to the player on your left
- 3 · swap a gift with anyone
- 6 · take a gift from anyone
What to bring: budget and gift ideas
Every gift will be grabbed, stolen and shaken by people who can't see inside. Agree on a few rules first, so the pile feels fair.
Set a price cap
Pick one number for everyone and put it in the invite, such as $10, $15 or $20. Small gifts suit this game: nobody minds much when theirs gets stolen.
Gifts that work for anyone
You don't know who will end up with yours, so pick something most people would be glad to get: good chocolate, warm socks, a deck of cards, nice coffee or tea, hand warmers or a set of string lights.
Wrap it well
Gifts get grabbed again and again, so use sturdy paper and tape every corner. A box hides the shape better than a bag, and nobody can peek inside. A small gift in a big box is fair play.
Skip these
Anything fragile, anything that needs the right size and anything that's only funny to one person. If you bring food, label what's in it for guests with allergies.
Classic, Lucky or Chaos: which rules to pick
All three rule sets play the same way: take gifts from the pile, then steal until the timer rings. What changes is how often a roll does something.
Classic
The traditional rules. Only a six counts, in both rounds, so the pile empties slowly and the tension builds. Good for groups of up to about 10.
Lucky
The default. A one or a six takes a gift from the pile, so it empties about twice as fast. Stealing works the same as in Classic. Best for groups of more than 10, and for kids.
Chaos
The pile works like Classic. Once the timer is running, a six steals, a one makes you give one of your gifts to the player on your left, and a three lets you swap one of yours for anyone else's. If you have no gift, a one or a three does nothing. Good for a lively group.
The stealing time sets how long round 2 lasts: Short is 2 to 4 minutes, Medium 4 to 7 and Long 7 to 10. The phone never shows the exact length, so nobody can wait for the last second.
Dice Gift Game vs White Elephant and Secret Santa
In a White Elephant gift exchange, players go in a set order, and on your turn you decide: open a new gift or steal one that's already open. Everyone can see what they're competing for, so it rewards a bit of strategy.
In the Dice Gift Game, luck does the deciding. You can't steal without a six, the gifts stay wrapped until the end, and a hidden timer stops everything without warning. The only rule anyone has to remember is “roll a six,” which makes it easy for mixed groups.
Secret Santa is the quiet one. Everyone draws a name and shops for that person, so the gift can be personal and nothing gets stolen. And you don't have to choose: hand out the Secret Santa gifts first, then bring out the dice with dessert and a pile of small extras.
Ways to play at your party
Office party
Keep the cap low and make it opt-in. In a big room, one host can roll for everyone. With Lucky rules and a Short timer, twenty people are done in about half an hour. For more, see our office holiday party games.
Family Christmas
Play after dinner on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Kids can roll on their own, and grandparents can join without learning anything new. Use Lucky rules and a Medium timer, and keep Nobody leaves empty-handed on.
Friendsgiving
Ask everyone to bring a small wrapped gift along with their dish, and play before dessert. Chaos rules suit friends who enjoy a little mischief.
Birthday party
Guests bring a small gift for the pile, and the birthday person rolls first. Or turn it around: the host wraps a favor for every guest, and the dice decide who gets which.
For the rest of the night, try our Christmas games, all free on one phone.
Where it comes from: Danish pakkeleg
The Dice Gift Game is our version of pakkeleg, a Christmas tradition in Denmark. In Danish, pakke means a package or wrapped present and leg means game, so the name simply means “the present game.”
Danes play it through December. It's a familiar part of the julefrokost, the long Christmas lunch that workplaces, clubs and friends hold before the holidays, and many families play it when they get together over Christmas, some on Christmas Eve. Everyone brings small, inexpensive gifts, often a mix of useful and silly. The dice go around the table, and someone sets a kitchen timer, often out of sight.
Rules vary from family to family. Many groups give other numbers a job too, such as passing a gift to the left, and our Chaos rules borrow that idea. The heart of the game stays the same: wrapped gifts, the dice, the hope of a six and a timer that rings when you least expect it.
Questions
How many people can play the Dice Gift Game?
From 3 to 20. Each person brings one gift, or two or three for a longer game. It's best with 5 to 15: enough gifts to compete for, and short waits between turns. With more than 10 players, use Lucky rules.
How long does it take?
Usually 15 to 30 minutes. Round 1 depends on luck, group size and how many gifts there are, and round 2 lasts as long as the stealing time you pick: 2 to 4, 4 to 7 or 7 to 10 minutes. Lucky rules make round 1 about twice as fast as Classic.
What if someone never rolls a six?
It happens, and it's part of the game. In the stealing round, a single six is enough to get back in. And with Nobody leaves empty-handed on (the default), anyone still without a gift when the alarm rings takes one from whoever holds the most.
How much should each gift cost?
Pick one price cap for everyone. A cap of $10 to $20 works well. Inexpensive gifts suit the game, because nobody minds much when theirs gets stolen.
Can kids play?
Yes. Kids only need to tap and watch the number, and the phone says what to do after every roll. For younger kids, use Lucky rules and a Short timer, and keep Nobody leaves empty-handed on.
Do we need real dice?
No. Tap the dice on the screen and the phone rolls for you. Pass the phone around the circle, or let one person roll for everyone.
What if the timer rings in the middle of a steal?
Finish that one steal, then stop. Nobody starts a new move after the alarm. If someone already rolled a six and is reaching for a gift, they get it.
What if we refresh the page or the screen locks?
The game keeps going. The secret timer runs on the clock, not the screen, so it rings as soon as the phone is back on. If the page reloads, tap Resume the game to pick up where you were.
What is pakkeleg?
It's Danish for “the present game,” a Christmas game played all over Denmark. Players roll a six to take wrapped gifts from a pile, then steal from each other until a hidden timer rings. The Dice Gift Game is our version for one phone.
When do we open the gifts?
At the very end. The gifts stay wrapped the whole game, and everyone opens what they're holding when the timer rings. So you never quite know what you're stealing.