Black Elephant Cards : A White Elephant Variant

For friends or families who do a White Elephant or Yankee Swap around the holidays. 

While white elephants are fun, this set of cards adds an extra layer of complexity to the game. Each card has the order number on it, as well as a "special power." Special powers do things like block swaps, limit stealing abilities, require players to make charitable donations to child-friendly organizations, and much more.

We added this to our family white elephant last year and not only spiced things up, but generated over $100 in charitable donations.

This set contains 30 cards, each with festive holiday-themed names and unique abilities. There are also 2 wild cards, for you to write your own abilities on (though you could always make even more) and an Instructions card.

Instructions

• Each card has either an: advantage, disadvantage, or rule the person with that card must follow. Players should read their card, but they should not share it unless directed to do so by the card, or in the process of playing their ability.
• A Steal is when a person with no gift takes a gift from someone who has a gift.
• A Swap is when a person with a gift exchanges gifts with another person who has a gift.
• Opening a gift is when a person with no gift opens a previously wrapped gift.
• Each gift is locked after 3 steals (but not swaps). The fourth person in possession of a gift keeps the gift, unless this is interrupted by a card ability.
• Unless a card says otherwise, players should place their card in the discard pile once its advantage (or disadvantage) has been activated. (Meaning, unless explicitly stated, all cards only work once)
• All cards (except #29) become deactivated once card #1 is activated (at the end of the entire game). Meaning: you can not play cards while the person with card #1 is making their final sweep.

Link to buy physical cards coming soon...

Payment

If you'd like to donate money to me for this, thank you. However, regardless of if you'd like to take the game for free or if you'd like to pay, I ask that you make a $5 donation (or more, if you like) to one of the following charities:

• Child Find of America
• Unbound Child Sponsorship
• Reach Out and Read
• Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America

Current Version: 1.0