Gift Card Exchange Games

Every envelope looks the same, so the game is the fun: press Pick 3 new games.

Die on Camera, Names Move on the List1. The host types the guests in a column on a shared screen, with gift numbers 1, 2, 3 and so on beside them. 2. The host rolls a real die on camera for each guest in turn. 3. A roll of 1 or 2 swaps that guest with the name above, 3 or 4 with the name below, 5 with anyone the guest chooses, and 6 stays put. 4. After two times through the list, each guest emails their code to the person beside their number. Players: 4 to 20. Time: 15 min. Props: a digital gift card each, one die and a shared screen.
Fish an Envelope Out With a Magnet Line1. Slide a metal paper clip onto each sealed envelope and drop them all into a deep box or behind a sheet hung across a doorway. 2. Tie a magnet to a string on a stick. 3. One at a time, players lower the line without looking and lift out whatever sticks. 4. An envelope that drops off goes back in, and the player fishes again. Players: 4 to 20. Time: 12 min. Props: one sealed envelope each, paper clips, a magnet on a string and a deep box.
Decorated Envelope Pick1. Hand out markers and stickers. Each guest gets three minutes to decorate the outside of their own sealed envelope, with no words and no store logos. 2. Mix the envelopes and lay them out face up. 3. Draw numbers. Players choose by the artwork alone. 4. Before anyone opens, the room votes by applause for the best envelope, and its artist is the first to open. Players: 4 to 24. Time: 15 min. Props: one sealed envelope each, markers, stickers and numbered slips.

How it works

In a gift card exchange game every guest brings one card of the amount the host set, sealed in a plain envelope. These games to play with gift cards decide who goes home with which, and nothing is staked.

Read the full guide

Gift card games to play at Christmas or any party

None of these names a holiday. The All games menu keeps one kind: Draws, picks and steals, Passing and swapping games, Win your turn to pick or Virtual gift card exchange games. In all but one of those, each guest buys a digital card and emails the code once the game has matched givers to numbers.

Pick by what is in the house

More filters, the last entry of that menu, keeps the games that work for Over 20 people, and sorts by setting and by what you need: Dice, A deck of cards, Music or Nothing extra.

Tips

Ask for plain envelopes with nothing written outside: a store logo on the flap gives the game away.

Questions and answers

How do you play a gift card exchange game with dice?

Sit in a circle with the envelopes on the table and pass two dice. Count the total around the table clockwise and trade envelopes with whoever sits in that seat. A double trades with anyone. Twice around, then open.

What are some family gift card exchange ideas?

Hidden Envelope Hunt, One Each and Fish an Envelope Out With a Magnet Line suit mixed ages, because nobody has to answer or remember anything. Tangled Ribbon Pull works at a long table.

How much should each gift card be?

That is the host's call. Name one amount in the invitation and keep to it: the games only work when every envelope is worth the same, so that a swap never costs anyone anything.

Can a gift card exchange be done on a video call?

Yes. In all but one of the call games, each guest buys a digital card and keeps the code private. The game matches givers to numbers on a shared screen or in the chat, and the codes go out by email afterward.

All 34 games

Draws, picks and steals 8

Cut the Deck for Pick Order 1. Spread the sealed envelopes on the table. 2. Shuffle a deck of playing cards, and each player cuts it once and shows the card. 3. The highest card picks an envelope first, then the next highest, down to the lowest. Aces are high, and tied players cut again. 4. The lowest card takes the last envelope, and is the first to open. Players: 4 to 20. Time: 8 min. Props: one sealed envelope each and a deck of playing cards.
Decorated Envelope Pick 1. Hand out markers and stickers. Each guest gets three minutes to decorate the outside of their own sealed envelope, with no words and no store logos. 2. Mix the envelopes and lay them out face up. 3. Draw numbers. Players choose by the artwork alone. 4. Before anyone opens, the room votes by applause for the best envelope, and its artist is the first to open. Players: 4 to 24. Time: 15 min. Props: one sealed envelope each, markers, stickers and numbered slips.
Fish an Envelope Out With a Magnet Line 1. Slide a metal paper clip onto each sealed envelope and drop them all into a deep box or behind a sheet hung across a doorway. 2. Tie a magnet to a string on a stick. 3. One at a time, players lower the line without looking and lift out whatever sticks. 4. An envelope that drops off goes back in, and the player fishes again. Players: 4 to 20. Time: 12 min. Props: one sealed envelope each, paper clips, a magnet on a string and a deep box.

Show all 34 games (31 more)

Draws, picks and steals, continued

Make Your Case to Steal, the Room Votes 1. Stack the sealed envelopes and draw numbers for the order. 2. Each player in turn opens a new envelope and reads out the kind of store, or challenges for a card that is already open. 3. The challenger says in one sentence what they would buy with it, and the holder answers with a sentence of their own. 4. The room votes by a show of hands. The winner keeps the card, and the other opens a new envelope. 5. A card that has been through one vote is safe for the rest of the game. Players: 5 to 25. Time: 25 min. Props: one sealed envelope each and numbered slips.
Peek at Two, Keep One 1. Collect the envelopes unsealed, flaps tucked in. The host adds one spare card, so that the last player also has a choice. 2. Draw numbers for the order. 3. On your turn, take two envelopes from the pile, look inside both in private and keep one. 4. Tuck the flap back and return the other to the pile, anywhere you like. 5. Later players may meet an envelope someone has already turned down, and nobody will say which. Players: 4 to 20. Time: 15 min. Props: one unsealed envelope each, one spare card and numbered slips.
Sealed Envelope White Elephant, Stores Hidden to the End 1. Everyone brings a gift card of the agreed amount in a plain sealed envelope and sets it on the table. 2. Draw numbers for the order. Number 1 takes any envelope and keeps it sealed. 3. Each later player takes an envelope from the table or takes a sealed one from another player, who then picks again from the table. 4. An envelope that has changed hands twice stays put. 5. When the table is empty, everyone opens at once. Nobody knew what they were taking, so no steal can sting. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 20 min. Props: one sealed envelope each and numbered slips.
Tangled Ribbon Pull 1. Tape each envelope to the end of a long ribbon. 2. Lay the envelopes behind a sofa or under a cloth, and bring the free ends of all the ribbons together through a cardboard tube. 3. In number order, each player chooses one ribbon end and holds on. 4. On three, everyone pulls gently and follows their ribbon to its envelope. Players: 4 to 16. Time: 10 min. Props: one sealed envelope each, a ribbon for each envelope, tape and a cardboard tube.
Torn Postcard Halves 1. Take an old postcard or a magazine picture for each guest and tear every one in two with a different ragged edge. 2. Tape one half to each sealed envelope and put the other halves in a bag. 3. Each player draws a half from the bag. 4. On go, players walk the table and find the envelope whose half fits theirs. Players: 4 to 30. Time: 10 min. Props: one sealed envelope each, a torn picture for each guest, tape and a bag.

Passing and swapping games 10

Call the Next Card to Earn a Swap 1. Players sit with their sealed envelopes. The host turns one playing card face up. 2. The first player says whether the next card will be higher or lower, and the host turns it. 3. A right call lets the player swap envelopes with anyone, or keep. A wrong call means no swap this lap. 4. The new card stays up for the next player. Nothing is staked: the only prize is a swap. Two laps, then open. Players: 4 to 16. Time: 12 min. Props: one sealed envelope each and a deck of playing cards.
Carousel Around the Table 1. Lay the sealed envelopes around the edge of a table, one for each player. 2. Players walk around the table in one direction while music plays, hands behind their backs. 3. When the music stops, each player puts a hand on the envelope in front of them. 4. Run three walks with the direction reversed each time. The envelope under your hand at the third stop is yours. Players: 4 to 16. Time: 6 min. Props: one sealed envelope each, a table and music.
Envelopes Move at Every "And" on the Page 1. No story to hand? Take any book off the shelf. 2. Players sit in a circle with their sealed envelopes. 3. The host opens the book anywhere and reads one full page aloud at a steady pace. 4. At every "and" all envelopes move one seat to the right, and at every "but" they change direction. 5. Open what you hold when the page ends. Players: 4 to 30. Time: 6 min. Props: one sealed envelope each and any book.
Everyone Rolls, Matching Numbers Swap 1. Give every player one die and seat them with their sealed envelope. 2. On go, everyone rolls at once and leaves the die where it lands. 3. Players who rolled the same number stand and swap envelopes among themselves: two swap with each other, and three or more pass to the right within their group. 4. A player whose number nobody else rolled keeps their envelope. Play five rolls, then open. Players: 5 to 30. Time: 8 min. Props: one sealed envelope each and a die for every player.
Eyes Closed, Hold It Up to Trade 1. Players sit in a circle with their sealed envelopes and close their eyes. 2. On the count of three, anyone who wants to trade holds their envelope up high. Everyone else keeps theirs in their lap. 3. The host walks the circle and passes each raised envelope to the next raised hand. 4. Eyes open. Play three rounds, and nobody learns who traded with whom. Players: 5 to 30. Time: 6 min. Props: one sealed envelope each.
Hearts Left, Spades Right 1. Seat players in a circle with their sealed envelopes and shuffle a deck of playing cards. 2. Each player in turn flips the top card. A heart: pass your envelope to the left. A spade: pass it to the right. 3. A diamond: swap with any player. A club: keep it. 4. A joker, if you leave them in, sends every envelope one seat to the left. Two laps of the circle, then open. Players: 4 to 20. Time: 12 min. Props: one sealed envelope each and a deck of playing cards.
Musical Envelopes, Three Stops 1. Players stand in a circle and pass the sealed envelopes to the right while music plays. 2. Someone facing away stops the music. 3. At the first two stops, players call out "keep" or "swap", and those who called swap trade with each other. 4. At the third stop, what you hold is yours. Players: 5 to 30. Time: 8 min. Props: one sealed envelope each and music.
Pass the Deck to Music, the Top Card Says Who Swaps 1. Sit in a circle, each with a sealed envelope, and pass a shuffled deck of cards around while music plays. 2. When the music stops, whoever holds the deck turns over the top card. 3. A red number card: that player swaps envelopes with anyone they choose. A black number card: every envelope moves one seat to the left. 4. A jack, queen or king means no swap at all. Play ten stops, then everyone opens. Players: 5 to 30. Time: 10 min. Props: one sealed envelope each, a deck of cards and music.
Stand Up If You Have, Then Swap 1. The host writes ten everyday statements, such as "has ridden a train this year" or "ate cereal this morning". 2. Players hold their sealed envelopes and listen to the first statement. 3. Everyone it is true of stands up, and the standing players swap envelopes among themselves in any way they like. 4. If only one player stands, that player swaps with anyone. Open after the tenth statement. Players: 6 to 40. Time: 10 min. Props: one sealed envelope each and a list of ten statements.
Two Dice Count the Seats to Your Swap 1. Players sit around a table, each with a sealed envelope. 2. Two dice go around. The roller adds them up, counts that many seats clockwise from their own and trades envelopes with whoever sits there. 3. If the count ends on the roller, nothing moves. A double lets the roller trade with any player. 4. When the dice have been around twice, everybody opens. Players: 4 to 16. Time: 12 min. Props: one sealed envelope each and two dice.

Win your turn to pick 8

Bingo Winners Pick in Order 1. Give every player a bingo card and lay the sealed envelopes on a side table. 2. Call numbers or words as usual. 3. The first player to complete a line calls bingo, picks an envelope and keeps playing for fun without picking again. 4. Call until every player has had a line. Players: 5 to 40. Time: 25 min. Props: one sealed envelope each, bingo cards and markers.
First to Twenty on One Die Picks First 1. Lay out the sealed envelopes and pass one die around the table. 2. Each player rolls once a turn and adds the number to their own running total, kept on a scrap of paper. 3. The first player to reach twenty or more picks an envelope and drops out of the rolling. 4. Keep going until every player has picked. Nobody stakes anything: the roll only sets the order. Players: 4 to 12. Time: 12 min. Props: one sealed envelope each, one die, paper and a pen.
Hidden Envelope Hunt, One Each 1. Before guests arrive, hide every sealed envelope in one room, each at least partly in view. 2. Explain the rule: touch nothing that is not an envelope, and take only the first one you find. 3. On go, everyone searches. 4. A player who finds a second envelope leaves it alone, and may whisper "warmer" to anyone still looking. Players: 4 to 20. Time: 10 min. Props: one sealed envelope each.
Musical Hat for Pick Order 1. Players stand in a circle and pass a hat from head to head while music plays. 2. When the music stops, the player wearing the hat leaves the circle and picks a sealed envelope from the table. 3. Start the music again for the players who are left. 4. The last player takes the last envelope and keeps the hat on for the opening. Players: 5 to 20. Time: 10 min. Props: one sealed envelope each, a hat and music.
Paper Plane Lands, Nearest Envelope Is Yours 1. Spread the sealed envelopes across the floor at the far end of the room, well apart. 2. Every player folds one paper plane and writes their name on it. 3. From a line, players throw in turn. 4. You take the free envelope nearest to where your plane comes to rest. A plane that lands short is thrown again. Players: 4 to 20. Time: 12 min. Props: one sealed envelope each and a sheet of paper for every player.
Pocket and Bag Fetch for Pick Order 1. Lay out the sealed envelopes. Players sit with whatever is in their pockets and bags. 2. The host calls for an everyday thing, such as a receipt, a pen that is not blue or a coin from before the year 2000. 3. The first player to bring it to the host picks an envelope and retires. 4. Call a new thing each round until all the envelopes have gone. Players: 4 to 24. Time: 12 min. Props: one sealed envelope each.
Right Answer, Take an Envelope 1. Fan the sealed envelopes on the table. 2. The host reads a trivia question to the room. 3. The first player to answer correctly picks an envelope and sits out the rest of the questions. 4. Carry on until one player is left, who takes the last envelope and reads the final question to the others for fun. Players: 4 to 20. Time: 15 min. Props: one sealed envelope each and a list of trivia questions.
Three-Second Category Circle for Pick Order 1. Players stand in a circle. The host calls a category, such as things in a garage. 2. Go around the circle. Each player names one thing in the category within three seconds, with no repeats. 3. A player who stalls or repeats sits down. 4. The last one standing picks an envelope first. Start a new category with the rest, and repeat until every envelope has gone. Players: 5 to 20. Time: 15 min. Props: one sealed envelope each.

Virtual gift card exchange games 8

Die on Camera, Names Move on the List 1. The host types the guests in a column on a shared screen, with gift numbers 1, 2, 3 and so on beside them. 2. The host rolls a real die on camera for each guest in turn. 3. A roll of 1 or 2 swaps that guest with the name above, 3 or 4 with the name below, 5 with anyone the guest chooses, and 6 stays put. 4. After two times through the list, each guest emails their code to the person beside their number. Players: 4 to 20. Time: 15 min. Props: a digital gift card each, one die and a shared screen.
Fastest Right Answer in the Chat Picks 1. The host reads a trivia question aloud. 2. Guests type the answer into the chat. The first correct line picks a free gift number. 3. A guest who has picked may keep answering for fun, but cannot pick again. 4. When the numbers have all gone, givers send their codes by email. Players: 4 to 30. Time: 15 min. Props: a digital gift card each and a list of trivia questions.
Fetch It on Camera, Then Claim a Number 1. The host posts the free gift numbers in the chat. 2. The host calls for a household thing, such as a wooden spoon or a sock with stripes. 3. The first guest back on camera holding one claims any free number and stays on mute for the rest. 4. Carry on until every number is claimed, then each giver emails their code to the guest who claimed their number. Players: 4 to 20. Time: 12 min. Props: a digital gift card each.
Left-Right Story With a Sliding Name Column 1. On a shared screen the host sets two columns side by side: guest names and gift numbers. 2. The host reads a left-right story aloud. At every "left" a helper moves the whole name column down one row, and at every "right" up one row. The name that falls off one end goes to the other. 3. Guests watch their own name travel. 4. At the last word, each guest has the number beside their name, and the givers email their codes. Players: 4 to 30. Time: 10 min. Props: a digital gift card each, a left-right story and a shared screen.
Mailed Ahead, Opened on Three, Guess the Sender 1. Two weeks before the call, the host draws names in private and tells each guest whom to mail a gift card to, with no return address. 2. Guests bring the unopened envelope to the call. 3. On three, everyone opens on camera. 4. In turn, each guest has two guesses at who sent theirs. The sender owns up after the second guess. Players: 3 to 30. Time: 15 min. Props: a gift card each, mailed ahead in an envelope.
Names From a Bowl on Camera 1. The host writes every guest's name on a slip and folds the slips into a bowl in view of the camera. 2. Read the guest list from the top. For each guest, the host draws one slip: that is the person their card goes to. 3. A guest who draws their own name goes back in the bowl for a second draw. 4. Each giver unmutes to say one kind thing to the person they drew, then sends the code after the call. Players: 3 to 40. Time: 10 min. Props: a digital gift card each, paper slips and a bowl.
One Spoken Hint Each, Then Choose 1. In turn, each guest gives one spoken hint about the card they bought: the kind of place and never its name, such as "you can sit down and eat there". 2. The host notes the hints beside gift numbers on a shared screen, without the givers' names. 3. Draw an order from a bowl on camera. Guests choose a number by its hint alone. 4. A guest who chooses their own card says "pass" and chooses again. Codes go out by email. Players: 4 to 20. Time: 15 min. Props: a digital gift card each and a shared screen.
Shared-Screen Number Board With Steals 1. Before the call, every guest buys a digital gift card of the agreed amount and keeps the code to themselves. The host gives each guest a secret number. 2. The host shares a screen with the numbers in a grid. 3. In a drawn order, each guest claims a free number or takes a claimed one, and a guest who loses a number claims again. 4. A number taken twice is locked. When the board is full, each guest emails their code to whoever holds their number. Players: 4 to 30. Time: 20 min. Props: a digital gift card each and a shared screen.

How this list was compiled: Written by the Game Night Generator editors on 2026-10-03 for a host running a gift card swap, in our own words. The host sets one amount and each guest brings one card of that amount, so nothing is staked on a roll, a card or a guess. No store or amount is named. Player ranges and times are our estimates. No facts are stated, so nothing was checked against an outside source. Licence: own work