What's That Party Game Called?

I think what your referring too is called Yankee Swap. See this website for rules. Have fun!
http://www.party411.com/forums/holiday01/messages/324.html

My family calls it a White Elephant gift as well. We also make a rule that one gift can't be taken more then 3 times. U can make your own rules up if you want. Have fun...

We called it "Greed".

The other 2 responses have two different names for the same game, but here is a nother way to play it thats just as fun. (We do this at Christmas) You get everyone together in a circle or around a table and pile the gifts together in the middle (all wrapped). Then you get out 2 dice (die) and start with the person who has the next birthday in the group. The first person to roll doubles gets to choose from the pile of gifts (1st person chooses from the pile-after that the next people to roll doubles either chooses from the pile or from someone else) until each person has a gift in their hands. Then you do a 2-minute timed "session" where everyone tries to roll doubles to "steal" a gift from someone else. After the 2-minutes are up, you go around the group to unwrap your gifts and see what you were really fighting for. (we'll so deceiving gifts: may be a mug, but it's filled w/a $20 gift card, or might be big, but it's just a poster - we do a minimum and maximum spending limit to)

We call it White Elephant. Everyone brings 5 wrapped gifts, can be gag or not that are valued at $2 each. You put all the presents in the middle. There are 6 dice, and the 1st round is how ever many 1s you roll thats how many gifts you take. Round 2 is the # of 2s you roll, etc. The 1st half ends when the presents in the middle are gone or until the last person rolls takes a turn rolling for the #6. The 2nd half is exactly the same, but you steal from eachother. At the end we unwrap the gifts.

New England Yankee Gift Exchange.

The party game is called White Elephant.

We call it the White Elephant game. I have played it with old junk from around the house or nice new gifts. I prefer it with the new gifts. You play the game by writing down numbers, based on how many people are playing, and put them into a hat and everyone chooses a number. Have number one choose a wrapped, unmarked gift and unwrap it and everyone gets to see what the gift is. Then number two gets to either steal number ones gift or choose a wrapped gift. If no. 2 steals no. 1's gift then no.1 get to choose from the pile of wrapped gifts and opens it. Then no. 3 can steal no. 1 or no.2's gift or choose a wrapped gift. So on and so on until everyone has a gift. This is the easiest and I think most fun way to play. I have played where the presents aren't opened as each person chooses, but no one ever steals and that is where it gets fun.

I am not sure of the actual name. The way I have played it is:
-Everyone brings a wrapped present (set dollar amount)
-Presents placed in a pile in center of room or on a table to
choose from
-Numbers are drawn to see who is first, second and so on
-First person selects and opens their present
-Next person now has the option to either take a present from
the pile to choose from, or they may steal the present from
the previous person or if further along anyone who has opened
a present
-If your gift is stolen you then may choose a new pesent from
the pile (We didn't steal again to prvent prsents being
stolen back and forth)
-The new present once again is fair game for another to steal
It was alot of fun.Usually in the end everyone liked what they had received.

We call it "crazy christmas". There is another name for it, but can't remember. We play with "gag" gifts for the adults, and kid friendly 5.00$ and under items for the kids, after we've exchanged and opened our "normal" gifts.
We play in a circle on the floor, rolling dice. Whoever rolls the highest number starts the game and go around in a circle from there.
If you roll a 7 or 11 you get to pick one gift from the pile in the center. If you get a double, you pick a gift AND get to roll again. (if there's alot of people and/or alot of gifts, we'll add another number, like 3, just to get the game over with since it can't take a long time, depending.)
Once the pile of gifts are all gone... (and mind you, some people won't have been so lucky as to have rolled the right number and may have NO gift)... you go around 2 or so more times , rolling the same 7 or 11 and then THAT'S when you get to "steal" from someone elses pile (which they can't be hiding behind there backs!!) So, there's still a chance to get a gift that way. Once youre done stealing and you've gone around the 2 times or so, OPEN UP THE GIFTS !!! We have a blast using gag gifts and there's one specific gift that keeps making the same appearance every year and no one knows whose gonna get it and some don't even remember until its opened ( we did a toliet seat for a few years....the possibilities are endless !!!)
Have fun-hope this helped and wasn't too confusing.

Not to repeat but…

At Christmas my family plays the game very similar to how Erica described. Everyone gets in a big circle and all the presents get put in the middle. The presents must be wrapped in newspaper so that you don't know whose gift your grabbing (plus you may end up grabbing you own in all the excitement). Everyone brings at least 2 items (usually much more) it can be something nice, something regifted or something cheap (many in my family are school teachers and often have lots of stuff they've received as gifts that ends up in the pile) but there are always some really good gifts. You take two dice (or depending on the number of people (we usually have 30 people) you could use two sets and roll the dice and have them go in the opposite direction. We play if you get 7, 11 or doubles you grab a gift from the pile or from someone else’s pile. Once all the gifts are gone then there is a speed round 3-5 minutes where the dice go around again and now you steal from anyone you want. This is where it gets really fun. There are usually a few gifts that look like they are something really good that everyone wants!! I would definitely suggest playing this game with a large group. It is always a lot of fun.

Otherwise, I know that at my work for our holiday party we do it where you spend $20 on a gift, all the gifts go in the middle. Numbers are drawn, you go in order of your number. The first person picks a gift and opens it. The next person can either pick a gift from the middle or take a gift that is already opened from someone. If someone steals your gift then you have to take a new gift from the middle and open it. The game ends with the last person who either steals a gift or gets the last unopened gift. The most common gifts that are taken from someone are gift certificates or bottles of alcohol .

I guess it really depends on how much you want your guess to bring/spend. Hope you have fun however you decide to play!

It's called the 'Take It or Leave It' game. And if it's not I think that's a good name.

By the way...I believe 'The White Elephant' game really means when your gifts are items that you had around your house but didn't really want.

White Elephant/Take It or Leave It game everyone comes to the party with a wrapped gift; the gift is something you had around your house that you really didn't want. For example, I once received a purse that I really liked but the person who gave it was older and it wasn't her style.

We always called the the "White Elephant Game," but I've also heard it called "Dirty Santa".

I'm a bit behind with my emails & I'm sure someone has already responded but just in case they haven't here I am. (day late dollar short!) We call it a white elephant, after everyone gets their numbers they either pick a gift or steal from someone that has already chosen a gift, then the next person can steal it back if they chose.

We play at thanksgiving and we just call it our White Elephant game, I know there is a real name for it, but I dont know what it is.
M.