About the Gift Exchange Game

The Gift Exchange Game started as our own family Christmas tradition.

Coming from a big family, Christmas got expensive as our group kept growing. Everyone ended up buying lots of smaller gifts that weren't always useful. So we came up with a different way to do it: each person asks for one gift they'd really use, everyone buys just one gift, and we still get to enjoy opening presents together.

To make it more interesting, we turned the opening into a game. Everyone picks a random present from the pile, then we take turns opening them while taking notes on who seemed to want each one. At the end, everyone guesses who asked for which gift. We each put a little money into a pot that goes to whoever gets the most guesses right.

Organizing it on paper and group texts got messy, so we built an app to run it: collecting everyone's wish, secretly assigning who buys what, and keeping score of the guessing game. We hope it's as much fun for your group as it is for ours.

The app

The Gift Exchange Game is free on Google Play and the App Store. There are no subscriptions or in-app purchases. Some links to stores are affiliate links, which help keep the app free. Read our affiliate disclosure.

Get in touch

Questions, ideas, or problems with the app? Email ndowell@giftxgame.com or visit the contact page.