Questions covered in this article:
General Questions
- What Timezone is my game?
- Will this work internationally?
- How long will games take?
- Can I upgrade or downgrade my package?
- Do Standard Games have an expiration date?
- How do I leave a game or remove someone from a game?
User Setup
Game Setup
- Why don't I see the option to create a Personal game?
- Why are some gift distribution options disabled?
- Does each participant need their own email address?
Gift Submission
Game Play Logistics
- Does the Game Lead control the game during play?
- Does the Game Lead have to play or can they just host the game?
- Can participants join after a game has started?
- Do I have to host my game at the scheduled time?
- Do participants need to be logged in during the gift exchange in order to play?
After the Game
Troubleshooting
- See this article: Troubleshooting Issues
What timezone is my game / how do you handle participants in different timezones?
The system will automatically display your game in each participant's time zone. When you setup your game, it will automatically schedule it in your local time, and the system will display it to others in their time zone. Note that you'll be able to start the game at any time on the day of the event.
Will this work internationally?
The website itself will work internationally in terms of submitting a gift and the gameplay. However, we do not have built-in support for international gift distribution. The gifts are all user-generated, and the purchasing of the gifts will happen outside our site (i.e. on the original retailer's website) so if you submit a gift from a retailer who can ship internationally or is located abroad, then that should work fine. Amazon offers this on many items. We don't make any guarantees that websites or gift cards will work internationally and you will need to think through the specific situation for your group.
You can read more about hosting an international gift exchange here.
Do Standard Games have an expiration date?
Nope! Standard Games do not expire. You can purchase, setup and play your game at any time, there are no restrictions.
I want to leave a game or I want to remove a participant from my game
The Game Lead or Admin can remove participants by following the instructions here. If you want to leave a game you have already joined please contact your Game Lead. Also note that players must be checked-in when you start the game to show up in the game, so you can also simply leave players not-checked in.
Why haven't I received a verification email?
We hate to be the ones to say it, but have you checked your Spam folder? These emails have a way of getting stuck in there.
If you're still not seeing it and you're trying to register a corporate email address, you will likely need to reach out to your IT department. While we can manually verify your account for you if necessary, if our emails are getting caught in a company-wide spam filter you will miss all future communication from us (and so will anyone else who is signing up from your company). Your best bet is to talk to IT and ask them to whitelist us so you can be sure you will get our emails going forward.
How do I edit my name?
You can edit your display name at any time by clicking on your name in the top righthand corner of the screen and then clicking Edit Profile.
How do I delete my account?
You can delete your account by following the instructions here.
Why don't I see the option to create a Personal game?
You don't see this option because when you created an account you stated that the purpose of your account was professional. We offer a free Personal game strictly for groups of friends & family, up to 10 participants (details can be found here). All businesses are required to purchase the Standard game in order to utilize White Elephant Online.
If you're just trying to test out the platform before buying/creating a game for your company, you can click the "Test it out with a Demo Game" option. If you intend to use this account for both work AND small personal games, you can switch your account type at any time by clicking on your name in the top right hand corner, and selecting Edit Profile. If you want to use a personal email address for personal games, you can also create a separate account for that purpose.
Why are some gift distribution options disabled?
Additional gift distribution options are only available for Standard games. If you wish to use one of these options, you will need to purchase and setup a Standard game.
Does each participant need their own email address?
Yes. From a system perspective each participant must have a unique email address in order to create an account and submit a gift for the exchange.
If you're playing a Standard game, the admin does have the option to create "Dummy players" and submit gifts on behalf of participants, which does not require an e-mail address/login. You can read more about that option here.
If you're playing with children who do not have an email address, there is a workaround which you can read about here.
Can I submit gifts on behalf of participants?
While the system is designed for participants to submit their own gifts, we do have functionality to allow a Game Lead/Admin to submit gifts for the group.
Can a participant submit multiple items as part of a gift?
Currently the system only supports one link per gift. If you would like to submit multiple items as part of a single gift you can follow the steps below:
- Name the gift: enter your own gift name, combining all of your items (i.e. Bamboo steamer + Chopsticks)
- Create image: using a program on your computer, splice photos of your gifts together into a single image
- Upload image: upload your new image to the website and you're all set!
Does the Game Lead control the game during play?
Yes. The Game Lead is the only player with the ability to Unwrap and Steal gifts during game play. This makes it so that not all participants need to login in order to play the game, and we've found it makes for a more interactive and fun experience.
Does the Game Lead have to play or can they just host the game?
If you've purchased a Standard Game the host has the option to either play in the game (i.e. submit and receive a gift) or to simply host the game for the other participants. You can read more about setting up a Standard Game and that particular feature here.
Can participants join after a game has started?
If you begin a game without checking-in a participant, they will not be able to join late. As a Game Lead, you have the option of manually checking-in participants who are running late if you wish to do so. Keep in mind that if the missing player's number is drawn you won't be able to advance game play until they join your video call.
Do I have to host my game at the scheduled time?
The system will allow you to start the check-in process and begin your game at any time on the scheduled date of your gift exchange. If you want to change the date of your game you will need to edit the details.
Do participants need to be logged in during the gift exchange in order to play?
Nope! At the time of your event, participants can choose to log in if they want to see which number they drew and which gift they've won at any given time, but this is not required. If participants choose not to login, the Game Lead will have the option to check players in on their behalf.
How do I see and download the game results?
In the completed game, on the righthand side of the screen, you can see a list of all participants along with the gifts that they won. Note that the gifts here are linked directly to the retailer's website for your convenience. If you are a game admin and will be handling gift distribution for your organization, this is where you will see the summary for all participants.
If you purchased a Standard Game you will have the option of downloading a game summary report at the end of your game as well. You can download the report by clicking on the download icon next to Results. This will also include the players' addresses if they submitted them.
You can navigate back to the End of Game results at any point in time by going to your Dashboard and clicking on your gift exchange under Completed Games at the bottom.