Virtual White Elephant & Holiday Party Games: 6 Picks (2026)
Six hosted virtual holiday party games for remote and hybrid teams: three virtual white elephant tiers at $39.00, $69.00 and $125.00 per person, two holiday murder mysteries and a Christmas Carol escape room, each checked against the live listing on October 11, 2026.
TL;DR
A hosted virtual white elephant is a one-hour video party where a live host runs holiday mini-games that decide who picks first and who gets extra steals, then leads the gift exchange; on Events in Minutes it costs $39.00, $69.00 or $125.00 per person depending on how the gifts are handled. Below are those three tiers plus two holiday murder mysteries and a Christmas Carol escape room with a live actor, all checked against the live listings on October 11, 2026.
- Gifts shipped to every guest: the Standard ($69.00/person) and Upgraded ($125.00/person) tiers include a physical gift and shipping; guests enter their own address on a private form.
- Bring Your Own Gifts ($39.00/person): the same hosted party with your team's gift list, due at least 4 days before the event.
- Murder mysteries: Murder Under the Mistletoe at $35.00/person and the Cookie Chef Conundrum at $38.00/person, with a scripted role for every player.
- Escape room: Saving Scrooge at $38.00/person, led by a live actor on Zoom, for 2 to 200 guests.
- All six are one hour, instant book and cancellable up to 24 hours before. Prices exclude taxes and fees.
Last updated: October 2026
For a broad list of remote party formats, see our guide to virtual holiday party ideas. This page is narrower: six hosted games listed on Events in Minutes, with the per-person price, group limits, platform and gift handling taken from each listing. The six share one host profile but are booked separately and differ in the details, so each is described on its own terms.
How does a hosted virtual white elephant work?
A hosted virtual white elephant hands most of the hard parts of a remote gift swap (running the game, refereeing steals and, in two tiers, buying and mailing gifts) to the host. In all three white elephant listings, a live host opens with a holiday mini-game such as Winter Trivia, and the results set the picking order. A second mini-game, such as Guess the Hidden Image, hands out power-ups like extra steals. Then players pick and reveal gifts, keep or steal, and play their power-ups, with the host leading each round.
The difference between the three listings is the gift. In the Standard and Upgraded tiers the gifts come from the host's own collection and are shipped after the party; the Bring Your Own Gifts version runs the same party on a gift list your team supplies. Each session is one hour, and the Standard and Upgraded listings say that covers both mini-games and the full exchange.
Three virtual white elephant gift exchange tiers
Tiers run from lowest to highest price. The Standard and Upgraded listings describe the same hosted format with different gift collections, and both say the collection and games are refreshed every year.
Bring Your Own Gifts Virtual White Elephant Holiday Party Game
The same hosted one-hour party, run on your team's gift list instead of the host's collection. The listing says the mini-game rotation includes Winter Trivia, Wheel of Fortune and Guess the Hidden Image, played in teams. Submit your gift list at least 4 days before the event. The listing does not say who buys and ships the gifts in this version, so confirm that with the vendor.
Book nowVirtual White Elephant Holiday Party with Gifts Shipped to All
The Standard tier: a 60-minute party on Zoom that ends with a physical gift for every guest, shipping included. Two holiday mini-games set the picking order and award steals, and the host guides every steal. The Standard collection includes items such as Bluetooth speakers, kitchen items, home goods, candy packages and novelty gifts. Guests claim their gift on a private form, so no one shares a home address with the group.
Book nowVirtual White Elephant Party with Upgraded Gifts for All Guests
Same hosted format as the Standard tier with a higher-value gift pool: the listing names Beats headphones, spa sets, silver jewelry, board games, tabletop fire pits and gourmet boxes with meat, cheese and alcohol selections. Shipping and private gift redemption are included, and pre-assigned teams are supported. The listing suggests it for leadership teams, sales teams after a record year and client appreciation.
Book nowOne thing to confirm before booking the $39.00 option: most of the Bring Your Own Gifts listing text describes the gifts-included party, and its section on the BYO option says only that your team supplies the gift list at least 4 days ahead. Ask who buys and mails the gifts before you set a budget.
Virtual murder mystery games for the holiday party
For teams that have done a gift swap before, a murder mystery is a different holiday format. Both games give every guest a scripted role and are led by a live host. Both listings offer other session lengths on request: 30, 45, 75, 90 or 120 minutes for Murder Under the Mistletoe, and 30, 45, 90 or 120 minutes for the Cookie Chef Conundrum.
Murder Under the Mistletoe Virtual Holiday Murder Mystery Game
A comedy whodunit on a holiday cruise ship whose Captain has gone overboard two weeks before the holidays. Every player gets a scripted role with a backstory, a secret and clues, so no acting experience is needed, and a live host runs the interrogations and the final vote. The killer and clues are randomized each playthrough. Runs over video conferencing for teams in the United States and Canada, with a test link sent ahead.
Book nowHoliday Comedy Murder Mystery Game for Teams, Hosted on Zoom
The Cookie Chef Conundrum: a holiday cookie chef has been found dead in the holiday bakery and every guest is a suspect. Players choose from more than a dozen scripted roles, question each other and solve escape room-style puzzles before the final accusation, led by a live actor host on Zoom. Groups of more than 22 may be split into simultaneous games. Holiday sweaters and your own cookies are welcome.
Book nowMurder Under the Mistletoe blends comedy, role-play and puzzle-solving, and because the murderer and clues change every playthrough, the listing says several teams at one party each get a different case. The Cookie Chef Conundrum adds escape room-style puzzles to the role-play. For year-round options, see our roundup of virtual team building activities for remote teams.
A Christmas Carol virtual escape room with a live actor
Saving Scrooge is the only one of the six games that accepts groups as small as two. The listing describes logic puzzles, observation challenges and character conversations, and says many challenges have more than one creative solution, so a group can talk its way past an obstacle instead of only solving locks.
Christmas Carol Virtual Escape Room with Live Actor for Teams
Saving Scrooge turns A Christmas Carol into a live-actor escape game on Zoom. Your team plays the spirits of Yet-to-Come, working through logic puzzles, traps and character conversations to fill Scrooge with the spirit of giving before morning. The same live actor plays the characters and facilitates, with hints and tech support throughout. Nobody needs to know the story first, and large groups can split into competing teams.
Book nowSix virtual holiday party games side by side
The table repeats the typed facts from each listing in card order; every location reads Virtual event because none of the six is tied to a venue.
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Activity | Location | Duration | Group | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bring Your Own Gifts Virtual White Elephant Holiday Party Game | Virtual event | 1 hour | 4–1000 guests | $39.00/person |
| Virtual White Elephant Holiday Party with Gifts Shipped to All | Virtual event | 1 hour | 4–500 guests | $69.00/person |
| Virtual White Elephant Party with Upgraded Gifts for All Guests | Virtual event | 1 hour | 4–500 guests | $125.00/person |
| Murder Under the Mistletoe Virtual Holiday Murder Mystery Game | Virtual event | 1 hour | 5–1000 guests | $35.00/person |
| Holiday Comedy Murder Mystery Game for Teams, Hosted on Zoom | Virtual event | 1 hour | 5–250 guests | $38.00/person |
| Christmas Carol Virtual Escape Room with Live Actor for Teams | Virtual event | 1 hour | 2–200 guests | $38.00/person |
What does a virtual white elephant cost per person?
A hosted virtual white elephant on Events in Minutes costs $39.00, $69.00 or $125.00 per person, before taxes and fees. Moving from Bring Your Own Gifts to Standard adds $30.00 per person and buys the gift plus shipping; moving from Standard to Upgraded adds another $56.00 per person for a higher-value gift collection.
Across all six games, per-person prices range from $35.00 to $125.00 with a median of $38.50 (n = 6, checked October 11, 2026). Four of the six sit between $35.00 and $39.00; only the two tiers that ship a gift cost more.
For a 20-person team, the white elephant comes to $780.00 (20 × $39.00), $1,380.00 (20 × $69.00) or $2,500.00 (20 × $125.00). The smallest booking each listing accepts is $156.00 for Bring Your Own Gifts (4 × $39.00), $276.00 for Standard (4 × $69.00), $500.00 for Upgraded (4 × $125.00), $175.00 for Murder Under the Mistletoe (5 × $35.00), $190.00 for the Cookie Chef Conundrum (5 × $38.00) and $76.00 for Saving Scrooge (2 × $38.00). Our guide to holiday party budget per employee puts these numbers in context.
Planning virtual holiday party games for a remote or hybrid team
How gifts are shipped and kept private
In the Standard and Upgraded tiers, guests claim their gift through a private link after the party and enter a shipping address on a confidential form, so the organizer never builds an address spreadsheet. Both listings say to update the headcount before the event so every guest receives a gift. No white elephant listing states a delivery window; ask the vendor if gifts must land before a holiday break.
Platform and what guests need
The four listings that name Zoom need nothing downloaded and ask that each guest join from their own computer or device with a stable connection. The FAQ below covers the other two.
Group size and large teams
Minimums are 4 guests for the white elephant tiers, 5 for the murder mysteries and 2 for the escape room; maximums are in the table above. The Standard and Upgraded tiers support pre-assigned teams.
Booking lead time, headcount changes and cancellation
All six games are instant book, and the listings state no minimum lead time; four say the Zoom link arrives within 24 hours of booking, so book at least a day ahead. Plan around the deadlines each listing states: the Bring Your Own Gifts gift list at least 4 days before, and free headcount changes up to 3 days before for the Standard and Upgraded tiers, the Cookie Chef Conundrum and Saving Scrooge (later changes may carry a fee or may not be possible). Our holiday party planning timeline covers the wider December schedule.
Which game fits which team
Choose the Standard tier when the gift is part of the thank-you, and Upgraded when the party doubles as recognition. Pick a murder mystery for teams that want a story with roles, and Saving Scrooge for small groups or puzzle fans. If the in-office half of a hybrid team also wants something in person, browse team experiences in the Bay Area or our guide to holiday team building activities in San Francisco.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a virtual white elephant gift exchange work?
A hosted virtual white elephant on Events in Minutes is a one-hour video party run by a live host. In all three white elephant listings, a holiday mini-game such as Winter Trivia sets the picking order, a second mini-game awards power-ups like extra steals, and then the group picks, reveals, keeps and steals gifts. In the Standard and Upgraded tiers every guest ends with a physical gift shipped after the party; in the Bring Your Own Gifts version your team supplies the gift list at least 4 days before the event.
How much does a virtual white elephant party cost per person?
The three hosted virtual white elephant listings on Events in Minutes cost $39.00 per person (Bring Your Own Gifts), $69.00 per person (Standard gifts) and $125.00 per person (Upgraded gifts), checked on October 11, 2026. The Standard and Upgraded prices include the gift and shipping. With the four-guest minimum the smallest bookings are $156.00, $276.00 and $500.00 before taxes and fees.
How do gifts get shipped to remote employees in a virtual white elephant?
In the Standard and Upgraded virtual white elephant listings on Events in Minutes, each guest gets a private link after the party, claims the gift they ended with and enters their own shipping address on a confidential form, so nobody shares a home address with the group. Shipping is included in both tiers. None of the three white elephant listings states a delivery window or shipping deadline, so ask the vendor if gifts must arrive by a specific date.
What platform do these virtual holiday party games use?
Four of the six virtual holiday party games on this page name Zoom: the Standard and Upgraded white elephant tiers, the Cookie Chef Conundrum and Saving Scrooge, and each says the private Zoom link is emailed within 24 hours of booking. Murder Under the Mistletoe says it runs over video conferencing and sends a test link ahead, and the Bring Your Own Gifts listing mentions only a video call, so confirm the platform for those two.
How far in advance should we book a virtual holiday party game?
All six virtual holiday party games on Events in Minutes are instant book, so the date is confirmed at checkout, and the listings state no minimum booking lead time; four say the Zoom link arrives within 24 hours of booking, so book at least a day ahead. The deadlines that do appear are listing-specific: the Bring Your Own Gifts gift list is due at least 4 days before the event, and four listings allow free headcount changes up to 3 days before. All six can be cancelled up to 24 hours before under a generous policy.
Which virtual holiday party games work for large groups?
For large remote teams on Events in Minutes, the Bring Your Own Gifts white elephant and Murder Under the Mistletoe accept up to 1,000 guests, the Standard and Upgraded white elephant tiers up to 500, the Cookie Chef Conundrum up to 250 and Saving Scrooge up to 200. The Cookie Chef listing may split groups of more than 22 into simultaneous games, and Saving Scrooge can split a large group into competing teams.