How to Play the Elephant Game

Co-authored by Jeremiah Thomas

Last Updated: January 12, 2024

The Elephant Game is a simple riddle that's fun to play, but can also be frustrating trying to figure out. Would you like to know how to play this game that can provide hours of enjoyment? Read on!

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You should generally have 1 to five people, but the bigger the better. Just make sure no one will spoil it once they have solved the riddle.
Explain to them that you'll be giving them multiple numbers of elephants, and they need to try to figure out how many elephants there are. Don't tell them how to calculate the number of elephants, though.

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Provide about three different numbers of elephants. It's best to use the scene around you and incorporate people. Here's a good example:
- There's fourteen elephants in Jimmy's hat, eighty three in Darla's pocket, and two in Terry's nose.
Ask how many elephants there are. This isn't as simple as it seems. The amount of words in your final question symbolise the amount of elephants. For instance, asking "how many elephants are there?" means there are five elephants, regardless of the numbers provided beforehand. "How many?" means two elephants, and so on. So once you ask this question, you'll probably get a variety of answers from everyone. Once they're done, say the real answer.
For some people, the answer shouldn't take very long. For others, they'll think you're doing really complex math and will attempt long equations having to do with the first numbers you provided. After a while, these people will give up and will walk away wondering. Eventually, they'll find out.
Some people may be so frustrated about the simple riddle that they'll be dying for hints. The biggest hint you can give away is something like "Bop, beep, beep, beep bop. How many?" Don't even provide numbers anymore, and only have a question. Then they'll probably get it.
Only do this if they are really mad and frustrated. It isn't worth spoiling a good puzzle over someone who's just curious. If they are really aggravated by it, tell them how. It's not worth losing a friend over.

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What is a pink elephant gift exchange?

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“Pink elephant” is another name for the “white elephant” game. During one of these games, participants exchange gifts, usually of low monetary value (e.g., under $20) and intentionally selected to be silly, tacky, or useless. The gifts are wrapped anonymously and chosen at random by the players, who can then swap gifts with each other if they wish. Some people use “pink elephant” to refer to a variant game where the gifts are more desirable and/or useful than typical “white elephant” gifts.

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What are the rules of white elephant?

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Before starting the game, the players agree on the maximum value of the gifts they’ll be buying. The gifts are usually chosen to be silly, tacky, or useless. Everyone brings a single wrapped gift with no name attached to contribute to the pool. Players start the game by randomly drawing numbers from a hat, then sitting in a circle around the gift table or pile. The player who drew 1 goes first, selecting a gift from the pile and opening it. The rest of the players go in order by number; they can either select a gift to unwrap or “steal” a gift from another player. If your gift is stolen, you can select a new gift from the pile or steal someone else’s. Once everyone’s had a turn, the first player has a chance to swap their gift with someone else’s.

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Can you play elephant games online?

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Yes, there are a wide variety of elephant-themed games available online. If you’d like to play this particular game, you might need to start a round on a forum or in a chat group.

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Tips

Only tell someone if they are really mad about it. Don't bring it to the point where they get angry at you.

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Give hints before telling someone the flat out answer.

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Try telling your friends that it might not have anything to do with math. My leaders tried to do it with us at volleyball camp and only one person got it.

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