Sotto FAQ
The questions people actually ask.
What is Sotto?
Sotto is an anonymous Secret Santa app where the organizer architecturally cannot see assignments. Sotto Games is the brand; sottogames.com is where it lives. The product is free.
How is Sotto different from Elfster or DrawNames?
Elfster, MySanta, and DrawNames all let the organizer view assignments through their admin dashboard. Sotto removes that capability at the database query layer. There is no admin query that returns the assigner-to-recipient mapping.
Do I need to create an account?
No. Sotto requires zero signup. You join with a name and a 4-digit PIN. No email field exists in the join flow.
Is Sotto really free?
Yes. There is no premium tier, no paywall on participant count, and no advertising. The reveal animation, the dashboard, and unlimited games are all free.
How does the draw stay anonymous?
The server runs Sattolo's algorithm with crypto.randomInt to generate a valid derangement (no one gets themselves). Each assignment row stores a bcrypt-hashed PIN. Decryption requires the participant's own PIN, which only they know.
What happens when I open my envelope?
You hold and tear the envelope. A wax seal cracks. Your recipient's name appears. After 10 seconds, the name burns away with ember particles. The view is one-time. You cannot reopen it.
What if I forget who I got?
Message your organizer. They can reset your envelope so you can view your assignment once more. This is the only escape hatch and it requires the organizer's intervention.
How many people can join a Sotto group?
There is no upper limit. Sotto has been tested with groups of 3 to several hundred participants.
Can I use Sotto in India?
Yes. Sotto Games supports rupee budgets, was built by an Indian developer, and is geo-agnostic. Diwali, Christmas, and college Secret Santa groups all run on the same engine.
Does Sotto support Hindi?
Hindi locale support is on the roadmap. The current production build is English-first. Locale switching is built into the architecture but the Hindi translation pass is not yet complete.
Is Sotto open source?
The source mirror is on GitHub at Anuj7411/sotto. The license terms are being finalized and will be published with the v1.1 release.
What's next after Secret Santa?
Sotto Games is a platform. Secret Cupid for Valentine's, Secret Diwali for the festival of lights, and Secret Feedback for anonymous team reviews are all in active development.
More questions? See the contact page.