What’s an easy and fun game that doesn’t require any props, that you can play to get to know new people better? Two Truths and a Lie, the classic game that encourages one to develop the character defect of lying (or “telling stories”), is a prime choice for workplace bonding, icebreaker exercises, and casual family settings alike.
Usually I dread those “getting to know you” games for work: so much can go wrong. Will they judge you for your answers? Should you be honest or witty? Will you sound like you’re trying too hard? What if your answers are boring and predictable? Well, this game has some strategies that help lower your anxiety levels and increase your chances of stumping your opponents (frenemies and competitive co-workers alike).
Let the liars’ convention begin.
Below is a collection of Two Truths and a Lie ideas for formulating your own lies, as well as strategies for winning the game and claiming the dubious honour of most deceitful person in the room. Own it.
So How Does One Play Two Truths and a Lie?
First you need a small group of people, for interest and ease of play. The game is more effective when played with people whom you don’t know well, but it can be revelatory when played with close friends and family members. There is arguably no better game for starting a lot of fun conversations for getting to know your closest relatives you thought you knew. Maybe “Never Have I Ever” is a close second.
- To start the game, one person gives three statements about themselves to the rest of the group.
- Two of the three statements given should be truthful and one will be a lie.
- The others guess which statement they think is a big fat lie. Once everyone has made their guess, the person who made the three statements (the two truths and a lie) reveal which statement was the big fat lie.
- One of the people who guessed correctly gets to go next (or just go in a circle, choose beforehand how you want the game to progress). Play as many rounds as your elongating nose permits.
Convincing Two Truths and a Lie Ideas
Two Truths and a Lie Ideas for Work
Remember to tailor the statements to your own experiences and workplace environment. The goal is to spark conversation and have fun with your colleagues while guessing the lie!
Here are some “Two Truths and a Lie” ideas for the workplace:
- I once won an employee of the month award.
- I have been to three different countries for work-related conferences.
- I can type 100 words per minute without making any mistakes.
- I once accidentally spilled coffee on my boss’s desk.
- I have a hidden talent for juggling.
- I once gave a presentation to a room full of CEOs.
- I have never been late to a meeting.
- I once won a company-wide talent show with my singing skills.
- I have never taken a sick day in my entire career.
- I once had a meeting with a celebrity client.
- I have a collection of over 50 different novelty coffee mugs on my desk.
- I once organized a company-wide charity event that raised thousands of dollars.
- I once accidentally sent an email to the wrong client, causing a mix-up.
- I have been recognized with a prestigious industry award for my work.
- I can solve a Rubik’s Cube in under a minute.
- I have never spilled coffee on myself during a meeting.
- I have a secret talent for impersonating famous celebrities.
- I once organized a successful team-building retreat for my department.
- I once had to give a presentation in front of hundreds of people and completely forgot my lines.
- I have a collection of novelty socks that I wear to work every day.
- I have never missed a deadline in my entire career.
- I once had to handle a difficult client who later became a loyal customer.
- I have a pet fish named after a famous business leader.
- I once organized a surprise office party that included a live band.
The objective of “Two Truths and a Lie” is to guess which statement is the lie, so make sure the statements are believable and mix in some interesting and surprising details to keep it engaging and fun!
Two Truths and a Lie Ideas for Teachers:
- I once won a Teacher of the Year award in my district.
- I have visited over 10 countries during my summer vacations.
- I can speak fluent Mandarin Chinese.
- I have taught at three different schools in three different countries.
- I have a pet hamster named “Einstein” in my classroom.
- I can play the guitar and often sing songs for my students.
Two Truths and a Lie Ideas for Engineers:
- I have worked on a project that was featured in a national magazine.
- I have a patent for an innovative invention related to my field.
- I have never used a calculator in my entire engineering career.
- I once built a functioning robot from scratch as a personal project.
- I have a collection of vintage engineering textbooks dating back to the 1950s.
- I have worked on a project that involved designing a sustainable energy solution.
Two Truths and a Lie Ideas for Sales Professionals:
- I have achieved 200% of my sales target for three consecutive quarters.
- I have a secret technique for closing deals that has a 90% success rate.
- I once accidentally spilled coffee on a potential client during a meeting.
- I once closed a deal worth $1 million with a single phone call.
- I have a lucky charm that I always carry with me during important sales meetings.
- I have never lost a negotiation and always negotiate the best deals for my clients.
Two Truths and a Lie Ideas for Healthcare Professionals:
- I have been nominated for a Healthcare Provider of the Year award.
- I have volunteered in medical missions in three different countries.
- I can perform a handstand while wearing a lab coat.
- I have successfully performed CPR and saved a patient’s life.
- I have a collection of medical textbooks from different specialties.
- I once had a famous celebrity as a patient during an emergency room shift.
Two Truths and a Lie Ideas for Marketing Specialists:
- I have managed a successful viral marketing campaign with millions of views.
- I have a degree in marketing from a prestigious university.
- I have never used social media for personal purposes.
- I once organized a marketing event that had a record-breaking attendance.
- I have a collection of marketing books signed by industry experts.
- I have never run a paid advertising campaign and rely solely on organic reach.
Two Truths and a Lie Ideas for Attorneys:
- I have successfully argued a case before the Supreme Court.
- I once worked as a legal consultant for a famous Hollywood movie.
- I have never lost a case in my entire legal career.
- I have a collection of antique law books dating back to the 19th century.
- I have provided pro bono legal services to low-income individuals for over five years.
- I have represented high-profile clients in high-stakes criminal trials.
Two Truths and a Lie Ideas for Software Developers:
- I have written code that is currently being used by millions of users worldwide.
- I have attended a coding competition and won first place.
- I have never encountered a bug in any of the projects I have worked on.
- I have developed a mobile app that has been featured in the App Store’s top charts.
- I have contributed to open-source projects that are widely used in the software development community.
- I have never accidentally deleted important code or caused a major software crash.
Two Truths and a Lie Ideas for Realtors:
- I have sold a property to a famous celebrity.
- I have closed a deal worth over $1 million.
- I have never encountered a difficult client during my real estate career.
- I have successfully helped a client find their dream home within a week of searching.
- I have received multiple awards for being a top-performing realtor in my region.
- I have never had a listing stay on the market for more than 90 days.
Two Truths and a Lie Ideas: Family
1. I grew up in an RV.
2. My dad is from Texas.
3. I ran over the family dog.
4. I am the middle child.
5. I was in a music video.
6. My parents speak three languages.
7. My mom has her real estate license.
8. My dad has a twin.
9. My family goes to Las Vegas every year.
10. My family moved houses every 2-3 years when I was growing up.
11. I only have one cousin.
12. I had 3 cats growing up.
13. My mom and I have the same middle name.
14. I grew up across from a cemetery.
15. My family drove everywhere when we traveled – we never flew.
16. I shared a room with my sister/brother growing up.
17. My dad has my brother’s name tattooed on his arm.
18. My uncle taught me how to drive.
19. My parents sent me to boarding school.
20. I go to yoga class with my mom once a week.
21. I was the first person in my family to graduate high school.
22. There is a 2-year age gap between each of my mother’s children.
23. My immediate family live in the same state.
24. My mom doesn’t know what my major was in college.
25. I was born in New Mexico.
26. I’ve never owned a car.
27. I wear two different sizes of shoes on each foot.
28. I am the great grand nephew of Sigmund Freud.
Two Truths and a Lie Ideas: Food & Drink
1. I am allergic to corn products.
2. I prefer having my oatmeal without milk.
3. I hate anything vanilla.
4. I once won a pie-eating contest.
5. My first job was at a restaurant.
6. Jello makes me gag.
7. I’ve never had a beer.
8. I am a vegetarian.
9. I always order my hamburgers without buns.
10. I do intermittent fasting.
11. I’ve never tried prawns.
12. Chipotle is my favourite fast-food chain.
13. I’ve eaten a bug before, on purpose.
14. I can eat an entire gallon of ice cream in one sitting.
15. I eat a raw egg each morning in my smoothie.
16. I’ve never had authentic Chinese food.
17. I drink a litre of water every morning.
18. I love the smell of green curry.
19. I was raw vegan for 3 months.
20. My favourite ice cream flavour is chocolate.
21. I eat one meal a day.
22. I am addicted to caffeine.
23. My favourite dessert is apple sauce.
24. My favourite kind of pie is pumpkin.
25. I do not own a microwave oven.
Two Truths and a Lie Ideas: Accomplishments
1. I was valedictorian at my high school.
2. I was MVP in high school soccer.
3. I got a perfect score on the math portion of the SAT.
4. I was on the news for swimming in a freezing cold lake.
5. I skipped a grade in middle school.
6. I’ve read over 500 books.
7. I own my home outright.
8. I went to trade school.
9. I took a gap year between high school and college.
10. I have a recommendation from the
11. I had a lead role in my high school’s musical.
12. I was a public speaking champion in high school.
13. I have zero debt.
14. I had a double major in university.
15. I know 4 computer programming languages.
16. I saved a kitten on the road.
17. I was voted most likely to write a book on calculus.
18. I’ve averaged reading one book each week since graduating.
19. I am still friends with my high school English teacher.
20. I have met two former Presidents of the USA.
21. I was given an award for the highest marks in the school.
22. I never missed a day of school in high school.
23. I can play piano and guitar.
Two Truths and a Lie Ideas: Skills
1. I can conjugate all the verbs in French.
2. I can do ten push-ups.
3. I ran a marathon once.
4. I can differentiate between toads and frogs.
5. I can hold my breath underwater for three minutes.
6. I know how to lie with statistics.
7. I can do 20 burpees in one minute.
8. I know how to change a tire.
9. I change the oil in my car.
10. I can drive manual transmission.
11. I’ve taken tennis lessons.
12. I’ve been a day trader for a year.
13. I studied etymology in college.
14. I joined a bowling league.
15. I can identify all the trees in Pennsylvania.
16. I have my drivers license.
17. I know how to knit a sweater.
18. I didn’t get my driver’s license until I was 25.
19. I was a life guard in California.
20. I have pitched a no-hitter.
21. I broke my college team’s record for home runs.
22. I haven’t been to a dentist in twenty years.
23. I can play the saxophone.
24. I can paint with oils.
25. I have published two children’s books.
26. I used to do improv in Vancouver.
27. I auditioned for CATS.
28. I speak 3 languages.
29. I use Linux instead of Windows.
30. I used to babysit celebrities’ kids.
31. I won a hot dog eating contest.
32. I threw up on a roller coaster.
33. I taught myself Latin.
34. I learned to read at 3 years of age.
35. I opened a cafe in Japan.
Two Truths and a Lie Ideas: Intriguing Lifestyle
1. I’ve climbed Everest.
2. I’ve swum with sharks.
3. I don’t have a Netflix account.
4. I don’t have any social media accounts.
5. I have a home in 4 countries.
6. I have never had surgery.
7. I do not have a TV.
8. I have a landline and no cell phone.
9. I take an epsom bath once a week.
10. I have never waxed anything.
11. I have no tattoos.
12. I drink non-fluoridated water only.
13. I go for a mile-long run before work each day.
14. I still sleep with a stuffed animal at night.
15. I have never been a bridesmaid.
16. I’ve been to a nude beach. Nude.
17. I drink water with sea salt and lemon in it.
18. I’m scared of spiders.
19. I only wear natural deodorant without aluminum.
20. I have flown an airplane.
21. I’ve never had a cavity.
22. I have back-country skied.
23. I called the market top.
24. I’ve asked someone to marry me.
25. I’m allergic to bee stings.
26. I’m addicted to wordle.
27. I subscribe to physical magazines.
28. I don’t use my phone or computer at all on weekends.
Two Truths and a Lie Ideas: Preferences (Hard to Argue With These!)
More Two Truths and a Lie examples you can choose as lies (or truths, if applicable!). When choosing lies, a good strategy is to opt for those that will be most convincing for you, knowing what your audience knows about you and expects.
1. My favourite day of the week is Thursday.
2. I love spicy food.
3. I use cash instead of credit cards on Fridays.
4. I like riding my bike to work.
5. My favourite place in the world is my Grandmother’s cottage.
6. When I was younger, my dream was to be a veternarian.
7. I’ve always wanted to try bungee jumping.
8. My favourite vacation was to Thailand.
9. I am training for a marathon.
10. I had a pet squirrel.
11. My blood is type O negative.
12. I am legally deaf in one ear.
13. I was born with a club foot.
14. I still have a cassette player.
15. I sing in the shower.
16. I grow my own food.
17. I never use public restrooms.
18. I have 4 fruit trees on my property.
19. I know I am incredibly superstitious.
Feel free to tweak and twerk all these Two Truths and a Lie ideas so that they work convincingly for you. Writing them down can help with a smoother delivery.
Pro Tips & Strategies for Winning at Two Truths and a Lie
This game is great fun if you are a good liar. For the rest of us, we need some solid strategies to help us fool the other players so it isn’t obvious which two statements are true and which one is a lie.
Know your audience. When it comes to telling truths, you’ll want to tell the truth in such a way that others think you’re lying even though you’re not… so if this group has pegged you as a jock, tell them you were the spelling bee champion (if you were), since others would not expect this of you.
- The order of your statements is key. Try not to say your lie last, or at least not the first round. Mix up the order of your statements.
- Keep your statements short and sweet.
- Simple lies can seem more believable, so don’t over-explain.
- Subtly pause and look like you’re thinking of a good lie when you’re actually state a truth.
- Aim to deliver each statement in the same tone and at the same speed.
- Mix up the outrageous-sounding truths with banal lies.
- Try to make your two true statements outrageous-sounding, and make your lie very believable and boring.
- Another strategy is to group all the statements according to the same level of believability so it is hard to determine what is a lie and what is a truth.
- Practice poker face. Even after constructing and delivering the perfect statements, your facial expressions give your lie away.
- Try to use statements other players who know you will not understand, or choose statements from your childhood or other areas of life they may not know about. This game is harder to play with close family members and friends.
- A Good Lie? A good lie is one that is ultimately believable to the group you’re with: it is something you might’ve done or might want to do (but haven’t actually done). A lie that’s too unlikely will raise red flags, so try to think of lies that are similar to truths to make them as plausible-sounding as possible. For example, you went to a Catholic school but say you went to a public school.
Hope you have a ball playing! Next, you can write funny one-liner notes to thank friends for coming to your games night.
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