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Two truths and a lie: how to play, and 40 ideas

By Party TurnLast updated 3 min read

In two truths and a lie, each player says three statements about themselves, two true and one made up, and everyone else guesses which one is the lie. You need 3 or more players and nothing else, a round takes about a minute per player, and it works as an icebreaker for strangers and as a party game for people who think they know each other. Below are the rules, a scoring system, five variations and 40 example statements sorted by group.

Players
3 to 30
Time
1 min per player
Age
About 7 and up
You need
Nothing

Two truths and a lie is the rare game that works the same way for a class of 8-year-olds, a new team at work and a family that has known each other for forty years. It needs no supplies and no preparation, and the best rounds are the ones where the room is sure and wrong.

How to play

  1. Sit or stand in a circle. Give everyone a minute to think of three statements about themselves: two true, one false.
  2. The first player says all three, in any order. “I have been to Alaska. I can juggle. I have never learned to ride a bike.”
  3. Everyone else votes on the lie at the same moment, by holding up one, two or three fingers. Voting together stops people from copying the loudest guess.
  4. The player reveals the lie, and tells the story behind the strangest truth. That story is the real point of the game.
  5. Move to the next player until everyone has had a turn.

Scoring, if you want a winner

Event Points
You guess the lie 1 point to you
A player guesses wrong on your turn 1 point to you for each player fooled
Nobody at all spots your lie 2 bonus points to you

Play one or two rounds; the highest total wins. In a work setting, skip the score and keep the stories.

How to write statements nobody can read

  • Make the truths sound unlikely. “I have met an astronaut” is a great truth if it is true.
  • Make the lie sound boring. “I have a sister” is a strong lie in a group that does not know your family.
  • Match the three. Same length, same detail, same tone. A lie with extra detail gives itself away.
  • Watch your face. People look at the speaker’s eyes on the lie. Say all three to a fixed point in the room.
  • Avoid checkable facts. If someone in the room can disprove it with their phone, it is not a lie, it is a quiz.

40 two truths and a lie ideas

Use them as templates: swap in your own facts. Each one works as a truth for some people and as a lie for others, which is what makes a good statement.

For kids (8)

  1. I have a pet that is older than me.
  2. I have never lost a tooth at school.
  3. I can whistle with my fingers.
  4. I once ate a whole lemon.
  5. I was born in a different state from my parents.
  6. I have broken a bone.
  7. I have been on a plane more than five times.
  8. I can say the alphabet backwards.

For teens (8)

  1. I have never seen a horror movie all the way through.
  2. I can solve a puzzle cube.
  3. I have been to three countries.
  4. I once got lost in a mall for an hour.
  5. I have met someone famous.
  6. I know all the words to a song from before I was born.
  7. I have never broken a phone screen.
  8. I learned to swim after I turned ten.

For work and new groups (8)

  1. My first job was at a pet store.
  2. I have run a half marathon.
  3. I can type without looking at the keys.
  4. I have never had a cup of coffee.
  5. I lived in another country for a year.
  6. I have worked a night shift.
  7. I once sent an email to the whole company by mistake.
  8. I can name every state capital.

For family gatherings (8)

  1. I was almost named something else.
  2. I once got sent home from school early for laughing.
  3. I have kept every birthday card I ever got.
  4. I drove a car before I was allowed to.
  5. I have a scar nobody here knows about.
  6. I once slept through a fire alarm.
  7. I won a prize at a county fair.
  8. I can still recite a poem I learned in third grade.

Hard to spot (8)

  1. I have shaken hands with a mayor.
  2. I have been on TV for less than a second.
  3. I have the same birthday as one of my grandparents.
  4. I once found money on the street and returned it.
  5. I have stayed awake for a whole night on purpose.
  6. I can wiggle my ears.
  7. I have eaten a bug on purpose.
  8. I have never been to the ocean.

Five variations

Two lies and a truth

The same game reversed: one true statement, two invented. It is harder, and works best with groups who have played the normal version.

Theme rounds

Everyone’s statements must fit one theme: travel, food, school, childhood, this past year. Themes stop people from reusing the same three facts every time.

Teams

Split into two teams. Each team builds three statements about one member, and the other team has 30 seconds to agree on the lie. Good for big groups where a circle would take too long.

Written version

Everyone writes their three statements on a card with their name. The host reads them out and the group guesses whose card it is and which line is false. Good for shy groups and for parties where people arrive at different times.

The detective round

After the three statements, the group may ask the speaker three yes or no questions before voting. The speaker must answer truthfully about the truths and may lie about the lie.

Stuck for something to say?

Questions to find better truths

From the mild truths in the free truth or dare deck in the app. Stuck for a statement? Answer one of these to yourself; the answer is often a truth nobody will believe.

  1. What is the silliest thing you were afraid of as a kid? Truth, mild
  2. Who in this room would survive longest on a desert island? Truth, mild
  3. Which animal would be the rudest if it could talk? Truth, mild
  4. What is the most childish thing you still do? Truth, mild
  5. What is something you are really bad at? Truth, mild
  6. Have you ever waved back at someone who was waving at someone else? Truth, mild
  7. Have you ever walked into something while looking at your phone? Truth, mild
  8. Who here would win a talent show, and with what talent? Truth, mild

When to play it

Two truths and a lie is a starter. It is ideal in the first 20 minutes of a party, at the start of a meeting or a class, or at a holiday dinner where cousins only meet once a year. For more games like it, see our icebreaker games, and for another game about bluffing and catching a liar, read how to play imposter.

Questions people ask

How do you play two truths and a lie?

Each player in turn says three statements about themselves: two are true and one is a lie. Everyone else votes on which one is the lie, then the player reveals it. Players who guessed right get a point; the speaker gets a point for every player they fooled.

How many people do you need for two truths and a lie?

At least 3: one speaker and two guessers. It works up to about 30 in one circle; with more, split into smaller groups so nobody waits too long.

What makes a good lie in two truths and a lie?

A lie that sounds ordinary, mixed with two truths that sound unlikely. Make all three statements the same length and the same level of detail, and say them in the same voice.

Is two truths and a lie good for work?

Yes, it is one of the most common icebreakers for new teams because it needs no preparation and nobody has to perform. Ask people to keep statements to hobbies, travel and jobs.

Sources and how this guide was made

  • Google Keyword Planner, US, English, average monthly searches October 2025 to September 2026, pulled for this guide (read November 4, 2026)
  • Every example statement was written for this guide
  • The free truth or dare deck in the app; the sample is picked when the page is built

Updated November 5, 2026 by Party Turn.