Two Truths and a Lie

Set up

1. Seat everyone where they can see each other — around a table or in a loose circle.
2. Give the group one quiet minute to think. Good statements are specific, harmless and a little surprising.
3. Set the tone out loud: statements should be things you are happy for everyone here to know. Nobody needs to share anything private.
4. The host goes first to model the kind of statement that works.

How the game ends

The game ends when everyone has had one turn. With a small group that is enjoying itself, play a second round with a theme — "travel", "school days" or "food" — and stop there. If you are scoring, the highest total after the final turn wins.

Playing seated

The game is played seated by default. Nothing in any step requires standing or moving.

Tips for the host

• Ordinary truths work better than dramatic ones. "I alphabetise my spices" is harder to judge than "I met a celebrity".
• Let anyone pass or go later. Some people need to hear two or three turns before they have an idea.
• If someone is stuck, suggest a formula — one truth about food, one about a place, and a lie about a skill.
• Keep the follow-up questions short. They are there to make the vote fun, not to interrogate anyone.

Variations

Themed rounds. Every statement must fit one announced theme — a job you have had, a place you have been, a food opinion you hold. Themes make it easier to think of statements and keep the game light among people who have only just met.

Two Truths and a Wish. Replace the lie with something you wish were true. It removes the "deception" element entirely, which some groups prefer, and the reveal often starts a better conversation than a lie does.

Starter ideas: Everyday habits

• I set three alarms every morning. / I have never owned an umbrella. / I iron my socks.
• I alphabetise my bookshelf. / I talk to my houseplants. / I have kept every cinema ticket since I was twelve.
• I always sit in the same seat on the bus. / I have never finished a crossword. / I write my shopping lists in rhyme.
• I drink my tea cold on purpose. / I check the weather four times a day. / I have named my car.
• I can only sleep with socks on. / I have used the same pen for six years. / I fold my laundry the moment it is dry.
• I walk the same route every evening. / I always read the last page of a book first. / I have never hit the snooze button.
• I count the stairs whenever I climb them. / I keep a jar of buttons with no purpose. / I listen to the same album every Monday.
• I eat lunch at exactly the same time every day. / I have a favourite spoon. / I answer every phone call on the first ring.

Starter ideas: Food and home

• I have never eaten a hard-boiled egg. / I put pepper on strawberries. / I baked my own wedding cake.
• I once ate the same dinner for two weeks. / I cannot stand the smell of melon. / I grow my own chillies on a windowsill.
• I have burnt toast three times in a single morning. / I own eleven wooden spoons. / I make my own bread every week.
• I have a recipe I refuse to share. / I eat pizza crust-first. / I have never tasted peanut butter.
• I learned to cook from a library book. / I keep ketchup in the cupboard, not the fridge. / I once won a pie-eating contest.
• My fridge contains four kinds of mustard. / I have eaten breakfast for dinner all week. / I can chop an onion without crying.
• I drink a glass of milk every night. / I have never used a microwave. / I put salt in my coffee.
• I painted my front door without asking anyone. / I have lived in the same street all my life. / I built my own kitchen table.