Two Truths and a Lie: Rules and 75 Examples

Two truths and a lie is a bluffing game: you say three things about yourself, two true and one made up, and everyone guesses the lie. Here are the rules, a deck of topics for building your own round and 75 example sets to borrow the shape from. For a lot more sets, see the two truths and a lie ideas.

Updated September 2026By the Carful editorial team

On this page: 10 sections

Two Truths and a Lie Rules

Three or more players, no supplies, about two minutes a turn.

The teller says three statements about themselves. Two are true and one is false, in any order.
The others may ask a few follow-up questions. The teller can bluff about the lie but answers honestly about the truths.
Everyone votes on the lie at the same time by calling out or pointing to the first, second or third statement.
The teller reveals the lie. Each correct vote scores a point, and the teller scores a point for every player fooled.
The next player becomes the teller. Play until everyone has had two or three turns.

Food: a dish you love, one you refuse to eat, one you have never tried

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Tap the card or swipe for the next question. Arrow keys work too.

More lists:See all 165 two truths and a lie ideas

Two Truths and a Lie Topics

Stuck for facts? Pick a topic, then find two true things and one invented one inside it. These are the cards in the deck above.

Food: a dish you love, one you refuse to eat, one you have never tried
Childhood: a toy you loved, a nickname you had, a place you used to hide
Pets: a pet you had, a pet you begged for, an animal you have held
Travel: the farthest place you have been, a place you'd skip, a place you'd go back to
Family traditions: a birthday habit, a weekend habit, a meal that always shows up
Hobbies: one you have now, one you quit, one you want to try
School days: a favorite teacher, a class that was hard, a field trip you remember
Sports: a sport you played, a team you cheered for, a game you still think about
Music: an instrument you tried, a song you know every word to, the first concert you saw
First times: your first bike, your first sleepover, your first plane ride
Talents: something you're secretly good at, something you practiced for years, something you gave up on
Weather: the biggest snow you've seen, the hottest day you remember, a rainy-day plan that worked
Home: a house you lived in, a room you shared, something odd about your street
Holidays: a costume you wore, a gift you remember, a dish your family always makes
Cooking: a dish you can make, a kitchen disaster, a recipe someone taught you
Reading: a book you read twice, a book you never finished, your favorite reading spot
Summer: a summer job, a summer camp, a summer somewhere new
Winter: a snow day, a winter sport, a cold-weather habit
Neighbors: a neighbor you remember, something you borrowed, a street game you played
Names: how you got your name, a nickname, a name you almost had
Collections: something you collected, how many you had, where it is now
Birthdays: a party you remember, a cake you had, a gift you didn't expect
Animals: one you've touched, one you've seen in the wild, one you'd rather watch from far away
Grandparents: something they taught you, a food they made, a place they took you
Clothes: an outfit you loved, something you wore until it wore out, a hat you still own
Chores: one you like, one you dodge, one you got paid for
Games: a card game you always win, a backyard game you made up, a game you're bad at
Outdoors: a hike you took, a tree you climbed, a campfire you remember
Water: a lake you swam in, a boat you rode, a time you got soaked
Friends: your oldest friend, how you met, the best thing you did together

Play these as cards

Two Truths and a Lie Topics for Work and Class

Safer topics for coworkers, students and people you met this week: nothing too personal, and still room for a good story.

First jobs: the first job you had, one you almost took, one you'd never do
Commutes: your longest commute, the oddest way you've gotten to work or class, a commute habit
Skills: one from an old job, one you taught yourself, one you'd like to learn
Your desk: something on it, something in the drawer, something you always forget
Hometown: where you grew up, a local food, what your town is known for
Languages: one you speak, one you studied, a phrase you know in one you don't speak
Mentors: a teacher or boss who helped you, the best advice you got, a lesson you learned the hard way
Weekends: a weekend hobby, a weekend routine, a weekend you'd repeat
Tech: your first computer or phone, a gadget you rely on, one you gave up on
Lunch: your go-to lunch, the oddest lunch you've packed, a lunch spot you miss
Presentations: one that went well, one that went sideways, the biggest room you've spoken in
Volunteering: a place you helped, an event you worked, a skill you used
Contests: something you won, something you entered, a contest you'd enter tomorrow
Mornings: when you wake up, what you eat, the first thing you do
Clubs and teams: a club you joined, a team you played on, a role you held
Places you've lived: a city, a dorm or apartment, the oddest place you've stayed
Dream jobs: what you wanted to be at six, at sixteen, and a backup plan
Group projects: one that went great, the role you always end up in, one you'd redo
Things you can fix: a gadget, a piece of furniture, something at a friend's house
Recommendations: a book, a podcast or a place to eat you'd tell anyone about

Play these as cards

Good Two Truths and a Lie Examples

Complete sets that show what makes a round work: three statements of the same length, and a lie as ordinary as the truths. Tap to see which one is false.

- I have always been a morning person.
- I learned to swim when I was eleven, later than all my friends.
- I have eaten the same breakfast almost every day for three years.
Show the lie
The lie: A. I have always been a morning person.
- My middle name comes from the street my parents lived on.
- I have kept every birthday card anyone has ever given me.
- I once won a pie-eating contest at a county fair.
Show the lie
The lie: B. I have kept every birthday card anyone has ever given me.
- Pepperoni is the only pizza topping I have ever ordered.
- I once got a letter back from an astronaut I wrote to in school.
- I have lived in three different apartments on the same street.
Show the lie
The lie: A. Pepperoni is the only pizza topping I have ever ordered.
- I was an extra in a crowd scene for a local commercial.
- I saw the ocean for the first time when I was twenty.
- I still have my very first library card.
Show the lie
The lie: B. I saw the ocean for the first time when I was twenty.
- I have gone to the same barber since I was four.
- I can type faster than I can talk.
- I once rode a camel on a family trip.
Show the lie
The lie: A. I have gone to the same barber since I was four.
- My grandmother and I share a birthday.
- I have read the same mystery novel six times.
- I was born in a different state than my brother.
Show the lie
The lie: C. I was born in a different state than my brother.
- I spent a whole summer working at a mini golf course.
- I tried sushi for the first time last year.
- I can fall asleep in any car in under five minutes.
Show the lie
The lie: B. I tried sushi for the first time last year.
- I got my first passport before I could walk.
- I once found a four-leaf clover in my own backyard.
- I know how to sew on a button, hem pants and fix a zipper.
Show the lie
The lie: B. I once found a four-leaf clover in my own backyard.
- I went to three weddings in one weekend.
- I have never had a cup of coffee.
- I built my own bookshelf in high school shop class.
Show the lie
The lie: C. I built my own bookshelf in high school shop class.
- I have slept in a tent exactly once.
- My spelling bee team made it to the state finals.
- My first car had a tape deck and no air conditioning.
Show the lie
The lie: A. I have slept in a tent exactly once.
- I got a standing ovation at a piano recital I almost skipped.
- I have had the same haircut since fourth grade.
- I learned to drive in a pickup truck on a farm.
Show the lie
The lie: C. I learned to drive in a pickup truck on a farm.
- I worked the snack counter at a movie theater for two summers.
- I have met someone with my exact first and last name.
- I can wiggle my ears one at a time.
Show the lie
The lie: A. I worked the snack counter at a movie theater for two summers.
- I was named after a song my dad played on repeat.
- I once ate dinner at a restaurant inside a lighthouse.
- I have never lived in a home with a dishwasher.
Show the lie
The lie: A. I was named after a song my dad played on repeat.
- I have had the same pen pal for over ten years.
- I once saw a moose from a train window.
- I have been on a roller coaster only once.
Show the lie
The lie: C. I have been on a roller coaster only once.
- I once spent almost two hours lost in a corn maze.
- I have never been able to whistle.
- I know every word of a song in a language I don't speak.
Show the lie
The lie: B. I have never been able to whistle.
- I once shared an elevator with a famous chef.
- I have lived in the same town my whole life.
- I taught myself to knit from videos one winter.
Show the lie
The lie: B. I have lived in the same town my whole life.
- I still know my childhood phone number by heart.
- I was on the local news for building a giant snow sculpture.
- I have never lost a game of checkers to anyone in my family.
Show the lie
The lie: A. I still know my childhood phone number by heart.
- I was a lifeguard at our community pool.
- I returned a library book twelve years late, and nobody charged me.
- I slept in a treehouse for a whole week one summer.
Show the lie
The lie: A. I was a lifeguard at our community pool.
- I have been to a baseball game where it snowed.
- My first job was folding sweaters at a clothing store.
- I learned to juggle during one rainy spring break.
Show the lie
The lie: B. My first job was folding sweaters at a clothing store.
- My first pet was a hermit crab named Gerald.
- I have milked a cow by hand.
- I played trumpet in the marching band for four years.
Show the lie
The lie: C. I played trumpet in the marching band for four years.
- I once found a message in a bottle on a lake beach.
- I can say the alphabet backward without stopping.
- I sleep with the window open, even in winter.
Show the lie
The lie: C. I sleep with the window open, even in winter.
- I was born on the Fourth of July.
- I have had the same best friend since preschool.
- A restaurant once gave me a free dinner for being its ten-thousandth customer.
Show the lie
The lie: B. I have had the same best friend since preschool.
- I have never eaten a hot dog.
- I spent a summer learning to throw pottery on a wheel.
- A stranger once mailed me a thank-you note for finding her dog.
Show the lie
The lie: A. I have never eaten a hot dog.
- I once rode in a helicopter over a canyon.
- I kept a daily journal for five years straight.
- I met my favorite author at a book signing.
Show the lie
The lie: C. I met my favorite author at a book signing.
- I once locked myself out of the house in my pajamas.
- I keep a jar of sea glass from every beach I have visited.
- I was the goalie on my middle school soccer team.
Show the lie
The lie: C. I was the goalie on my middle school soccer team.

More sets: two truths and a lie ideas

Two Truths and a Lie for Getting to Know Someone

Sets for a new group: a first day, a new team, new neighbors. Every fact invites a follow-up question, which is the point of the game.

- I grew up in a town with more cows than people.
- I speak enough Italian to order dinner and nothing else.
- I moved here because a friend talked me into it.
Show the lie
The lie: C. I moved here because a friend talked me into it.
- I am the youngest of five kids.
- I once finished a half marathon by walking the last three miles.
- I have never lived more than an hour from where I was born.
Show the lie
The lie: C. I have never lived more than an hour from where I was born.
- I play the cello in a community orchestra.
- I work nights, so I shop for groceries at six in the morning.
- I have a houseplant that is older than my car.
Show the lie
The lie: B. I work nights, so I shop for groceries at six in the morning.
- I have run the same book club for seven years.
- I once lived on a sailboat for a whole summer.
- I can't stand the taste of mint.
Show the lie
The lie: C. I can't stand the taste of mint.
- I am certified to scuba dive.
- I was a camp counselor for five summers.
- I bake bread every Sunday morning.
Show the lie
The lie: A. I am certified to scuba dive.
- I lived without a television for five years.
- My first job was at a hardware store, and I still love the smell.
- I have visited every national park in my home state.
Show the lie
The lie: A. I lived without a television for five years.
- I have a twin sister who lives across the country.
- I have gone to the same summer music festival nine years in a row.
- I have never learned to ride a bike.
Show the lie
The lie: B. I have gone to the same summer music festival nine years in a row.
- I collect old maps of every city I have lived in.
- I have moved eleven times since I turned eighteen.
- I learned to swim as an adult, in a class full of kids.
Show the lie
The lie: A. I collect old maps of every city I have lived in.
- I have volunteered at the same animal shelter for six years.
- I once kayaked the whole length of a river over one week.
- I have never been to a wedding.
Show the lie
The lie: C. I have never been to a wedding.
- I once worked as a tour guide at a history museum.
- I know how to walk on stilts.
- I lived above a bakery for two years.
Show the lie
The lie: A. I once worked as a tour guide at a history museum.
- I have been a vegetarian since I was twelve.
- My family has lived on the same street for three generations.
- I once sang the national anthem at a minor league game.
Show the lie
The lie: B. My family has lived on the same street for three generations.
- I have never owned a car.
- I was treasurer of the student council in high school.
- I restore old radios as a hobby.
Show the lie
The lie: B. I was treasurer of the student council in high school.
- I take the same walking route every single morning.
- I have a pet tortoise that is older than I am.
- I spent a year of high school in Japan as an exchange student.
Show the lie
The lie: A. I take the same walking route every single morning.
- I once drove a moving truck across four states by myself.
- I play in a weekend pickleball league.
- I learned sign language in college and still use it.
Show the lie
The lie: A. I once drove a moving truck across four states by myself.
- I was the mascot for my college basketball team.
- My phone screen has been cracked for two years.
- I make my own hot sauce.
Show the lie
The lie: B. My phone screen has been cracked for two years.
- I once auditioned for a game show.
- I have planted over a hundred trees with a volunteer group.
- I have hosted dinner for everyone on my apartment floor.
Show the lie
The lie: B. I have planted over a hundred trees with a volunteer group.
- I read the last page of a book before I start it.
- I once lived on a farm with forty goats.
- I speak three languages at home.
Show the lie
The lie: C. I speak three languages at home.
- I was born on a leap day.
- I have run the same neighborhood yard sale for ten years.
- I can parallel park on the first try, every time.
Show the lie
The lie: C. I can parallel park on the first try, every time.
- I once drove across the country with only one playlist.
- I once worked at a zoo feeding the penguins.
- I have lived in my house longer than anyone else on my street.
Show the lie
The lie: A. I once drove across the country with only one playlist.
- I learned to play chess from my neighbor when I was six.
- I have a collection of over two hundred postcards.
- I once spent a night in an airport and loved it.
Show the lie
The lie: B. I have a collection of over two hundred postcards.

Two Truths and a Lie for Families

Sets a parent or grandparent could say at the dinner table. Kids are often better than adults at spotting a grown-up's lie.

- When I was your age, I had a pet rabbit named Pancake.
- I once helped my dad build a doghouse.
- I learned to ride a bike on a gravel road.
Show the lie
The lie: C. I learned to ride a bike on a gravel road.
- I got in trouble in second grade for talking too much.
- My first sleepover was at my grandma's house.
- A firefighter once let me sit in the driver's seat of a fire truck.
Show the lie
The lie: B. My first sleepover was at my grandma's house.
- I used to walk to school with our dog every day.
- I once won a school prize for growing the tallest sunflower.
- I learned to tie my shoes before I could read.
Show the lie
The lie: A. I used to walk to school with our dog every day.
- When I was little, I wanted to drive a garbage truck.
- I once made pancakes shaped like every letter of the alphabet.
- I have toured a cheese factory.
Show the lie
The lie: B. I once made pancakes shaped like every letter of the alphabet.
- My favorite lunch was a banana and peanut butter sandwich.
- I once blamed the cat for a lamp I knocked over.
- My best friend lived three houses down, and we made a tin-can phone.
Show the lie
The lie: A. My favorite lunch was a banana and peanut butter sandwich.
- I got a perfect score on every spelling test for a whole year.
- I have held a baby alligator.
- My first bike was bright orange with a bell.
Show the lie
The lie: A. I got a perfect score on every spelling test for a whole year.
- I was in a school play as a talking tree.
- I could do twenty cartwheels in a row.
- I once saw a falling star while camping with my family.
Show the lie
The lie: B. I could do twenty cartwheels in a row.
- I planted a tree that is now taller than our house.
- I used to hide my peas in my napkin.
- My favorite subject in school was math.
Show the lie
The lie: C. My favorite subject in school was math.
- When I was ten, I built a raft that floated for about a minute.
- I once found a fossil in the creek behind my school.
- I have been to a real rodeo.
Show the lie
The lie: C. I have been to a real rodeo.
- I learned to knit from my grandma when I was seven.
- I had a secret clubhouse in our garage.
- My science fair project got my picture in the newspaper.
Show the lie
The lie: B. I had a secret clubhouse in our garage.
- I stayed up until midnight for the first time on New Year's Eve.
- I used to be scared of the vacuum cleaner.
- I once ate a grasshopper at a science museum.
Show the lie
The lie: A. I stayed up until midnight for the first time on New Year's Eve.
- I have never been to a water park.
- My first job was picking strawberries.
- I can still do a handstand.
Show the lie
The lie: A. I have never been to a water park.
- I have seen a whale jump out of the water.
- I was the fastest runner in my third-grade class.
- When I was a kid, our family had three cats and a parrot.
Show the lie
The lie: B. I was the fastest runner in my third-grade class.
- I once sold lemonade to the mail carrier every day for a summer.
- I used to collect bottle caps in a shoebox.
- I got to ride on a float in a town parade.
Show the lie
The lie: C. I got to ride on a float in a town parade.
- I have ridden a train through a tunnel under the sea.
- My mom made me take tap dance lessons.
- I used to read under my blanket with a flashlight.
Show the lie
The lie: B. My mom made me take tap dance lessons.
- I entered a pie in a baking contest and took third place.
- When I was little, I thought brown cows made chocolate milk.
- I once kept a frog in the bathtub for a whole day.
Show the lie
The lie: A. I entered a pie in a baking contest and took third place.
- I have climbed to the top of a lighthouse.
- My favorite toy was a wooden train set.
- I talked in my sleep so much that my sister wrote it all down.
Show the lie
The lie: B. My favorite toy was a wooden train set.
- I learned to paddle a canoe at summer camp.
- I have never lost a game of tic-tac-toe to a kid.
- I got a certificate for reading one hundred books in one summer.
Show the lie
The lie: C. I got a certificate for reading one hundred books in one summer.
- I once carved a pumpkin that won a neighborhood contest.
- I had a pen pal in another country when I was ten.
- I rode my bike to the library every Saturday.
Show the lie
The lie: C. I rode my bike to the library every Saturday.
- I made my own birthday cake when I turned twelve.
- I learned to swim in a lake, not a pool.
- I have ridden a horse on the beach.
Show the lie
The lie: A. I made my own birthday cake when I turned twelve.

Two Truths and a Lie on a Road Trip

Ten sets about cars, maps and long drives to get the car started. Nobody needs to look at anything, so the driver can play too.

- I once drove eight hours to see a giant ball of twine.
- I have slept in the back seat of a car at a rest stop.
- I could read a paper map before I could ride a bike.
Show the lie
The lie: C. I could read a paper map before I could ride a bike.
- My family had a rule: no music in the car until noon.
- I have seen a bison from the car window in a national park.
- I once ran out of gas two miles from a gas station.
Show the lie
The lie: A. My family had a rule: no music in the car until noon.
- I have driven across a state line just to say I had been there.
- Our family car had a name, and it was Clementine.
- I once ate breakfast in one state and lunch in another.
Show the lie
The lie: B. Our family car had a name, and it was Clementine.
- I have camped in a national park in the snow.
- I missed an exit once and ended up an hour out of the way.
- I kept a list of every state license plate I spotted one summer.
Show the lie
The lie: C. I kept a list of every state license plate I spotted one summer.
- I have watched the sunrise from the edge of a canyon.
- I passed my driving test on my second try.
- I once rode twelve hours in the car without asking if we were there yet.
Show the lie
The lie: B. I passed my driving test on my second try.
- I have been to a drive-in movie with a car full of pillows.
- Our car once broke down in a town with only one mechanic.
- I have stood in two states at once at a border marker.
Show the lie
The lie: A. I have been to a drive-in movie with a car full of pillows.
- I buy a snow globe at every rest stop we visit.
- I once saw a geyser erupt right on schedule.
- I learned to drive stick shift in an empty parking lot.
Show the lie
The lie: A. I buy a snow globe at every rest stop we visit.
- I have driven through a tunnel cut into a giant tree.
- I once packed the car so full I rode with a cooler on my lap.
- My family always stopped at the same diner halfway to Grandma's.
Show the lie
The lie: C. My family always stopped at the same diner halfway to Grandma's.
- I have biked over a mountain pass on the continental divide.
- We once drove two hours out of our way for a famous cinnamon roll.
- I know every word of the song my dad played on every road trip.
Show the lie
The lie: B. We once drove two hours out of our way for a famous cinnamon roll.
- I have eaten lunch on the tailgate at a scenic overlook.
- I have taken a ferry with our car on board.
- I once waited three hours in line to get into a national park.
Show the lie
The lie: A. I have eaten lunch on the tailgate at a scenic overlook.

Two Truths and a Lie in the car: rules and tactics More road trip games

Two Truths and a Lie Game Variations

Two lies and a truth. Flip it: one true statement and two invented ones. Harder to write, and the one true fact is usually the best story of the night.
Themed rounds. Everyone's three statements have to fit one topic from the deck above, like food or first jobs. It stops the same party facts from coming out every time.
About someone else. The teller makes three statements about another player, who has to keep a straight face. Works best with family and old friends.
Written round. For classrooms and meetings: everyone writes three statements on a card, the host reads them out, and the group guesses who wrote each card before voting on the lie.
Speed round. Ten seconds to say all three, no follow-up questions, instant vote. Good for big groups where full turns would take too long.

Printable Two Truths and a Lie (Free PDF)

All 75 example sets from this page on letter or A4 paper, with the lie noted after each one. Free, made in your browser, no email.

Frequently asked questions

How do you play two truths and a lie?

One player says three statements about themselves: two true, one false. The others ask a few questions, then vote on which one is the lie. Correct voters score a point, and the teller scores for every player they fooled.

What are some good two truths and a lie examples?

A good set keeps all three statements the same length and makes the lie sound ordinary, like "I've never been on a train" next to two surprising truths. The examples above show the pattern; tap any set to see which line is false.

How do you come up with a good lie?

Make it boring, specific and close to something true. Swap one detail of a real story, like the city or the year, rather than inventing something wild. The wildest statement is the first one people vote for.

What is the point of two truths and a lie?

It's an icebreaker: people learn surprising facts about each other, and the follow-up questions start real conversations. That's why teachers and managers use it on the first day.

How many people do you need to play?

Three or more works best, so there's always a group voting. With two people, take turns and keep a streak count instead of points.

Can kids play two truths and a lie?

Yes, from about age 7. Let younger kids whisper their three statements to a grown-up first to check that two are really true. The ideas for kids on our ideas page show the kind of facts that work.