100 two truths and a lie ideas (and how to make your lie believable)

Two truths and a lie is an icebreaker where you share three statements about yourself. Two are true, one is made up, and the other person guesses the lie. It works because it lets you share interesting things about yourself without it feeling like bragging.

Below you will find example statements to borrow or adapt, grouped by theme, and tips for making a round hard to guess.

How to play

1. Think of two true facts about yourself and one believable lie.
2. Say or type all three in a random order.
3. The other person asks up to two questions, then guesses the lie.
4. Reveal the answer and tell the story behind the true ones.

Tips for a believable lie

• Make the truths surprising and the lie ordinary. People expect the strange one to be false.
• Keep all three the same length and style. A lie with extra detail stands out.
• Borrow from real life. Take something a friend did, or something you nearly did.
• Stay safe with strangers. Use facts that do not reveal your name, town, school or workplace.

Travel ideas

1. I have been to more than ten countries.
2. I once missed a flight because I was at the wrong airport.
3. I have slept in a hammock for a whole week.
4. I have seen the Northern Lights.
5. I got lost in a city and found my way back without a map.
6. I have taken a train journey that lasted over a day.
7. I have swum in two different oceans.
8. I once travelled somewhere without knowing a word of the language.
9. I have been on a boat in a storm.
10. I have never been on a plane.
11. I have visited a desert.
12. I once took a trip just to eat at one restaurant.
13. I have camped on a beach.
14. I have climbed to the top of a famous landmark.
15. I have been to a festival with more than 50,000 people.

Food ideas

1. I have never tasted coffee.
2. I can eat an entire pizza in one sitting.
3. I once cooked dinner for twenty people.
4. I have eaten a bug on purpose.
5. I do not like chocolate.
6. I have won a baking competition.
7. I have eaten the same breakfast every day for a year.
8. I once tried the world’s spiciest pepper.
9. I have never had a birthday cake.
10. I can name every spice in my kitchen by smell.
11. I have worked in a restaurant kitchen.
12. I once ate dessert for three meals in a row.
13. I am allergic to a fruit most people love.
14. I have made pasta from scratch.
15. I have never eaten sushi.

Skills and talents

1. I can solve a Rubik’s cube.
2. I can play three musical instruments.
3. I can type without looking at the keyboard at record speed.
4. I taught myself to juggle.
5. I can say “hello” in ten languages.
6. I can do a handstand for thirty seconds.
7. I once built a piece of furniture from scratch.
8. I can draw a perfect circle freehand.
9. I have a black belt in a martial art.
10. I can whistle with my fingers.
11. I can recite a whole film script from memory.
12. I have taught a dog a trick nobody believed.
13. I can fall asleep anywhere in under two minutes.
14. I can wiggle my ears.
15. I learned to knit during a single weekend.

Funny ideas

1. I once walked into a glass door in front of a crowd.
2. I have fallen asleep standing up.
3. I have been chased by a goose.
4. I once wore my shirt inside out to an important event.
5. I laughed so hard at a wedding that I had to leave the room.
6. I once got locked out of my home in my pyjamas.
7. I have waved at a stranger thinking they were my friend.
8. I once sent a message meant for my mum to my boss.
9. I accidentally dyed my hair green.
10. I have talked to a statue thinking it was a person.
11. I once got stuck in a lift for an hour.
12. I have never learned to ride a bike.
13. I once fell into a swimming pool fully dressed.
14. I have a fear of butterflies.
15. I once got a haircut I hid under a hat for a month.

Experiences and achievements

1. I have run a marathon.
2. I was once on television.
3. I have met a famous musician.
4. I have written a short story that was published.
5. I have volunteered abroad.
6. I once won a raffle prize worth more than a month’s rent.
7. I have ridden a camel.
8. I have been skydiving.
9. I was the captain of a sports team.
10. I have performed on stage in front of hundreds of people.
11. I have grown a vegetable bigger than my head.
12. I have learned a language as an adult.
13. I once stayed awake for over 30 hours.
14. I have planted a tree that is now taller than me.
15. I have been in a flash mob.

Everyday life ideas

1. I have never owned a car.
2. I wake up at 5 a.m. every day without an alarm.
3. I have more than 30 houseplants.
4. I have never watched a single episode of a very famous series.
5. I read at least one book a week.
6. I have the same haircut I had at ten years old.
7. I sleep with socks on all year.
8. I have never used a dishwasher.
9. I know every word of a very long song.
10. I have kept the same phone for five years.
11. I brush my teeth with my non-dominant hand.
12. I have never been to a gym.
13. I iron my socks.
14. I have a name for my car or bike.
15. I have never learned to whistle.

Childhood ideas

1. I had an imaginary friend until I was ten.
2. I was in a school play as a tree.
3. I broke my arm falling off a trampoline.
4. I used to collect rocks.
5. I won a spelling competition.
6. I was scared of the dark until my teens.
7. I once ran away from home for an afternoon.
8. I learned to swim in the sea, not a pool.
9. I had a pet that escaped and came back a week later.
10. I was the tallest in my class.

Ready-made rounds

1. A: I have been to Japan. B: I can play the violin. C: I have never eaten pizza.
2. A: I have run a half-marathon. B: I am scared of dogs. C: I once met an astronaut.
3. A: I can juggle five balls. B: I have lived in three countries. C: I hate cheese.
4. A: I have been stuck in a lift. B: I have ridden a horse on a beach. C: I can speak four languages.
5. A: I have never seen snow. B: I once baked a wedding cake. C: I have a pet tortoise.

These are templates rather than puzzles: choose which statement is your lie and change the details so the other two are true for you.

Playing by text with someone new

Two truths and a lie works well in a random text chat: it is quick, it is fair, and it starts a real conversation once the lie is revealed. Keep your statements general enough that they do not identify you. For more games, see never have I ever questions and fun facts about me examples.