Two Truths and a Lie Ideas
Two Truths and a Lie Ideas: Generator for Work Teams
Find two truths and a lie ideas for your next team meeting from 260 hand-written statements in 10 categories. Each idea is a template. Change the place, the number or the detail so that it is true for you, or so that it is your lie. This two truths and a lie generator gives you prompts for your own three statements, and every idea is also listed further down this page.
“Give me ideas” returns three prompts: two for your truths and one for your lie. “Sounds true” ideas are ordinary claims, which make good models for a lie. “Sounds like a lie” ideas are surprising claims, which is what you want your truths to be.
Your shortlist
Nothing saved yet. Select “Add to shortlist” on any idea. The shortlist lasts until you close or reload this page, and nothing is stored or sent anywhere.
Practice round: spot the lie
Try the game before you run it. Each round shows three statements from an invented person. These people and their statements are fictional examples written for this page. Select the statement you think is the lie.
Two truths and a lie for work: facilitator mode
Enter the size of your group to get a format, a running time and scoring rules you can read out.
The rules
- Everyone gets three minutes to write three statements about themselves. Two are true and one is a lie.
- One person reads their three statements in any order.
- The group may ask one or two short questions. The speaker can bluff.
- Everyone votes for the statement they think is the lie.
- The speaker reveals the lie and can tell the story behind one of the truths.
- Move to the next person. Anyone can pass.
Timing by group size
Allow three minutes of thinking time, then about two minutes per person: 30 seconds to read the statements, a minute for questions and the vote, and 30 seconds for the reveal. With up to 10 people, play as one group. With more than 10, split into small groups of up to five that play at the same time, and add two minutes at the end for two or three groups to share their best lie with everyone.
Virtual-meeting version
Ask each speaker to type their three statements in the chat, numbered 1 to 3, so nobody has to remember them. The group votes by typing a number, or you run a three-option poll. For more than 10 people, use breakout rooms and allow one extra minute for people to move in and out. Tell people before the meeting that the game is coming, so they can prepare.
Scoring
Scoring is optional. If you want it, give each guesser one point for every lie they spot, and give each speaker one point for every person they fool. Ask people to keep their own tally. The highest total wins. For a new team, skip the scores and keep the stories.
How to write good lies for two truths and a lie
Most people lose the game because their lie is the most exciting statement of the three. The group picks it straight away. These habits make a lie harder to find.
Make the lie boring
Choose something small that nobody would bother to invent, such as a food you have never tried or a habit you keep. The “Sounds true” lists on this page are written as models for this kind of lie.
Make the truths surprising
Look for true facts that sound unlikely: an odd job, a strange coincidence or a first attempt that went wrong. The “Sounds like a lie” lists are prompts for these. If none is true for you as written, change the details until one is.
Match the level of detail
Give all three statements about the same length and the same amount of detail. A lie with a number and a place in it reads the same as a truth with a number and a place in it.
Stay close to your real life
Take a true fact and change one part. If you once worked a night shift for a month, say a year. You will answer follow-up questions more easily than you would for a story made up from nothing.
Mix up the order
People tend to put the lie last. Put it first or second some of the time.
Keeping it comfortable for everyone
The game asks people to share personal facts in front of colleagues, so set limits before you start. Ask for statements about everyday things: travel, food, hobbies, past jobs and small habits. Ask people to leave out health, money, relationships, family and anything they would not want repeated. If you are the manager, go first with three mild statements, because your turn sets the tone for the rest of the group.
Making it optional
Say clearly that anyone can pass, and that passing needs no reason. People can still vote and enjoy the reveals without taking a turn. Amy Edmondson defined team psychological safety as "a shared belief held by members of a team that the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking" (Edmondson, 1999, Administrative Science Quarterly). Letting people sit out a game is a small, practical way to respect that. Sending the rules a day ahead also helps people who do not like to think of answers on the spot.
Worked example
You are running a kickoff for a team of 8 in one room. In facilitator mode, enter 8 and choose “In the same room”. The plan shows one group and about 19 minutes: 3 minutes of thinking time plus 8 turns of 2 minutes. To prepare your own turn, choose the category “Work history” and select “Give me ideas”. You get two truth prompts and one lie prompt. Adapt each one, then read them out in a mixed order.
The next month you host a virtual meeting for 24 people. Enter 24 and choose “Virtual meeting”. The plan shows 5 breakout rooms, four of 5 people and one of 4, and about 16 minutes: 3 minutes of thinking time, 10 minutes of turns, 2 minutes for a few groups to share their best lies and 1 minute for moving between rooms. The same group in one room takes about 15 minutes.
Funny two truths and a lie ideas for work
If you want two truths and a lie ideas that are funny and still fine for work, start with the “Odd talents”, “Animals” and “Firsts” categories. They are about small mishaps and harmless skills, so the joke is never on a colleague.
When a game is not enough
A ten-minute game helps people learn a few facts about each other. It does not replace time spent doing something together. If you are planning an offsite or a team day, the EmEx Something Different directory lists team experiences to consider.
260 two truths and a lie examples, by category
The full bank of two truths and a lie examples, in plain lists you can read, copy or print. Words in [square brackets] are for you to replace. The generator above draws from these same lists.
Travel and places
Trips, towns and getting lost. Swap in your own places and numbers.
Sounds true
- I have never been on an overnight train.
- I have been to [a well-known city] three times and never seen its most famous sight.
- I always pack at least two days before a trip.
- I have never taken a photo of a famous landmark.
- I once missed a flight because I was at the wrong gate.
- I read the safety card on every flight.
- I prefer the middle seat on a long bus ride.
Sounds like a lie
- I once boarded the wrong train and only noticed two hours later.
- I have stood in two countries at the same moment.
- I spent a night in an airport and enjoyed it.
- I have visited three different towns that all share the same name.
- I once flew to a city for the day and was back by dinner.
- I have slept in a lighthouse.
- I have been on a guided tour where I was the only guest.
Show 12 more travel and places ideas
More that sound true
- I can name every town I have ever stayed overnight in.
- I get lost in any city without a map on my phone.
- I have never bought a souvenir.
- I keep a ticket stub from every trip I take.
- I have planned a whole trip around one museum.
- I can sleep through any flight, including takeoff.
More that sound like a lie
- I once waited in line for an hour for a view that turned out to be covered in fog.
- I have traveled by ferry, cable car and sleeper train in the same week.
- I ended up on a local radio show while on vacation.
- I have been on a ferry that turned around because someone forgot their dog.
- I once followed a map for an hour before noticing it was for a different town.
- I have visited a town purely because I liked its name.
Food
Likes, dislikes and kitchen stories. Keep it to tastes and cooking.
Sounds true
- I have never eaten an olive.
- I eat the same breakfast every single day.
- I do not like chocolate.
- I always read the dessert menu first.
- I put hot sauce on almost everything.
- I can make bread from scratch without a recipe.
- I have never made popcorn on a stove.
Sounds like a lie
- I once made soup from a recipe written on the back of a receipt.
- I won a prize for the best soup at a town fair.
- I have made pasta by hand for a whole team.
- I once grew a pumpkin bigger than my desk chair.
- I once made a three-tier cake that collapsed before anyone cut it.
- I once ordered a dish by pointing at a picture and got [something unexpected].
- I can identify five kinds of apple with my eyes closed.
Show 12 more food ideas
More that sound true
- I put ketchup on scrambled eggs.
- I eat pizza crust first.
- I drink my coffee black.
- I have never used a microwave to cook a full meal.
- I keep a jar of [an ingredient] in my desk drawer.
- I cannot stand the smell of bananas.
More that sound like a lie
- I once cooked dinner for forty people with two hours’ notice.
- I entered a baking contest with a store-bought cake and came third.
- I have a recipe named after me at a local cafe.
- I once made jam from blackberries I picked on a walk.
- I have milked a goat and made cheese from it the same day.
- I once grew enough tomatoes to give a bag to everyone on my team.
Hobbies and skills
Things people do outside work. A real hobby that surprises colleagues makes a strong truth.
Sounds true
- I play [an instrument] well enough to perform in public.
- I have built my own bookshelf.
- I knit my own scarves.
- I have never finished a jigsaw puzzle.
- I do a crossword before work every day.
- I have made my own greeting cards for years.
- I have read every book by [a favorite author].
Sounds like a lie
- I once spent a whole weekend building a model ship in a bottle.
- I once built a canoe from a kit.
- I have performed card tricks in a magic show.
- I have a certificate in beekeeping.
- I played [an instrument] in a street parade that was shown on local TV.
- I once finished a 5,000-piece jigsaw and found one piece missing.
- I have played chess against a computer every day for a hundred days.
Show 12 more hobbies and skills ideas
More that sound true
- I have kept a daily journal for over [number] years.
- I sing in a community choir.
- I have never played a card game for more than ten minutes.
- I can read sheet music.
- I grow all my own herbs.
- I have been taking [a type of] art classes for a year.
More that sound like a lie
- I taught myself to play the harmonica during one long weekend.
- I have restored a pinball machine.
- I once came last in a quiz and still got my photo in the local paper.
- I can fold a paper crane in under a minute.
- I have won a ribbon for [a craft] at a local fair.
- I built a working clock out of wood.
Two truths and a lie ideas for work history
Past jobs and career turns. These suit a team that only knows your current role.
Sounds true
- My first job was at [a type of store or restaurant].
- I have worked in the same industry my whole career.
- I once worked a night shift for a full year.
- I have held [number] different job titles at one company.
- I started my career in a completely different field.
- I have never worked in an open-plan office.
- I was once the newest person on a team for three years running.
Sounds like a lie
- I once had a job dressing up as a mascot.
- I was paid to name [a product or a color] for a summer.
- I worked as an extra in a crowd scene and can be seen for two seconds.
- I once interviewed for a job in the wrong building and nearly got hired there.
- I have been a tour guide in a city I had known for only a month.
- I once had a job testing [toys or games or mattresses].
- I spent a season working on a boat.
Show 12 more work history ideas
More that sound true
- I have worked from [number] different cities.
- I once had a job that involved wearing a uniform.
- I have given a presentation to more than 200 people.
- I applied for my current job on the last day it was open.
- I have never had a job with a desk before this one.
- I once worked for a company with fewer than five people.
More that sound like a lie
- I was a professional gift wrapper in a department store for a month.
- I once sent an email to the entire company by mistake and got three thank-you replies.
- I worked at a place where the office cat had its own name badge.
- I have been the voice of a recorded phone menu.
- I once got a job because of a conversation in an elevator.
- I had a job counting [cars or birds or people] for a survey.
School days
Light memories from school. Change the details to fit wherever you studied.
Sounds true
- I sat in the front row in every class.
- I was in the school play every year.
- My favorite subject was math.
- I was on the school quiz team.
- I never once got sent out of class.
- I studied [a language] for five years and remember ten words.
- I carried the same pencil case all the way through school.
Sounds like a lie
- I once handed in a science project that the teacher kept to show future classes.
- I was the voice of the school announcements for a year.
- I once got locked in the school library after it closed.
- I gave a speech at graduation and forgot the last page.
- I won a prize for an essay I wrote in twenty minutes on the bus.
- I once corrected a teacher’s spelling on the board and was right.
- I set a school record in [a contest] that stood for a decade.
Show 12 more school days ideas
More that sound true
- I was the editor of the school newspaper.
- I won a spelling contest at school.
- I played [an instrument] in the school band.
- I can still name every teacher I had.
- I still have a report card from my first year at school.
- I was always the last to finish lunch.
More that sound like a lie
- I once got full marks on a test I had forgotten was happening.
- I started a school club that still exists today.
- I played a tree in a school play and forgot my only line.
- I once gave a class presentation with my slides in the wrong order and got top marks.
- I wrote a school song that was sung at assemblies for years.
- I built a model volcano that worked a little too well.
Funny two truths and a lie ideas: odd talents
Small, harmless party tricks. Be ready to prove the true ones, because someone will ask.
Sounds true
- I can whistle any tune after hearing it once.
- I can recite the alphabet backward.
- I can name every country’s capital in [a region].
- I can do a convincing impression of [a type of bird or animal].
- I can solve a cube puzzle in under two minutes.
- I can remember phone numbers after seeing them once.
- I can spell long words backward on the spot.
Sounds like a lie
- I can tie five different knots and name every one.
- I can identify more than twenty birds by their song.
- I can guess how many jelly beans are in a jar to within ten.
- I can draw a map of the world from memory with every continent in the right place.
- I can recite [a long number] to fifty digits.
- I can guess the weight of a bag of flour to within an ounce.
- I can speak in rhyme for five minutes without stopping.
Show 12 more odd talents ideas
More that sound true
- I can tell what time it is without a watch, to within ten minutes.
- I can wrap a present without any tape.
- I can recite a whole poem I learned at school.
- I can read upside-down text at normal speed.
- I can tie a bow tie without a mirror.
- I can name any song from [a type of music] within five seconds.
More that sound like a lie
- I can tell which key a song is in by ear.
- I can fold a fitted sheet into a perfect square.
- I can count to ten in [number] languages.
- I can name the day of the week for any date this year.
- I can type over 100 words a minute.
- I can draw a near-perfect circle freehand.
Near misses and coincidences
Chance meetings and lucky escapes. Real coincidences often sound invented, which is what you want from a truth.
Sounds true
- I once met someone with my exact name.
- I have bumped into a former coworker on vacation in another city.
- I once found my lost keys a year later in a coat pocket.
- I share a birthday with a coworker from every job I have had.
- I once missed a bus that then broke down a mile up the road.
- I once arrived at a sold-out talk and got the last seat.
- I once left my phone in a taxi and got it back the same day.
Sounds like a lie
- I was once in the audience of a live show and got called up on stage.
- I appeared in the background of a TV news report eating a sandwich.
- I once found a message in a bottle on a beach.
- I got stuck in an elevator with a string quartet.
- I once sat beside a well-known author on a train and talked about the weather for an hour.
- I was the [large round number] visitor to a museum and got a free poster.
- I once won a contest I do not remember entering.
Show 12 more near misses and coincidences ideas
More that sound true
- I once found my own lost glove on a fence a week later.
- I once sat next to a former classmate on a plane.
- I arrived at an event a full week early.
- I once handed in a lost bag and later met its owner at a conference.
- I have picked up the wrong suitcase at an airport.
- I once called a wrong number and reached someone I knew.
More that sound like a lie
- I found a lost camera in a park and tracked down the owner from the photos on it.
- I once got a postcard that took eleven years to arrive.
- I was photographed by a tourist and later saw the photo in a gallery.
- I once caught a ball at a game and dropped it into someone’s popcorn.
- I walked into the wrong party and stayed for the cake.
- I once dialed into the wrong conference call and answered a question correctly.
Firsts
The first time you did something. Easy to adapt because everyone has a first.
Sounds true
- The first concert I went to was [a type of music] in a school hall.
- The first thing I ever cooked was scrambled eggs.
- My first email address had [a hobby] in it.
- The first board game I learned was checkers.
- The first movie I saw in a theater was an animated one.
- My first job interview lasted under ten minutes.
- The first album I owned was a gift.
Sounds like a lie
- The first time I rode a horse it walked straight back to the stable.
- My first time on stage, I said my one line before anyone had asked the question.
- The first time I went camping, I pitched the tent inside out.
- My first attempt at a sculpture was mistaken for a lamp.
- The first cake I baked was used as a doorstop for a week.
- The first time I joined a quiz night, I was seated at the organizers’ table by mistake.
- My first public speech was to an audience of two people and a dog.
Show 12 more firsts ideas
More that sound true
- The first word I learned in another language was "thank you".
- The first book I stayed up all night to read was a mystery.
- The first thing I ever grew was a sunflower.
- My first pet was a goldfish.
- The first puzzle book I finished was full of word searches.
- The first thing I ever built was a birdhouse.
More that sound like a lie
- The first time I voted in a school election, I was also a candidate and lost by one vote.
- My first attempt at painting was hung upside down at a local show.
- The first time I tried karaoke, the machine broke and I finished the song without music.
- My first attempt at gardening produced one very large radish.
- The first photograph I ever took won a small prize.
- My first try at fishing, I caught a boot.
Animals
Pets, wildlife and farm encounters.
Sounds true
- I have had the same cat for over ten years.
- I have never owned a pet.
- I stop to greet every cat I see.
- I can tell a crow from a raven.
- I know the names of the birds at my local park.
- I once looked after a friend’s rabbit for a month.
- I can tell my friends’ dogs apart by their bark.
Sounds like a lie
- I have been chased by a goose across a parking lot.
- I once had a pet [unusual animal] that learned its name in a day.
- A squirrel once got into my backpack and rode the bus with me.
- I have bottle-fed a lamb.
- I once found a frog in my shoe.
- I once helped count [birds or butterflies] for a nature charity.
- I have held an owl on my arm.
Show 12 more animals ideas
More that sound true
- I have never been to a zoo.
- I once had a dog named [a food].
- I have kept tropical fish.
- I have seen a fox in a city center.
- I am the person coworkers ask to rescue spiders.
- I once trained a dog to ring a bell to go outside.
More that sound like a lie
- I once walked a friend’s cat on a leash, and it walked better than most dogs.
- A seagull took my entire sandwich and I applauded.
- I have helped herd sheep off a road.
- I once woke up on a camping trip with a cow looking into the tent.
- I taught a goldfish to swim through a hoop.
- A duck followed me to work and waited outside all day.
Everyday quirks
Small habits. These make the best lies because nobody can check them.
Sounds true
- I set my alarm for an odd minute, such as 6:43.
- I always sit in the same seat in meetings.
- I have never changed my phone’s ringtone.
- I alphabetize my music playlists.
- I write every to-do list on paper.
- I cannot work with any tabs open that I am not using.
- I always read the last page of a book first.
Sounds like a lie
- I have never once hit the snooze button.
- I own more than [number] mugs and use only one.
- I have worn the same style of socks every day for five years.
- I keep a spreadsheet of every book I have read since school.
- I have read the terms and conditions of every app I use.
- I color-code my calendar with nine different colors.
- I have an unread email count of zero and have kept it there for a year.
Show 12 more everyday quirks ideas
More that sound true
- I name my plants.
- I keep every notebook I have ever filled.
- I clear my inbox every Friday afternoon.
- I keep a list of words I like.
- I always carry a spare pen.
- I check the weather forecast at least three times a day.
More that sound like a lie
- I still know my library card number by heart.
- I have made a playlist for every month of the past five years.
- I sort my candy by color before I eat any.
- I keep my computer desktop completely clear of files.
- I have never left a voicemail.
- I have a different notebook for each day of the week.
Questions about two truths and a lie
What are good two truths and a lie ideas?
Good two truths and a lie ideas are short, safe to share at work and hard to check on the spot. Pick two true facts that sound unlikely and one invented fact that sounds ordinary. This page lists 260 ideas in 10 categories, such as "I have never been on an overnight train" and "I once boarded the wrong train and only noticed two hours later".
What are good lies for two truths and a lie?
Good lies for two truths and a lie are small and dull. "I have never eaten an olive" and "I always carry a spare pen" work well because nobody can prove them wrong and nobody expects the boring statement to be the false one. Keep the lie close to your real life and change one detail.
How do you play two truths and a lie at work?
Each person says three statements about themselves. Two are true and one is false. The group asks one or two questions, votes on which statement is the lie, and the speaker reveals the answer. Give people three minutes to prepare, let anyone pass, and keep every statement suitable for the whole team.
How long does two truths and a lie take?
Allow three minutes of thinking time and about two minutes per person. A group of 8 takes about 19 minutes as one group. A group of 24 is quicker in small groups: five groups playing at the same time finish in about 15 minutes, including a two-minute wrap-up.
How do you play two truths and a lie on a virtual meeting?
Ask each person to type their three statements in the chat, numbered 1 to 3. Everyone else votes by typing a number or using a poll. For more than 10 people, use breakout rooms of up to five people and add a minute for moving between rooms.
What should you avoid in two truths and a lie?
Avoid anything about health, money, relationships, family, politics or religion, and anything that might embarrass a colleague. Do not make the game compulsory. The ideas on this page stay with travel, food, hobbies, past jobs, school, odd talents, coincidences, firsts, animals and everyday habits.
Use these two truths and a lie ideas to run a short, work-safe game that helps colleagues learn about each other.
Looking after your team: find a team experience
Looking for something different for your team? The EmEx Something Different directory lists unusual team experiences from UK and US suppliers. You contact the supplier direct, with no fees or commission.
