How to Play Two Truths and a Lie: A Corporate Icebreaker Guide
The rules of Two Truths and a Lie, how to write a convincing lie, scoring, and how to run it as a corporate icebreaker in the room or online.
Two Truths and a Lie is an icebreaker in which each participant shares three statements about themselves, one of which is false; everyone else guesses which one is the lie. The rules take a minute to explain, which is why it is one of the most popular corporate icebreakers for meeting openers and new teams.
The power of the game is not the answer itself but the story that follows it: "Did you really go skydiving?" starts a conversation that even people who have shared an office for years have never had. Below we cover the rules, scoring, the difference between the in-room and online versions, and the tips that work in practice.
How do you play Two Truths and a Lie?
- Each participant writes three short statements about themselves: two true, one false. Collecting them in advance makes the game flow much faster.
- The three statements of the person whose turn it is are read out or projected on screen. Mix up the order so the lie is not always in the same place.
- Everyone else votes on which statement is the lie. A short time limit keeps the pace lively.
- The answer is revealed and the owner tells a short story about the true statements. This is the moment where people really get to know each other.
- Anyone who spots the lie earns points; at the end the scores are added up and the person or team who knows the group best is announced.
You can also score both ways: guessers who spot the lie earn points, and the person who fooled the most people wins a "best bluff" award. That way both careful listeners and good storytellers come out on top.
How do you run Two Truths and a Lie in a room?
In the setup shown in the video, the game was played in a hotel ballroom with participants seated at round tables. The host ran it from the stage; each question appeared on the big screen with a participant's name and the line "But can you spot the lie?". During a 12-second countdown everyone voted on their phone, then a live leaderboard came up and the game ended with a champion shown on screen with their points.
This format has two advantages. First, because statements are collected in advance, nobody is caught unprepared on stage. Second, because votes are cast by phone, shy participants join in without having to speak up, while the live leaderboard gives the room a competitive buzz.
How do you play Two Truths and a Lie online?
With remote and hybrid teams the logic stays the same; only the stage moves to the screen. In our Online Two Truths and a Lie format, participants submit two truths and a lie in advance, the statements are matched with their photos and quizzed to the team, and whoever makes the most correct guesses tops the scoreboard. People join from a PC or phone, the game adapts to the team's meeting platform, and the session runs 60 to 90 minutes. With cameras on, the reactions at each reveal double the fun.
How do you write a good lie? Tips from the field
- Make the lie look like the truths: all three statements should be the same length and level of detail.
- Pick one surprising truth; the room very often assumes the most unbelievable statement is the lie.
- Avoid sensitive topics: instead of health, family status, salary or politics, go for hobbies, travel, childhood memories and odd talents.
- Collect and check statements in advance; it keeps the pace and keeps inappropriate content off the screen.
- Do not quiz everyone one by one as the group grows: in small teams everyone takes a turn, in large rooms a few people are picked each round or tables compete as teams.
- Protect the pace: if stories run long, the host should gently move on to the next person.
When does Two Truths and a Lie work best?
It works best with groups who do not know each other yet or only know each other through work: newly formed teams, orientation and onboarding programs, kick-off meetings that bring different departments together, year-end gatherings and the first in-person day of a hybrid team. The most effective slot in the agenda is the morning opener; the game warms up the room for the presentations that follow.
There are similar icebreaker formats too: we wrote about Human Bingo, played with paper and pen, in this post. The music guessing game Human Shazam and the Vay Be! Icebreaker Party serve the same goal. For more options, see our team games guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you would like to run the game at your next meeting, in the room or online, contact us and we will build the right question flow for your team together.
Start with 5 short questions: we'll prepare a custom quote in under 24 hours.
