Two Truths and a Lie – Complete Guide to Rules, Tips and Examples

What is Two Truths and a Lie?

Two Truths and a Lie – known in English as "Two Truths and a Lie" – is one of the most timeless social games around. The concept is simple: one player says three things about themselves, two of them are true and one is a lie. The other players discuss and vote on which they think is the lie. Anyone who guesses wrong drinks – or the person who presented drinks if nobody guesses correctly.

What makes the game so unique is that it combines creative lying with personal stories. To fool the others, your lie needs to sound convincingly plausible and your truths need to be interesting enough to seem unlikely. The result is that people often hear the most incredible, true stories – because they are forced to wrap their truths in a believable context.

Two Truths and a Lie is perfect as a warm-up game for new groups, but works just as well among friends who know each other well – then it becomes a question of who knows who best. It needs no equipment, no preparation, and can be played absolutely anywhere.

How to play Two Truths and a Lie

1. All players sit in a circle. Decide who starts – for example the person with the longest hair or the last one to arrive.
2. The starting player thinks of two true statements and one lie about themselves. Take a little time to think – it's fine to prepare for a few seconds.
3. The player reads out all three statements, one by one, without revealing which is the lie.
4. The other players discuss among themselves. Everyone can ask questions to the person presenting – but they are not obliged to answer follow-up questions honestly.
5. Everyone votes simultaneously by pointing to, or writing down, the number of the statement they think is the lie (1, 2 or 3).
6. The person reveals which was the lie. Everyone who guessed wrong drinks one sip. If everyone guessed correctly, the person who presented drinks.
7. The game continues with the next person clockwise.

Tip: The best lie is one that sounds just convincing enough to confuse, but not so outrageous that everyone guesses correctly. Think about what people know about you – and build the lie around blind spots they don't know about.

Rules and additional rules

How to make good statements

The art of Two Truths and a Lie is constructing statements that confuse the others. Here are the keys to making both good truths and convincing lies:

Good truths

The best truths are either a bit incredible, surprising or unexpected. The more unlikely your true statement sounds, the harder it is for others to distinguish it from the lie. Examples: "I've spoken to a celebrity on the street", "I've never tasted pizza", "I fell off a scooter in Thailand and ended up in hospital". Personal, specific details make truths more believable – and therefore more confusing.

Good lies

A good lie is plausible but not provable. It should lie within what would be possible given your lifestyle and background. Avoid lies that are too specific – details are easier to expose. A lie like "I've been to 20 countries" is harder to expose than "I played football for the junior national team in 2015". The more general and plausible, the better.

Order matters

Psychological research shows that people are most skeptical of the middle statement – the one presented as number two. Many instinctively place their lie there. Try to break the pattern: put the lie as number one or three to confuse experienced players.

Themes and examples of statements

Travel and adventure

• "I have slept in a tent on a glacier in Norway."
• "I have got lost in Tokyo alone without a phone."
• "I have never been outside Scandinavia."

Childhood memories

• "I won a regional drawing competition when I was 10 years old."
• "I was best friends with my neighbour for 8 years without knowing they had the same name as me."
• "I broke my arm three times in the space of one year."

Food and experiences

• "I have never drunk coffee in my entire life."
• "I ate a whole pizza alone in under 10 minutes as a teenager."
• "I am allergic to strawberries but eat them anyway."

Tips for getting better at guessing lies

Exposing lies in this game is a skill that can be practised. Here are some strategies experienced players use:

• Watch the body language. People often find it a bit harder to maintain eye contact or speak slightly faster when lying. Observe the presenter carefully.
• Find the statement that lacks detail. Truths tend to come with specific details and memories. Lies are often slightly more vague and general.
• Use what you know about the person. Do you know the person well? Compare the statements with what you already know – something won't add up.
• Ask questions about the suspected statement. Ask for a specific detail. True memories are easier to elaborate on spontaneously than fabricated stories.
• Trust your gut feeling. Sometimes your intuition is the best lie detector you have.

Variants of Two Truths and a Lie

Two Lies and a Truth

A simple reversal that makes the game much harder: now there are two lies and only one truth. Players must guess which is the true statement. This is considerably harder to construct well, but gives a new dimension for experienced players who find the original version too easy.

Team version

Split the group into two teams. Each team discusses among themselves and delivers one joint answer. The team that collects the most correct guesses over a round wins. The drinking rules can be adapted so that only the losing team drinks after each round.

Category version

All three statements must be about one specific theme – for example "childhood", "travel" or "work". This makes the game both easier and harder at the same time: easier because the theme is defined, harder because it's easier to expose inconsistencies within one theme.

Written version

Everyone writes down their three statements on a slip that is placed in a bowl. A host draws slips and reads them out without saying who wrote them – the group guesses both who wrote it and which is the lie. A creative variant that creates extra mystery.

Frequently asked questions about Two Truths and a Lie

Related games you might want to try

Enjoy Two Truths and a Lie? Here are some similar games on drikkelek.com:

• Never Have I Ever – a revealing social game where everyone drinks if they have done what is mentioned.
• Truth or Dare – choose between answering a question honestly or completing a dare.
• Most Likely To – the group votes on who is most likely to do things.