Party Whammy

40 statement starters

These are ideas to adapt, not facts to claim about yourself. Pick two that are true for you and one that is false, or change the details. The random picker suggests one starter at a time; it does not choose your truths or mark a lie.

Family CleanBest for ages 8 and upLight, welcoming, and low-pressure

How to play

  1. Use the list or random picker to think of two true facts and one believable invention about yourself.
  2. Share all three statements in any order. Everyone else guesses which one is the lie, then you reveal the answer.
  3. Give the next player a turn. Anyone can pass; finish after everyone has had a chance or at your agreed time limit.
Random statement starter

Draw one when the room is ready

I have eaten breakfast food for dinner.

Everyday life

  1. I have eaten breakfast food for dinner.
  2. I can name every month backward.
  3. I have worn mismatched shoes in public.
  4. I make my bed before leaving the house.
  5. I have forgotten my own phone number.
  6. I can cook one meal without a recipe.
  7. I have stayed awake until sunrise.
  8. I keep a collection in my room.
  9. I have broken a bone.
  10. I know how to sew on a button.

Places and travel

  1. I have visited more than five states.
  2. I have slept in a tent.
  3. I have ridden on a ferry.
  4. I have seen snow at the beach.
  5. I have taken a train overnight.
  6. I have crossed a border on foot.
  7. I have gotten lost in a museum.
  8. I have watched a sunrise from a mountain.
  9. I have traveled somewhere without a suitcase.
  10. I have visited a town with a funny name.

Skills and surprises

  1. I can whistle with two fingers.
  2. I know a magic trick.
  3. I can solve a puzzle cube.
  4. I have performed on a stage.
  5. I can write with both hands.
  6. I know how to juggle.
  7. I have won a contest.
  8. I can identify five birds by sound.
  9. I have built furniture.
  10. I can recite a poem from memory.

Food and favorites

  1. I have tried a fruit I could not name.
  2. I dislike a food most people love.
  3. I have baked bread from scratch.
  4. I put an unusual topping on pizza.
  5. I have eaten dessert before lunch.
  6. I can use chopsticks well.
  7. I have grown something I later ate.
  8. I have ordered the same meal three days in a row.
  9. I have made homemade ice cream.
  10. I know my favorite snack's ingredients by heart.

Two Truths and a Lie Ideas: 40 Statement Starters

Can’t think of what to say on your turn? Use the 40 starters to find two things that are true about you and one that isn’t. Then let everyone guess the lie. The list includes everyday habits, places you’ve been, skills and favorite foods, with a random picker and an option to print all 40. Below are complete rules and three fictional examples you can use to explain the game.

Go to the 40 statement starters.

What do you need? Explain the rules See example answers

How to play Two Truths and a Lie

You can play with two people or a party group, sitting indoors or talking while you travel. No special supplies are needed. Allow about five minutes to explain the rules and think of statements; paper and pencils are optional.

  1. Prepare three statements about yourself. Two must be true and one must be made up. Use the starters for ideas, but change any statement that doesn’t fit your life.
  2. Say all three in any order. Number them one, two and three so listeners can name their guess. Don’t announce which one is false yet.
  3. Let everyone guess. Give each listener one guess, or have everyone hold up one, two or three fingers at the same time. If you want follow-up questions, agree beforehand that each listener may ask one before guessing.
  4. Reveal the lie. Tell the group which statement you invented. You can share the story behind a true statement if you want to, but you don’t have to prove it.
  5. Move to the next player. Go around the circle, allowing anyone to pass. Finish after everyone has had a chance, or at a time limit you agreed before starting.

There’s no need to keep score. If your group wants points, give each listener one point for a correct guess and finish after an equal number of turns. A tie can stay a tie.

For two players, alternate speaking and guessing. With up to 20 guests, split into smaller circles if hearing each other or waiting for turns becomes difficult. The small-group party games guide offers other activities for a few guests. If people haven’t met, begin with names or one of these icebreaker games. For a party with separate circles of friends, games that mix different friend groups includes ways to assign mixed pairs.

Three example sets with the lie revealed

These are fictional examples, not facts about you. Each imaginary speaker has two true statements and one lie. Read the three lines before revealing the answer, then ask players to write their own set.

Everyday habits

  1. I have eaten pancakes for dinner.
  2. I collect postcards in a shoebox.
  3. I make my bed every morning.

In this example, the lie is 3. The imaginary speaker really has eaten pancakes for dinner and collects postcards, but doesn’t make their bed every morning. Nothing needs to be extraordinary to make a guessing game.

Places and travel

  1. I have slept in a tent.
  2. I have taken an overnight train.
  3. I have ridden on a ferry.

In this example, the lie is 2. The imaginary speaker has camped and ridden a ferry, but hasn’t taken an overnight train. You can use nearby places too: a library, a park or a museum gives you something to talk about without needing a big trip.

Skills and food

  1. I can juggle three balls.
  2. I have made homemade ice cream.
  3. I know a magic trick.

In this example, the lie is 1. The imaginary speaker has made ice cream and knows a trick, but can’t juggle. Your three statements can come from different topics; they don’t all need to be about food or skills.

How to think of a believable lie

Start with two true facts you are happy to share. Then invent something that could reasonably be true about you. A habit, a favorite food or a skill you haven’t learned can work just as well as an unusual event.

Good Two Truths and a Lie ideas sound equally possible. Give the three statements a similar amount of detail and say them in the same tone. If two lines are short and the third becomes a long story, listeners may guess based on the difference rather than the facts.

For example, if you really have baked bread, “I have made pasta from scratch” could be a lie. Only use it as your lie if you haven’t done it. If all three starters happen to be true for you, change one detail or pick a different starter. If none are true, start with facts you already know: what you enjoy eating, what you collect or something you can do.

The picker gives you one idea at a time. You can draw again until something helps, but it can’t know your history or assemble a finished set for you. Keep the lie’s position varied rather than always putting it last.

Help everyone take part

The starters use family-clean language and are suggested for ages eight and older. Some, such as building furniture or crossing a border on foot, may not fit a younger player’s experience. Offer everyday habits or foods instead, and help with reading if needed. Nobody needs to have traveled far or won a contest.

Tell everyone before the first turn: “You can skip a statement or pass on your turn without explaining.” Keep jokes kind and let players decide what they want to share. A prompt about a broken bone can be skipped just like any other prompt. Don’t ask for photos, names or other proof of a story.

If inventing personal statements feels difficult, This or That questions lets players choose between two options. Friends aged 13 and older who want to talk about the stories behind their answers can try 21 Questions for Friends.

When to finish or try another game

Try a 10–15-minute round, or let everyone take one turn and then ask whether they want to play again. Those are suggested endings, not a promise that a large group will finish in that time. For another round, think of new statements and let a different person start. You don’t need to use every starter.

If guests would rather answer honestly than spot an invention, try the family-clean 21 Questions game or Never Have I Ever questions, where everyone responds to a statement and stories are optional. For imaginary choices instead of personal facts, use Would You Rather questions.

For guests who want a mix of answers and short actions, Truth or Dare questions offers another format; agree on passing, swapping and stopping before you begin. If you’re playing during an overnight gathering, sleepover games has other options to consider when the group wants a change.

To switch away from questions, browse no-supplies party games for activities such as I Spy and One-Sentence Story. The party games guide covers broader activities, while the games and question packs library collects more prompts for your next round.

Questions about Two Truths and a Lie

What makes a good Two Truths and a Lie idea?

A good idea pairs two believable personal facts with one plausible invention. Similar detail and tone make the lie harder to spot without making anyone disclose private information.

How many people can play?

Two people can alternate turns. For a party of up to 20, use one circle if everyone can hear, or split into smaller circles so players spend less time waiting.

What ages are these statement starters for?

The collection uses family-clean language and is suggested for ages eight and older. Help younger readers with the wording, and let each player skip topics that do not suit them.

Do players need supplies?

No special supplies are needed for spoken turns. Paper and pencils are optional if players want to write their statements before reading them aloud.

How long should a round last?

Try a 10–15-minute round or finish after everyone has had one turn. The time depends on the number of players and how much they want to talk; stop at the ending you agreed before starting.