2 Truths & a Lie

Description of a Name Game, Icebreaker and Get to Know

You Activity
James Neill
Last updated
2 Truths & a Lie
A different kind of !et"to"know"you activity
w#ic# is en!a!es and c#allen!es eac# !roup
member in a fun way
$articularly useful as an icebreaker, e%!% can
be used as a opener for a
works#op&conference%
'or lar!e !roups (e%!%, )*+,, it is best to
split into smaller !roup si-es%
.and out cards or paper and pens (or if
participants brin! t#eir own, t#at/s fine,
01plain t#at in t#is activity eac# person
write two trut#s and a lie about t#emself
and t#en we will try to !uess eac# ot#er/s
lie% 2#e !oal is to a, convince ot#ers t#at
your lie is trut# (and t#at one of your trut#s
is t#e lie, and b, to correctly !uess ot#er
people/s lies%
Allow appro1% 34+ minutes for writin! 5
trut#s 6 a lie " t#is isn/t easy for a lot of
people " t#ere will some scribblin! out, etc%
2#e slower people will probably need to be
ur!ed alon! to 7put anyt#in! you can t#ink
of7 down% Allocate 4"8 minutes, but you will
probably need to ur!e people alon!%
Announce t#at we will now walk around and
c#at to one anot#er, like a cocktail party,
and ask about eac# ot#er/s trut#s and lies%
2#e !oal is to 9ui- eac# about eac#
statement to #elp determine w#ic# are t#e
trut# and w#ic# is t#e lie, w#ilst seducin!
ot#er people into t#inkin! t#at your own lie
is a trut#% At t#e end we will caste our
votes and find out t#e trut#%
0mp#asi-e t#at people s#ould not reveal
t#eir lie, even if it seems ot#ers mi!#t #ave
!uessed%
Equipment
None%
Time
3:4"5* minutes
Brief Description
$eople write down two
trut#s about t#emselves
and a lie% 2#en
introduce t#e t#ree
7facts7 to t#e rest of t#e
!roup w#o tries to !uess
w#ic# one is a lie%
Allow min% :*":4 minutes of conversation
time%
Gat#er to!et#er in a circle% ;tart wit# one
person w#o reads t#eir t#ree statements
aloud (to remind everyone,% 2#en read t#e
statements a!ain, stoppin! to allow a vote
for eac# one% e%!%, 7I am 2urkis#% <#o
t#inks t#at is a lie= >?ote@ I am
ve!etarian% <#o t#inks t#at is a lie=
>?ote@ I #ave a metal pin in my ri!#t le!%
<#o t#inks t#at is a lie= >?ote@% AK, my lie
was 7I am ve!etarian%77 2#e facilitator will
need to #elp eac# person out, especially
intially until t#e basic format is understood%
2#e facilitator may add drama and
reinforcement, etc% for correct !uesses,
tricky statements, etc%
2#e e1ercise can be run competitively, e%!%,
count up #ow many correct !uesses of ot#er
people/s lies and take away t#e number of
people w#o correctly !uesses your own lie%
.i!#est score wins (#onesty countsB,%
Links to other descriptions
2wo 2rut#s 6 a Lie
Life 'acts