Two Truths and a Lie
Five minutes. Lowers the temperature. Doesn't make anyone share a feeling.
Three statements per person — two true, one a plausible lie. The team guesses. The format is older than most of the people running it, which is the point: nobody has to learn anything to play.
When to use
First call with a new team. First meeting after someone joins. Top of a workshop where the room hasn't warmed up. Skip it for teams that have worked together for years — they'll find it cringeworthy and they're right.
How it runs
Sixty seconds to think
Two truths and one plausible lie. The lie should be specific enough to pass — 'I've been to Paris' isn't a lie, it's a yawn.
Round-robin
Each person reads their three. No commentary yet — just statements.
Vote
Show of hands, or chat reactions if remote. One vote per person.
Reveal
The person reveals the lie and gets thirty seconds to tell the story behind one of the truths. That thirty seconds is the actual icebreaker.
Why it works
Most icebreakers force people to share something earnest. This one forces them to construct a small puzzle, which is a different muscle and far less awkward. The reveal step is what does the work — that's where the team learns something memorable.
Variations
- Theme it: two professional truths and one personal lie. Keeps it relevant for new-hire intros.
- Async version in Slack. Post your three; vote with emoji; reveal at end of day.
- For very small teams (3-4 people), do two rounds — first round can feel thin.
Facilitator notes
Go first. Set the bar — your lie should be plausible but not impossible to spot, and your truths should have one good story behind them. If you go first with a flat answer, the rest of the team will too.
Pitfalls
- Letting the reveal turn into a five-minute story. One person at thirty seconds is charming; at five minutes it's a hostage situation.
- Running it on a team that's already close. They'll guess each other's lies in seconds and the format collapses.
- Picking 'I have a pet' as the lie. Everyone has a pet. Pick something specific.
Remote tips
Chat reactions for the vote — faster than unmuting and lets quieter people participate. Camera on for the reveal; the face is half the fun.
Example outputs
- 'I've met three former presidents, I have a pet snake, I once drove from London to Mongolia.'
FAQ
- How long does it take?
- About a minute per person plus the sixty-second think. A team of six runs in eight minutes total. Don't budget more than ten — past that, it's not an icebreaker any more.