Mesh Party › Guides
Two Truths and a Lie: rules, ideas and examples
Say three things about yourself: two true, one made up. Everyone else guesses which is the lie. It is the easiest icebreaker there is, and the hardest part is coming up with good statements. Below are rules, sixty ideas and a few tricks.
Rules
- Each player prepares three statements about themselves: two true, one false.
- In turn, a player reads their three statements.
- Everyone else votes for the one they think is the lie, then the player reveals it.
- Scoring: a point for each correct guess, and the speaker gets a point for every player they fooled.
Example set
- I have been to eleven countries.
- I once got stuck in a lift for three hours.
- I can't swim.
A good set has three statements that sound equally possible. If one of them is “I've been to the Moon”, the round is over before it starts.
60 statement ideas
Childhood
- I broke my arm as a kid.
- I had an imaginary friend.
- I was in a school play.
- I collected stamps / coins / stickers.
- I ran away from home for a day.
- I won a school competition.
- I was scared of the dark until I was ten.
- I had a pet hamster.
- I changed schools three times.
- I once got lost in a supermarket.
Travel
- I have been to more than ten countries.
- I have missed a flight.
- I have slept at an airport.
- I have seen the Northern Lights.
- I have hitchhiked.
- I have climbed a mountain over 3,000 m.
- I have never been on a plane.
- I have swum in the ocean at night.
- I lost my passport abroad.
- I have been on a cruise.
Skills and habits
- I can juggle.
- I can play the guitar.
- I can cook without a recipe.
- I have run a marathon.
- I speak three languages.
- I can solve a Rubik's cube.
- I have never learned to ride a bike.
- I can whistle with my fingers.
- I have a black belt.
- I knit.
Food
- I have eaten insects.
- I have never tried sushi.
- I am allergic to strawberries.
- I can eat a whole pizza alone.
- I have been vegetarian for a year.
- I hate chocolate.
- I have made bread from scratch.
- I put ketchup on pasta.
- I have never drunk coffee.
- I have won an eating contest.
Work and study (safe for colleagues)
- My first job was in a café.
- I once fell asleep in a meeting.
- I changed careers completely.
- I got this job on my second try.
- I have worked night shifts.
- I have two degrees.
- I have given a talk to 500 people.
- I have never used a fax.
- I once sent an email to the wrong person.
- I have worked from another country.
Random and funny
- I have met a celebrity.
- I have been on TV.
- I have a twin.
- I have been to a stranger's wedding.
- I have never seen Star Wars.
- I have a tattoo.
- I was born on a holiday.
- I have adopted a cat from the street.
- I have dyed my hair blue.
- I have been to a concert alone.
How to make a lie nobody spots
- Make the truths sound unlikely and the lie sound ordinary.
- Add a detail to every statement: numbers and names make all three sound real.
- Twist a true fact instead of inventing one: four countries become eleven, a cat becomes a hamster.
- Read all three in the same voice and don't rush the lie.
Variations
- Theme rounds: only travel, only childhood.
- Two lies and a truth: harder, good for groups who know each other well.
- At work: keep it to hobbies, travel and food, and let people pass.
Playing on phones
In Mesh Party everyone writes their three statements on their own phone and marks the lie, then the group votes on each player's set and the app reveals how many people were fooled and keeps score. It runs over Bluetooth with no internet, 3–10 players, Android and iPhone together.
FAQ
How do you play Two Truths and a Lie?
Each player says three statements about themselves, two true and one false. The others vote for the lie, then the player reveals it.
What are good Two Truths and a Lie examples?
Facts about childhood, travel, skills, food or work that sound equally possible, for example “I have slept at an airport”, “I can juggle”, “I have never tried sushi”.
How do you make a convincing lie?
Make it ordinary, add details to all three statements, and twist a real fact instead of inventing one from scratch.
Can you play it on phones?
Yes. Mesh Party runs Two Truths and a Lie on phones over Bluetooth with voting and scoring.
Guides
- A Jackbox alternative that needs no internet and no TV
- A That's You! alternative that needs only your phones
- Party games where Android and iPhone play together
- Offline party games for a group of friends
- A Truth or Dare app that works offline
- Who Am I? game: rules, 100 characters and a generator
- 100 Truth or Dare questions and 100 dares
- 19 party games that need no materials
- Games to play without Wi-Fi on a plane