You are five minutes into a Monday department meeting. Nobody has said a word beyond hello. The energy in the room sits somewhere between a dentist’s waiting room and a returns line at the mall.
Two Truths and a Lie fixes that fast. Everyone shares three statements about themselves. Two are true. One is false. The group guesses which one.
This game works well at virtual meetings, department kickoffs, leadership off-sites, and new-hire orientations. Additionally, it needs no props, no prep time beyond a sticky note, and no awkward physical contact.
Below you’ll find setup instructions, six clear steps for running either version, and debrief questions that turn five minutes of small talk into a genuine read on your team.
How to Set Up the Two Truths and a Lie Team Building Activity Before Your Meeting
Setup for this activity takes less than five minutes. That is its biggest advantage over icebreakers that need props or printouts. Specifically, here is everything you need on hand.
- A pen and one index card or sticky note per person
- One timer or phone stopwatch
- Optional: a whiteboard to track guesses
Prep time runs about two minutes. First, explain the rules. Then hand out cards and give everyone sixty seconds to write their three statements.
Any room works, from a boardroom to a video call. Groups of five to fifteen people move fastest. Larger teams should split into breakout groups of six to eight, so everyone gets a turn within a normal meeting block.
If team members are uncomfortable “lying”, just reframe the instructions. They can state something they wish were true but hasn’t happened yet. “I qualified for a huge performance bonus.” Or, “I learned to code Python in my spare time.”
Step-by-Step Instructions for Leading the Two Truths and a Lie Team Building Activity
Step 1: Introduce the game.
Explain that everyone will share three statements about themselves. Two are true, and one is false. Also, tell the group they’ll guess which statement doesn’t belong. (Keep the work wish option between you and any nervous writers, since telling the whole room removes the mystery.)
Step 2: Give writing time.
Next, hand out cards and give the group sixty seconds. Encourage people to pick surprising true facts, not obvious ones. For instance, a statement like “I ran a marathon” works better than “I have two kids” if the goal is real curiosity. If anyone quietly asks for help with the false statement, remind them of the work wish trick from the setup step, but keep that conversation private.
Step 3: Go around the group.
Then invite each person to read their three statements out loud, in any order. Ask the rest of the group to vote on which statement they think is false.
Step 4: Reveal the answer.
Once everyone has voted, have the speaker reveal the correct answer. Also, this is usually where the biggest laughs happen, especially when a wild true statement fools the whole room. If the false statement was a disguised work wish, invite the speaker to say so now. That single sentence often gets the biggest reaction of the whole round.
Step 5: Rotate through the group.
After that, move to the next person and repeat steps 2 through 4. Keep a brisk pace so the activity stays under 15 minutes for groups of eight or fewer.
Step 6: Transition into the discussion.
Finally, use any work wishes that came up during the reveals as a bridge into the meeting’s real agenda. Specifically, a work wish about more cross-department collaboration can lead directly into a conversation about an actual project.
Debrief Questions to Drive Real Learning After the Two Truths and a Lie Team Building Activity
The real value of this activity happens after the guessing stops. A quick debrief turns a fun five minutes into a moment people remember and connect to how they work together.
Skip the debrief, and you’ve run a party game. Add a few good questions, and instead you’ve run a genuine team check-in. Therefore, use the questions below to fit the moment, whether you have two minutes left or twenty. If anyone used a work wish instead of a lie, this is also the moment to name it out loud.
- Which statement surprised you the most, and why?
- Did anyone’s guess change your idea of that person?
- What did you notice about how well you know your teammates?
This icebreaker is fast and fun. And it gets the group chatting with each other as well!