
These 84 this or that questions run on one rule: read the pair, and the room splits in two seconds flat. No long thinking, no hedging, just a hard left or a hard right, and suddenly you know exactly who among your friends would choose gas-station sushi over a five-course dinner. Seven rounds escalate from easy food choices to the pairs that genuinely divide a group, and every round comes with free printable cards so the reader can hand a deck to anyone and step away from their phone.
This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
How to Play
One person reads each pair aloud, fast, no context, no explanation. On the count of three, every player points left for the first option or right for the second, raises a hand, stands up, or shouts the answer, whatever works for the room. Anyone who does not answer in three seconds forfeits a point or takes a dare from the group. Work through all twelve pairs in a round before moving to the next, keep a rough tally of the most split pairs, and crown the pair that divided the room exactly fifty-fifty as the night’s true champion. The printable cards let a second reader run a parallel game at the other end of the table while the first round is still going.
Food and Drink
Start here because food opinions are loud, immediate, and deeply personal, which means the room splits before the second option is even out of your mouth.
- Pizza or tacos?
- Coffee or tea?
- Sweet or salty?
- Brunch or dinner?
- Homemade or takeout?
- Chips or fries?
- Chocolate or vanilla?
- Soda or juice?
- Spicy or mild?
- Cake or pie?
- Hot food or cold food?
- Breakfast for dinner or dinner for breakfast?


Style and Taste
Aesthetic choices feel low-stakes until someone admits they prefer Times Square to the Louvre, and then the room has opinions.
- Minimalist or maximalist?
- Heels or sneakers?
- Black and white or full colour?
- Vintage or modern?
- Bold prints or solid colours?
- Comfort or style?
- Gold jewellery or silver jewellery?
- Short hair or long hair?
- Casual every day or dressed up always?
- Classic red lip or no makeup at all?
- Clutch or backpack?
- Stripes or florals?


Places and Weather
Where people want to be and what sky they want above them reveals more about personality than any quiz, and the splits here are reliably even.
- Mountains or beach?
- City break or countryside retreat?
- Hot sunny weather or crisp cold weather?
- Road trip or flight?
- Rainy afternoon indoors or sunny afternoon outdoors?
- Explore a new country or go back to a favourite?
- Busy tourist spot or off-the-beaten-path village?
- Night sky full of stars or golden-hour sunset?
- Snow day or beach day?
- Airbnb cottage or five-star hotel?
- Summer festival or winter market?
- Morning hike or evening swim?


🛍 Shopping guide
Habits and Personality
This is where the room starts pointing fingers, because games that reveal how people actually live always land differently than hypotheticals.
- Early bird or night owl?
- Planner or last-minute improviser?
- Introvert recharge or extrovert party mode?
- Tidy desk or creative chaos?
- Phone on silent always or always on loud?
- Read the manual or figure it out yourself?
- Save money first or spend it and enjoy now?
- Text or call?
- Make a list or keep it all in your head?
- Reply immediately or let it sit for a while?
- Window seat or aisle seat?
- Say yes to everything or guard your schedule fiercely?


Entertainment
Music taste, screen preferences, and how people spend a free evening are the fastest way to discover who in the room you have drastically underestimated, and the broader this or that questions format works especially well here because every answer is defensible.
- Movies or TV series?
- Live concert or music festival?
- Comedy or thriller?
- Podcast or audiobook?
- Board game night or video game night?
- Cinema or streaming at home?
- Pop music or indie music?
- Reality TV or documentary?
- Fiction or non-fiction?
- Stand-up comedy live or sketch comedy online?
- Karaoke or trivia night?
- Escape room or bowling?


The Round That Divides Everyone
These pairs look simple and are not, which is exactly why the room goes quiet for one beat before it erupts, and this round works just as well at a Friendsgiving gathering as it does at a birthday dinner.
- Pineapple on pizza or absolutely not?
- Cats or dogs?
- Butter on popcorn or plain?
- Ketchup on scrambled eggs or no?
- Reclining your plane seat or staying upright?
- GIF pronounced with a hard G or a soft G?
- Toilet paper over or under?
- Cereal first or milk first?
- Crust on sandwiches or cut it off?
- Side of the bed matters or does not matter?
- Shoes off at the door or shoes on inside?
- Ice in your water glass or no ice?


Rapid Fire Finale
Cut the count to one second per pair, no justifications allowed, and watch the most composed person in the room finally crack under pressure, which is the same reason rapid-fire rounds work so well in any party question format.
- Sun or moon?
- Forest or ocean?
- Past or future?
- Magic or technology?
- Fly or be invisible?
- Always too hot or always too cold?
- Speak every language or play every instrument?
- Live in a treehouse or a houseboat?
- Know the future or change the past?
- Extra hour of sleep or extra hour of free time?
- Unlimited travel or unlimited food from any restaurant?
- End on a high note or keep the party going all night?


How to Keep It Moving and When to Stop
The only rule that matters for pacing is no explaining. The moment someone starts defending their answer the energy drops, so the reader’s job is to call the next pair before the room settles into debate. Keep a three-second mental count, read the split, move on.
If the group is large, split into two teams and run the rounds in parallel using the printed card decks. The first team to finish all twelve pairs in a round challenges the other team to match their fastest pair. Small groups of four to six can keep a running tally and replay any pair where the vote was unanimous, because a unanimous answer means the pair was not balanced and deserves a rematch with a ten-second penalty for the winning side.
Stop when the energy peaks, not when it drops. Seven rounds at twelve pairs each is a ceiling, not a requirement. Rounds One through Four are a complete game on their own for a relaxed evening. Add Round Five and Six when the group warms up. Save the Rapid Fire Finale for the moment the room is loudest, because that is when the one-second rule lands best and the laughter is loudest.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many players do you need for this or that questions?
The game works with as few as two people and as many as a full room. The more players, the better the split, because a crowd of twelve reveals genuine disagreement far faster than a group of three.
Do you need to print the cards to play?
No. One person reads the pairs aloud from any screen and the room answers. The printable cards are useful when you want to split into two groups, keep a second game running, or send something home with guests.
How long does a full game of all seven rounds take?
At a brisk pace with no debating, seven rounds of twelve pairs takes roughly fifteen to twenty minutes. Add five minutes per round if the group is chatty. Rounds One through Four alone make a tight ten-minute game.
What is the best paper to use for printing the cards?
Standard 80gsm printer paper works fine for a one-night game. For cards that will be reused, print on 200gsm cardstock, cut along the lines, and run each sheet through a laminator before cutting for a finish that survives repeated handling.
Is this game appropriate for all ages?
Every pair in this collection is PG-13 or lower, so yes. Rounds One through Three are comfortable for mixed ages including older children. The full seven-round set is designed for teens and adults.
Can you play this or that questions as a drinking game?
The format adapts easily: players on the losing side of a unanimous vote or anyone who hesitates past three seconds can take a forfeit of your choosing. Keep the forfeit light and non-alcoholic when the group is mixed.

Leave a Reply