Would You Rather: Why the Simplest Question Game Works, Rules and 100 Dilemmas
Would You Rather has no inventor and no equipment — just a dilemma and an argument. How the game grew from parlour questions to podcasts and TV, how to play it with a vote, and 100 questions for kids, families and parties.
Would you rather be able to fly or be invisible? Never eat chocolate again or never eat pizza again? Would You Rather is a game made entirely of questions, and the argument that follows each one is the real game.
Where does Would You Rather come from?
There is no inventor to credit. Posing impossible dilemmas has been a party trick for as long as there have been parties; the specific "would you rather…?" framing became a named game in the late twentieth century, first in playgrounds and classrooms, then in paperback question books in the 1990s, and then online, where it became one of the most shared question formats on the internet. It has since been a recurring segment on podcasts and a BBC America panel show hosted by Graham Norton. Its staying power comes from a simple rule: you must choose.
What you need
- Questions. Our Would You Rather deck has hundreds of original dilemmas in Fun, Kids, Hard and Couples modes, with a live A/B vote so the whole room can see the split.
How to play
- Read the dilemma aloud: "Would you rather A or B?"
- Everyone picks — no "neither", no "both", no "it depends".
- On the count of three, vote: hands up, or tap A or B on the screen.
- The minority explain themselves. The majority mock them gently.
- Next question.
100 dilemmas
Kids: fly or be invisible · pet dragon or pet dinosaur · live in a treehouse or a castle · never eat sweets or never eat chips · be a superhero or a wizard · have a robot or a talking dog · swim like a fish or run like a cheetah · never have homework or never have bedtime · eat only pizza or only ice cream · be tiny or giant · have wheels or wings · speak to animals or speak every language · go to space or the bottom of the sea · rain candy or snow ice cream · a pool of jelly or a pool of marshmallows · always sing or always dance · live in summer or winter forever · have ten brothers or ten sisters · be a pirate or a ninja · a slide or a trampoline in your bedroom.
Family: a holiday on a beach or in the mountains · lose your phone or your keys for a week · cook every meal or clean every dish · a lifetime of free flights or free food · meet your great-great-grandparents or your great-great-grandchildren · always be ten minutes late or always twenty minutes early · a house with no doors or no windows · relive one day or skip one day · never hear music or never watch films · a tail or horns · winter without heating or summer without fans · read minds or see the future · a personal chef or a personal driver · never queue again or never sit in traffic again · a photographic memory or perfect pitch · one wish now or three wishes in ten years · live without bread or without rice · a mansion in the middle of nowhere or a flat in the best city · be famous or be rich · always know the time or always know the way.
Party: only whisper or only shout · sneeze glitter or cry ketchup · wear pyjamas to work or a suit to bed · a permanent bad haircut or a permanent bad tattoo · sing everything you say or dance everywhere you go · fight one horse-sized duck or a hundred duck-sized horses · have hiccups forever or an itch you cannot scratch · text only in emoji or only in capitals · your search history public or your photos · be stuck in a lift with your ex or your boss · never use a fork or never use a spoon · smell like onions or hear the sound of onions everywhere · a third arm or a third eye · your voice on every alarm or your face on every advert · always lose arguments or always win them and be hated · hands for feet or feet for hands · a nose that grows when you lie or ears that flap when you are nervous · give up coffee or give up cheese · dance every time music plays or freeze every time it stops · an honest enemy or a lying friend.
Variations
- This or That — rapid-fire, no discussion, a streak counter (This or That).
- Hard mode — genuinely awful dilemmas (Hard Would You Rather).
- Guess the majority — score a point if you predict which option the room picks.
- Silent vote — vote on the screen first, reveal, then argue.
Tips for hosts
- Ask "why?" — the reasons are funnier than the answers.
- Alternate silly and serious questions.
- With kids, let them invent questions for the adults.
Play Would You Rather now — free, no sign-up
Play Would You Rather online: impossible choices, funny dilemmas and hard questions. Tap your answer, see the group vote, then hit Next. Modes for fun, hard, kids, couples and food.
Frequently asked questions
Who invented Would You Rather?
Nobody in particular. Dilemma questions have been a parlour and classroom pastime for a very long time; the "would you rather" phrasing became a named game in the late twentieth century and spread through books, radio, podcasts and a Graham Norton game show.
Can you say neither?
No. The whole point is being forced to choose between two things you would never choose. "Neither" is a forfeit.
Is it suitable for kids?
With the right questions, it is one of the best games for six-year-olds: "would you rather have a pet dragon or a pet dinosaur?" Our Kids deck is written for that age.