About This or That
This or That is about the quickest party game there is. Someone reads two options, everybody picks one, and you find out who is on your side. There is no scoring to explain, no wrong answer and nothing to prepare.
The fun is in the split and the reason behind it. Short pairs move fast, so you can get through a set in a few minutes, and the odd pair, like early bird or night owl, starts an argument that runs for ages. The nine sets run from easy food picks to silly and absurd.
How to play This or That
- One person reads a pair aloud, like “Sweet or salty?”, and everyone thinks for a moment.
- On the count of three, everyone picks a side at once: point left or right, hold up one or two fingers, or just say it together.
- Go round the group and ask each person for one reason. A single sentence is plenty; a rant is even better.
- If you want a score, give a point to whoever picked alone, or to the side most people chose. Otherwise skip scoring completely.
- Pass the reading job on after each pair so nobody is stuck as the host for a whole set.
Every This or That pair, by theme
This or that: food and drink
Nothing alcoholic, nothing complicated. Just what you would reach for.
- Sweet or Salty?
- Tea or Coffee?
- Pizza or Pasta?
- Crunchy or Chewy?
- Spicy or Mild?
- Crisps or Popcorn?
- Cake or Pie?
- Toast or Cereal?
- Soup or Salad?
- Hot chocolate or Milkshake?
- Cook at home or Eat out?
- Sandwich or Wrap?
- Pancakes or Waffles?
- Smoothie or Fruit juice?
- Sparkling water or Still water?
This or that: everyday habits
The small choices that show what kind of person you are.
- Early bird or Night owl?
- Shower or Bath?
- Make the bed or Leave it unmade?
- Tidy desk or Creative chaos?
- Alarm clock or Waking naturally?
- Walk or Cycle?
- Read the instructions or Figure it out?
- Arrive early or Arrive on the dot?
- Handwritten notes or Typed notes?
- Stairs or Lift?
- Quiet mornings or Chatty mornings?
- Radio or Podcast?
- Washing up or Drying up?
- Cosy socks or Bare feet?
- To-do list or Trust your memory?
This or that: movies, music and books
Good for settling what to watch, and for finding out who has no taste.
- Book or Film?
- Comedy or Thriller?
- Live concert or Headphones at home?
- Sing along or Just listen?
- Sequel or Original?
- Subtitles or Dubbed?
- Audiobook or Paperback?
- Cinema or Sofa?
- Musical or Documentary?
- Plot twist or Happy ending?
- Drums or Guitar?
- Old classics or New releases?
- Fiction or Non-fiction?
- Cartoon or Live action?
- Playlist or Whole album?
This or that: travel and weather
Where you would go, how you would get there and what the sky would be doing.
- Beach or Mountains?
- City break or Countryside?
- Plane or Train?
- Sunshine or Snow?
- Road trip or Cruise?
- Camping or Hotel?
- Rain or Heatwave?
- Window seat or Aisle seat?
- Plan everything or Wing it?
- Museum or Market?
- Windy day or Foggy day?
- Thunderstorm or Snowfall?
- Pack light or Pack everything?
- Sunrise or Sunset?
- Lake or Ocean?
This or that: animals and nature
Pets, wildlife and the outdoors. Cat or dog is in here, so brace yourselves.
- Cat or Dog?
- Owl or Parrot?
- Forest or Desert?
- Waterfall or Hot spring?
- Dolphin or Elephant?
- Sloth or Otter?
- Butterfly or Ladybird?
- Flowers or Trees?
- Sunflower or Rose?
- Bird song or Ocean waves?
- Fluffy pet or Scaly pet?
- Penguin or Polar bear?
- Hedgehog or Squirrel?
- Aquarium or Zoo?
- Rainforest or Savannah?
This or that: tech and phones
Screens, messages and the settings you never changed.
- Text or Call?
- Voice note or Typed message?
- Dark mode or Light mode?
- Emoji or GIF?
- Laptop or Tablet?
- Wired headphones or Wireless earbuds?
- Video call or Phone call?
- Group chat or One-to-one chat?
- Photo or Video?
- Paper map or Phone map?
- Autocorrect on or Autocorrect off?
- Smartwatch or Wristwatch?
- Stream music or Own the album?
- Selfie or Landscape photo?
- Notifications on or Do not disturb?
This or that: personality
Quick self-portraits. Expect friends to disagree with your answers.
- Plan or Improvise?
- Talk or Listen?
- Leader or Team player?
- Spotlight or Backstage?
- Big party or Small dinner?
- Head or Heart?
- Logic or Intuition?
- Optimist or Realist?
- Homebody or Explorer?
- Ask for help or Work it out alone?
- Serious or Silly?
- Tradition or Novelty?
- Rules or Loopholes?
- Dreamer or Doer?
- Quiet hero or Loud cheerleader?
This or that: silly and absurd
Ridiculous choices, made with a straight face.
- Gloves on your feet or Socks on your hands?
- Walk backwards or Hop everywhere?
- Talk in rhyme or Sing everything?
- Bed in a tree or Bed in a cupboard?
- Pet dinosaur or Pet dragon?
- Giant hat or Tiny shoes?
- Talk to plants or Sing to pigeons?
- Unlimited bubble wrap or Unlimited balloons?
- Own a castle or Own a spaceship?
- Clown shoes or Flippers?
- Rainbow hair or Glitter eyebrows?
- Speak to cats or Speak to birds?
- Theme tune everywhere or Sound effect per step?
- Skip everywhere or Moonwalk everywhere?
- Time machine or Teleporter?
This or that: seasons and celebrations
Parties, weather and the times of year people feel strongly about.
- Spring or Autumn?
- Summer or Winter?
- Big birthday party or Quiet birthday?
- Fireworks or Sparklers?
- New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day?
- Costume party or Dinner party?
- Halloween or Bonfire night?
- Snow day or Beach day?
- Picnic or Barbecue?
- Give gifts or Get gifts?
- Snowman or Sandcastle?
- Carnival or Music festival?
- Long summer evenings or Cosy dark nights?
- Streamers or Balloons?
- Jump in leaves or Splash in puddles?
This or that, on everyone’s phones
Table Party’s game has a This or That deck. Everyone picks in secret on their own phone, then guesses how the room split.
Free, no app, no sign-up. The host picks the deck in the lobby.
Tips for a better round
Ask for the reason
Picking is easy and the reason is the fun part. One short “why” per person turns a quick vote into a story.
Lock in before anyone speaks
Everyone picks at the same moment, so nobody copies the loudest voice. Count down from three and point.
No “both” and no “neither”
Being forced to choose is the point. A quick “neither” ends the debate before it starts.
Let the last picker invent one
When a pair lands well, the person who picked last makes up the next one. It keeps the game going when the lists run out.
Common questions about This or That
What is This or That?
This or That is a quick choosing game: someone offers two options, each player picks one, and everyone explains their choice. It has no winners and needs no setup.
How do you play This or That?
One person reads a pair of options, everyone picks one at the same moment, and each person gives a reason. Then you move to the next pair. Rotate the reader so everyone gets a turn.
How many people can play This or That?
Two or more. It works with a pair, and it gets funnier as the group grows, because the split becomes harder to predict.
What if someone can’t choose in This or That?
Let them say “skip” and move on, or ask them to pick the option they’d try first. Nobody should feel put on the spot; these pairs are written to be light and safe for a mixed group.
Can you play This or That over text or a video call?
Yes. On a call, count down and show your pick with one or two fingers. In a group chat, reply with a single word and add the reason afterwards.
How is This or That different from Would You Rather?
This or That uses short pairs of single things, like tea or coffee, and moves fast. Would You Rather describes a longer scenario with a trade-off, and usually takes more time to argue over.