150 Best This or That Questions in 2026

What are this or that questions?

This or that questions ask you to choose between two short options, with no “both” and no “neither.” Most are only a few words long, such as sunrise or sunset. That speed sets them apart from would you rather questions, which describe whole scenarios and usually take longer to argue about.

Choose this or that when you have a few minutes, a mixed group or someone you don’t know well yet. A quick pick feels low-stakes, and the reason behind it is often where the conversation starts.

How do you play this or that?

One person reads two options and everyone else picks one. You need no cards, app or setup, and two players are enough.

1. Take turns reading a question from any list below.
2. Answer fast, with your first instinct.
3. Give your reason in one sentence, then pass the turn.

Anyone can say “pass” without explaining. Once the basic version feels easy, change the format:

Food and drink this or that questions

Start here with a new group. Everyone has an opinion, and nobody has to reveal anything personal.

1. Coffee or tea?
2. Pancakes or waffles?
3. Sweet breakfast or savory breakfast?
4. Pizza or tacos?
5. Burger or hot dog?
6. Fries or onion rings?
7. Ketchup or mustard?
8. Thin crust or deep dish?
9. Pasta or rice?
10. Sushi or ramen?
11. Chocolate or vanilla?
12. Cake or pie?
13. Cookies or brownies?
14. Ice cream in a cone or in a cup?
15. Chips or popcorn?
16. Spicy food or mild food?
17. Cooking at home or ordering in?
18. Drive-through or sit-down restaurant?
19. Lemonade or iced tea?
20. Last slice of pizza or last bite of dessert?

Everyday this or that questions

Small habits make good material, because people tend to defend them with surprising passion.

21. Early bird or night owl?
22. Morning shower or night shower?
23. Up on the first alarm or five snoozes?
24. Cats or dogs?
25. Summer or winter?
26. Spring or fall?
27. Rain or snow?
28. Sneakers or boots?
29. Hoodie or jacket?
30. Made bed or unmade bed?
31. Socks in bed or bare feet in bed?
32. Clean as you go or clean it all at the end?
33. Plan every detail or figure it out as you go?
34. Text or call?
35. Phone on silent or ringer on loud?
36. Cash or card?
37. Stairs or elevator?
38. Big party or small dinner?
39. Stay in on Friday or go out on Friday?
40. Bath or shower?

Travel this or that questions

Ask the follow-up here: where did you learn that you like it that way?

41. Beach or mountains?
42. City break or road trip?
43. Window seat or aisle seat?
44. Hotel or campsite?
45. Plane or train?
46. Packed itinerary or no plans at all?
47. Pack light or pack for every possibility?
48. Sunrise hike or sunset walk?
49. Snorkeling or skiing?
50. Museum or theme park?
51. Street food or a famous restaurant?
52. Arrive three hours early or run to the gate?
53. Paper map or phone map?
54. Souvenirs or photos?
55. The same favorite place every year or somewhere new every time?

Movies, music and screens

These tend to start arguments of the friendly kind, especially about spoilers and subtitles.

56. Movie at home or in a theater?
57. Comedy or horror?
58. The book or the movie version?
59. Binge the whole season or one episode a week?
60. Subtitles on or subtitles off?
61. Spoilers or no spoilers?
62. Playlist or full album?
63. Headphones or speakers?
64. Concert or festival?
65. Superheroes or wizards?
66. Video games or board games?
67. Reality TV or true crime?
68. Podcast or audiobook?
69. Dark mode or light mode?
70. Photos or videos?

Funny this or that questions

Read these out loud at full seriousness. The answers get better when someone insists on a real reason.

71. Pet otter or pet llama?
72. Talking dog or talking cat?
73. Dragon or unicorn?
74. Pirate or ninja?
75. Zombies or aliens?
76. Time machine or invisibility cloak?
77. Flying or teleporting?
78. Always a little too hot or always a little too cold?
79. Always five minutes late or always 30 minutes early?
80. Hiccups for a day or sneezing for a day?
81. Sand in your shoes or wet socks?
82. Itchy sweater or tight shoes?
83. Laugh at every sad movie or cry at every comedy?
84. Socks with sandals or shorts in the snow?
85. Pineapple on pizza or ketchup on eggs?
86. Giant hamster or tiny elephant?
87. A personal theme song or a personal narrator?
88. Everyone hears your thoughts or you hear everyone’s?
89. Forget every name or forget every birthday?
90. Only whisper or only shout?

Deep this or that questions

These have no joke to hide behind, so save them for people you trust. Allow more time for each one.

91. Being respected or being liked?
92. Honest or kind, when you can’t be both?
93. Big goals or a calm life?
94. Follow your head or follow your heart?
95. Know the future or change the past?
96. Security or adventure?
97. A few close friends or a lot of good friends?
98. Remembered for your work or for how you treated people?
99. Say what you think or keep the peace?
100. Stay where you grew up or start over somewhere new?
101. Forgive easily or forget easily?
102. Luck or hard work?
103. More money or more free time?
104. Ask for help or figure it out alone?
105. Regret something you did or something you didn’t do?

Icebreakers for work or school

Every pair here is safe for a coworker or classmate you met this morning.

106. Work from home or work from an office?
107. Morning meeting or afternoon meeting?
108. Email or quick call?
109. To-do list or calendar?
110. Group project or solo project?
111. Front row or back row?
112. Deadline pressure or finished a week early?
113. Handwritten notes or laptop notes?
114. Packed lunch or cafeteria?
115. Standing desk or comfy chair?

This or that questions for couples

These pairs cover how you date, show affection and handle the small stuff. If you have been together for a while, play Guess my pick and see who knows whom better.

116. Planned date or spontaneous date?
117. Dinner out or cooking together?
118. Holding hands or arm around the shoulder?
119. Love note or surprise visit?
120. Big anniversary celebration or quiet night in?
121. Matching outfits or never matching?
122. Good morning text or good night call?
123. Gifts or shared experiences?
124. Couch cuddles or a long walk?
125. Pick the movie or pick the restaurant?
126. Talk it out right away or take space first?
127. Hear “I love you” or get shown it?
128. Double date or just the two of you?
129. Affection in public or keep it private?
130. Surprise me or tell me the plan?
131. Share dessert or order your own?
132. Share your location or text when you are on your way?
133. Remember our first date or plan our next one?
134. A busy social weekend or two days of just us?
135. Inside joke or sweet nickname?

Flirty this or that questions for couples

Keep these between two adults who are already flirting. If a pick makes your partner uneasy, skip it and move on.

136. Kiss in the rain or kiss under the stars?
137. Forehead kiss or neck kiss?
138. Slow dance in the kitchen or cuddle on the couch?
139. You in my hoodie or me in yours?
140. Flirty text during the day or a whisper in my ear at dinner?
141. Wink across the room or hand on my back?
142. Lingering hug or surprise kiss?
143. Play hard to get or make the first move?
144. Dress up with me or stay in sweats with me?
145. Compliment my looks or compliment my mind?
146. Back rub or foot rub?
147. Steal the covers or steal a kiss?
148. Long goodbye at the door or run back for one more kiss?
149. Eye contact across the room or a hand on my knee under the table?
150. Tease me all day or surprise me tonight?

What can this or that questions tell you about your partner?

They tell you what your partner prefers today, and the follow-up tells you why. One pick says little about whether you are compatible. A coffee drinker and a tea drinker can share a kitchen for 50 years, so treat a difference as something to be curious about.

After a pick, try one of these:

• “When did you start feeling that way?”
• “What’s the best time you’ve had with the one you picked?”
• “Which one did your family choose when you were growing up?”
• “What would make you switch?”
• “Which one did you think I’d pick?”

Follow-ups matter because personal answers are what build closeness. In a 1997 study in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Arthur Aron and colleagues had pairs of strangers spend 45 minutes on increasingly personal questions. Those pairs felt closer afterward than pairs who made small talk. The participants were strangers rather than couples, and a round of coffee or tea stays closer to small talk until someone asks why.

Match the game to where you are:

• Newly dating: Stay with food, travel and funny questions. Save the couples list for when you are both comfortable talking about the relationship.
• Together for years: Play Guess my pick, then ask which answer has changed since you met.
• Long distance: Text one pair each morning and answer with a voice note. These games for long-distance couples give you more to do on a video call.

Sometimes a light question lands on something you have been avoiding, such as how much time you spend together. Pause the game and say so: “That one hit something. Can we talk about it later?” Then pick a time and keep it.

For more structure, take the free love language test together and compare your results. If you would rather have prompts in your hands, the Intimacy Card Game for Couples is a question deck for getting past small talk.

How do you write your own this or that questions?

Pick two options from the same category that are close in appeal. A question only works when the answer takes a moment of thought.

• Keep the options close: Pancakes or waffles splits a room. Pancakes or a flat tire gets one answer.
• Keep them short: Aim for four words or fewer per side, so you can read the question in one breath.
• Make both answers easy to admit: In a group, leave out money, weight, family trouble and exes.
• Use what only you share: For a partner, the best pairs come from your own history, such as the place you met or the place you went last summer.

What should you play after this or that?

Move to a game with longer answers once the quick picks run out. These truth or dare questions add a physical challenge, and this guide to question games for couples compares formats built for two. To turn it into a whole evening, plan a couples game night and open with a speed round.

Tonight, read question 1 out loud and guess your partner’s answer before they give it.

Read next70 Games for Couples

Frequently asked questions

What are good this or that questions?

Good this or that questions offer two short options that are close in appeal, so the choice takes a moment of thought. Sunrise or sunset, pancakes or waffles, and plan every detail or figure it out as you go all work because neither answer is obviously right.

How do you play this or that with two people?

Take turns reading two options while the other person picks one and says why. To add a score, guess your partner's pick before they answer and take a point for each correct guess.

What is the difference between this or that and would you rather?

This or that uses two short options and calls for a quick pick, such as beach or mountains. Would you rather usually describes two full scenarios, so answers tend to take longer and turn into a debate.

Can you play this or that over text?

Yes. Send one pair at a time and ask for an answer with a reason. It works well for long-distance couples, because one question a day gives you a small reason to check in.

What are some this or that questions for couples?

Try planned date or spontaneous date, gifts or shared experiences, talk it out right away or take space first, and good morning text or good night call. Ask why after each pick, because the reason tells you more than the choice.