Would you rather looks like the simplest game in the world: two options, pick one. What makes it memorable is everything around the pick, from the cards you choose and the pace you set to the question you ask after each reveal. This tutorial walks through a first game on one phone, then covers choosing decks and voting for different groups, writing your own pairs, and keeping the conversation going. If you need the rules first, read the complete would you rather rules.
What you will learn
- How a game on one phone flows, from setup to the results
- Which decks and voting suit kids, families, teens, teams and classrooms
- How to write your own pairs that are genuinely hard to choose between
- How to turn a quick pick into a good conversation
- When to change the mix, and when to stop
Your first game, step by step
- Gather everyone where they can see the screen. A phone flat on the table works for a small group; for a big group or a class, a tablet or laptop is easier to read.
- Type the names. Real names make the game feel personal: they show who reads each card and, after a secret vote, who chose what.
- Pick the decks. Family is chosen by default. Add Kids for young children, Friends for teens and adults, or Work for a team.
- Choose the voting. Show of hands is the default and the quickest. Secret vote passes the phone round.
- Press Start. The first player reads the first card out loud.
- Everyone picks. With a show of hands, the reader counts the hands for A, taps the number and taps Reveal. With a secret vote, the phone goes round and each person taps A or B alone.
- Talk about it. The phone shows the split. Ask one person for their reason, then tap Next card. The next player reads.
- The results. After ten rounds, or when you tap End, the results show the card you agreed on most and your closest call. Rematch plays again with the same names and decks, starting with the next reader.
The reader reads the card out loud: A or B?
Everyone picks: hands up for A, or a secret vote.
The phone shows how the group split. Ask someone why.
Tap Next card, and the next player reads.
Two ground rules to say before the first card
Saying these out loud takes ten seconds and saves a lot of awkwardness later.
- You have to pick one. “Both” and “neither” are not answers. That small push is the whole game.
- Anyone can skip a card. The reader taps Skip, and nobody asks why.
Choosing decks and voting for your group
Young children (about 6 to 9)
Choose the Kids deck alone and a show of hands. Read every card yourself so nobody struggles with a word, and set skips to unlimited under More options. Young children love the silly cards, like hopping instead of walking for a day, so let the laughter run before you count the hands.
Older kids (about 10 to 12)
Kids and Family together give a good mix of silly and thoughtful. Let the children take turns reading. Try a secret vote for a few rounds: at this age many children enjoy the drama of the reveal.
Family game night
The Family deck is written for every age at once, so a grandparent and an eight-year-old can answer the same card. A show of hands keeps it moving at the dinner table. Ask the youngest person for their reason first; older family members tend to take over otherwise.
Teens and adults
The Friends deck is for teens and adults and stays clean: travel, music, films, food and everyday dilemmas. A secret vote works especially well here, because friends who always agree out loud often split when nobody is watching.
A show of hands: the reader counts the hands for A and taps that number.
A secret vote: each person taps A or B alone as the phone goes round.
Teams and meetings
The Work deck is about desks, meetings, habits and team life, and every card is fine for a manager to read out. Five cards make a good warm-up at the start of a meeting. For a video call, share your screen, read the card and count hands on camera.
Classrooms
Be the reader for every card and use a show of hands. Choose Kids for younger classes and Family for older ones. After each reveal, ask one pupil from each side for a reason, which makes it a short speaking and listening exercise as well as a game.
Writing good would you rather questions
The built-in decks have over 120 pairs each, but your own pairs are what make a game feel like yours. Tap Add my prompts on the setup screen; each option can be 3 to 140 characters. Here is what makes a pair work.
Make both sides tempting. The best pairs are close calls. “Have a pet dragon or a pet unicorn” is hard; “have a pet dragon or a pet rock” is not a question at all. If you can guess how everyone will vote, change one side.
Keep them short. Each option should fit in one breath when read aloud. “Live in a lighthouse or live in a windmill” lands; a long sentence with conditions loses the room before the second option.
Be concrete. “Have a superpower” is vague; “know what your pet is dreaming about or know what the weather will be all week” gives people something to imagine. Specific pictures make better reasons.
Pair like with like. Two treats, two places, two small annoyances. Mixing a treat with an annoyance makes the answer obvious.
Keep it kind. Nothing about anyone’s body, money, crushes or real people, and nothing that makes one choice a joke about someone in the room. If you wouldn’t read it to the youngest person at the table, leave it out.
Make it yours. The pairs people remember are about the group: two places from your last trip, two snacks your family argues about, two activities for the next team day.
A quick way to fix a weak pair: read it out to yourself and ask “would anyone pick the other side?” If not, swap one option for something just as good.
Draw a built-in question to compare with yours
Family deck
Would you rather…
- Option A: have a quiet library day
- Option B: have a loud music day
Keeping the conversation going
A card can take twenty seconds or five minutes; the host decides. A few habits help:
- Ask the smaller side first. People in the minority usually have the most interesting reason, and it makes going your own way feel welcome.
- One reason each, not a debate. If two people want to argue, let them finish on the next card.
- Notice the close calls. When the bar shows a tie, ask whether anyone nearly picked the other side.
- Let the reader react first. The reader saw the card before anyone else, so they often have a story ready.
- Move on while it’s fun. End the talk on a laugh, not when everyone has run out of things to say.
Reading the room
Watch for the signs that a change would help. If the group goes quiet, switch to a show of hands and speed up. If one person always answers first and everyone follows, try a secret vote. If the cards feel too young or too old, start a new setup with different decks: your names are kept. If someone looks uncomfortable with a card, skip it without comment.
For a long evening, mix in other games with the same group. Truth or Dare has family-friendly cards in the same spirit, and Charades gets everyone moving.
Variations to try
- Guess the split: before the reveal, the reader predicts how many will choose A.
- Speed round: five cards with no talking, then discuss the closest one.
- Explain the other side: after the reveal, someone argues for the option they didn’t pick.
- Your own deck night: everyone writes two pairs before the game, then play only My prompts.
Quick reference for hosts
| Situation | Try this |
|---|---|
| Young children | Kids deck, show of hands, unlimited skips, you read every card |
| Family dinner | Family deck, show of hands, youngest answers first |
| Teens or adults | Friends deck, secret vote |
| A team meeting | Work deck, five cards, show of hands |
| A class | Kids or Family, the teacher reads, one reason from each side |
| Everyone agrees | Switch to a secret vote |
| The talk drags | One reason each, then Next card |
For more games that work with one shared screen, see our party games and family games.
