2026-09-29~ 9 min read

150 This or That Questions (Plus a Human-or-AI Twist)

This or that is the simplest icebreaker there is: two options, pick one, say why. Below are 150 this or that questions sorted by setting — plus a twist that turns the format into a real debate: read a quote and choose human or AI?

A geometric stone and a natural stone on calm water beneath one speech bubble split down the middle — a this-or-that choice.

How to play the this or that game

The rules fit in one sentence: the host reads two options, everyone picks one, and a few people explain their choice. That's it. The magic is in the explanation — “coffee or tea?” is small talk, but “tea, because coffee is for people who hate their mornings” is a personality.

Three ways to run it:

Rapid fire. Read ten questions in a row, everyone answers in chat or out loud. Great for a two-minute meeting warm-up.
Pick a side. In a room, point to the left wall for “this” and the right wall for “that”. People physically move — useful after lunch.
One and a why. Ask a single question, then call on two people from opposite sides to defend their pick. Slower, but it produces the best conversations.

On Zoom, Teams or Google Meet, use reactions (👍 for this, ❤️ for that) or the built-in poll. Then ask one person from the minority to defend their pick — the minority always has the better story.

Quick this or that questions (easy warm-ups)

Zero-risk questions anyone can answer in a second. Start here with a group that doesn't know each other yet.

Coffee or tea?
Morning person or night owl?
Beach or mountains?
Cats or dogs?
Sweet or savory?
Call or text?
Summer or winter?
Books or movies?
City or countryside?
Sneakers or boots?
Pizza or burgers?
Sunrise or sunset?
Early or right on time?
Window seat or aisle seat?
Pen or pencil?
Stairs or elevator?
Podcasts or music?
Spring or autumn?
Board games or video games?
Hot shower or cold shower?

Funny this or that questions

Slightly absurd choices that get a laugh and reveal how people think.

Fight one horse-sized duck or a hundred duck-sized horses?
Always be 10 minutes late or always be 20 minutes early?
Have a rewind button or a pause button for your life?
Talk to animals or speak every human language?
Only whisper or only shout?
Have a personal theme song or a personal laugh track?
Sneeze glitter or cry maple syrup?
Live without the internet or without air conditioning?
Be a famous chef or a famous clown?
Have fingers as long as your legs or legs as short as your fingers?
Always have to sing instead of speak or dance instead of walk?
Wear socks with sandals or shorts in the snow?
Have a dragon or be a dragon?
Know every ending or never finish a story?
Lose your phone or lose your keys every day?
Be the funniest person in the room or the smartest?
Have unlimited fries or unlimited ice cream?
Live in a treehouse or a houseboat?
Time travel to the past or the future?
Only eat with chopsticks or only eat with a spoon?

This or that questions for work and team meetings

Safe for colleagues, still revealing about how people like to work. Perfect for a standup, a retro opener or a new-hire call.

Camera on or camera off?
Slack or email?
Meeting at 9am or at 4pm?
Work from home or work from the office?
Plan everything or figure it out as you go?
To-do list app or paper notebook?
Deep focus or lots of variety in a day?
Big-picture strategy or hands-on execution?
Headphones on or open office buzz?
Present to 100 people or write a 10-page report?
Four-day week or unlimited vacation?
Standing desk or comfy chair?
Brainstorm alone or brainstorm with the team?
Inbox zero or inbox chaos?
Short daily standup or one long weekly sync?
Learn from a book or learn by doing?
Dark mode or light mode?
Team lunch or quiet lunch at your desk?
Ask for forgiveness or ask for permission?
Feedback in writing or face to face?

Want more work-safe openers? See our virtual icebreakers for online meetings.

This or that questions for adults

A little more personal — good for friends, parties and groups that already trust each other.

Big party or small dinner with close friends?
Travel solo or travel with a group?
Save money or spend it on experiences?
Buy a house or rent and stay flexible?
Be famous or be rich?
Road trip or flight?
Cook at home or eat out?
Plan the vacation or let someone else plan it?
Old friends or new adventures?
Live without music or without movies?
Early retirement or a career you never want to leave?
Wine or cocktails?
Spontaneous weekend or a weekend planned to the minute?
Minimalist home or cozy clutter?
Live 100 years ago or 100 years from now?

This or that questions for students and kids

Classroom-friendly and fast. Works as a morning meeting, a brain break or a first-day icebreaker.

Math or reading?
Recess inside or outside?
Draw or write a story?
Superpower: fly or be invisible?
Pancakes or waffles?
Zoo or aquarium?
Homework before dinner or after dinner?
Dinosaurs or robots?
Science experiment or art project?
Be a teacher for a day or the principal for a day?
Soccer or basketball?
Rainy day or snowy day?
Crayons or markers?
Visit space or the bottom of the ocean?
Read the book or watch the movie first?

Teaching English? This or that is a great fit for beginner and intermediate learners. For B2 and up, try the human-or-AI debate warm-up for ESL classes.

Deep this or that questions

Slower questions with no right answer. Use them for a closing round, a speaking club or a one-on-one.

Know the truth or be happy?
Be respected or be liked?
Change the past or see the future?
Talent or hard work?
Freedom or security?
Be the best at one thing or good at many things?
Forget your worst memory or relive your best one?
Follow your heart or follow your head?
A life of adventure or a life of peace?
Be understood or be admired?
Say what you think or think before you say?
Leave a legacy or live fully in the present?
Big risks or steady progress?
Know how you'll die or when you'll die?
Human wisdom or machine intelligence — which would you trust with a hard decision?

Food and drink this or that questions

Chocolate or vanilla?
Tacos or sushi?
Breakfast for dinner or dinner for breakfast?
Spicy or mild?
Fries or onion rings?
Cake or pie?
Home-cooked meal or restaurant?
Popcorn or chips?
Pineapple on pizza: yes or no?
Smoothie or milkshake?
Pasta or rice?
Salty snack or sweet snack?
Cereal first or milk first?
Ketchup or mustard?
Soup or salad?

Travel and lifestyle this or that questions

Hotel or camping?
Museum or theme park?
Train or plane?
Pack light or pack everything?
Tropical island or snowy cabin?
Guided tour or explore on your own?
Sunbathing or sightseeing?
Hostel with new friends or quiet private room?
Local street food or fancy restaurant?
Photos of everything or no photos at all?
Gym or outdoor run?
Yoga or weightlifting?
Sleep in or wake up early?
Netflix binge or night out?
Journal or social media?

The hardest this or that: human or AI?

Every question above has one flaw: there is no right answer. That keeps things light, but it also means the conversation stops once everyone has picked a side.

Now try a this or that with a right answer. A short quote appears on screen with the author hidden. The choice is simply human or AI? Half the room is sure it's Seneca. The other half is sure it's a chatbot trying to sound like Seneca. Then the answer is revealed — and someone is always surprised.

That's the whole mechanic of our free AI vs human game: the same binary choice as this or that, but with stakes, evidence and a reveal. You can play it at app.quoteorbot.com with no signup — share your screen and let the room vote.

Classic this or that vs. human-or-AI quote rounds
	Classic this or that	Human or AI?
The choice	Two options, any preference	Two options: a person or a machine wrote it
Is there a right answer?	No — it's taste	Yes — revealed after the vote
What people talk about	Themselves and their preferences	The quote, the clues, what feels human
Time per round	5–30 seconds	30–90 seconds with discussion
Prep for the host	A list of questions (like this one)	None — open the game and share your screen
Best for	Fast warm-ups, getting to know people	Real debate, ESL speaking, teams tired of the usual

The two formats pair well. Open with a few quick this-or-that questions to get everyone talking, then switch to a human-or-AI round when you want the room to actually argue.

Tips for hosts

Keep it moving. Rapid-fire rounds die when one answer turns into a speech. Save the long answers for “one and a why”.
Always ask why — at least once per round. The reason is the icebreaker; the pick is just the door.
Mix easy and weird. Alternate a quick question with a funny one so nobody feels on the spot.
Let people pass. Especially with the deep list. Optional participation makes people more willing to join in.
End on a debate. Finish with a question that has a real answer — like a human-or-AI round — so the group leaves arguing, not yawning.

Looking for more formats? Browse our full list of icebreaker games for work, class and online meetings.

Frequently asked questions

What are this or that questions?

They are two-option questions — like “coffee or tea?” — where each person picks one and, ideally, explains why. They are one of the fastest icebreakers because anyone can answer instantly.

How do you play this or that online?

Read the question in a video call and have people answer with reactions, a poll or the chat, then invite one or two people to explain their choice. It works on Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams with no setup.

What are good this or that questions for work?

Keep them about work style, not private life: camera on or off, Slack or email, plan everything or improvise, deep focus or variety. See the full work list above.

How many this or that questions should I use in a meeting?

For a five-minute warm-up, five to ten rapid-fire questions or two or three “one and a why” questions is plenty.

What is the hardest this or that question?

Our pick: “human or AI?” Read a short quote with the author hidden and decide who wrote it. Unlike other this-or-that questions it has a right answer — try it free in the AI vs human game.