120 this-or-that questions, sorted by theme
Here are 120 this-or-that questions, organized into six themes you can mix and match: food and drink, lifestyle and home, work style, pop culture, travel, and seasonal. Each is a simple two-option pick that works as a live poll, a chat prompt, or a quick round at a meeting — no wrong answers, instant participation. Grab five from a theme for a fast game, and favor the close calls for the best debates. The full list is below.
This-or-that questions are the fastest icebreaker there is: two options, one tap, instant result. They work as a poll on screen, a chat prompt, or a quick round around the table, and because there's no wrong answer, even the quietest people join in. The 120 pairs below are grouped by theme so you can build a quick round on the spot — pick five from one theme, or mix across all six.
Food & drink
- Coffee or tea?
- Sweet or savory?
- Pizza or burgers?
- Pancakes or waffles?
- Crunchy or smooth peanut butter?
- Cake or pie?
- Tacos or burritos?
- Ketchup or mustard?
- Fries or onion rings?
- Dine in or takeout?
- Breakfast or dinner?
- Chocolate or vanilla?
- Sparkling or still water?
- Cereal first or milk first?
- Spicy or mild?
- Cook at home or eat out?
- Wine or beer?
- Fruit or veggies?
- Soup or salad?
- Cheese or chocolate?
Lifestyle & home
- Early bird or night owl?
- Tidy or cluttered?
- City or countryside?
- House or apartment?
- Bath or shower?
- Big party or quiet night in?
- Cats or dogs?
- Window open or closed?
- Plants or no plants?
- Minimalist or maximalist?
- Read the book or watch the movie?
- Make the bed or leave it?
- Morning workout or evening workout?
- Cook or order in?
- Plan ahead or go with the flow?
- Phone calls or texts?
- Print or e-book?
- Music or podcast?
- Save it or spend it?
- Routine or spontaneity?
Work style
- Email or chat?
- Meeting or memo?
- Work from home or office?
- Morning meetings or afternoon meetings?
- Deep work or quick wins first?
- Standing desk or sitting desk?
- Headphones on or off?
- Camera on or off?
- To-do list app or paper?
- Time-block or open calendar?
- Inbox zero or inbox infinity?
- Slides or a doc?
- Big project or many small tasks?
- Deadline pressure or steady pace?
- Solo work or collaboration?
- Coffee break or fresh-air break?
- Detailed plan or rough outline?
- Async updates or live syncs?
- Quiet office or background buzz?
- Multitask or one thing at a time?
The fun is in the close calls, not the obvious ones. 'Coffee or tea?' splits a room; 'free money or no money?' doesn't. When you build a round, favor pairs you genuinely can't predict the winner of — a near-even split sparks the friendly debate that makes people remember the moment.
Pop culture
- Marvel or DC?
- Star Wars or Star Trek?
- Movies or TV series?
- Comedy or drama?
- Streaming or cinema?
- Book club or movie night?
- Pop or rock?
- Throwback hits or new releases?
- Podcasts or audiobooks?
- Concert or festival?
- Subtitles or dubbed?
- Binge-watch or one episode a night?
- Action or rom-com?
- Vinyl or streaming?
- Reality TV or documentaries?
- Sequel or original?
- Animated or live-action?
- Karaoke or dance floor?
- Horror or thriller?
- Live sports or highlights?
Travel
- Beach or mountains?
- Window seat or aisle seat?
- Carry-on or checked bag?
- Road trip or flight?
- Hotel or rental?
- Tourist spots or hidden gems?
- Plan every detail or wing it?
- Summer trip or winter trip?
- Solo travel or group travel?
- Camping or resort?
- City break or nature escape?
- Same spot every year or somewhere new?
- Backpack or suitcase?
- Early flight or red-eye?
- Adventure or relaxation?
- Local food or familiar food abroad?
- Train or plane?
- Map app or paper map?
- Postcards or photos?
- Long weekend or two-week trip?
Seasonal & holidays
- Summer or winter?
- Spring or fall?
- Snow day or beach day?
- Pumpkin spice or peppermint?
- Halloween or holidays?
- Hot weather or cold weather?
- Decorate early or wait?
- Gift cards or wrapped presents?
- New Year's party or quiet night in?
- Iced drinks or hot drinks?
- Sweater weather or shorts weather?
- Fireworks or quiet evenings?
- Christmas movies or summer blockbusters?
- Spring cleaning or fall reset?
- Long summer days or cozy winter nights?
- Trick-or-treat or movie marathon?
- Picnic or barbecue?
- Ski trip or tropical getaway?
- Homemade gifts or store-bought?
- Countdown party or sleep through midnight?
How do you turn this-or-that into a live game?
Put each pair up as a two-option poll, let everyone vote at once, and reveal the split before moving to the next — the surprise of a 50/50 result is half the fun. For a team or classroom, run five to ten in a row as a rapid-fire round. A free poll maker like Formkii spins up a two-choice poll in seconds and shows the live bar chart on screen, so the room sees the vote land in real time.
Frequently asked questions
What is a this-or-that question?
A this-or-that question gives people two options and asks them to choose one, like 'coffee or tea?' or 'beach or mountains?' There's no right answer, which makes it a low-pressure icebreaker that anyone can join in seconds, whether as a quick poll, a chat prompt, or a round around the room.
How many this-or-that questions make a good round?
Five to ten rapid-fire pairs is the sweet spot for a meeting or classroom warm-up. Fewer feels like it ended too soon, and many more starts to drag. Pick them from one theme for a focused round, or mix across themes to keep people guessing.
What makes a this-or-that question fun?
The best pairs are close calls where you genuinely can't predict the winner, like 'cake or pie?' rather than lopsided ones like 'vacation or no vacation?' A near-even split sparks friendly debate and surprise, which is what makes the moment memorable.
How do you run this-or-that with a group?
Display each pair as a two-option poll and let everyone vote at once, then reveal the split before the next question. This works in person, remote, or hybrid because everyone answers the same way and sees the result on screen — far quicker than a show of hands.
Are this-or-that questions good for kids and classrooms?
Yes. They're simple, fast, and inclusive, which makes them ideal for warming up a class or breaking the ice with any age group. Stick to the food, seasonal, and pop-culture themes for younger groups, and use a quick poll so every student gets a say.