Hypothetical Questions
Impossible situations, honest answers.
- Players
- 2+ players
- Length
- 20–45 min
- Cost
- Free · no signup
- Long distance
- Works long distance
Ready?
Impossible situations, honest answers.
- Players
- 2+ players
- Length
- 20–45 min
- Intensity
- Sweet
Free · No signup · Nothing you answer is saved
How do you play Hypothetical Questions?
Hypothetical questions ask real questions sideways — nobody answers "how greedy are you?" honestly, but everybody answers a specific thought experiment about money and consequences. Both partners answer with first instinct followed by reasoning, and loophole answers are not permitted.
How to play
- Read the scenario. Both answer.
- First instinct, then reasoning. In that order.
- "I would find a loophole" is not an answer. Answer the question as asked.
- Argue where you disagree, then move on after a couple of minutes.
- Six to eight cards is a good session.
Why couples love this game
Hypotheticals bypass the defensiveness real questions trigger. Asking someone whether they would save a hundred strangers over you produces a genuinely uncomfortable and genuinely honest answer, in a way that no direct question about the same thing ever could.
A good hypothetical is a way of asking a real question sideways. Nobody answers "how greedy are you?" honestly, but everybody answers "would you take ten million pounds if one stranger died?" — and the second one tells you more.
These range from the philosophical to the frankly stupid, deliberately. The silly ones keep it from becoming an ethics seminar, and the serious ones are the reason it is not just a party game.
Both of you answer everything, and the disagreements are considerably more interesting than the agreements.
Example questions
- You can know the date of your death or the cause, not both. Which?
- Ten million pounds, but you can never leave the country again. Yes or no?
- You can undo one decision in your life. Which, and why that one?
- You can relive one year exactly as it was. Which year?
- Everyone can hear your thoughts for one hour a week. What changes?
- You can be brilliant at one thing or good at everything. Choose.
The full game has 40 of these, shuffled every time you play.
Who this game is best for
- Long drives
- Double dates and groups
- Couples who enjoy an argument with no stakes
- Late evenings
Tips to make it better
- No loophole answers. Answering the question as asked is the whole exercise.
- First instinct first, reasoning second. The order matters.
- Two minutes per disagreement, then move on.
- The last card is the one people find hardest. Save it.
Frequently asked questions
Why do hypothetical questions work so well?
Because nobody is being asked about themselves directly, so nobody gets defensive. The answer to an impossible scenario is often far more revealing than the answer to the real question underneath it.
What if my partner keeps finding loopholes?
Rule it out at the start. "I would find another way" is a refusal to answer, and it is the single most common way this game gets ruined.
Does it work in a group?
Yes, and it improves — four answers to an impossible question produce far better arguments than two.