Conversation tips
This or That Questions for Quick, Fun Chats
This or that questions are rapid-fire choices between two options, like coffee or tea, beach or mountains, call or text. Because they take a second to answer and nobody can get them wrong, they're one of the fastest ways to break the ice with a stranger and find something you have in common.
Below you'll find 50 questions grouped by theme, a few ways to play them as a game, and how to turn a quick pick into an actual conversation.
How to use this or that questions on video chat
The format works best fast. You're not looking for deep answers yet, you're looking for the one pick that makes you both say "wait, me too."
On a random video chat like Omlet, the first minute often decides whether either of you presses Next. A rapid round gives you both something to react to right away, instead of trading "Where are you from?" back and forth.
- Ask permission in a fun way. "Quick game: I say two things, you pick one, no thinking. Ready?"
- Both answer. Give your own pick right after theirs, or it starts to feel like a survey.
- Keep a rhythm. Five or six questions in a row, two seconds each.
- Stop on a spark. When a pick surprises you or you both match, pause and ask about it.
- Switch themes if answers are getting short.
Keep the list on your phone or a sticky note next to your screen, so you're not searching your memory with someone waiting.
Food and drink
- Coffee or tea?
- Sweet or salty?
- Pizza or burgers?
- Cook at home or order in?
- Breakfast or dinner?
- Spicy or mild?
- Fruit or chocolate?
- Street food or a sit-down restaurant?
- Hot drinks or cold drinks?
- Try something new or order your usual?
Food is the safest first theme because almost everyone has an opinion and it leads naturally to "What's the best thing to eat where you live?"
Travel and places
- Beach or mountains?
- City break or countryside?
- Window seat or aisle?
- Plan every detail or wing it?
- Summer or winter?
- Road trip or flight?
- Museums or markets?
- Travel alone or with friends?
- Sunrise or sunset?
- Live abroad for a year or travel for a month?
These are especially good when you're matched with someone in another country, since every answer is an invitation to describe where they live.
Fun this or that questions about entertainment
- Movies or series?
- Books or podcasts?
- Comedy or horror?
- Concert or festival?
- Subtitles on or off?
- Video games or board games?
- Single-player or multiplayer?
- Old favorites or new releases?
- Watch the trailer or go in blind?
- Sing in the shower or sing in the car?
Entertainment picks come with built-in follow-ups. Once you know they're a series person, ask what they're watching right now and you've started a recommendation swap.
Personality and daily life
- Early bird or night owl?
- Cats or dogs?
- Call or text?
- Messy desk or spotless desk?
- Save or spend?
- Rainy day in or sunny day out?
- Big party or small dinner?
- Plan the weekend or see what happens?
- Gym or long walk?
- Be on time or be fashionably late?
- Voice messages: love them or hate them?
These reveal the most about someone, so they're the ones worth pausing on. An early bird and a night owl can easily spend ten minutes explaining what the other one is missing.
Either-or questions with a twist
Once you've warmed up, these slightly odder either-or questions get bigger reactions and better stories.
- Be able to speak every language or play every instrument?
- Know the ending of every movie or never get spoiled again?
- Always be 10 minutes early or always 10 minutes late?
- Live without music or without your phone for a month?
- Have a personal chef or a personal driver?
- Explore the deep ocean or outer space?
- Only eat your favorite food forever, or never eat it again?
- Have a rewind button or a pause button for your life?
- Be famous for something silly or unknown for something brilliant?
If you like these longer, more hypothetical choices, you'll enjoy our full list of would you rather questions. Questions here stay quick on purpose.
Ways to play it as a game
Turning the list into a game gives the chat structure, which helps if you're the one doing most of the asking.
| Format | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Lightning round | Ten questions in a row, answer in under two seconds | Breaking the ice right after you connect |
| Match score | Count how many picks you share out of ten | Finding common ground fast |
| Guess my pick | Predict the other person's answer before they say it | When you've been chatting a few minutes |
| Defend it | Each of you has 20 seconds to argue for your pick | Getting a laugh and a real opinion |
| Your turn | They ask the next question, you answer | Making sure it's not one-sided |
For more structured ideas, see our roundup of games to play on video chat, or mix in a few funny icebreaker questions between rounds.
Turn a quick pick into a real conversation
The game is the warm-up, not the whole chat. When an answer sparks something, follow it:
- "Mountains? Which ones?"
- "Night owl, same. What do you do at 2 a.m.?"
- "Wait, you'd give up music? Explain yourself."
Opposite picks are good too. A playful "That's a terrible answer, defend it" about pineapple on pizza is practice for the real thing, and our guide to disagreeing respectfully shows how to keep bigger differences just as friendly.
A quick, upbeat game also makes a strong opening. If you want the whole first few seconds to land, read how to make a good first impression on video, then start a random video chat on Omlet and try a lightning round with your first match. Prefer typing? The same questions work in the text chat next to the video.