In short
- 60 questions in six themes: legends, tech, money and work, ethics, relationships and lifestyle.
- Each has four answers, so people can pick a real position instead of yes or no.
- Good debate questions have no right answer, four defensible options, and reveal something about the person answering.
- Play them as a prediction game: everyone answers privately, then guesses each other's picks.
Good debate questions have no right answer, four reasonable positions, and a way of revealing something about the person who answers. The 60 questions below come straight from Mind Raider, the party game where you pick your answer and then guess what each of your friends picked. Each one is in the game's Classic set, and each one comes with a short note on why it splits a room.
You can use them anywhere: at dinner, on a road trip, as icebreakers, or in a group chat. At the end there are three simple ways to turn them into a game.
Jump to: Legends · Tech and the future · Money and work · Ethics and society · Relationships · Lifestyle
Legends: the greatest of all time
These look like sports and culture trivia, but there is no right answer. People pick based on when they grew up, what they watched with their parents, and who they argue with. That's exactly why they are good at revealing someone.
1. Greatest footballer of all time?
- ALionel Messi
- BCristiano Ronaldo
- CPele
- DDiego Maradona
Age often decides this one. Someone who grew up in the 80s and someone who grew up in the 2010s rarely pick the same name.
2. Greatest basketball player of all time?
- AMichael Jordan
- BLeBron James
- CKobe Bryant
- DStephen Curry
Jordan versus LeBron is less about basketball than about whether someone values peak dominance or longevity.
3. Who shaped the 21st century the most?
- ASteve Jobs
- BElon Musk
- CMark Zuckerberg
- DSatoshi Nakamoto
Splits people by what they think "shaped" means: products, platforms or ideas.
4. Greatest scientist ever?
- AAlbert Einstein
- BIsaac Newton
- CCharles Darwin
- DMarie Curie
A good test of whether someone thinks in terms of discovery, influence or barriers broken.
5. Greatest movie of all time?
- AThe Godfather
- BTitanic
- CStar Wars
- DThe Dark Knight
The most popular film, the most acclaimed film and the most rewatched film are three different things, and people know which one they mean.
6. Greatest rock band ever?
- AThe Beatles
- BLed Zeppelin
- CQueen
- DNirvana
Fans of each will tell you the others are obviously wrong, which is the point.
7. Best sitcom ever?
- AFriends
- BThe Office
- CSeinfeld
- DThe Simpsons
Friends often know each other's comfort show. This is an easy read for close friends, a hard one for new ones.
8. Best superhero of all time?
- ABatman
- BSuperman
- CSpider-Man
- DIron Man
Reveals whether someone likes their heroes flawed, powerful or relatable.
9. Best decade for music?
- A1960s
- B1980s
- C1990s
- D2010s
Usually nostalgia. Guess the decade someone was a teenager in.
10. Most beautiful city in the world?
- AParis
- BRome
- CKyoto
- DRio de Janeiro
Splits travellers who've actually been from those picking from photos.
Tech and the future
Technology questions divide people along lines of trust: who believes progress helps, who fears it, and who thinks it's all overhyped.
11. AI will most likely...
- ACure diseases
- BTake our jobs
- CMake us lazy
- DOutsmart us
Four answers that map neatly onto optimists, pessimists and cynics.
12. Social media has made society...
- ABetter connected
- BMore divided
- CMore lonely
- DBetter informed
People answer from their own feed. Someone's pick says a lot about how social media feels to them.
13. Biggest threat to humanity?
- AClimate change
- BAI
- CNuclear war
- DPandemics
Shows what someone worries about at 2am, which is usually what they read about most.
14. Would you get a brain chip that made you smarter?
- AYes, first in line
- BAfter it's proven
- COnly for medical
- DNever
Early adopters say yes instantly. Most people want proof first, and a few will never trust it.
15. Would you let AI pick your partner?
- AYes, gladly
- BAs a shortlist
- CJust for fun
- DNever
Funny in a group with couples in it. Expect at least one pointed look across the room.
16. Would you live forever if science allowed it?
- AYes, forever
- BA few hundred years
- COnly if young
- DNo thanks
Sounds abstract, but people answer fast and with conviction.
17. Should phones be banned in schools?
- AYes, fully
- BDuring class only
- COnly for young kids
- DNo
Parents, teachers and people who remember school without phones all answer differently.
18. Give up your phone for a month for $10,000?
- AYes, easily
- BFor more money
- COnly half a month
- DNo way
A pure "what's my price" question. You'll learn who could actually do it.
19. Should AI make life or death decisions?
- AYes, if accurate
- BWith human review
- COnly in medicine
- DNever
Splits people who trust statistics from people who trust humans.
20. Is talking to an AI chatbot as a friend healthy?
- AYes, why not
- BIn small doses
- COnly if lonely
- DNo
A newer debate where nobody has settled views yet, so picks are hard to predict.
Money and work
Money questions are some of the most revealing in the whole game, because they're questions people rarely ask each other directly.
21. Should billionaires exist?
- AYes, they earned it
- BIf they give back
- CTax them heavily
- DNo, cap wealth
One of the most divisive questions in the bank. The four options run from "they earned it" to "cap wealth".
22. Can money buy happiness?
- AYes, absolutely
- BUp to a point
- CIt buys freedom
- DNo
"Up to a point" is the safe answer, which makes people who pick "Yes, absolutely" or "No" very memorable.
23. What matters most for success?
- ATalent
- BHard work
- CLuck
- DConnections
Reveals whether someone sees success as earned, lucky or networked.
24. Would you take a job you hate for double the pay?
- AYes, instantly
- BFor a few years
- COnly if desperate
- DNever
The honest answer often depends on how someone feels about their current job.
25. Should you lend money to friends?
- AYes, always
- BSmall amounts only
- COnly as a gift
- DNever
Usually answered from experience. People who lent money once and regretted it don't pick "Yes, always".
26. Best way to get rich?
- AStart a business
- BInvest early
- CClimb a career
- DMarry rich
"Marry rich" is the answer everyone jokes about, which makes it a fun one to guess.
27. Quit a stable job to chase a dream?
- AYes, life's short
- BOnly with savings
- COnly if young
- DNo
Splits the cautious from the romantics. Age matters, but less than you'd think.
28. You win the lottery. What comes first?
- AQuit my job
- BPay off debts
- CBuy a house
- DTell no one
"Tell no one" is the sneaky answer, and a hard one to guess.
29. Rich people are mostly...
- AHard workers
- BLucky
- CWell connected
- DBorn rich
Close to a political question, but people answer it from personal experience.
30. More time or more money?
- AMore time
- BMore money
- CA balance
- DDepends on age
Ask this to a group of parents of young children and a group of students and compare.
Ethics and society
Moral questions with four shades of grey. These produce the longest arguments after the reveal.
31. Is it OK to lie to protect someone's feelings?
- AAlways
- BSmall lies only
- CRarely
- DNever
Few people say "Always" or "Never" out loud. In a secret pick, some do.
32. You find $100 on the street. Keep it?
- AYes
- BIf no one's around
- CTry to find owner
- DHand it in
Everyone likes to think they'd hand it in. Not everyone would.
33. Would you report a friend who broke the law?
- AYes, always
- BOnly serious crimes
- CTalk to them first
- DNever
Splits loyalty from principle, and friends rarely agree on where the line is.
34. Does everyone deserve a second chance?
- AAlways
- BOnce
- CDepends on the act
- DRarely
Reveals how forgiving someone is, which is useful to know about your friends.
35. Can you separate the art from the artist?
- AYes, always
- BDepends on the act
- CHard to do
- DNo
A modern classic. People who love the work find it much harder to answer.
36. Is free will real?
- AYes
- BPartly
- CNot sure
- DNo
The most abstract question in the game, and one of the hardest to read.
37. Better to be loved or feared?
- ALoved
- BFeared
- CRespected
- DBoth
A leadership question in disguise. People who manage teams answer differently.
38. Save your pet or a stranger?
- AMy pet
- BThe stranger
- CDepends
- DCan't choose
Pet owners and non-pet owners live in different moral universes.
39. Would you sacrifice one person to save five?
- AYes
- BOnly if no other way
- CCan't decide
- DNever
The trolley problem, simplified. Expect long explanations.
40. Is it OK to steal to feed your family?
- AYes
- BFrom big chains only
- CAs a last resort
- DNever
A hard one. Picks often depend on whether someone has ever been short of money.
Relationships
Love, friendship and family. Couples should play these with caution, and with snacks.
41. Your friend's partner is cheating. Do you tell them?
- AYes, right away
- BOnly with proof
- CDrop a hint
- DStay out of it
The question everyone has an opinion on and nobody wants to face.
42. Who pays on a first date?
- ASplit it
- BWhoever asked
- CThe man
- DWhoever earns more
Generational and cultural, and a reliable source of reveal-screen gasps.
43. Is it OK to ghost someone?
- AYes, it's fine
- BAfter 1 or 2 dates
- COnly if unsafe
- DNever
The answers mirror how someone has been treated in the past.
44. Do parents have a favorite child?
- AYes, always
- BMost do
- CSome do
- DNo, never
Siblings tend to have strong, and very different, opinions on this one.
45. Should couples share passwords?
- AYes, all of them
- BSome
- COnly emergencies
- DNever
A trust question. Partners who share everything often assume everyone does.
46. Should couples merge their money?
- AYes, all of it
- BJoint plus own
- CKeep separate
- DDepends
Practical people and romantic people answer this very differently.
47. Do soulmates exist?
- AYes
- BMore than one
- CYou build one
- DNo
Romantics, realists and cynics, in four options.
48. Can men and women be just friends?
- AYes
- BUsually
- CRarely
- DNo
A question that has been argued over for decades. It still works.
49. Is checking your ex's social media OK?
- AYes, normal
- BOnce in a while
- CAfter a breakup
- DNever
"Never" is the answer people like to give. Whether it's honest is another question.
50. Who should do more housework?
- AEqual split
- BWho earns less
- CWho's home more
- DWho cares more
Couples should guess this one carefully.
Lifestyle: everyday hot takes
Low stakes, high passion. These are perfect openers and good questions to mix in after a heavy round.
51. Pineapple on pizza?
- ALove it
- BIt's fine
- CNever
- DA crime
The classic. People feel far more strongly about this than they should.
52. Is it OK to recline your airplane seat?
- AYes
- BOnly at night
- CAsk first
- DNever
Frequent flyers have very specific opinions.
53. Shoes inside the house?
- AYes
- BOnly guests
- CQuick visits only
- DNever
Usually decided by how someone was raised, which friends often know.
54. Cats or dogs?
- ACats
- BDogs
- CBoth
- DNeither
An easy read for close friends, but watch out for "Neither".
55. Phones at the dinner table?
- AYes
- BOnly if urgent
- COnly eating alone
- DNever
Reveals who's guilty of it and who's annoyed by it.
56. Go to a friend's wedding you can't afford?
- AYes, always
- BOnly if close
- CJust send a gift
- DNo
Gets more interesting the older your group is.
57. Book or the movie?
- AThe book
- BThe movie
- CDepends
- DNeither
Readers versus watchers, and the people who say "Depends" to avoid the fight.
58. Is it OK to regift a present?
- AYes
- BIf unused
- CNot in same circle
- DNever
Plenty of people do it. Fewer admit it.
59. Where would you rather live?
- ABig city
- BSuburbs
- CCountryside
- DSmall town
City people rarely guess countryside people well, and the other way round.
60. Is it OK to be late to a party?
- AYes, expected
- B15 minutes max
- COnly if you text
- DNever
Splits the punctual from the fashionably late. You probably know which your friends are.
Three ways to play with these questions
1. The prediction round (no app needed)
Read a question and its four answers aloud. Everyone writes their own answer on a piece of paper, plus a guess for one other player. Reveal together. One point for each correct guess. It's slower than an app, but it works anywhere.
2. The hot seat
One person answers privately. Everyone else tries to guess their pick. Then the hot seat person explains, and the next person takes the seat. This is the best format for small groups who want to talk more than compete.
3. Mind Raider
Mind Raider does all of the above automatically: everyone picks on their own phone, everyone guesses everyone, and each correct read is worth 40 points. A round takes up to 30 seconds, so a full 6-round game fits into a few minutes, and the reveal screen shows exactly who read whom. The full Classic set has 200 questions like these. See how to play for the details.
Tips for keeping debates friendly
- Argue about the question, not the person. "Why would anyone pick that?" is fun. "Of course you'd pick that" gets old quickly.
- Mix heavy and light. Follow a question about the death penalty with one about pineapple on pizza.
- Know your audience. Relationship and money questions can be sensitive with new partners, colleagues or family. Pick the sections that fit your group.
- Let people explain. The best part of any of these questions is the 30 seconds after someone says "OK, hear me out".
Want to write your own? Read how to write party questions that start arguments.