Truth or dare?

Verbal party game

Truth or dare?
Players	2 or more
Playing time	None
Chance	low
Skills	creativity, embarrassment tolerance

Truth or dare? or Truth or Consequences, is a widely popular party game that presents players with a choice between revealing truths about themselves or completing a daring challenge proposed by fellow players. This game has been a staple of social gatherings for decades, adding excitement and a sense of adventure to many parties and events.

History

The game has existed for hundreds of years, with at least one variant, "questions and commands", being attested as early as 1712:

A Christmas game, in which the commander bids their subjects to answer a question which is asked. If the subject refuses or fails to satisfy the commander, they must pay a forfeit [follow a command] or have their face smutted [dirtied].^[1]

Truth or dare may ultimately derive from command games such as the ancient Greek basilinda (in Greek: βασιλίνδα). This game is described by Julius Pollux: "in which we are told a king, elected by lot, commanded his comrades what they should perform".^[2]

References

^ "E. Cobham Brewer, Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, 1898". Archived from the original on 2013-06-03. Retrieved 2013-01-20.
^ "Joseph Strutt, Sports and Pastimes of the People of England, 1903". Archived from the original on 2017-07-14. Retrieved 2013-01-20.