🚪 What Would You Do?

Hypotheticals that reveal real answers

Ask someone what they value and you'll get a polished answer. Ask them what they'd do if they found a wallet with cash and an ID inside, and you'll get the truth. That's the idea behind these 80 scenarios: a mix of small moral dilemmas, awkward social situations, and larger what-ifs about money, work, moving, and starting over. None of them have a correct answer, which is exactly why they're worth discussing.

How to play

Draw a card and read it out. Everyone answers, one at a time, and the best rule is that follow-up questions are encouraged — "why that and not the other thing?" is where the real conversation starts. If two people disagree strongly, let it run; a good argument over a hypothetical is far more interesting than a round of polite agreement.

Good for couples, friends, and dinner tables

The deck works on a date, on a long journey, at a dinner where the conversation has stalled, or with a group of friends who already know each other's stories. The easier cards get people talking; the heavier ones — about honesty, loyalty, family, and what you'd give up — tend to come out later in the evening. Skip anything that lands wrong and keep going. There's no scoring and no winner, only the small surprise of hearing someone you know well answer something you'd never thought to ask.

A sample round with three cards

Three friends at dinner draw "What would you do if you found a wallet with cash and an ID inside?" One says she would mail it back, another would drop it at a police station, and the third admits he would keep a small finder's fee. The follow-up question, "How much is a finder's fee?", keeps them going for ten minutes.

The next card is "What would you do if your best friend's partner asked you to keep a secret from them?" Now the answers split on loyalty rather than money. Then a lighter one: "What would you do if you could pause time for ten minutes a day?" Answers range from extra sleep to rearranging a coworker's desk. Mixing heavy and light cards like this keeps the table from getting too serious, too fast. Later in the deck, cards like "What would you do if someone spread an untrue rumor about you at work?" or "What would you do if your partner wanted to move somewhere you'd never considered?" hit closer to real life.

Variations

• Predict first: before someone answers, everyone else guesses what they will say; closest guess scores.
• Devil's advocate: after each answer, one player must argue for the opposite choice.
• Couples deep dive: both partners answer in writing, then reveal at the same time.
• One-word round: answers must start with a single word, then you get thirty seconds to explain.
• Road trip rotation: the passenger reads, the driver answers first, and everyone else follows.

Tips for better conversations

Ask "why" more than "what." The first answer is often the polished one, and the second question gets the honest one. Do not score answers as right or wrong; the moment someone feels judged, they start giving safe answers. And skip freely. A card about moving countries might be fun for one couple and painful for another.

Good occasions

Dinner parties where the small talk has run dry, long drives, camping trips, the second or third date when you want to know how someone thinks, and family holidays with relatives you only see once a year.

If you are hosting, deal out three cards at a time and let the person answering choose one. That small choice gives quieter guests control over how personal they want to get, and it often leads them to pick the harder card anyway. It also prevents the awkward moment of reading a heavy scenario to someone who clearly was not ready for it.

FAQ

What are good what would you do questions?

Strong ones mix ethics and imagination: finding a wallet with cash and an ID, a best friend's partner asking you to keep a secret, being offered your dream job abroad, or being able to pause time for ten minutes a day. The best cards have no right answer and invite a follow-up.

How do you play the what would you do game?

Draw a scenario card, read it aloud, and let each person answer in turn. Encourage follow-up questions like why that and not the other option. There is no score; the point is to hear how people reason. Skip any card that feels too close to someone's real situation.

What would you do questions for couples?

Choose cards about decisions you might face together: a dream job in another country, winning enough money to never work again, a partner wanting to move somewhere unexpected, or a month without phones. Answering separately first and then comparing shows where your instincts match and where they differ.

What would you do if you found a wallet?

Most people say they would return it, but answers vary on how: mailing it to the address on the ID, handing it to police, or contacting the owner online. It is a classic opener because it quickly shows whether someone thinks about rules, kindness, or the practical hassle first.

Are what would you do questions good for a first date?

Yes, if you pick lighter ones. Pausing time, a stranger handing you a key, or a cancelled flight turned free trip are fun and revealing without getting personal. Save the loyalty and family cards for later dates, when you both feel more comfortable disagreeing.

How many scenarios are in the deck?

There are eighty scenarios, from small everyday dilemmas to life-changing hypotheticals. Cards are drawn at random, so a single evening rarely covers them all, and you can come back to the deck many times with the same group and still hit new questions.