This or that questions for work are the fastest icebreaker there is, because a simple two-way choice gets everyone talking in seconds without putting anyone on the spot. That speed matters more than it sounds. Gallup reports that only about 20% of employees worldwide are engaged at work, and small, regular moments of play are one of the simplest ways to lift that number. Research summarized by Harvard Business Review ties stronger social connection to better collaboration and retention, which is exactly what a quick round of this or that builds.
This is the only list you need: more than 100 this or that questions for work, sorted into clear categories you can drop into a standup, a Slack channel, an onboarding session, or a full team event. Use them free, or read on for how a live game show host turns the same simple format into a high-energy team experience.
Quick Answer
- Two-way choices get everyone talking instantly without putting anyone on the spot.
- Gallup reports only about 20% of employees worldwide are engaged at work.
- Harvard Business Review ties stronger social connection to better collaboration and retention.
- The list has more than 100 questions sorted into categories for standups, Slack, and onboarding.
- A live game show host can turn the same simple format into a high-energy team experience.
Where This or That Questions Stall at Work
The format looks foolproof, but it stalls in predictable ways. Pick questions that are too bland, and you get one-word answers and silence. Pick questions that are too personal, and quieter employees opt out. Remote and hybrid teams add another layer: a question that works around a conference table can fall flat in a chat window without the right facilitation.
The other trouble is repetition. Teams burn through the same ten questions, the novelty fades, and the icebreaker becomes a chore. What you actually need is a deep, varied bank sorted by mood and setting, plus a clear way to run it so the energy stays up. The categories below solve the first problem; the hosting section solves the second.
Work and Office This or That Questions
- Coffee or tea?
- Email or instant message?
- Work from home or work from the office?
- Morning meetings or afternoon meetings?
- Standing desk or sitting desk?
- Open office or private office?
- Take notes by hand or type them?
- Big project or many small tasks?
- Plan ahead or improvise?
- Phone call or video call?
- Inbox zero or a thousand unread?
- Headphones on or headphones off?
- Early bird or night owl?
- Lunch at your desk or lunch out?
- Deadline pressure or steady pace?
- To-do list on paper or in an app?
Funny This or That Questions
- Always be 10 minutes early or 10 minutes late?
- Fight one horse-sized duck or 100 duck-sized horses?
- Have unlimited coffee or unlimited snacks at work?
- Sing in every meeting or dance in every meeting?
- Never use email again or never use your phone at work?
- Office full of puppies or office full of kittens?
- Always reply-all by accident or always send too soon?
- Talk like a pirate for a day or a robot for a day?
- Wear a costume to every meeting or a name tag forever?
- Have a personal theme song play when you enter or leave a room?
- Free lunch forever or one extra week of vacation?
- Be the office DJ or the office chef?
- Slack with no emojis or email with no subject lines?
- A four-day week with longer days or a five-day week with shorter days?
Team Building This or That Questions
- Lead the team or support the team?
- Brainstorm out loud or write ideas down first?
- Tackle the hard task first or save it for last?
- Celebrate small wins or wait for the big one?
- Mentor someone or be mentored?
- Group decision or quick solo call?
- Detailed plan or flexible outline?
- Public recognition or a private thank you?
- Solve the problem yourself or ask for help fast?
- Tight-knit small team or large diverse team?
- Compete to win or collaborate to finish?
- Give feedback in the moment or save it for later?
- Lead the meeting or take the notes?
- Try a new tool or stick with what works?
Remote and Hybrid This or That Questions
- Camera on or camera off?
- Virtual background or real room?
- Async updates or live standups?
- One long call or several short ones?
- Slack huddle or scheduled video meeting?
- Work in pajamas or get fully dressed?
- Home office or coffee shop?
- Mute by default or unmute by default?
- Emoji reactions or typed replies?
- Calendar blocked tight or kept open?
- Notifications on or do-not-disturb?
- Shared doc or quick call to decide?
- Morning routine or roll-out-of-bed start?
- Pet on screen or pet off screen?
Food and Break Room This or That Questions
- Pizza or tacos?
- Sweet or salty?
- Coffee black or with everything?
- Cake or pie?
- Breakfast for dinner or dinner for breakfast?
- Spicy or mild?
- Soda or sparkling water?
- Donuts or bagels in the break room?
- Cook at home or order in?
- Sit-down lunch or grab and go?
- Chocolate or vanilla?
- Burgers or burritos?
- Fruit or chips?
- Hot drink or cold drink?
Lifestyle and Fun This or That Questions
- Beach vacation or mountain getaway?
- Books or movies?
- City or countryside?
- Summer or winter?
- Plan the trip or wing it?
- Concert or sports game?
- Dogs or cats?
- Road trip or flight?
- Early riser or sleep in?
- Cooking or baking?
- Streaming or live TV?
- Save it or spend it?
- Big party or small gathering?
- Adventure or relaxation?
- Text or call?
- Window seat or aisle seat?
How to Run This or That at Work
Pick a category, fire off six to ten questions, and ask people to physically move to one side of the room or react in chat. Keep it fast, keep it light, and let a few answers spark a quick story. For a standup, two or three questions are plenty. For a team event, run a full themed round and track which side wins each call.
The format scales from a 30-second warm-up to a full activity, and that range is exactly why it pairs so well with a live game. When you want more than an icebreaker, a hosted experience turns these simple choices into a competitive, high-energy team event.
From Icebreaker to Live Game Show
This or that is the perfect on-ramp to a bigger team experience. The same instinct that makes a quick choice fun, fast decisions, friendly disagreement, taking sides, is the engine of a great game show. It’s PlayTyme Game Shows builds custom, hosted events that take that energy and run with it, using real buzzers, big-screen scoreboards, and a professional emcee who keeps every person involved, in the room and online.
For teams across New Jersey, New York City, and Connecticut, that means a printed list of questions becomes a polished, inclusive event your team talks about for weeks. The host handles pacing, scoring, and the quiet-versus-loud balance, so you get the connection without the planning load.
Bring the Energy to Your Next Team Event
Ready to go beyond an icebreaker and give your team a real event? Tell us your group size, date, and city, and we will design a custom game show that turns simple choices into serious fun. Reach out through our contact page to start planning, and explore our team building options to see how a hosted game strengthens any group.
Getting This or That Right for Your Team
Match the format to the moment. For a daily standup or a quick Slack post, the categories above run perfectly on their own, with no host and no prep. For onboarding, a team offsite, or a company party where you want real engagement, a hosted game show built around the same choose-a-side energy delivers the pacing and inclusion a plain list cannot.
Decide by asking three questions: How big is the group? Do you want a 30-second warm-up or a full event? Do remote teammates need to feel equally involved? If you want a larger, more inclusive, higher-energy experience, book a hosted game. If you just need a quick connection moment, grab a category above and start asking.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are this or that questions for work?
They are quick either-or prompts that ask employees to pick between two options, like coffee or tea. The format is a fast, low-pressure icebreaker that gets everyone participating in seconds. It works in meetings, chat channels, onboarding, and team events.
Do this or that questions work for remote teams?
Yes, they work very well remotely with the right setup. Ask people to react in chat, use poll emojis, or vote in a quick on-screen tally. A live host keeps remote and in-office players equally involved during a hosted game.
Can this or that questions become a full team event?
Yes, the choose-a-side energy is the foundation of a great game show. A hosted event turns simple either-or choices into a competitive, big-screen experience with buzzers and scoring. Reach out through our contact page to plan one for your team.
