Conversation Starters
Something easy to say at a party, at work, at the table or in a long line, and a follow-up for when the answer is short.
- Time
- 10–30 min
- Players
- Two or more people
- Best for
- Parties, a new job and family dinners
- Deck
- 150 questions in 6 categories
How to use these conversation starters
- Pick the situation you are in from the menu under the card, or keep “All categories”.
- Read the top card and say it in your own words, the way you would normally talk.
- Swipe the card away, or tap “Next question”, for another opener. Cards do not repeat until you have seen the whole category.
- Tap the heart to save an opener on this device, or tap “Make a 10-question list” for a list you can copy.
When to use conversation starters
The hardest part of talking to someone new is often the first sentence. These cards give you one that fits the place you are in, and a follow-up for when the answer is a single word.
A party where you know only the host
Parties and get-togethers has openers for the snack table and the kitchen corner, starting with the one thing you share with everyone there: knowing the host.
The first week at a new job or club
Coworkers and New neighbors and clubs give you easy questions about lunch spots, the commute and how people got started, so small talk can turn into a real chat.
A long line or a slow train
Waiting and traveling has openers for the person next to you, and the dinner table cards keep a family meal from going quiet over the plates.
Ways to use these conversation starters
Practice before you go
Before a party or a first day at a new job, pick that situation from the menu and swipe through ten cards. Heart the three that sound most like you, and you walk in with an easy first line ready.
One opener, one follow-up
With a friend or a family member, take turns: one draws an opener from any situation and asks it, then draws a card from Follow-ups that keep it going and asks that too. Two questions in a row is usually enough to turn a short answer into a story.
A table or a team round
At a family dinner or a team lunch, one person reads a card from Around the dinner table and everyone answers in a sentence or two, going around once. Then the next person reads a new card, so every voice is heard before anyone gets a second turn.
Tips for starting a conversation
- Say the card in your own words. “Who made this?” sounds more natural than a sentence read off a screen.
- Listen for one detail in the answer and ask about that. A follow-up shows you heard them, and it matters more than a clever first line.
- Share a little of your own answer too. A question with nothing given back can start to feel like an interview.
All 150 conversation starters by category
The complete list, grouped by category. The cards above draw from the same list, so you can read ahead here and play there.
Parties and get-togethers
For the snack table, the kitchen corner and a room where you know only the host.
- How do you know the host, and how long have you known each other?
- Which dish on the table should I try first?
- Who in this room have you known the longest, and how did you meet?
- Did you come far to get here tonight?
- That’s a great sweater. Where did you find it?
- Did you bring something for the food table? How did you make it?
- Which song would get you dancing if it came on right now?
- Where do you usually end up at a party: the kitchen, the couch or the backyard?
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- Is this your kind of party, or is it different from what you usually go to?
- If this party needed a boost, what game would you start?
- Have you ever thrown a party of your own? What was it for?
- How did your day go before you got here?
- What’s the best birthday cake you’ve ever had, and who made it?
- If you were in charge of the music, what would play next?
- What do you like to bring when someone invites you over?
- Do you know many people here, or can I introduce you to a few?
- Which get-together does your family never skip, whatever happens?
- This playlist is great. Do you know who put it together?
- What’s the best thing you’ve ever eaten at a potluck?
- Got anything fun planned for the rest of the weekend?
- Have you been to one of these before? What are they usually like?
- What’s the best party game you’ve ever played with a big group?
- What’s your favorite size for a get-together, and why that many people?
- What’s the last get-together you went to that you didn’t want to leave?
- If this were a costume party, what would you have come as?
Coworkers
For the break room, a team lunch or your first week; or your first week at a new job.
- How long have you been on this team, and where were you before?
- What does a normal Tuesday look like in your job?
- What’s the best thing anyone has brought in to share with the office?
- Where do you usually eat lunch: at your desk, outside, or somewhere nearby?
- Which part of your work do you wish you got to do more of?
- Which project have you enjoyed most since you started here?
- How do you get here every morning, and how long does it take you?
- How was your weekend? Did you get to do what you planned?
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- Which meeting of the week do you actually look forward to?
- Is there a shortcut around here that saved you hours once you found it?
- What’s the best lunch spot within walking distance of here?
- What do you wish someone had told you in your first week here?
- Which part of the current project is taking up most of your week?
- What helps you focus when the room gets noisy?
- What’s on your desk that says something about you?
- Have you always worked in this field, or did you switch at some point?
- Who taught you the most when you first started here?
- Coffee, tea or nothing at all: how do you start your workday?
- What’s the best team outing you’ve ever been on?
- Where do you go when you need ten quiet minutes during the day?
- What do you do to make the commute go faster?
- What time of day do you get your best work done?
- If you could add one thing to the break room, what would it be?
- Which of your projects here would you happily show a new hire?
- Are you around for the holidays, or traveling somewhere?
Around the dinner table
For family dinners, a friend’s parents’ table or cousins you see twice a year.
- What’s one good thing and one tricky thing from your day?
- Who made this, and is there a secret ingredient?
- What did your family eat on busy weeknights when you were a kid?
- If one person from history could take the empty chair tonight, who should it be?
- What’s a dish your family makes that nobody else seems to know about?
- What’s something you learned today that you didn’t know at breakfast?
- Which meal would you choose for your birthday dinner, from start to finish?
- What happened this week that nobody at this table has heard about yet?
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- Which family recipe would you most like to learn to make yourself?
- What’s the funniest thing that happened at work this week?
- If we cooked a dinner from another country next week, which country should it be?
- If this table could talk, what would it remember about our dinners?
- Which chore would you happily trade with someone at this table?
- What’s a question you’d like everyone at this table to answer tonight?
- If you ran this kitchen for a week, what would be on the menu?
- What were you nervous about this week that turned out fine?
- Which holiday meal do you look forward to all year, and which dish makes it?
- What would you name tonight’s meal if it were on a restaurant menu?
- What’s the best thing you’ve ever made in a kitchen, even if it was toast?
- Who taught you to cook, or who would you like to learn from?
- Which place nearby have you been meaning to visit but never have?
- What’s one thing everyone at this table should try at least once?
- Was there a table rule in your house growing up, like no phones or everyone clears a plate?
- When you eat at a friend’s house, what do they do differently from your family?
- What’s the best thing you saw on your way home today?
Waiting and traveling
For long lines, waiting rooms, train rides, gates and the seat next to yours.
- Have you been waiting long, or did you just get here too?
- Is this line always this long, or did we pick a busy day?
- Are you heading home, or heading somewhere new?
- What’s the first thing you’ll do when you get where you’re going?
- Do you take this train every day? Which stop on the line is your favorite?
- What do you usually bring to pass the time on a long trip?
- What’s the longest you’ve ever waited for something, and was it worth it?
- Is there anything good to eat around here while we wait?
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- What’s the farthest you’ve ever traveled by train or bus?
- What’s the best way you’ve ever found to spend a delay?
- Is this your first time in this city? What brings you here?
- That looks like a good book. Would you recommend it?
- Do you have a trick for sleeping on a plane or a long bus ride?
- What’s the best view you’ve ever had out of a train window?
- Which airport or station have you spent the most hours in?
- Is this the last leg of your trip, or do you have a long way still to go?
- What’s the best thing about the place you’re traveling from?
- Have you ever made a friend while standing in a line?
- What’s your best tip for getting through a long layover?
- How do you think people passed the time in waiting rooms before phones?
- Are you here for the show too? Have you seen it before?
- What’s the most interesting place you’ve ever been stuck waiting?
- If you had an extra hour here, what would you go and see nearby?
- What’s the nicest thing a stranger has done for you while traveling?
- How do you decide what to pack, and do you always bring too much?
New neighbors and clubs
For the sidewalk, the mailbox, a first club meeting or the team bench.
- How long have you lived on this street?
- What made you choose this neighborhood?
- Where’s the best place around here for a quick breakfast?
- Which park nearby do you like most, and what makes it good?
- How did you first get into this club, and how long have you been coming?
- What should a newcomer know about this street that no map will tell them?
- What are you growing in your garden this year?
- Is there a good walking loop around here you’d recommend?
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- Which local event do you never miss each year?
- Where did you live before you moved here?
- What was your very first meeting with this group like?
- Your dog looks friendly. What’s its name, and how old is it?
- If you could add one shop or place to this neighborhood, what would it be?
- What’s the best time of year on this street?
- How has this block changed since you moved in?
- What’s one thing you’ve learned from someone in this group?
- Does the street have a block party or a get-together each year?
- What would you tell someone on their first day in this club?
- Where do you go around here when you want to sit outside?
- Where’s the closest spot for a really good slice of pizza?
- What do you think the club should try next season?
- How do you usually get around town: bike, bus, car or on foot?
- What’s the friendliest thing a neighbor here has done for you?
- Which house on this street puts up the best holiday lights?
- Do you know the story behind the name of this street?
Follow-ups that keep it going
Add one of these to any answer, so a quick reply turns into a real story.
- How did you first get into that?
- What was the best part of it for you?
- Wait, what happened next?
- What surprised you most about it?
- Is that something you’d like to do more of?
- What would you tell someone trying it for the first time?
- What’s the hard part that people on the outside don’t see?
- Who were you with when that happened?
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- Was that how you expected it to go?
- How long did it take from start to finish?
- What made you choose that over the other options?
- What’s the next step for you with that?
- How did you feel right after it was over?
- What would you do differently if you did it again?
- Is there a story behind that?
- Can you show me how that works?
- What was the funniest moment along the way?
- How would you explain that to a ten-year-old?
- Is that something that runs in your family?
- Which part of it do people never think to ask you about?
- What got you through the hardest part?
- Did that change the way you see things?
- What do you remember most clearly about that day?
- How did the people around you react?
- That sounds like a lot. How do you fit it into your week?
Frequently asked questions
How many conversation starters are there?
There are 150 conversation starters, 25 in each of six categories: parties and get-togethers, coworkers, around the dinner table, waiting and traveling, new neighbors and clubs, and follow-ups that keep it going. The cards and the list on this page use the same set.
Are there conversation starters for couples?
Yes. Conversation starters for couples are questions for two people who already know each other well, about memories, the future and the relationship. The openers on this page are for people you know a little or have just met.
Are these okay to use at work?
Yes. Every card is about food, places, work, hobbies and everyday life, with nothing too personal, so you can use any of them with a coworker you barely know. Coworkers is the obvious place to start, and Waiting and traveling works for a work trip or a long line at a conference.
What should we play after conversation starters?
Try get to know you questions. Once the talk has started, they go further into someone’s favorites, habits and plans, so you learn more about the person and not only the moment you are in.