Rapid Fire Questions
Short questions, one-word answers and no time to think it over.
- Time
- 10–30 min
- Players
- Two or more players
- Best for
- Coffee breaks, long drives and waiting in line
- Deck
- 150 questions in 6 categories
How to use these rapid fire questions
- Pick a category from the menu under the card, or keep “All categories”.
- Read the top card aloud and let everyone answer it, going around the group.
- Swipe the card away, or tap “Next question”, for the next one. Questions do not repeat until you have seen the whole category.
- Tap the heart to save a question on this device, or tap “Make a 10-question list” for a list you can copy.
When to play rapid fire questions
Rapid fire fits the short gaps in a day, when there is time for a game but not for a long talk. Every answer is a word or two, so nobody has to share much, and a whole round is over in a minute.
In line or waiting for a table
Food and Out and about pass the time until the line moves, and the answers often settle what to order once you sit down.
A coffee break at work
Favorites and Pick one fast take about a minute per person and ask nothing personal, so a new coworker can join in on the first day.
A long drive
The passenger reads First thing that comes to mind or Just for fun, and the driver can answer without taking their eyes off the road.
Ways to play rapid fire
One minute in the middle
One player answers while another holds the phone and starts a one-minute timer. The reader fires cards as fast as the answers come, and someone counts them. Then the phone moves on, and the next player tries to answer one more.
No repeats around the circle
Read one card and go around the circle, each player answering in a word. Nobody may repeat an answer already given, so the last few players have to dig deep. Whoever gets stuck reads the next card.
A rally for two or a video call
With two players, swap the reader after every card so the questions bounce back and forth like a rally. On a video call, one person reads aloud, counts to three, and everyone unmutes to answer at the same moment.
Keeping the pace up
- A word or two is the whole answer. Any story behind it waits until the round is over.
- Warm up with Pick one fast and Favorites, then move to First thing that comes to mind once everyone is answering quickly.
- Heart the cards that drew the most surprising answers, and come back to them for the stories afterward.
All 150 rapid fire questions 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.
Favorites
Colors, birds, card games and the planet you like best, each named in a word.
- Favorite color right now?
- Favorite animal to see at a zoo?
- Best month of the year?
- Favorite color for a front door?
- Favorite kind of weather?
- Favorite flower in a garden?
- Favorite bird to spot outside?
- Favorite sea creature?
Show all 25 in FavoritesShow fewer
- Favorite tree in your neighborhood?
- Coziest room in your home?
- Favorite planet, just one?
- Favorite card game?
- Sport you most like to watch?
- Favorite board game piece?
- Go-to music for cleaning the house?
- Favorite cartoon from your childhood?
- Favorite street name you know?
- Favorite sound in nature?
- Favorite candle scent?
- Best part of a Saturday morning?
- Favorite dinosaur, no hesitation?
- Thing you love most about your hometown?
- Crayon color you wore down first?
- Favorite thing to collect?
- Favorite kind of puzzle?
Pick one fast
Two short options and one quick pick, from ducks or geese to lemon or lime.
- Ducks or geese?
- Owls or foxes?
- Penguins or polar bears?
- Squirrels or chipmunks?
- Hammock or porch swing?
- Campfire or fireplace?
- Treehouse or tree swing?
- Hot-air balloon or zip line?
Show all 25 in Pick one fastShow fewer
- Canoe or sailboat?
- Bike or scooter?
- Clap or snap?
- Whistle or hum?
- Nap or snack?
- Socks or bare feet?
- Stars or moon?
- Lemon or lime?
- Honey or jam?
- Muffin or scone?
- Fork or chopsticks?
- Crayons or markers?
- Polka dots or stripes?
- Hoodie or cardigan?
- Snail mail or email?
- Morning walk or evening walk?
- Blue or green?
First thing that comes to mind
Rhymes, letters and colors: say the first word that pops into your head.
- First word for “Monday”?
- “Fireworks”: first word that pops up?
- A word that rhymes with “cake”?
- An animal starting with “P”?
- A color for the number seven?
- Something softer than a pillow?
- Something you can fold in half?
- A thing with wheels, not a car?
Show all 25 in First thing that comes to mindShow fewer
- One word for a rainy Sunday?
- Snow, in one word?
- Another word for “happy”?
- A food that starts with “T”?
- Something both red and round?
- The calmest color you can think of?
- Something smaller than a coin?
- Something that ticks, besides a clock?
- A sound a bicycle makes?
- A place that is always cold?
- The first tool you can think of?
- A city that starts with “B”?
- “Library”: what pops into your head?
- One word for the smell of rain?
- A word with double letters?
- Two words for a perfect afternoon?
- What color is Friday?
Food
Soups, sandwiches, pie and the sauce that goes on everything, picked fast.
- Go-to sandwich, no thinking?
- A soup for a cold night?
- Cookie you’d dunk in milk?
- Cereal you’d eat any time of day?
- Fruit you could eat by the bowl?
- Baked potato topping, just one?
- Cheese you’d pick every time?
- Hot sauce level, one to ten?
Show all 25 in FoodShow fewer
- Best food on a stick?
- Most overrated vegetable?
- Pie you’d pick at a bakery?
- Tastiest thing at a county fair?
- Road trip snack you always buy?
- One hot dog topping only?
- Taco filling of choice?
- Spice you reach for most?
- A food you’d bring to a potluck?
- Best fruit for a smoothie?
- Perfect number of pancakes in a stack?
- Popsicle flavor you grab first?
- Birthday cake flavor?
- First thing you’d bake on a snow day?
- Ramen topping you can’t skip?
- Fanciest thing you’ve ever eaten?
- Strangest food you secretly love?
Out and about
Parks, shops, day trips and the best free thing to do in your town.
- A walk in town you never tire of?
- Store you could wander for hours?
- Longest train ride you’ve taken?
- A day trip worth the drive?
- Favorite aisle at the grocery store?
- A museum you’d happily visit again?
- Prettiest view in your town?
- Perfect walk length, in minutes?
Show all 25 in Out and aboutShow fewer
- A nearby town you’ve never visited?
- Best place to people-watch?
- Farmers market find you always buy?
- First spot you’d show a visitor?
- Ride you’d line up for at a theme park?
- Favorite place to sit outside?
- Best road trip stop ever?
- Souvenir you still use?
- A place you always get a little lost?
- Nicest street you’ve ever walked down?
- Best bench in your town?
- Best spot for a picnic near you?
- Stall you head to first at a street fair?
- Best free thing to do in town?
- Busiest place you love anyway?
- City you’d explore on foot?
- Last place you sent a postcard from?
Just for fun
Pet rock names, imaginary bands and the animal that would be the best mail carrier.
- Name for a gray kitten?
- What should hiccups be called instead?
- Name for a robot vacuum?
- Snack a squirrel would buy?
- Vegetable that matches your personality?
- A new rule for Fridays?
- A fancy name for a paper clip?
- Your royal title?
Show all 25 in Just for funShow fewer
- Paint color named after your mood?
- A new sport worth a gold medal?
- Which animal would be the best mail carrier?
- Which animal would run the best bakery?
- A dance move for folding laundry?
- Name of your imaginary band?
- Most useless superpower you can think of?
- What do pigeons gossip about?
- What would a snail name its shell?
- Your ringtone, as an animal sound?
- Best job for a giraffe?
- A word you just made up?
- Your morning as a weather report?
- Which fruit would win a race?
- A villain name for a mosquito?
- Ideal number of pockets on pants?
- Song title for your commute?
Frequently asked questions
How many rapid fire questions are there?
There are 150 questions, 25 in each of six categories: favorites, pick one fast, first thing that comes to mind, food, out and about, and just for fun. The cards and the list on this page use the same set.
What are the rules of a rapid fire round?
One player answers while another reads the cards aloud, one after another, for one minute. There is no thinking time: say the first word that comes to mind and the reader moves straight on. A pass is allowed, but it costs a point, or a laugh from everyone else if nobody is keeping score.
Is there a rapid fire game for couples?
Yes. Rapid fire questions for couples is a set for two, with questions about firsts, lasts and the two of you in a word. The questions on this page are different and written for any group, from coworkers on a break to a family table.
What should we play after rapid fire questions?
Try hot seat questions. One person stays in the seat for a few minutes and each question asks for a little more than a word, so the answers turn into short stories.