Truth is Stranger than Fiction
Party Game

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Truth is Stranger than Fiction?

Sometimes...yes!

And you can turn it into a game where you’ll truly find that out!

We all do it...we all read the covers of those tabloids when standing in line in the supermarket, don't we?

You just can't help it! You are standing there in line...waiting...and those headlines. Just too unbelievable.

Take some of those real life headlines, make up some crazy ones of your own, and your party guests will be wondering...

Which ones of those tabloid headlines are real, and which are fiction?

How to Play the Truth Is Stranger than Fiction Game

It is easy to play this game, but you will need to do a little advance preparation to have it ready prior to the party.

What You'll Need to Get Started

Supermarket Tabloids - the crazier the headlines, the better! You may want several different publications so you'll have plenty to choose from.

Index cards or slips of paper (to write the headlines on)

Prepare to Play (in Advance)

First, you'll want to read thru the tabloids to pick out the best (in other words...craziest) headlines.

On one-half of the index cards write a crazy headline that you have found in the tabloids.

Write a different headline on each card.

On the other one-half of the index cards, make up headlines and write them on the cards.

Again - a different headline for each card.

Indicate on each card if the headline is true (from the tabloids) or false (you made it up).

Be sure to save the tabloid headlines too - you may need to prove that it is real, and you may want to read the stories for everyone to hear! S0me are REALLY interesting!

How to Play the Game

Divide your guests into two teams.

Have Team #1 read a headline out loud.

Let the other team decide if it is true or false.

If they guess correctly the team gets one point. (Have someone keep score.)

Next it is Team #2’s turn.

Continue playing in this way until each headline has been used.

The winning team is the one with the most points.

Inspiration For the Truth Is Stranger Game

The inspiration for this game comes from a weekly morning radio segment that I love to listen to. The DJs read three actual headlines from a popular tabloid newspaper, and then read one that is made up. After that, listeners call in and guess which one is the fake headline. Usually, it is pretty impossible to tell!

Here are some examples...can you tell which is the fake headline? (Find answer at the bottom of the page)

Vampire makes FBI most wanted list
Lady molested by Octopus
Abraham Lincoln was actually a woman
Physic wants space ship fixed so we can leave earth before it explodes

When to Play this Party Game

Since many tabloid stories are about celebrities in the entertainment industry, the Truth is Stranger Than Fiction Game might be a fun game to include at a Hollywood Theme Party or an Oscar Watching Party.

It could also be played as an icebreaker game at just about any gathering, and especially lends itself to small parties, like dinner parties, because you don't need a lot of people to play.

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