Write down two things you genuinely love and one thing you genuinely can’t stand, then let the group guess which is which while you introduce yourself. Two Loves and One Hate adds a bit of personality and a bit of mystery to an otherwise ordinary round of introductions.
Why this helps
Asking people to share something they love is pleasant but fairly predictable; adding a genuine dislike into the mix makes the whole exercise considerably more interesting, since a strongly felt dislike often reveals something distinctive and memorable about a person that a simple list of likes rarely manages on its own.
What you need
Paper and a pen for each participant.
How to play
Ask everyone to write down two things they genuinely love and one thing they genuinely dislike, encouraging specific, unusual answers rather than generic, expected ones. Keep the papers face down and private until it’s each person’s turn.
One at a time, each person reads their three items aloud, without saying which two are loves and which one is the hate, phrasing each simply: “the first thing is…”. The rest of the group guesses which item is the dislike, while the presenter briefly introduces themselves at the same time.
Variations
For a lighter round with a younger group, award a small, informal prize for the most surprising or entertaining dislike of the session, voted on by the whole group at the end.
Why specificity makes this game work
A generic answer, “I love ice cream,” blends into the background of a dozen similar statements. A specific, slightly unusual one, “I genuinely cannot stand the sound of chalk on a blackboard,” sticks, and tends to produce real engagement from the group trying to guess. Encouraging genuine specificity, rather than the first safe, obvious answer that comes to mind, is what makes the difference between a forgettable round and a genuinely entertaining one.
Two loves, one dislike, and a group trying to guess which is which turns an ordinary introduction into something with a bit of real personality and a bit of playful mystery built right in.
