Liar Game Topics: All 21 Categories with Example Words
Half the fun of Liar Game comes from the topic. If it is too broad, the liar coasts along without effort; if it is too narrow, one clue gives the whole thing away. Below you will find every one of the 21 topics built into the game, with 10 words that actually come up in play for each. Every list was picked and written by hand for English speakers rather than translated from another language.
How topics are chosen
In the room settings, the host can pick a single topic or choose "Random". Random shuffles all 21 topics for your room and goes through them in a cycle, so you will not see the same topic twice within 21 rounds, and the same topic never shows up twice in a row when a new cycle starts. For a group that is new to the game, Random is a great way to sample everything; once you find a topic that gets big laughs, lock it in and keep going.
Each topic holds more than 40 words, and a word that has already been played in your room will not come back until that topic runs out. Even if the same friends play round after round, repeats take a long time to appear.
The 21 topics and example words
The examples below are a sample of the words in the game. The pairs are the similar words that citizens and the liar get in Fool liar mode.
Food
The classic first topic. Taste, color, when and where you eat it: there is always something to say, so beginners feel comfortable right away.
- pizza
- hamburger
- hot dog
- taco
- burrito
- sushi
- spaghetti
- lasagna
- mac and cheese
- fried chicken
- pancake / waffle
- hamburger / hot dog
- taco / burrito
Animals
Describe how it looks, what sound it makes or where it lives. Great with kids, and there are so many similar animals that the liar can blend in easily.
- dog
- cat
- rabbit
- hamster
- horse
- cow
- pig
- sheep
- goat
- chicken
- cat / dog
- rabbit / hamster
- lion / tiger
Places
Spots everyone has been to, like the library, the airport or the beach. Talk about what you do there, but get too specific and the liar has it.
- beach
- airport
- hospital
- library
- museum
- zoo
- aquarium
- movie theater
- supermarket
- shopping mall
- museum / library
- zoo / aquarium
- supermarket / shopping mall
Jobs
Clue with what they do, what they wear or the tools they use. Plenty of jobs overlap, so even citizens second guess each other.
- doctor
- nurse
- dentist
- teacher
- police officer
- firefighter
- chef
- waiter
- pilot
- flight attendant
- doctor / nurse
- chef / baker
- pilot / flight attendant
Sports
Hint with the ball, the team size or where it is played. When someone who never watches sports ends up as the liar, the acting gets surprisingly good.
- soccer
- basketball
- baseball
- tennis
- badminton
- table tennis
- volleyball
- golf
- hockey
- ice skating
- tennis / badminton
- baseball / softball
- baseball / cricket
Everyday things
Everyday objects from home, school and the office. Their uses differ but many look alike, which makes clean clues trickier than you would think.
- umbrella
- toothbrush
- toothpaste
- comb
- hairbrush
- mirror
- pillow
- blanket
- alarm clock
- lamp
- comb / hairbrush
- pillow / blanket
- glasses / sunglasses
Countries
Food, weather and famous landmarks are your clues. Neighboring countries share so much that the discussion can run long.
- United States
- Canada
- Mexico
- Brazil
- Argentina
- Chile
- Peru
- United Kingdom
- Ireland
- France
- United States / Canada
- Australia / New Zealand
- United Kingdom / Ireland
Movie & TV genres
You have to describe the mood without naming a single movie or show plot, which makes this one of the hardest topics. Perfect for movie night crowds.
- comedy
- romance
- horror
- action
- thriller
- mystery
- science fiction
- fantasy
- drama
- musical
- horror / thriller
- comedy / romantic comedy
- science fiction / fantasy
Games & play
A mix of playground games, board games and things people do for fun. Different generations remember different games, so the conversation goes in unexpected directions.
- hide and seek
- tag
- freeze tag
- hopscotch
- jump rope
- tug of war
- musical chairs
- Simon says
- red light green light
- rock paper scissors
- tag / freeze tag
- hide and seek / tag
- charades / draw and guess
School
Classrooms, cafeteria lunches, tests and supplies. It brings out school stories naturally and is a nice icebreaker.
- classroom
- blackboard
- whiteboard
- desk
- chair
- textbook
- homework
- exam
- pop quiz
- report card
- blackboard / whiteboard
- exam / pop quiz
- cafeteria / lunch box
Fruits & veggies
Color, taste and season are the go to clues. Easy enough for kids, but with so many similar fruits the liar can hold on for a while.
- apple
- banana
- orange
- lemon
- lime
- grape
- strawberry
- blueberry
- raspberry
- cherry
- lemon / lime
- orange / tangerine
- strawberry / raspberry
Vehicles
Number of wheels, where you ride it, the noise it makes. Land, sea and air split quickly, so the first few clues narrow things down fast.
- car
- bus
- truck
- taxi
- motorcycle
- scooter
- bicycle
- tricycle
- skateboard
- train
- bus / school bus
- car / taxi
- motorcycle / scooter
Theme park
Rides and everything else you see at a theme park. Clues about fear, long lines and height are where the laughs come from.
- roller coaster
- ferris wheel
- carousel
- bumper cars
- log flume
- drop tower
- swing ride
- teacups
- go karts
- water slide
- roller coaster / drop tower
- carousel / teacups
- bumper cars / go karts
Instruments
Describe the sound, how you hold it and how big it is. Saying whether you pluck, blow or hit it narrows things fast, so choosing a clue is trickier than it looks.
- piano
- guitar
- violin
- cello
- drums
- flute
- clarinet
- saxophone
- trumpet
- trombone
- violin / viola
- viola / cello
- cello / double bass
Weather & Seasons
Weather, seasons and what happens in the sky. Talk about how it feels, what you wear or what you do that day, and everyone can join in.
- sunny
- cloudy
- windy
- rain
- snow
- hail
- drizzle
- thunder
- lightning
- rainbow
- rain / drizzle
- snow / sleet
- hail / sleet
Clothes
Give clues about where you wear it, the season or the material. Many items are close cousins, which makes Fool liar mode especially confusing.
- T-shirt
- shirt
- sweater
- hoodie
- cardigan
- jacket
- coat
- raincoat
- suit
- dress
- sweater / hoodie
- sweater / cardigan
- jacket / coat
Drinks
Describe the taste, the temperature and when you drink it. There are plenty of similar drinks, so the liar can hold on for a while. No alcohol on the list.
- water
- sparkling water
- milk
- chocolate milk
- strawberry milk
- soy milk
- almond milk
- orange juice
- apple juice
- grape juice
- water / sparkling water
- milk / soy milk
- almond milk / oat milk
Snacks & Desserts
Sweets, baked treats and snacks. Clues about sweetness, texture and where you eat them make everyone hungry in a hurry.
- chocolate
- chocolate bar
- candy
- lollipop
- gummy bears
- jelly beans
- marshmallow
- chewing gum
- bubble gum
- caramel
- gummy bears / jelly beans
- lollipop / candy cane
- chewing gum / bubble gum
Body
Parts of the body, described by what they do and where they are. Great with kids, and even funnier when you add gestures.
- head
- hair
- face
- forehead
- eyebrow
- eyelash
- eye
- ear
- nose
- mouth
- eyebrow / eyelash
- ear / earlobe
- mouth / lips
Fairy Tales
Classic fairy tales and fables you heard as a child. Retelling the plot gives it away, so hint at the characters or the lesson instead.
- Cinderella
- Snow White
- Sleeping Beauty
- Rapunzel
- Little Red Riding Hood
- Hansel and Gretel
- Jack and the Beanstalk
- Goldilocks
- The Three Little Pigs
- Tortoise and the Hare
- Cinderella / Sleeping Beauty
- Snow White / Sleeping Beauty
- Rapunzel / Snow White
Flowers & Trees
Flowers, trees and houseplants. Describe the color, the season it blooms and the smell. Similar flowers keep the guessing going.
- rose
- tulip
- sunflower
- daisy
- lily
- orchid
- daffodil
- lavender
- dandelion
- carnation
- rose / carnation
- tulip / daffodil
- daisy / sunflower
Picking a topic for your crowd
- Lots of first timers: go with Food, Animals or Fruits & veggies. Everyone knows these words, there is plenty to say, and nobody freezes up.
- Close friends: Places, School and Games & play bring back shared memories, which leads to the best inside jokes and the funniest clues.
- You want a tough round: Movie & TV genres, Jobs and Countries have clues that overlap a lot, so the liar has room to hide and citizens start doubting each other.
- Kids and adults together: Vehicles, Theme park and Animals work for every age at the table.
- Big group of 9 or more: keep the topic easy and add a second liar instead of making the words harder.
In Fool liar mode, how close the pair is decides the difficulty. A tight pair like pancake and waffle keeps the liar convinced they are a citizen right up to the vote. A looser pair like soup and curry makes the odd one out easier to spot. For ways to describe a word without giving it away, read Strategy tips.