Truth or Dare rules and house rules

Everyone knows the basic rules, but sometimes, special truth or dare rules for each group need to be created.

Especially when someone does not want to do a dare, the group shoud discuss which stricter rules apply.

First, all players gather around in a circle and sit down comfortably in the playing location. Only the players who are playing the game will be able to watch the game. Everyone else who is not playing the games will not be allowed to present when Truth or Dare begins.

Every Truth or Dare is exclusively for the players to experience!

Second, discuss all custom truth or dare rules beforehand! Discuss different scenarios and rule out whichever dare come to mind to be impossible. This way, discussions later in the game are avoided.

For example, a group of players will decide beforehand that

no inappropriate physical contact will be made, e.g. no kissing (often used when playing with couples or younger players)

You are not allowed to kiss everyone!
(Photo courtesy of gracewanderer)

• no exposure of naked body parts is acceptable (for the younger crowd)

• for the dares everyone has to stay within the room and may not leave the house (if the parents are in the next room for example)

• you can only use whatever you can find in this room. If you have a typical party room, there will be drinks involved: there will be something to eat, pop corn, chips…
  
  (One could imagine a dare: “I dare you to eat as many chips as you can within one minute.” And the person will stuff his mouth with chips and everyone will laugh. However, the person will not be allowed to - say - grab that glass of water outside of the room, unless the group agrees to do so.)

Normally, truth or dare rules confining the game to a room or to a house because else the party will be too scattered and the game will not be able to conclude well are beneficial for the game. Unless you have many guests.

Truth or Dare rules for the privacy of the players

• Other implicit Truth or Dare rules are that a Truth or Dare completed or truthfully answered will be kept a secret between everyone playing. Since with “Truth” everybody may quickly know a secret from each other he does not want to be exposed, the rule enforces itself. It’s in the interest of everyone to keep things secret, unless they want their secrets exposed too!

• Another possible house rule could be that one is not allowed to choose only truth. After some time that rule may make sense for those who do not want to (or are too shy to) choose dare. And so, one house rule could be that you must alternate between Truth or Dare - or at least use one dare per evening.

• Another very popular house rule is that nothing should be photographed or recorded in order to protect every player. If a player is, as a dare, kissing another player, and one would take a photo and then show it to others as if it was a “real” kiss, this could cause trouble. So normally, photographs and mobile phones with integrated cameras are forbidden to use.

Remember that within the game of Truth or Dare, actions do not account as real in the minds of the players! They will do things they normally wouldn’t because they are done under the influence of the rules of the game.

• In some cases, people may want the exact opposite. Another house rule may state that every dare must be filmed and photographed and then the group will decide what to do with it. This can very well be used as a punishment when one does decide not to do a Truth or Dare.
  

Truth or Dare rules are never above the well-being of the player

(Photo from joshjanssen via Flickr)

Normally, everyone will have to abide by the Truth or Dare rules, unless of course, if involved a very personal question, or an unacceptable dare.

For example:

If someone would dare another player to “eat this bacon sandwich as fast as possible without using your hands.” The other player could say: “I can’t do this dare because I’m a vegetarian, I do not eat meat.”

If the other players did not know this, they will have to accept personal boundaries and either choose another dare or switch to truth. In this case, one should not be punished because because the other players were not aware of personal circumstances. Then you should just move on to go to the next step of the game.

The same is true when one is not willing to answer a question which is too personal. The question “who is your secret crush" is a classic case. If the group is open enough with each other, they will talk about stuff like that. But they may choose to skip the question if the crush is present for example. (They may not if they are mean!) Just switch to the question “is your crush a big person or small person.” And just stop in time in order not to hut the personal boundaries of a player.

In any case, the player will want to have fun, but cannot be forced to do anything which they do absolutely not want to do. But one should never forget that being embarrassed is half of the fun of the game! Be strict but fair when deciding what is acceptable and what not.