Hot takes
A hot take is an opinion you know half the room will disagree with, said out loud anyway. Below are 120 hot takes in six categories, from food crimes to dating rules, plus the rules for turning them into a hot takes game where everyone votes agree or disagree at the same time.
Pineapple on pizza is good and everyone knows it.
The deck draws from every category you leave on. All 120 takes are listed further down if you would rather read them out from the list.
Tap the card to draw a random take, or switch off the categories you don't want. Read it out, count to three, and every hand goes up or down. The fun is in the defence.
- Hot takes
- 120
- Players
- 3 or more
- Time
- 15 to 60 min
120 hot takes people actually argue about
Every take here is a playful opinion, not a fact. Some you will agree with instantly, some will make you put your drink down. Start with Food, it never fails, and save Dating for a table that knows each other.
Food hot takes
20- Pineapple on pizza is good and everyone knows it.
- Cereal is better eaten dry, straight from the box.
- Ketchup on eggs is completely acceptable.
- Brunch is just an overpriced late breakfast.
- A hot dog is a sandwich.
- Cold pizza beats reheated pizza.
- Avocado toast is the most overrated breakfast ever invented.
- Milk goes in before the cereal.
- Well done steak is fine if that is how you like it.
- Popcorn at the cinema tastes better than popcorn at home, and it is not the butter.
- Sushi is not worth the price.
- Mint chocolate tastes like toothpaste.
- Fries dipped in a milkshake is a top tier snack.
- Pumpkin spice anything is a personality, not a flavour.
- Breakfast for dinner beats dinner for dinner.
- Crunchy peanut butter is the only real peanut butter.
- Tomatoes do not belong in a sandwich.
- The crust is the best part of the bread.
- Pancakes are better than waffles, no debate.
- Hummus is just bean paste with good marketing.
Everyday habits and pet peeves
20- Showering at night is better than showering in the morning.
- Making your bed every morning is a waste of time.
- Socks with sandals look good.
- Voice messages should be illegal.
- Sleeping with the window open in winter is correct.
- Putting your shoes on the sofa is never okay, even when they are clean.
- Toilet paper should hang over, not under.
- Arriving ten minutes early is just as rude as being late.
- Leaving dishes to soak overnight is not doing the dishes.
- A small group of four is better than a big party.
- Phone calls without a text first are an ambush.
- Cats are better company than dogs.
- Sleeping in until noon on a Sunday is self care.
- Folding laundry is the worst chore.
- Reading the last page of a book first is fine.
- Having 40 browser tabs open is a lifestyle, not a problem.
- A clean car is more relaxing than a spa day.
- Birthdays after 25 are just regular days with cake.
- Unread notifications are a sign of a calm mind.
- Walking is the most underrated hobby there is.
Pop culture hot takes: films, TV and music
20- The book is not always better than the film.
- Most films would be better if they were 30 minutes shorter.
- Christmas songs should not be played before December.
- Reality TV is better than most scripted shows.
- Watching a series on double speed is a valid way to watch it.
- Sequels are often better than the original.
- Musicals are better on stage than on screen, every time.
- Subtitles on, always, even in your own language.
- Superhero films all blur into one.
- The best song on an album is never the single.
- Rewatching a comfort show is better than starting a new one.
- Karaoke is more fun when you can't sing.
- Horror films are funnier than comedies.
- Live albums are better than studio albums.
- Spoilers don't ruin anything, a good story still works.
- Animated films are made for adults more than for children.
- The theme song is the best part of most sitcoms.
- Remakes should only be allowed for films that were bad the first time.
- Podcasts are just radio for people who don't own a radio.
- A great playlist matters more than a great venue.
Dating and relationship hot takes
20- The first date should be a walk, not dinner.
- Texting back instantly is attractive, not desperate.
- Splitting the bill on a first date is the fair way.
- Couples should not share a social media account.
- Going to bed angry is sometimes the right call.
- Separate duvets are the secret to a happy relationship.
- Meeting on a dating app is just as romantic as meeting in a bar.
- Being friends with your ex is a red flag.
- Holding hands in public is better than kissing in public.
- Valentine's Day is overrated.
- Matching outfits for couples are cute, actually.
- A good playlist on a date says more than a good outfit.
- Sharing your location with your partner is normal.
- Grand romantic gestures are more embarrassing than romantic.
- Your partner should not have to like your favourite show.
- A long engagement is better than a short one.
- Love at first sight is real.
- Double dates are more fun than regular dates.
- You should know someone at least a year before moving in.
- Saying I love you first is a power move.
Work and money hot takes
20- Most meetings could be an email.
- Working from home is more productive than working at the office.
- A four day week would make everyone better at their job.
- Open plan offices should be banned.
- Replying to work messages on the weekend is never necessary.
- Small talk at work is actually important.
- Office birthday cake is the best part of the job.
- Cameras off in video calls should be the default.
- Your dream job is better as a hobby.
- Paying more for a good mattress is worth it, paying more for a car is not.
- Fancy coffee every day is worth the money.
- Calling instead of emailing saves everyone time.
- The Monday morning meeting kills more motivation than it creates.
- Christmas parties at work are better than summer parties.
- Job titles mean nothing.
- Saving receipts is a sign you have your life together.
- Starting work at 7 am is better than starting at 9.
- Team building days are fun if you let them be.
- Lunch at your desk is not a real lunch.
- Out of office replies should be funnier.
Travel hot takes
20- The window seat is the only seat worth booking.
- Reclining your plane seat is fine.
- Airport food is part of the holiday.
- City breaks beat beach holidays.
- Planning every hour of a trip is more fun than winging it.
- Hand luggage only is the only way to travel.
- Road trips are better than flying, even when they take all day.
- Hotel breakfast is the main reason to stay in a hotel.
- Going back to the same place every year is not boring.
- Night trains are the most romantic way to travel.
- Souvenirs are a waste of money.
- The best part of a holiday is coming home.
- Camping is just being uncomfortable outdoors.
- Taking photos of your food abroad is fine.
- Travelling alone is better than travelling with friends.
- Winter holidays beat summer holidays.
- Clapping when the plane lands is wholesome.
- A staycation is a real holiday.
- Booking a trip is more exciting than the trip itself.
- Getting to the airport three hours early is the only safe option.
How to play the hot takes game
The hot takes game needs nothing but a list of takes and people with opinions. It works at a dinner table, at a pre party or on a long car ride. Decide before you start whether the losing side takes a sip or loses a point.
- Draw a takeOne player draws a card from this page and reads the hot take out loud. No commentary yet.
- Count to three and voteOn three, everyone shows thumbs up for agree or thumbs down for disagree at the same time. No changing your mind after you see the others.
- The smaller side reactsWhoever ends up in the minority takes a sip or loses a point. If it is a perfect split, everyone does.
- One defender eachOne person from each side gets 20 seconds to argue their case. If they convince anyone to switch, the other side takes the penalty instead.
- Pass the phoneThe next player to the left draws a new take. Play until the takes run out or someone storms off to make a sandwich, which counts as a loss.
| Party version | Points version | Two hot takes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it works | Minority side takes a sip | Minority side loses a point | Each player says two takes, one they really believe |
| Who it suits | Pre parties and groups of friends | Families, colleagues, mixed groups | Groups who think they know each other well |
| How you win | Nobody wins, everyone argues | Fewest points lost after 20 takes | Guess which take is real |
| Best categories | Dating, Pop culture | Food, Everyday, Travel | Write your own |
Want everyone to vote from their own phone?
In Dronk's Would You Rather, the table picks a side on 120 impossible choices, and in LIVE mode up to 16 friends vote from their own phones with a 4 digit pin code. The results show exactly who stood alone.
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What makes a good hot take
The best hot takes split the room close to 50/50. If everyone agrees, it is not a take, it is a fact. If nobody does, it is just weird. A few rules help when you write your own:
- Keep it small. Food, habits, films and holidays make the best arguments, because everyone has an opinion and nobody gets hurt.
- Be specific. "Cold pizza beats reheated pizza" starts a fight. "Pizza is good" starts nothing.
- Take a side. A take with "sometimes" or "it depends" in it is not hot.
- Leave out the heavy stuff. Politics, religion and opinions about groups of people don't make a party game better. Keep it playful.
Funny hot takes vs controversial hot takes
Funny takes are the ones where people laugh before they vote, like "Podcasts are just radio for people who don't own a radio". Controversial takes are the ones where people stop laughing and start explaining, like "Splitting the bill on a first date is the fair way". A good round mixes both.
Questions people ask
What does hot take mean?
A hot take is a bold or unpopular opinion said on purpose to get a reaction. In a game it just means a statement the table is likely to split on, like "A hot dog is a sandwich".
What are some good hot takes?
Good hot takes split the room evenly. Classics are "Pineapple on pizza is good", "Most meetings could be an email" and "The window seat is the only seat worth booking". This page has 120 of them in six categories.
How do you play the hot takes game?
One player reads a take, everyone votes agree or disagree with their thumbs on the count of three, and the smaller side takes a sip or loses a point. Then one person from each side gets 20 seconds to defend their vote.
What is the two hot takes version?
Each player says two hot takes, one they truly believe and one they made up. The table guesses which one is real. It plays a lot like Two Truths and a Lie, just with opinions instead of facts.
Can you play hot takes without drinking?
Yes. Play the points version: the minority side loses a point, and the player with the fewest points lost after 20 takes wins.
Are these hot takes safe for a mixed group?
Yes. They are all about food, habits, pop culture, dating, work and travel. If the group is colleagues or family, you can switch Dating off in the deck.
Keep the night going
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