Haven’t we all wondered at least once, “What if…?” Just one imaginative question—like what if you won the lottery, could go back to the past, or could dive into the world of your favorite story—can make a conversation instantly livelier! In fact, these what-if questions aren’t just fun; they can also reveal someone’s values and unexpected sides of their personality.
In this article, we’ve gathered a wide range of “what-if questions” you can use at hangouts with friends, when chatting with someone you’re interested in, or just to kill a bit of time.
Be sure to check out these uniquely tempting prompts that you’ll find yourself eager to answer!
- [Talk] Interesting! Hilarious! A Collection of Silly Questions
- A collection of questions that will liven up conversations with friends. Talk themes to deepen your bond.
- [Ultimate Either-Or] A great conversation starter and a chance to get to know each other!
- A collection of hilarious questions that will liven up the conversation and might help you learn more about the other person
- With friends or couples! A set of questions perfect for penalty games
- [Talk Theme] Liven up the drinking party! A roundup of funny questions
- [Conversation Skills] Get the Crowd Going! A Collection of Talk Theme Ideas
- [Punishment Game] A collection of romance-themed prompts. Punishment games that get men and women excited
- A collection of questions to liven up phone calls with someone you like or are interested in
- Fun two-player games recommended that you can play using conversation only
- Games you can play with just conversation. Classic and popular activities you can enjoy without any props!
- [Punishment Game] Embarrassing Lines: A Collection of Material That Will Make You Blush
- [Personality Test] Fun and Entertaining! Carefully Selected Tests That Everyone Can Enjoy Together
“What if…?” questions are fascinating! Unique prompts that spark lively conversations (1–10)
If you could get one of Doraemon’s gadgets, which one would you want?NEW!
There are so many fascinating secret gadgets in Doraemon.
The Small Light, the Anywhere Door, and the Take-copter are prime examples.
Which secret gadget would you like to have? Since Doraemon is a popular series that almost everyone has seen, it makes for a conversation topic you can enjoy with anyone.
If you know some unexpected gadgets, the conversation might expand with questions like, “What kind of gadget is that?” You could also ask what they’d like to use that gadget for!
If you could use magic, what kind of magic would you want?
Have you ever thought how nice it would be if you could use magic—like flying through the sky, teleporting, or shooting flames or water from your hands? Asking “If you could use magic, what kind would you want?” is a surefire conversation starter! It’s fun to draw ideas from games, anime, or movies that feature magic.
You might even catch a glimpse of the person’s inner desires.
A similar topic is “Which of Doraemon’s secret gadgets would you like to use?” I bet the Anywhere Door would be the most popular, right?
If you could go either to the past or the future, which would you choose?NEW!
Precisely because it’s impossible, our imagination expands! That’s a fun conversation topic.
Which would you choose, the past or the future? Everyone has their own reasons for where they’d like to go, so after they choose, ask them why.
Do they want to return to childhood, make up for past mistakes, or are they curious about the world of the future? You’ll be excited to hear what kinds of stories come out.
If you dig deeper, you might even discover their surprisingly unique outlook on life!
If you were to be recognized by Guinness, what would you want to be recognized for?NEW!
Guinness, which certifies and records every kind of world’s best.
Height, length of names, oldest age—the types of records are diverse.
What kind of achievement would you like to be recognized for by Guinness? Some people may want to master their specialty, while others might name something impossible precisely because it’s just imagination.
Still, I don’t think anyone would bring up a field they have no interest in at all, so as the conversation expands and you dig deeper, you might discover an unexpected side of that person.
By all means, ask everyone what kind of world’s best they’d like to be.
What would you like to be if you were reborn?
Include a classic theme.
“If you were reborn, what would you want to be?” is a question you can ask in gatherings of almost any age group, isn’t it? You might hear all kinds of answers: wanting to be born in that city or country next time, becoming a favorite animal, or living the same life all over again.
The idea of “rebirth” could also steer the conversation toward philosophical topics.
For those with a partner, it might become a question that helps reaffirm the trust in their relationship.
If you could be the opposite sex for just one day, what would you do?NEW!
Sex is determined at birth, and changing it isn’t easy.
But in our imagination, we can have all the fun we want! Let’s have a conversation themed around what you would do if you became the opposite sex.
There are things men can’t do and things women can’t do, so people of your own sex might respond to your ideas with, “Oh, I totally get that!” On the other hand, people of the opposite sex might be surprised and say, “Huh?” Enjoy all of it, surprises included!
If you could go to a two-dimensional world, which work would you go into?
Do you have any favorite manga or anime? Some of you might even have a series you’re so into that you feel like you’ve devoted your life to it.
So, how about this: which two-dimensional world would you want to visit? Maybe you want to become a pirate and explore the world, get reincarnated in another world and be overpowered at something, or simply meet your favorite character.
Even with a little thought, all kinds of scenarios come to mind.
You might even say, “I love it so much that I actually wouldn’t want to go there.” I bet there are quite a few people who feel that way.
If you could bring only one thing to a deserted island, what would it be?
From one day to a week, or even a year… If you had to spend time on an uninhabited island, what would you bring? You can imagine all sorts of things—food, survival gear, ways to pass the time.
The conditions matter quite a bit, though.
As I mentioned at the start, your answer would likely change depending on how long you’ll be there and what kinds of creatures live on the island.
If you search on YouTube, you’ll find quite a few videos like “I tried spending 3 days and 2 nights on a deserted island,” so watching those might be helpful.
If you could be someone else, who would you want to be?
Who is someone you admire? The question “If you could be anyone, who would you be?” feels pretty deep—it can reveal a glimpse of a person’s true character.
Lots of ideas might come up, like wanting to be an idol or a great figure from the past.
It could also be someone close you respect, like a friend, teacher, or family member.
On the other hand, some might say, “I’m fine as myself; I don’t want to be anyone else.” It’s a question that can be a starting point for understanding someone’s personality.
If you could erase one event from history, what would you erase?NEW!
The present is built upon history, so it would be truly frightening if it were to disappear.
But as an imaginative exercise, it makes for a fun and lively discussion topic! A historical event you’d like to erase… what comes to your mind? History is vast, from ancient times to the modern era, so it’ll be exciting to see what people bring up.
If the scope feels too broad to answer, narrowing it down to Japanese history is a good idea.
It would also be interesting to talk about how the future might change if that piece of history were removed!