Pick Your Poison vs. This or That: Which Family Game Wins?

Both are quick family card games built on choices, but Pick Your Poison rewards creative bluffing while This or That is a pure guessing game. Here is how to pick.

Publishing teamXI LANGS Editorial

PublishedOct 16, 2026

Page updatedOct 16, 2026

Reading time4 minutes

Pick Your Poison vs. This or That: Which Family Game Wins?

Quick Answer

Choose Pick Your Poison if your group enjoys inventing twisted scenarios and bluffing about their own choices. Choose This or That if you want a simpler, faster guessing game where one player answers either/or questions and everyone else predicts the outcome. Both are family-friendly card games, but they reward different kinds of players.

How the Two Games Actually Differ at the Table

Pick Your Poison is a creation game. Three or more players combine two Poison cards to build the hardest possible 'What would you rather do?' scenario, then everyone anonymously picks a side. The fun comes from the reveal, when you find out who agreed with you and who is just as messed up as you thought.

This or That is a prediction game. One player answers a series of either/or questions while the rest of the group guesses where they will land at the bottom of the Pyramid. Each game ends in one of eight possible destinations, so the group is trying to read one person rather than out-create each other.

Player Count, Pace, and Group Energy

Both games need three or more players, so neither works as a two-person filler. Pick Your Poison tends to run longer per round because the group debates and builds scenarios before voting; This or That moves faster because answers are quick either/or picks.

If your family game night card games rotation includes younger kids and grandparents, This or That's simple either/or format is easier to teach on the spot. Pick Your Poison rewards groups that like talking, arguing, and laughing at each other's answers.

If You Want an Adult Version Later

Pick Your Poison also comes in an After Dark edition for adult groups, so a family that outgrows the family deck has a natural next step. This or That is positioned as a family guessing game for kids, teens, and adults, with no adult variant listed in the catalog.

That matters if you host mixed-age parties now but expect more adult-only pregames later. Buying the family edition first and adding After Dark later keeps the same core mechanic while shifting the tone.

Trade-Offs to Weigh Before You Buy

Creation vs. prediction: Pick Your Poison asks players to invent scenarios; This or That asks players to guess one person's answers. Pick creation if your group is talkative; pick prediction if your group likes quick reads.
Pace and rules overhead: This or That is faster to teach and faster to play; Pick Your Poison rewards a group willing to linger on each round. Short attention spans favor This or That.
Adult expansion path: Pick Your Poison has a separate After Dark edition; This or That is sold as a family game with no adult variant listed. Choose Pick Your Poison if you want one mechanic that can grow with your group.

Product Facts

Pick Your Poison Party Game - The “What Would You Rather Do?” Family Card Game: Family-friendly card game of 'What would you rather do?' scenarios where three or more players combine two Poison cards to create the hardest scenario possible. Best when your group enjoys building and debating scenarios rather than just answering questions.
This or That Party Game – Family Card Game with Easy Either/Or Choices | Fun Guessing Game for Kids, Teens & Adults Where Players Follow Their Path Down the Pyramid for Family Game Night & Parties: Family party game where one player answers either/or questions while the group guesses where they will land at the bottom of the Pyramid, ending in one of eight possible destinations. Best when you want a fast, easy-to-teach guessing game that works with kids, teens, and adults.
Pick Your Poison After Dark Party Game - The “What Would You Rather Do?” Adult Card Game: After Dark edition of Pick Your Poison with 300 cards, aimed at adult groups. A useful upgrade path if your family group later wants an adults-only version of the same mechanic.