The Birth of rrrather

On January 20, 2011, Alex Walter launched rrrather, the first "would you rather" website, as far as we know. In a testament to the power of collaboration, Alex credits his wife for the brilliant idea that sparked this unique platform.

Peak Popularity

Around 2013, rrrather reached its zenith of popularity. This Google Trends graph is not totally accurate, and has a dropoff that is more dramatic to the reality, but it is a good yardstick. The website gained significant traction on Reddit, capturing the imagination of users across the platform. During this time, rrrather's most famous question, "Who/what created the world?", ignited a passionate debate on the r/atheism subreddit, further boosting the site's visibility.

Cultural Impact

The "Would You Rather" game has become a significant part of pop culture, transcending its origins as a simple party game to become a widespread phenomenon across various media platforms. YouTube videos featuring creators answering would you rather questions became a trend, some using rrrather. Often with focus on the more provocative "dirty and gross" category.

I think its popularity stems from its ability to spark discussions, encourage critical thinking, and reveal personal preferences in a fun and engaging way. The game's format is versatile, adapting to different contexts and audiences.

On rrrather, users and guests from different parts of the world connect over shared interests and engage in lively debates in the comments. Some connections formed through rrrather have extended beyond the virtual world. There are reports of friendships blossoming in real life and it is rumored that a marriage resulted from a connection made on rrrather (email me please if you can confirm this).

Challenges and Competition

As with many user-generated content platforms, rrrather faced its share of challenges. The site encountered issues with Google and advertisers due to content that was deemed inappropriate or violated policies. This led to difficulties with AdSense and big brands withdrawing their ad placements. Simultaneously, competition increased as more blog-style "would you rather" websites emerged, often outranking rrrather with lengthy, SEO-optimized content.

The Hack and Transition

In June 2020, rrrather faced a significant setback when the website was hacked. The compromised site was used to send phishing emails and launch DDoS attacks, prompting OVH, the hosting provider, to shut down traffic to the server. Coupled with declining ad revenue and increasing costs, the site was no longer financially viable in its original form. Timing was bad, as we all could have used more rrrather during the COVID lockdowns.

Static = boring

In response to these challenges, rrrather was converted to a static site. While this ensured the site's survival, it came at the cost of interactive features such as voting, commenting, and question submissions. It prompted the rrrather community to reflect on the platform’s journey, celebrating the friendships it fostered, the strong sense of community it built, and the heartwarming stories of how it positively impacted mental health. There's a short documentary on it by gtc26.

Rebirth and Future

In 2024, the site has been recreated with a modern tech stack, including Next.js, Clerk authentication, and Supabase. Old accounts are not transfered over - you will need to signup again if you have users rrrather in the past. This rebirth aims to recapture [part of] the spirit of the original rrrather while leveraging current technologies to provide a robust, engaging user experience. Some of the best questions and comments were used as a starting point for the content. The "Lists" are SEO-optimized, yes I know it kinda feels like those recipe pages that start with the author's life story before the ingredient list. But it seems to be what Google loves.

However, it must be said that the goal is not to re-create every function that existed before. For one moderation of questions and comments will be much stricter, and the focus will be on cleaner and high quality content, instead of being more lax on what is allowed to be published on the site.

Nostalgia

There was a fandom wiki that was created by users that has a lot of frozen-in-time content, and there's an entry on KnowYourMeme.

rrrather on youtube

There are some "gameplay" videos on youtube of people answering live questions from rrrather. Here's a selection of some of them:

Would you rather in pop culture

Talk Shows

• Ellen frequently played "Would You Rather" with celebrity guests.
• Jimmy Fallon has used "Would You Rather" scenarios in various segments.
• Graham Norton has incorporated "Would You Rather" questions in his celebrity interviews.
• Andy Cohen often plays "Would You Rather" with his guests during the show's games.
• James Corden has used "Would You Rather" questions in segments with celebrity guests.

Would You Rather Movies

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  Would You Rather (2012)

  A horror thriller centered entirely around a deadly version of the game.

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  The Box (2009)

  Not explicitly "Would You Rather", but there is a central dilemma/choice.

• 

  Saw franchise (2004-2021)

  Many of the traps present "Would You Rather" style choices.

• 

  Sophie's Choice (1982)

  Features a devastating "Would You Rather" scenario as a central plot point.

• 

  127 Hours (2010)

  The entire movie is based on a single grim would you rather question. And it's a true story.

Would You Rather in TV Shows

Would You Rather in Music

• "Would You Rather" by Phoebe Bridgers
• Would You Rather in song lyrics on Genius
  Biggest one is So Appalled by Kanye West