In 20 questions, one player thinks of a person, place or thing. Everyone else gets 20 yes-or-no questions, shared between them, to work out what it is. The first ten questions above work for any answer. The rest are sorted by whether the answer turns out to be an object, a person or a place.
How to play
You need at least two players and nothing else. A pen and paper help for keeping count.
- One player, the answerer, silently picks a person, place or thing. With children, have them whisper it to an adult so nobody changes their mind halfway.
- The others take turns asking questions that can be answered “yes” or “no”. The answerer may also say “sometimes” or “I don’t know” when that’s the honest answer.
- Someone keeps count out loud. Every question counts, including a guess like “Is it a toaster?”
- If a guess is right within 20 questions, the guesser wins and picks the next answer. If nobody gets it, the answerer wins and reveals it.
How to guess faster
Ask questions that cut the possibilities roughly in half. “Is it alive?” rules out far more than “Is it red?” Settle person, place or thing first, then size, then where you would find it. Leave color, brand and names for the last few questions.
When an answer is “no”, change direction. Three questions about different kitchen gadgets waste three turns.
Easier and harder rounds
For younger children, pick only things in the room, or only animals. Give a free hint after ten questions so the round ends with a laugh rather than a sulk.
For a harder round, allow only 10 questions, or pick something abstract like a famous event or a song. On a long drive, the passenger can pick and the driver can guess; it needs nothing but voices. The car ride questions have more ideas for the road.
If your group wants to talk about themselves rather than guess, switch to the 21 questions game or quick would you rather questions.