20 Questions game

200 things to guess in 20 Questions

Animals and Food are the friendliest starting point. Famous people and Movies and TV make rounds faster in a group that shares the same references. Places is the hardest category, because "Is it in Europe?" only gets you so far.

30 good questions for the 20 Questions game

The best questions cut the possibilities in half, whatever the answer. Start at the top of this list and work down. By question ten you should know roughly what kind of thing it is.

How to play 20 Questions

20 Questions is one of the oldest guessing games there is, and it needs nothing but people. It works in the car, at dinner, in a queue or at the start of a party.

1. Choose the thinkerOne player thinks of a thing, or draws one from the card above, and keeps it secret. Saying the category out loud, like "It's an animal", makes the round easier.
2. Ask yes or no questionsThe others take turns asking questions that can be answered with yes or no. The thinker answers honestly. "Sometimes" or "I don't know" is allowed when a question has no clear answer.
3. Count every questionOne player keeps count out loud. Every question counts, including direct guesses like "Is it Shrek?"
4. Guess within 20If someone names the thing within 20 questions, the guessers win and that player thinks of the next thing. If nobody gets it, the thinker wins and reveals the answer.

Animal, vegetable or mineral

The traditional first question is "Animal, vegetable or mineral?". Animal means anything that is or was an animal, or comes from one, like leather or cheese. Vegetable means plants and things made from them, like paper or cotton. Mineral is everything else: metal, stone, plastic, glass. It is the only question allowed a three way answer.

Strategy: how to guess in fewer questions

Twenty yes or no answers is enough to pick one thing out of about a million, as long as every question splits the options roughly in half. Most players lose because they guess too early.

• Don't ask either or questions. "Is it big or small?" can't be answered with yes or no.
• Listen to the other guessers. Every answer is shared. Write the yes answers down if it helps.
• Avoid the trap of the obvious guess. "Is it a dog?" on question four wastes a question. "Does it have four legs?" doesn't.

Variants: couples, teams and a drinking round

The classic version works for any group. These twists change who plays and what you guess.

• 20 Questions for couples. Think only of things from your relationship: the restaurant from your first date, a gift you once got, a song you both love, a trip, a joke only you two get. It turns the game into a walk down memory lane, and a little flirty if you want it to be.
• Team battle. Two teams each pick a thing for the other team. Both teams ask in turns, and the team that guesses in fewer questions wins the round.
• Reverse 20 Questions. The group picks something and one player guesses alone. Good for the one friend who always wins.
• Who am I. The thinker is the thing. Everyone else picks a famous person for one player, who asks yes or no questions about themselves.
• Speed round. Ten questions, a 2 minute limit and only the Animals or Food category.
• Drinking round. Each question answered with "no" is a sip for the asker. Water counts the same, and nobody has to drink.

Keep the night going