Twenty questions is a spoken parlor game. It encourages creativity and deductive reasoning. The 20 questions game originated in the United States and was played widely in the 19th century. It escalated in popularity during the late 1940s, when it became the format for a successful weekly radio quiz program.
How to play 20 questions game?
The “answerer” chooses something that the “questioners” to guess. They then take turns asking a question which the answerer must answer with wither “yes” or “no”. If the questioner guesses the correct answer, they win and become the answerer for the next round. If 20 questions are asked without a correct guess, then the answerer has stumped the questioners and gets to be the answerer for another round.
The key to winning at 20 Questions is to ask strategic questions that help you eliminate as many possibilities as possible with each question. Good luck and have fun! For more information you can check out this video.
What are some great questions to ask?
Good questions will help you narrow down the possible answers as much as possible. It is important to ask questions that are specific as this will help to eliminate possibilities.
At the start of the game, you can ask slightly broad questions as you don’t know what type of object this is. Once you have obtained more information about the object, your questions need to become more specific in order to get to the correct answer as quick as possible.
| Good questions to ask at the beginning |
|---|
| Is it alive? |
| Is it a place? |
| Is it man-made? |
| Is it a type of food? |
| Is it a type of animal? |
| Is it something you can wear? |
| Is it something that can be found indoors/ outdoors? |
| Object you need to guess | Good questions to ask to narrow down |
|---|---|
| Animal | Can this animal fly? Does this animal live on a farm? Does this animal eat meat? Is this animal bigger than a car? Do people keep this animal as a pet? Is it a mammal? Is it a reptile? Is it an insect? Is it a fish? Does it live on land or in water? Does it have fur, feathers, or scales? Is it carnivorous or herbivorous? Does it live in a specific climate or habitat? Is it domesticated or wild? Is it known for its intelligence? Is it a predator or prey animal? Does it have a long lifespan or short lifespan? Does it have a distinctive appearance or pattern? Is it considered endangered or protected? Does it hibernate or migrate? Does it have a specific adaptation that helps it survive? Is it a nocturnal or diurnal animal? Does it have a unique form of locomotion, such as flying or swimming? Is it a social animal that lives in groups? |
| Movie | Is it a drama? Is it a comedy? Is it an action movie? Is it a romance? Is it a science-fiction movie? Is it a horror movie? Is it a musical? Is it an animated movie? Is it a documentary? Was it released before the year 2000? Is it based on a true story? Is it based on a book? Did it win any major awards? Does it star a specific actor or actress? Is it set in a specific time period or location? Is it part of a specific franchise or series? |
| Food | Is it a type of fruit? Is the object bigger than a watermelon? Is this food a vegetable? Is this food sweet? |
| City | Is it located in a specific country? Is it a capital city? Is it a popular tourist destination? Does it have a specific architectural style or landmark? Is it known for a specific type of cuisine? Is it a modern or ancient city? |
| Song | Is it a recent song or an older song? Is it a popular song? Is it a love song? Is it a sad song? Is it a happy or upbeat song? Is it a rock song? Is it a pop song? Is it a hip-hop or rap song? Is it a classical or instrumental song? Is it a song from a movie or musical? Is it a duet or collaboration between multiple artists? |
| Sport | Is it a team sport? Is it an individual sport? Is it played indoors or outdoors? Is it a contact sport? Is it a ball sport? Is it a water sport? Is it a winter sport? Is it a summer sport? Is it a combat sport? Is it an Olympic sport? Does it require a specific type of equipment or gear? Is it a popular sport in a specific country or region? Does it have a specific type of field or court? |
| Famous person | Is this person American? Is this person fictional? Is this person a movie star? Is this person a woman? Is this person over 30 years old? Is this person a sports personality? |
20 questions game ideas
Here are some ideas for objects or concepts you can use to play the 20 Questions game. The topic of ‘animals’ is one of the most popular categories for kids.
Picking a good object in the 20 Questions game is important because it can affect the enjoyment as well as the challenge level of the game. If the object or concept is interesting, players will be more engaged and invested in the game.
To make the game fair for everyone, make sure you choose something that everyone has a reasonable chance of guessing. If you don’t know which object to choose, the most popular ones being animal, movie, food, city, song, sport or a TV show.
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