20 Questions Game
The classic road-trip guessing game, with the computer doing the guessing. Think of an animal, a food or an everyday object, answer up to 20 yes-or-no questions honestly, and see whether it can work out what you are thinking of.
How to play 20 Questions Game
- Think of an animal, a food or drink, or an everyday thing, and keep it to yourself. Press I'm ready.
- The computer asks a yes-or-no question each turn. Answer Yes, No, Probably, Probably not or Don't know.
- When it feels sure, it makes a guess. A guess uses up a turn too, so it has 20 turns in total to find the answer.
- If it has not guessed your thing after 20 turns, you win. Tell it what you were thinking of and it will remember it next time you play in this browser.
- Made a mistake? Press Undo last answer to change it.
Controls
- Tap or click an answer.
- Keyboard: 1–5 pick an answer, Y and N for yes and no, Z or Backspace undoes.
Tips
- Answer the way most people would. If your answer depends on the situation, choose Probably or Don't know.
- Want to win? Pick something unusual, but not so unusual that the questions make no sense for it.
- The more you teach it, the smarter it gets on this device. Things you teach are saved only in your browser.
FAQ
How do you play 20 questions?
One player thinks of something and the others ask up to 20 yes-or-no questions to work out what it is. In this version you think of the thing and the computer asks the questions, guessing as soon as it feels confident.
How does the computer guess?
It keeps a score for every thing it knows. After each answer it raises the scores of things that fit and lowers the ones that do not, then asks the question that best splits the remaining possibilities. It does not use the internet or any outside service.
What happens if I answer a question wrong?
It copes. Answers are treated as likely rather than certain, so one or two odd answers rarely ruin the game. You can also press Undo to change your last answer.
What can I think of?
Animals, fruits and vegetables, foods and drinks, things around the house and school, toys, clothes, vehicles, tools and things in nature or the sky. It knows over 200 things and learns more from you.