You are the Guesser being evaluated in a Twenty Questions benchmark. One subject is hidden. The initial BEGIN message provides its broad category as trusted game metadata. Identify the subject using as few counted questions as possible. ASK is only for learning a property that helps distinguish possible candidates. Never use ASK to confirm a named candidate or ask whether the subject is a specific identity. When you are ready to name a candidate, use GUESS immediately. A correct GUESS costs zero counted questions; an incorrect GUESS costs exactly one, the same as ASK. A GUESS must provide both a name and a short identifying description. The engine replies only YES, NO, or UNKNOWN; UNKNOWN is a valid answer meaning the factual adjudication system could not determine the proposition under its evidence policy. Questions requiring proof of absence, exclusivity, completeness, exact counts, or subjective classification are more likely to return UNKNOWN. Prefer direct, positively verifiable properties when possible. The initial BEGIN event includes an opaque variation_token that contains no information about the hidden subject. Do not interpret, repeat, mention, or derive meaning from it. After BEGIN, each user reply is either one adjudicated YES, NO, or UNKNOWN token or a fixed FORMAT_ERROR event. FORMAT_ERROR means your immediately preceding response did not match the required structured-action contract, was not semantically adjudicated, and consumed one counted turn. Use the formats in that event and try again. Never infer that the attempted question or guess was right or wrong. At most 50 questions or rejected guesses are counted. After that limit you receive one final guess-only opportunity. Format errors also consume counted turns. The provider wire response is an object with exactly one `result` action. On the final opportunity ASK is forbidden. Return only the required structured response. Do not include analysis, hidden reasoning, or additional fields.
- Questions
- 13
- Outcome
- Solved
- Format errors
- No errors
- Duration
- 5m 18s
- Round cost
- $0.1750 All 14 turns
Transcript
Questions and answers.
Turns are shown in the order they happened. Each shows the Guesser's question or guess, then the final checked answer.
Exact Guesser setupSystem message and BEGIN event
The Guesser received these messages at the start of the round. The BEGIN message holds the broad category and a code made from the base seed and round number, which reveals nothing about the subject.
{"category":"person","event":"BEGIN","variation_token":"AMZAISLM"}Valid replies are shown in the required format. Rejected replies are shown separately, without provider or call IDs.
Is the person alive today?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is the person alive today?"}}Oracle evidence1 model-reported source
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
The Institute Season Two — Posted: February 4th, 2026Open stephenking.com (opens in a new tab)
Is the person male?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is the person male?"}}Oracle evidence1 model-reported source
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
King, a White man wearing glasses and a blue collared shirtOpen penfaulkner.org (opens in a new tab)
Is the person primarily famous for work in entertainment, such as acting, music, or television?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is the person primarily famous for work in entertainment, such as acting, music, or television?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Stephen (Edwin) King ... U.S. writer of horror stories ... one of the world’s best-selling writers.Open britannica.com (opens in a new tab)
Stephen King | Biography, Books, Movies, TV Shows, & FactsOpen britannica.com (opens in a new tab)
Is the person primarily known as a professional athlete?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is the person primarily known as a professional athlete?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Stephen (Edwin) King ... U.S. writer of horror stories ... one of the world’s best-selling writers.Open britannica.com (opens in a new tab)
Stephen King | Biography, Books, Movies, TV Shows, & FactsOpen britannica.com (opens in a new tab)
Is the person primarily known as a politician or government leader?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is the person primarily known as a politician or government leader?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Stephen (Edwin) King ... U.S. writer of horror stories ... one of the world’s best-selling writers.Open britannica.com (opens in a new tab)
Here’s a look at the life of best-selling author Stephen King ... He is best known for his works in the horror and fantasy genres.Open cnn.com (opens in a new tab)
Is the person primarily known for business or technology entrepreneurship?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is the person primarily known for business or technology entrepreneurship?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Stephen King ... is an American novelist and short-story writer whose books are credited with reviving the genre of horror fiction.Open britannica.com (opens in a new tab)
His primary occupation is a novelist.Open thefactsite.com (opens in a new tab)
Is the person primarily known for contributions to science or academia?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is the person primarily known for contributions to science or academia?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
U.S. writer of horror stories... one of the world’s best-selling writers.Open britannica.com (opens in a new tab)
Best-selling author Stephen King... best known for his works in the horror and fantasy genres.Open cnn.com (opens in a new tab)
Is the person primarily known for creating online content or social media?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is the person primarily known for creating online content or social media?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
U.S. writer of horror stories... one of the world’s best-selling writers.Open britannica.com (opens in a new tab)
best known for his works in the horror and fantasy genresOpen cnn.com (opens in a new tab)
Is the person primarily known as a religious or spiritual leader?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is the person primarily known as a religious or spiritual leader?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Stephen King, U.S. writer of horror stories... one of the world’s best-selling writers.Open britannica.com (opens in a new tab)
best-selling author Stephen King... best known for his works in the horror and fantasy genresOpen cnn.com (opens in a new tab)
Is the person primarily known as a writer, author, or journalist?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is the person primarily known as a writer, author, or journalist?"}}Oracle evidence1 model-reported source
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
U.S. writer of horror stories... one of the world’s best-selling writers.Open britannica.com (opens in a new tab)
Is the person primarily known for writing fiction novels?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is the person primarily known for writing fiction novels?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Stephen King ... is an American novelist and short-story writer whose books are credited with reviving the genre of horror fiction in the late 20th century.Open britannica.com (opens in a new tab)
Stephen King is a 'New York Times'-bestselling novelist who made his name in the horror and fantasy genres with books like 'Carrie,' 'The Shining' and 'IT.'Open biography.com (opens in a new tab)
Is the person American?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is the person American?"}}Oracle evidence1 model-reported source
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Stephen (Edwin) King, (born Sept. 21, 1947, Portland, Maine, U.S.), U.S. writer of horror stories.Open britannica.com (opens in a new tab)
Is he best known for horror or supernatural fiction?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is he best known for horror or supernatural fiction?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
He is best known for his works in the horror and fantasy genres.Open cnn.com (opens in a new tab)
U.S. writer of horror stories.Open britannica.com (opens in a new tab)
Stephen King
Living American male novelist best known for horror and supernatural fiction.
Validator rationale The proposed identity matches Stephen King, the trusted subject, including the same name and identifying description.
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"GUESS","description":"Living American male novelist best known for horror and supernatural fiction.","name":"Stephen King","question":null}}