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
- 25
- Outcome
- Solved
- Format errors
- No errors
- Duration
- 12m 38s
- Round cost
- $0.7685 All 26 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":"EAQCORIU"}Valid replies are shown in the required format. Rejected replies are shown separately, without provider or call IDs.
Q1
1 · Guesser asks
Is this person currently alive?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person currently alive?"}}Oracle evidence1 model-reported source
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Stephen is very much alive and well.Open stephenking.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns Yes
Q2
1 · Guesser asks
Is this person a woman?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person a woman?"}}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)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q3
1 · Guesser asks
Has he held an elected political office?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Has he held an elected political office?"}}Oracle evidence1 model-reported source
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
King’s no politician, but he is a politically active Democrat.Open centralmaine.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q4
1 · Guesser asks
Is he a citizen of the United States?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is he a citizen of the United States?"}}Oracle evidence1 model-reported source
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Nationality: United StatesOpen nndb.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns Yes
Q5
1 · Guesser asks
Has he competed as a professional athlete?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Has he competed as a professional athlete?"}} 2 · Answer check returns Unknown
Q6
1 · Guesser asks
Has he appeared as an actor in a feature film?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Has he appeared as an actor in a feature film?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Creepshow (1982) is a single full-length feature; one story concerns a rural man (Stephen King).Open rottentomatoes.com (opens in a new tab)
In Creepshow (1982), King plays a big role as Jordy Verrill; in Creepshow 2, he appears as a truck driver.Open mentalfloss.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns Yes
Q7
1 · Guesser asks
Has he won an Academy Award for acting?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Has he won an Academy Award for acting?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
At the 63rd Academy Awards, a Stephen King film finally won an Oscar... Best Actress, awarded to Kathy Bates for her portrayal of Annie Wilkes.Open screenrant.com (opens in a new tab)
It remains the only Academy Award for acting in any screen adaptation of a Stephen King book; Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie both got nominations for Carrie, but neither won.Open screenrant.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q8
1 · Guesser asks
Has he released a studio album as a recording artist?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Has he released a studio album as a recording artist?"}} 2 · Answer check returns Unknown
Q9
1 · Guesser asks
Was he born before 1960?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Was he born before 1960?"}}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.)Open britannica.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns Yes
Q10
1 · Guesser asks
Has he directed a feature film?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Has he directed a feature film?"}}Oracle evidence1 model-reported source
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Maximum Overdrive Directed by Stephen KingOpen nytimes.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns Yes
Q11
1 · Guesser asks
Has he won the Academy Award for Best Director?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Has he won the Academy Award for Best Director?"}}Oracle evidence1 model-reported source
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
This singular win came in the form of Best Actress, awarded to Kathy Bates ... This makes the win from Misery ... the sole Oscar from a King film.Open screenrant.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q12
1 · Guesser asks
Has he been nominated for an Academy Award for acting?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Has he been nominated for an Academy Award for acting?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Only five King adaptations have received Oscar nominations; the acting nominations cited are for performers such as Sissy Spacek, Kathy Bates, and Morgan Freeman.Open nextbestpicture.com (opens in a new tab)
Sissy Spacek earned an Oscar nomination for Carrie—a film that brought both the actor and Stephen King to wide attention.Open bbc.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q13
1 · Guesser guesses
George Lucas
American filmmaker who created Star Wars and co-created Indiana Jones.
Validator rationale The proposal identifies George Lucas, whereas the trusted subject is Stephen King.
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"GUESS","description":"American filmmaker who created Star Wars and co-created Indiana Jones.","name":"George Lucas","question":null}} 2 · Validator returns No
Q14
1 · Guesser asks
Is he African American?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is he African American?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Stephen is of Scots-Irish ancestryOpen stephenking.com (opens in a new tab)
Of Scot-Irish ancestry, Stephen Edwin King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947.Open stephenkingbooks.co.uk (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q15
1 · Guesser asks
Has he won an Academy Award in any category?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Has he won an Academy Award in any category?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Kathy Bates’s performance in Misery earned her an Academy Award for best actress.Open britannica.com (opens in a new tab)
Only one of King’s movie adaptations has achieved Oscar glory: Misery, which earned Kathy Bates a Best Actress Oscar.Open slashfilm.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q16
1 · Guesser asks
Has he ever been nominated for an Academy Award in any category?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Has he ever been nominated for an Academy Award in any category?"}} 2 · Answer check returns Unknown
Q17
1 · Guesser asks
Was he born before 1940?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Was he born before 1940?"}}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.)Open britannica.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q18
1 · Guesser asks
Was he a regular cast member of a scripted television series before directing his first feature film?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Was he a regular cast member of a scripted television series before directing his first feature film?"}}Oracle evidence3 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
1986 - Makes his directorial debut with the release of “Maximum Overdrive.”Open cnn.com (opens in a new tab)
While he doesn’t appear in every project he works on, he’s made an appearance either in person or via his voice in fourteen television shows, thirteen movies, and one American Express commercial.Open the-line-up.com (opens in a new tab)
Creepshow ... was originally released on November 12th, 1982 ... with ... a cameo by King.Open filmpittsburgh.org (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q19
1 · Guesser asks
Has he received top billing in a theatrically released feature film?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Has he received top billing in a theatrically released feature film?"}} 2 · Answer check returns Unknown
Q20
1 · Guesser asks
Has he been a cast member of Saturday Night Live?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Has he been a cast member of Saturday Night Live?"}}Oracle evidence1 model-reported source
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Jon Lovitz impersonates the author; video of King appears from his study in Maine.Open yahoo.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q21
1 · Guesser asks
Has he directed an animated feature film?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Has he directed an animated feature film?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
"Maximum Overdrive" is the only film ever directed by horror author Stephen King.Open starnewsonline.com (opens in a new tab)
Maximum Overdrive — Directed by Stephen King — Action, Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi.Open nytimes.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q22
1 · Guesser asks
Was he born in 1950 or later?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Was he born in 1950 or later?"}}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.)Open britannica.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q23
1 · Guesser asks
Did he direct a feature film released before 1970?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Did he direct a feature film released before 1970?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
1986 - Makes his directorial debut with the release of “Maximum Overdrive.”Open edition.cnn.com (opens in a new tab)
Maximum Overdrive (1986) ... 25 July 1986 ... Director: Stephen KingOpen catalog.afi.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q24
1 · Guesser asks
Was he born before 1945?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Was he born before 1945?"}}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.)Open britannica.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q25
1 · Guesser asks
Was a novel written by him adapted into a theatrically released film before he directed his first feature film?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Was a novel written by him adapted into a theatrically released film before he directed his first feature film?"}}Oracle evidence3 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Carrie (1976)... Screenplay by Lawrence D. Cohen, based on novel by Stephen King.Open moma.org (opens in a new tab)
Theatrical Release: November 16th, 1976Open moviefone.com (opens in a new tab)
1986 - Makes his directorial debut with the release of “Maximum Overdrive,” which is based on one of his short stories.Open cnn.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns Yes
G
1 · Guesser guessesNot counted
Stephen King
American horror author whose novels include Carrie and The Shining, and who directed Maximum Overdrive.
Validator rationale The proposed identity matches Stephen King, the American author associated with Carrie, The Shining, and Maximum Overdrive.
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"GUESS","description":"American horror author whose novels include Carrie and The Shining, and who directed Maximum Overdrive.","name":"Stephen King","question":null}} 2 · Validator returns Yes