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
- 22
- Outcome
- Solved
- Format errors
- No errors
- Duration
- 12m 2s
- Round cost
- $0.7319 All 23 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":"BKXG3AZI"}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 alive today?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person alive today?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
The Institute Season Two — Production has begun on The Institute Season 2 at MGM+; Stephen's Post on Twitter.Open stephenking.com (opens in a new tab)
Stephen Edwin King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947.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.
Stephen King is a U.S. writer of horror stories.Open britannica.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q3
1 · Guesser asks
Has this person served as the head of government or head of state of a country?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Has this person served as the head of government or head of state of a country?"}} 2 · Answer check returns Unknown
Q4
1 · Guesser asks
Has this person acted in commercially released films or television productions?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Has this person acted in commercially released films or television productions?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
1989 - Makes a cameo in the movie “Pet Sematary,” which is based on his novel.Open cnn.com (opens in a new tab)
Pet Sematary — 1989 Drama ... with a cameo appearance by author Stephen King ... Streaming Now OnOpen entertainment.ie (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns Yes
Q5
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 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 for her portrayal of Annie Wilkes.Open screenrant.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q6
1 · Guesser asks
Was he born in the United States?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Was he born in the United States?"}}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
Q7
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
Q8
1 · Guesser asks
Has he been a regular cast member on a television sitcom?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Has he been a regular cast member on a television sitcom?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Every Stephen King Cameo on Film and TV—Ever ... he’s made an appearance either in person or via his voice in fourteen television shows.Open the-line-up.com (opens in a new tab)
He did a guest voice spot (as himself) on “The Simpsons,” ... and he was even on “Frasier” once.Open slashfilm.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q9
1 · Guesser asks
Has he played a leading role in a live-action feature film?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Has he played a leading role in a live-action feature film?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Romero cast the author in his one and only leading role as Jordy Verrill in the segment, “The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill.”Open bgr.com (opens in a new tab)
Creepshow is a single full-length feature; one story concerns a rural man (Stephen King).Open rottentomatoes.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns Yes
Q10
1 · Guesser asks
Was he born before 1950?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Was he born before 1950?"}}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
Q11
1 · Guesser asks
Has he received an Academy Award nomination for an acting performance?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Has he received an Academy Award nomination for an acting performance?"}} 2 · Answer check returns Unknown
Q12
1 · Guesser asks
Has he appeared in a live-action Star Wars film?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Has he appeared in a live-action Star Wars film?"}} 2 · Answer check returns Unknown
Q13
1 · Guesser asks
Has he directed a feature film that received a wide theatrical release?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Has he directed a feature film that received a wide theatrical release?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Maximum Overdrive (1986) ... Director: Stephen KingOpen catalog.afi.com (opens in a new tab)
Release Date Jul 25, 1986 ... Opening ... 1,198 theaters ... Widest Release 1,198 theatersOpen boxofficemojo.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns Yes
Q14
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 evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
The only Stephen King movie to win an Oscar is Misery; Director Rob Reiner; Writers William Goldman, Stephen King.Open cbr.com (opens in a new tab)
Only five films adapted from Stephen King's works received Academy Award nominations, with Misery's Oscar won by Kathy Bates.Open screenrant.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q15
1 · Guesser asks
Did he write the screenplay for a film in which he also played a professional boxer?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Did he write the screenplay for a film in which he also played a professional boxer?"}} 2 · Answer check returns Unknown
Q16
1 · Guesser guesses
Sylvester Stallone
American actor, screenwriter, and director best known for creating and portraying boxer Rocky Balboa and action hero John Rambo.
Validator rationale The proposal identifies Sylvester Stallone, while the trusted subject is Stephen King.
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"GUESS","description":"American actor, screenwriter, and director best known for creating and portraying boxer Rocky Balboa and action hero John Rambo.","name":"Sylvester Stallone","question":null}} 2 · Validator returns No
Q17
1 · Guesser asks
Has he been a credited cast member of Saturday Night Live?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Has he been a credited cast member of Saturday Night Live?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Jon Lovitz | ... | Stephen KingOpen snlarchives.net (opens in a new tab)
Jon Lovitz impersonates the authorOpen yahoo.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q18
1 · Guesser asks
Has he directed and starred in the same feature film?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Has he directed and starred in the same feature film?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Maximum Overdrive also starred Emilio Estevez, Pat Hingle, Yeardley Smith, and Frankie Faison, with Stephen King himself appearing in a cameo role as ‘ATM man.’ It was the author’s first outing as a director.Open movieweb.com (opens in a new tab)
Maximum Overdrive is a 1986 American action science fiction horror film written and directed by Stephen King. The film stars Emilio Estevez, Pat Hingle, Laura Harrington, John Short, Yeardley Smith and Christopher Murney.Open en.wikipedia.org (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q19
1 · Guesser guesses
Robert Englund
American actor and director best known for portraying Freddy Krueger in the Nightmare on Elm Street films.
Validator rationale The trusted subject is Stephen King, an American author; the proposal is Robert Englund, an actor and director.
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"GUESS","description":"American actor and director best known for portraying Freddy Krueger in the Nightmare on Elm Street films.","name":"Robert Englund","question":null}} 2 · Validator returns No
Q20
1 · Guesser asks
Did he portray a law-enforcement officer as a lead character in a television series?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Did he portray a law-enforcement officer as a lead character in a television series?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
We've found every movie, show, and commercial that Stephen King has appeared in; his television appearances include cameos such as a diner patron and line cook.Open the-line-up.com (opens in a new tab)
King's TV roles included a diner patron, Johnny B. Goode, Teddy Weizak, and Bachman, who appeared in one episode to deal with a dead body.Open wjbq.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q21
1 · Guesser asks
Has he directed at least three theatrically released feature films?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Has he directed at least three theatrically released feature films?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Stephen King's first (and last) directorial effort.Open musicboxtheatre.com (opens in a new tab)
Maximum Overdrive Directed by Stephen KingOpen nytimes.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q22
1 · Guesser asks
Is he widely known for writing and publishing novels?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is he widely known for writing and publishing novels?"}}Oracle evidence1 model-reported source
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Stephen King is an American author ... King has published 67 novels/novellas.Open en.wikipedia.org (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns Yes
G
1 · Guesser guessesNot counted
Stephen King
American novelist known for horror fiction such as The Shining and It, who has also acted on screen and directed the film Maximum Overdrive.
Validator rationale The proposed identity matches Stephen King, the American author of horror and supernatural fiction, and the additional film credits are consistent.
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"GUESS","description":"American novelist known for horror fiction such as The Shining and It, who has also acted on screen and directed the film Maximum Overdrive.","name":"Stephen King","question":null}} 2 · Validator returns Yes