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
- 11
- Outcome
- Solved
- Format errors
- No errors
- Duration
- 3m 38s
- Round cost
- $0.1301 All 12 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 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.
Stephen King’s official website lists news posted in 2026, including upcoming projects and statements from Stephen King.Open stephenking.com (opens in a new tab)
‘America’s greatest living novelist’ – Lee ChildOpen stephenkingbooks.co.uk (opens in a new tab)
Is this person male?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person male?"}}Oracle evidence1 model-reported source
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Stephen Edwin King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947, the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King.Open stephenking.com (opens in a new tab)
Is this person primarily known for entertainment (e.g., acting, music, comedy)?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person primarily known for entertainment (e.g., acting, music, comedy)?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Stephen King is a 'New York Times'-bestselling novelist who made his name in the horror and fantasy genres.Open biography.com (opens in a new tab)
U.S. writer of horror stories... one of the world’s best-selling writers.Open britannica.com (opens in a new tab)
Is this person a political leader?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person a political 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.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.Open biography.com (opens in a new tab)
Is this person an athlete?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person an 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.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.Open biography.com (opens in a new tab)
Is this person a businessman or entrepreneur?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person a businessman or entrepreneur?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Stephen King, the E-PublisherOpen wired.com (opens in a new tab)
The horror writer Stephen King struck a blow for author independence, electing to forgo the help of a publisher and sell a new serial novel directly to his readers in digital form.Open nytimes.com (opens in a new tab)
Is this person a scientist or researcher?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person a scientist or researcher?"}}Is this person a writer or author?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person a writer or author?"}}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 this person's primary work fiction?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person's primary work fiction?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Stephen King is the author of more than fifty novels, hundreds of stories, and several works of nonfiction.Open nyrb.com (opens in a new tab)
His acclaimed novels and short story collections include Carrie, The Shining, The Stand, Misery and 11.22.63.Open stephenkingbooks.co.uk (opens in a new tab)
Is this person primarily known for writing horror or supernatural fiction?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person primarily known for writing horror or supernatural fiction?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Stephen King: How the Maine Author Became the “King of Horror”Open biography.com (opens in a new tab)
Stephen King (born 1947) is a prolific and immensely popular author of horror fiction.Open encyclopedia.com (opens in a new tab)
Is this person American?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this 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)
Stephen King
American author of horror, supernatural fiction, and suspense
Validator rationale The proposed identity names Stephen King and matches the trusted subject’s entity and description.
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"GUESS","description":"American author of horror, supernatural fiction, and suspense","name":"Stephen King","question":null}}