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
- 3m 15s
- Round cost
- $0.1399 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":"BYOMPCJW"}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.
The Institute Season Two — Posted: February 4th, 2026 ... Stephen's Post on TwitterOpen stephenking.com (opens in a new tab)
Stephen tells Esquire about Other Worlds Than These, where he’ll finish the saga after Straub's deathOpen stephenking.com (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 a politician?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person a politician?"}}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)
Is this person in the entertainment industry (e.g., actor, musician, comedian)?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person in the entertainment industry (e.g., actor, musician, comedian)?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Profession Writer, Actor, Producer, Soundtrack, Camera department, Director, Assistant directorOpen tvguide.com (opens in a new tab)
1986 - Makes his directorial debut with the release of “Maximum Overdrive”Open edition.cnn.com (opens in a new tab)
Is this person primarily known as an actor?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person primarily known as an actor?"}}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)
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 primarily known as a musician?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person primarily known as a musician?"}}Oracle evidence3 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)
Outside of writing, King is a music fan. He even sometimes plays guitar and sings in a band called Rock Bottom Remainders with fellow literary stars.Open biography.com (opens in a new tab)
The Rock Bottom Remainders is a band that includes some of today’s most shining literary lights... they’ve published more than 150 titles.Open rockbottomremainders.com (opens in a new tab)
Is this person primarily known as a comedian?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person primarily known as a comedian?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Novelist Stephen King is best known for his works of horror.Open pbs.org (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 primarily known as a director?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person primarily known as a director?"}}Oracle evidence3 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Stephen Edwin KingOpen stephenking.com (opens in a new tab)
Stephen King is a 'New York Times'-bestselling novelist who made his name in the horror and fantasy genresOpen biography.com (opens in a new tab)
Makes his directorial debut with the release of “Maximum Overdrive”Open edition.cnn.com (opens in a new tab)
Is this person primarily known as a producer?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person primarily known as a producer?"}}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)
Stephen King has been one of the world's most successful authors since his first novel, Carrie, hit the best-seller lists in 1973.Open allmusic.com (opens in a new tab)
Is this person primarily known as a writer?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person primarily known as a writer?"}}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)
American author Stephen King is a very popular author of horror fiction.Open encyclopedia.com (opens in a new tab)
Is this person primarily known as a novelist?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person primarily known as a novelist?"}}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)
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 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.
Born: September 21, 1947 Portland, Maine American author Stephen KingOpen encyclopedia.com (opens in a new tab)
Is this person known for writing horror novels?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person known for writing horror novels?"}}Oracle evidence1 model-reported source
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Stephen King is a 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)
Stephen King
Prolific American horror novelist
Validator rationale The proposed identity names Stephen King, matching the trusted subject; the description is consistent.
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"GUESS","description":"Prolific American horror novelist","name":"Stephen King","question":null}}