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
- 2m 55s
- Round cost
- $0.1118 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":"EAQCORIU"}Valid replies are shown in the required format. Rejected replies are shown separately, without provider or call IDs.
Is the person a real person (not fictional)?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is the person a real person (not fictional)?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Stephen Edwin King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947.Open stephenking.com (opens in a new tab)
Stephen King (born September 21, 1947, Portland, Maine, U.S.) is an American novelist and short-story writer.Open britannica.com (opens in a new tab)
Is the person currently alive?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is the person currently alive?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Stephen King, 78, tells USA TODAY: “I'm trying to clear my desk as much as I can.”Open usatoday.com (opens in a new tab)
Post your questions for Stephen King; the article discusses a 2025 reader interview with him.Open theguardian.com (opens in a new tab)
Is the person primarily known for their work in entertainment (such as acting, music, or film)?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is the person primarily known for their work in entertainment (such as acting, music, or film)?"}}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.Open britannica.com (opens in a new tab)
Stephen King is best known for his works of horror.Open pbs.org (opens in a new tab)
Is the person primarily known for politics or government?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is the person primarily known for politics or government?"}}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 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)
Is the person primarily known for sports or athletics?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is the person primarily known for sports or athletics?"}}Oracle evidence1 model-reported source
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)
Is the person primarily known as a business figure or entrepreneur?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is the person primarily known as a business figure or entrepreneur?"}}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)
Novelist Stephen King is best known for his works of horror.Open pbs.org (opens in a new tab)
Is the person primarily known for science, technology, or academia?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is the person primarily known for science, technology, or academia?"}}Oracle evidence1 model-reported source
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Stephen King is best known for his works of horror.Open pbs.org (opens in a new tab)
Is the person primarily known as a writer or author?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is the person primarily known as a writer or author?"}}Oracle evidence1 model-reported source
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)
Is the person primarily known for writing fiction (novels or stories)?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is the person primarily known for writing fiction (novels or stories)?"}}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)
He’s most famous for his horror novels and stories.Open nytimes.com (opens in a new tab)
Is the person from the United States?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is the person from the United States?"}}Oracle evidence1 model-reported source
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Stephen King (born September 21, 1947, Portland, Maine, U.S.) is an American novelist and short-story writer.Open britannica.com (opens in a new tab)
Is the person primarily known for writing horror or suspense fiction?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is the person primarily known for writing horror or suspense fiction?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Stephen King’s books are credited with reviving the genre of horror fiction in the late 20th century.Open britannica.com (opens in a new tab)
Novelist Stephen King is best known for his works of horror.Open pbs.org (opens in a new tab)
Stephen King
American author famous for horror novels such as The Shining, It, and Carrie
Validator rationale The proposed identity matches Stephen King, the American author known for The Shining, It, and Carrie.
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"GUESS","description":"American author famous for horror novels such as The Shining, It, and Carrie","name":"Stephen King","question":null}}