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
- 4m 29s
- Round cost
- $0.3054 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":"EAQCORIU"}Valid replies are shown in the required format. Rejected replies are shown separately, without provider or call IDs.
Is the person a real (non-fictional) human being?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is the person a real (non-fictional) human being?"}}Oracle evidence1 model-reported source
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Stephen King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947.Open stephenking.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.
The official Stephen King website lists a new short story by Stephen King and current latest news about his work.Open stephenking.com (opens in a new tab)
Stephen King’s official author biography identifies him as the author of numerous works and describes his ongoing professional career.Open stephenking.com (opens in a new tab)
Is the person primarily known for their work in politics or government?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is the person primarily known for their work in politics or government?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Best-selling author Stephen King rose to fame in the 1970s with his debut novel Carrie and has since become known as the “King of Horror.”Open biography.com (opens in a new tab)
The Author - Stephen KingOpen stephenking.com (opens in a new tab)
Is the person primarily known for entertainment (acting, music, film, or television)?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is the person primarily known for entertainment (acting, music, film, or television)?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
# The AuthorOpen stephenking.com (opens in a new tab)
few American writers can now equal his hold on audiences worldwideOpen bloomsbury.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 Edwin King is an American author, dubbed the “King of Horror” and widely known for his horror fiction.Open en.wikipedia.org (opens in a new tab)
Is the person primarily known for business or entrepreneurship (e.g., founding or leading a company)?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is the person primarily known for business or entrepreneurship (e.g., founding or leading a company)?"}}Oracle evidence1 model-reported source
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
He became a prolific writer of enormously popular books and one of the world’s best-selling writers. His books blend horror, the macabre, fantasy, and science fiction.Open britannica.com (opens in a new tab)
Is the person primarily known for their work in science, technology, or academia?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is the person primarily known for their work in science, technology, or academia?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Stephen King is a prolific American novelist known for blending horror, fantasy, science fiction, and the macabre.Open britannica.com (opens in a new tab)
He is widely known for his horror fiction and has also explored other genres.Open en.wikipedia.org (opens in a new tab)
Is the person primarily known as a writer or author (books, journalism, or literature)?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is the person primarily known as a writer or author (books, journalism, or literature)?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror fiction.Open en.wikipedia.org (opens in a new tab)
Best-selling author Stephen King rose to fame in the 1970s with his debut novel Carrie and has since become known as the “King of Horror.”Open biography.com (opens in a new tab)
Is the person primarily known for writing fiction (novels or short stories)?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is the person primarily known for writing fiction (novels or short 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 horror fiction genre.Open britannica.com (opens in a new tab)
He is widely known for his horror fiction.Open en.wikipedia.org (opens in a new tab)
Is the person a woman?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is the person a woman?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
(born 1947). When American novelist and short-story writer Stephen King published Carrie in 1974...Open kids.britannica.com (opens in a new tab)
Stephen 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)
Does the person write primarily in the English language?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Does the person write primarily in the English language?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.Open stephenking.com (opens in a new tab)
Stephen King ... is a prolific and immensely popular author of horror fiction.Open encyclopedia.com (opens in a new tab)
Is the person a citizen of the United States?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is the person a citizen of the United States?"}}Oracle evidence1 model-reported source
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Citizenship: United StatesOpen forbes.com (opens in a new tab)
Is the person best known for writing in the horror genre?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is the person best known for writing in the horror genre?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Dubbed the “King of Horror,” he is widely known for his horror fiction.Open en.wikipedia.org (opens in a new tab)
Best-selling author Stephen King ... has since become known as the “King of Horror.”Open biography.com (opens in a new tab)
Stephen King
American author of horror novels such as Carrie, The Shining, and It
Validator rationale The proposed identity matches Stephen King, the American author known for Carrie, The Shining, and It.
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"GUESS","description":"American author of horror novels such as Carrie, The Shining, and It","name":"Stephen King","question":null}}