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
- 36
- Outcome
- Solved
- Format errors
- No errors
- Duration
- 22m 32s
- Round cost
- $2.0054 All 37 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":"XSZW5TRZ"}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 evidence1 model-reported source
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 in The Atlantic and provides current 2026 updates about his work.Open stephenking.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns Yes
Q2
1 · Guesser asks
Is this person best known for working in entertainment, such as music, film, or television?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person best known for working in entertainment, such as music, film, or television?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Stephen Edwin King is an American author ... widely known for his horror fiction.Open en.wikipedia.org (opens in a new tab)
The official Stephen King site identifies him as "The Author" and describes his professional short-story sale and writing career.Open stephenking.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q3
1 · Guesser asks
Is this person known for holding political office?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person known for holding political office?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
King said he would not run or serve.Open en.wikipedia.org (opens in a new tab)
He has become one of the world's most successful writers.Open stephenking.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q4
1 · Guesser asks
Is this person known for competing in professional sports?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person known for competing in professional sports?"}}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)
Stephen King made his first professional short story sale in 1967... he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.Open stephenking.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q5
1 · Guesser asks
Is this person known for founding or leading a business?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person known for founding or leading a business?"}}Oracle evidence3 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
The current lineup of King-owned radio stations consists of WKIT, which bills itself as “Stephen King's Rock ‘n’ Roll Radio Station," along with WZON Retro Radio and WZLO.Open wmtw.com (opens in a new tab)
Stephen King is killing his cluster of radio stations in Maine, 41 years under his and wife Tabitha's ownership.Open billboard.com (opens in a new tab)
King and his wife own the Zone Corporation, a radio station group established in 1983.Open en.wikipedia.org (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns Yes
Q6
1 · Guesser asks
Did this person found a company whose main products or services involve computers, software, or the internet?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Did this person found a company whose main products or services involve computers, software, or the internet?"}} 2 · Answer check returns Unknown
Q7
1 · Guesser asks
Is this person a citizen of the United States?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this 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)
2 · Answer check returns Yes
Q8
1 · Guesser asks
Has this person served as the chief executive of a technology company?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Has this person served as the chief executive of a technology company?"}} 2 · Answer check returns Unknown
Q9
1 · Guesser asks
Has this person been listed as a billionaire by Forbes?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Has this person been listed as a billionaire by Forbes?"}}Oracle evidence1 model-reported source
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Forbes describes Stephen King as having a net worth of $500 million.Open forbes.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q10
1 · Guesser asks
Is this person a man?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person a man?"}}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)
2 · Answer check returns Yes
Q11
1 · Guesser asks
Has this person written a published book?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Has this person written a published book?"}}Oracle evidence1 model-reported source
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
He has since published over 50 books and has become one of the world's most successful writers.Open stephenking.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns Yes
Q12
1 · Guesser asks
Is this person known for giving motivational speeches or advice about personal success?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person known for giving motivational speeches or advice about personal success?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
When the time came for King to impart advice, he rattled off a “top 10” list.Open fosters.com (opens in a new tab)
King ... offers practical and inspiring advice on everything from ... work habits and rejection.Open stephenking.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q13
1 · Guesser asks
Is this person known for work in finance or investing?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person known for work in finance or investing?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Stephen King made his first professional short story sale in 1967.Open stephenking.com (opens in a new tab)
He is widely known for his horror fiction.Open en.wikipedia.org (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q14
1 · Guesser asks
Is this person known for a business involving food, drinks, or restaurants?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person known for a business involving food, drinks, or restaurants?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Stephen King is introduced as an author whose first professional short story sale was in 1967.Open stephenking.com (opens in a new tab)
New York Times profiles Stephen King’s family and its business — books.Open bangordailynews.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q15
1 · Guesser asks
Was this person born before 1960?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Was this person born before 1960?"}}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)
2 · Answer check returns Yes
Q16
1 · Guesser asks
Is this person known for work in science, engineering, or computer programming?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person known for work in science, engineering, or computer programming?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Stephen King is an American novelist known for blending horror, macabre themes, fantasy, and science fiction.Open britannica.com (opens in a new tab)
In the fall of 1971, he began teaching high school English classes at Hampden Academy. He has since published...Open stephenking.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q17
1 · Guesser asks
Is this person known for publishing, journalism, or operating a media organization?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person known for publishing, journalism, or operating a media organization?"}}Oracle evidence1 model-reported source
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
He has since published over 50 books and has become one of the world's most successful writers.Open simonandschuster.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q18
1 · Guesser asks
Is this person known for a company that sells clothing, footwear, or other consumer products?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person known for a company that sells clothing, footwear, or other consumer products?"}} 2 · Answer check returns Unknown
Q19
1 · Guesser asks
Has this person been convicted of a crime?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Has this person been convicted of a crime?"}} 2 · Answer check returns Unknown
Q20
1 · Guesser asks
Is this person known for military service or work involving security and law enforcement?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person known for military service or work involving security and law enforcement?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F ... He and Tabitha ... lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry.Open stephenking.com (opens in a new tab)
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)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q21
1 · Guesser asks
Is this person known for religious or spiritual leadership?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person known for religious or spiritual leadership?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
American novelistOpen britannica.com (opens in a new tab)
He no longer attends church, but he does believe in God and reads the Bible.Open stephenking.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q22
1 · Guesser asks
Is this person known for work in architecture, visual art, or design?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person known for work in architecture, visual art, or design?"}} 2 · Answer check returns Unknown
Q23
1 · Guesser asks
Has this person worked as a lawyer?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Has this person worked as a lawyer?"}} 2 · Answer check returns Unknown
Q24
1 · Guesser asks
Is this person known for advising companies on management or business strategy?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person known for advising companies on management or business strategy?"}}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)
Stephen Edwin King is an American author... widely known for his horror fiction.Open en.wikipedia.org (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q25
1 · Guesser asks
Is this person known for work in education, health care, or social activism?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person known for work in education, health care, or social activism?"}}Oracle evidence1 model-reported source
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Starting his career as an English teacher, the Maine author...Open biography.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q26
1 · Guesser asks
Is this person known for a business connected to automobiles or transportation?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person known for a business connected to automobiles or transportation?"}} 2 · Answer check returns Unknown
Q27
1 · Guesser asks
Is this person known for travel writing or running a travel-related business?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person known for travel writing or running a travel-related business?"}} 2 · Answer check returns Unknown
Q28
1 · Guesser asks
Was this person born before 1940?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Was this person born before 1940?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Stephen King (born September 21, 1947, Portland, Maine, U.S.).Open britannica.com (opens in a new tab)
Born Stephen Edwin King September 21, 1947.Open en.wikipedia.org (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q29
1 · Guesser asks
Did this person become widely known as an author before becoming known for business activities?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Did this person become widely known as an author before becoming known for business activities?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
When Stephen King published Carrie in 1974, the novel became an instant success and helped to establish King’s reputation as a master of horror literature.Open kids.britannica.com (opens in a new tab)
For more than four decades, King ... has owned small independent radio stations in Bangor, Maine. It began in 1983 when he bought WLBZ.Open nytimes.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns Yes
Q30
1 · Guesser asks
Has this person written fiction novels?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Has this person written fiction novels?"}}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. ... Doubleday & Co. accepted the novel Carrie for publication.Open stephenking.com (opens in a new tab)
Stephen King | Novels & Novellas (List)Open stephenking.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns Yes
Q31
1 · Guesser asks
Is this person known for writing science fiction or fantasy novels?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person known for writing science fiction or fantasy novels?"}}Oracle evidence1 model-reported source
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Carrie was the first of many novels in which King blended horror, the macabre, fantasy, and science fiction.Open britannica.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns Yes
Q32
1 · Guesser asks
Is this person especially known for fantasy stories set in an imagined world with medieval-style societies?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person especially known for fantasy stories set in an imagined world with medieval-style societies?"}}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)
The Dark Tower series takes place across a post-apocalyptic landscape and is inspired equally by Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and Sergio Leone's spaghetti Western classics.Open stephenking.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q33
1 · Guesser asks
Is this person associated with cyberpunk science fiction?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person associated with cyberpunk science fiction?"}}Oracle evidence1 model-reported source
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
While Stephen King has written science fiction, none of it would fall under what I would consider "cyberpunk", "dieselpunk", or "steampunk".Open scifi.stackexchange.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q34
1 · Guesser asks
Has this person won a Hugo Award for fiction?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Has this person won a Hugo Award for fiction?"}}Oracle evidence2 model-reported sources
The Oracle reported these excerpts and URLs. They are not independently checked.
Hugo Awards — (2 nominations; 1 win): 2016 “Obits” — novelette — nomination; 1982 Danse Macabre — nonfiction book — winner.Open sfadb.com (opens in a new tab)
1982 Hugo Awards: nonfiction book — Danse Macabre, Stephen King; fiction-category winners included other authors.Open sfadb.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
Q35
1 · Guesser asks
Is this person also known for writing horror novels?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person also 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 prolific American novelist known for blending horror, fantasy, science fiction, and the macabre.Open britannica.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns Yes
Q36
1 · Guesser asks
Is this person best known for books written for children or teenagers?
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"ASK","description":null,"name":null,"question":"Is this person best known for books written for children or teenagers?"}}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)
Now known worldwide for his horror creations in best-selling books and popular film adaptations.Open bloomsbury.com (opens in a new tab)
2 · Answer check returns No
G
1 · Guesser guessesNot counted
Stephen King
American author of horror and speculative fiction, including The Shining and It, and founder of Philtrum Press.
Validator rationale The proposed identity matches Stephen King, the American author associated with The Shining and It; the differing Philtrum Press detail is consistent and does not indicate another person.
Recorded Guesser outputRequired JSON format
{"result":{"action":"GUESS","description":"American author of horror and speculative fiction, including The Shining and It, and founder of Philtrum Press.","name":"Stephen King","question":null}} 2 · Validator returns Yes