Guess Who: How to Play, Rules and Gameplay Basics

Guess Who is a two-player board game in which one player asks yes or no questions. The premise is to some extent, akin to most games you can find on sites like TheInternetSlots.com CA. The aim is to determine the identity of an opponent’s character. This process is repeated until one of the players correctly determines the character in question. The rules are simple and easy to learn, making this a suitable party game not just for adults but also for children.

How to Play Guess Who

The game starts with each player selecting a board. The number of spaces on the boards is not important since all questions are asked verbally or through gestures. Each player then selects a character, which is secret. The players must not reveal their characters to each other. The first player begins the game by asking a question. This might be something like “Am I wearing a beige blouse?” or “Do I have brown hair?”

If the other player knows the answer, they respond with either “Yes” or “No.” If the player doesn’t know the answer, they can ask a different question or pass.

1. Questioning in Guess Who: Asking questions is how you narrow down the possible identities of your opponent’s character. You can ask any type of question, but it’s important to keep in mind that you can only ask questions that can be answered with a simple “Yes” or “No.” For example, you cannot ask questions like, “How many children do I have?” or “Do I live in New York City?” Since such questions require a one-word answer (either zero, two, or one), they are not permitted.
2. Keeping Track of Questions Asked and Answered in Guess Who: When asking questions, it’s important to keep count of how many times each question has been asked. If you ask the same question twice and receive the same answer both times (i.e., two consecutive “Yes” responses), then you know that your opponent’s character is either John or Mary Smith.

Questions cannot be Repeated in Guess Who

Once a player is satisfied with their guess as to their opponent’s character, they can make a final guess. If they are correct, they win the game.

If they are incorrect, play passes to the other player who becomes the questioner. It is important to note that players cannot ask questions that have already been asked during the current round of questioning. This prevents players from simply guessing answers until they stumble on the right one. The game ends when one player either guesses correctly or when all possible questions have been asked and answered. In the latter case, the player who has asked the most questions is declared the winner.

Basic Gameplay Rules

Most of the gameplay rules are self-explanatory and do not require much explanation. If players cannot agree on whether or not a specific question is allowed, it’s best to go with the “Yes” answer unless otherwise stated in the instructions. In general, questions must be phrased in such a way that they can only receive either a “Yes” or a “No” answer. Any other type of response renders the question invalid. Players should make sure to keep track of how many times each question has been asked since no player may ask the same question twice during any one round of questioning. Questions might not overlap, meaning you cannot repeat a specific question even if an earlier version was asked in a previous round.

Players can also not quit early in Guess Who. In this case, only the person who hasn’t guessed yet gets one final chance to ask a different question or pass if they feel they have no chance of being right on their current guess (if the other player has asked twice and gotten two “Yes”s, then it’s obvious that their opponent is either John Smith or Mary Smith). The game ends when one player guesses correctly or when all permissible questions have been asked and answered. The latter option results in a loss for the player who’s run out of questions (though they may still guess in an attempt to win).

Guess Who: Party Edition Rules

This rule adds the Party Mat element from Guess Who Party Edition into the original version of Guess Who. Before each round begins, place the Party Mat on your side of the board with numbers facing inward (i.e., away from your opponent). You should not look at any numbers located on the Party Mat during this time. The numbers are only relevant during gameplay.

The “Party Guess” rule is fairly self-explanatory. When your opponent asks a question that you feel confident in answering with an educated guess, then you can make your guess by pointing to one of the numbers on the Party Mat rather than simply saying “Yes” or “No.” You must do so before hearing the full question (i.e., you cannot wait until after your opponent has finished asking their question).

If your guess turns out to be correct, you win the game. If it’s incorrect, play passes to your opponent, who becomes the next questioner. Additionally, if both players agree to use this rule, they may flip over all of the character cards at the beginning of the game. This will speed up gameplay and give players a better idea of what they’re looking for. If at any time you feel that your opponent is trying to cheat or somehow manipulate the game, you can call for a “House Rule,” which immediately ends the round and records it as a loss for the player who instigated the rule. Players should restart the game with all character cards placed back into their original positions if this occurs.

Ending the Game in Guess Who: Party Edition

The game ends when one player either guesses correctly or when all permissible questions have been asked and answered. The latter option results in a loss for the player who’s run out of questions (though they may still guess in an attempt to win). If both players agree to use this rule, then they may flip over all of the character cards at the beginning of the game. This will speed up gameplay and give players a better idea of what they’re looking for.

The Bottom Line

Though it’s been around for decades, the game of Guess Who is still as enjoyable and challenging as ever. The key to winning is asking the right questions and using your intuition to figure out who your opponent is thinking of. With a little bit of luck and some clever strategy, you could be the next champion.