Players: 2 or more
Time: 10 minutes a round
You need: Nothing
Ages: 8 and above
Type: WhatsApp group games

Who it suits and when to play

Twenty Questions suits thinkers of eight and above, and it is one of the few games that work just as well with two people as with twenty. Play it on a call, in a car or in a chat. It quietly teaches children to ask good questions, moving from wide ones to narrow ones, so teachers and parents like it as much as the players do.

How to play

The thinker chooses a thing and tells the group only its type: a living thing, an object or a place.
Players take turns to ask yes-or-no questions, such as "Is it bigger than a chair?"
The thinker answers only "yes", "no" or "sometimes".
Anyone may guess at any time, but a wrong guess counts as two questions.
If nobody guesses within twenty questions, the thinker wins and reveals the answer.

Ready message to start the game

Twenty questions! I am thinking of an OBJECT found in most homes. Ask me yes-or-no questions. You have 20 in all. Question 1?

Things to think of

A pressure cooker
A postbox
A coconut
A bicycle bell
The Moon
A school bag
A peacock feather
An umbrella
A railway platform
A kite
A banyan tree
A wall clock
A harmonium
A lighthouse
A rangoli
A water tank
A rolling pin
A cricket bat
A camel
A lantern

Tips and variations

Good first questions cut the choices in half: "Is it alive?", "Can I hold it in one hand?", "Is it found in the kitchen?"

Common problems and how to fix them

Players guess wildly instead of asking questions. Count a wrong guess as two questions. People become careful at once.
The answerer changes the object halfway. The answerer sends the word privately to one referee before the round starts.
The object is too hard for children. Agree on a family of things first, such as "something in a kitchen" or "an animal".

More WhatsApp group games

Need fair teams or someone to go first? Use the team maker. See all 45 games.