Strategy

Guess Who questions

A good question rules out about half the board whatever the answer. Here’s how the classic questions rank, and what to ask on a photo board.

Ranked: the classic board

How many of the 24 faces on our Classic board would answer yes. Closest to 12 is best.

  1. Does your person wear glasses?7 of 24 say yes
  2. Does your person have facial hair?7 of 24 say yes
  3. Does your person have short hair?7 of 24 say yes
  4. Does your person have black hair?7 of 24 say yes
  5. Does your person have rosy cheeks?7 of 24 say yes
  6. Is your person wearing a hat?6 of 24 say yes
  7. Is your person wearing earrings?6 of 24 say yes
  8. Does your person have brown hair?6 of 24 say yes
  9. Is your person wearing a red shirt?5 of 24 say yes
  10. Is your person wearing a blue shirt?5 of 24 say yes
  11. Is your person wearing a green shirt?5 of 24 say yes
  12. Is your person wearing a purple shirt?5 of 24 say yes
  13. Is your person smiling with teeth?5 of 24 say yes
  14. Does your person have a beard?4 of 24 say yes
  15. Does your person have long hair?4 of 24 say yes
  16. Does your person have curly hair?4 of 24 say yes
  17. Does your person have blonde hair?4 of 24 say yes
  18. Does your person have red hair?4 of 24 say yes
  19. Is your person wearing a yellow shirt?4 of 24 say yes
  20. Is it a baseball cap?3 of 24 say yes
  21. Is it a beanie?3 of 24 say yes
  22. Does your person have a mustache?3 of 24 say yes
  23. Is your person bald?3 of 24 say yes
  24. Is your person’s hair in a bun?3 of 24 say yes
  25. Does your person have a ponytail?3 of 24 say yes
  26. Does your person have gray hair?3 of 24 say yes

Why half is best

“Is your person bald?” is a weak question on our Classic board: only 3 of the 24 are, so most of the time the answer is no and you knock out just 3 faces. A question that splits the board 12 and 12 always knocks out 12. Keep halving and 24 faces come down to one in about five questions — that’s how the computer on Hard plays.

Combine traits once the obvious ones are used up: “Does your person have glasses or a hat?” still counts as one question.

For a custom photo board

Real photos don’t come with neat traits, so ask about what’s in the picture.

  • Are they wearing glasses?
  • Is their hair longer than their shoulders?
  • Are they smiling with teeth?
  • Is anything on their head — a hat, hood or headband?
  • Is the photo taken outside?
  • Are they looking straight at the camera?
  • Is anyone else in the photo?
  • Are they wearing something dark?
  • Does their name start with a letter in the first half of the alphabet?
  • Is their name longer than five letters?

For family and friends

When everyone on the board knows each other, ask about the person, not the photo.

  • Are they older than me?
  • Do they live in this town?
  • Have they ever lived abroad?
  • Do they have a pet?
  • Are they a morning person?
  • Would they rather have tea or coffee?
  • Do they drive?
  • Were they at the last birthday party?

Funny ones for kids

Not strictly fair, but good for a laugh. Both players have to agree on the answer.

  • Does your person look sleepy?
  • Would your person win a dance-off?
  • Does your person look like they love pizza?
  • Could your person be a secret agent?
  • Does your person look like they own a cat?
  • Would your person be good at hide and seek?

Try them against the computer