Guess Who game: rules and smart questions to ask
Also known as: Qui est-ce?
How to play Guess Who: ask yes or no questions, flip down faces and find your rival's mystery person first. Includes the smartest question strategy for kids.
- Type
- Board game
- Players
- 2
- Age
- Ages 6+
- Play time
- 10–20 min
- First released
- 1979
- Designed by
- Ora Coster, Theo Coster
- Publisher
- Milton Bradley
Guess Who? is a two-player deduction game first published by Milton Bradley in 1979, designed by Ora and Theo Coster. Each player has a board with a grid of the same cartoon faces, plus one secret character chosen from a deck. Players take turns asking yes or no questions about the other player's secret character, such as "Does your person wear glasses?". After each answer, they flip down every face that no longer fits. The first player to name the opponent's character correctly wins. It is a quick game, usually under fifteen minutes, and it teaches children an important thinking skill: asking good questions and using answers to eliminate possibilities.
Our verdict
Guess Who? turns logical thinking into a friendly duel. Children learn to describe features, listen carefully and plan questions that remove many options at once. Games are fast and full of small moments of surprise. It also builds vocabulary for describing people. For parents, it is an easy way to show how thinking strategies work: compare a question that removes one face with one that removes half the board.
What works
- Teaches logic and questioning
- Quick games with clear rules
- Builds descriptive vocabulary
What does not
- Strictly two players
- Limited variety once the faces are well known
How to play Guess Who?
Each player sits behind their own board, so the opponent cannot see it. Both boards show the same set of faces, each standing up on a small hinged frame. Each player secretly draws one card, and that person is their mystery character. Decide who goes first. On your turn, ask one question that can be answered with yes or no about the opponent's character's appearance, for example "Does your person have red hair?". Your opponent must answer truthfully. Then flip down every face on your board that does not match the answer. Players alternate turns. Instead of asking a question, you may use your turn to guess a name. If the guess is correct, you win; in the common rules, a wrong guess means you lose the round. Play several rounds and keep score.
Tips for new players
- Ask questions that cut the remaining faces roughly in half.
- Avoid very rare features early; they usually remove only one or two faces.
- Combine features in one question when the rules your family uses allow it.
- Do not guess a name until you have one or two faces left.
Good for
Guess Who?: common questions
Who invented Guess Who?
Guess Who? was designed by Ora and Theo Coster and first published by Milton Bradley in 1979.
What is the best first question in Guess Who?
The best questions split the faces into two equal groups, so each answer removes about half of the options.
What age is Guess Who for?
It is usually recommended for children about six years old and up, as players need to ask and answer questions.
Guess Who? belongs to its owners. Playdonya is not connected to them and does not sell this game; the cover is our own illustration.
