20 Questions Game for Couples
Think of something. Twenty yes-or-no questions to guess it.
- Time
- 5–20 min
- Players
- Two players, taking turns
- Best for
- Car rides, waiting rooms and lazy evenings
- Deck
- 100 topics in five categories
How to play 20 questions as a couple
- The card shows a topic, like “a place we have been together”. The thinker silently picks one thing that fits it.
- Tap “Start asking”. The guesser asks questions that can be answered with yes or no.
- After each question, tap the ring or “Question asked”. It counts down from 20.
- Guessed it? Tap “Got it!”. Out of questions? The thinker reveals the answer. Then swap roles for the next round.
When to play 20 questions
20 questions needs nothing but a topic and a little patience, which makes it one of the few games you can play while doing something else. The topics about the two of you turn each round into a small memory as well.
On a long drive
The passenger holds the phone and counts; the driver thinks or guesses with eyes on the road.
In a waiting room
Around the house becomes “around this room”, and a round takes about as long as the wait.
Before bed
About us is gentle enough for the last ten minutes of the day, and the reveal usually starts a story.
Ways to play
The classic opening
Start every round with the old first question, “Is it an animal, a vegetable or a mineral?”, even when the topic already narrows it down. The answer is often funnier than it should be.
Answers with a hint
For a gentler round, the thinker may add “sort of” or “not exactly” instead of a plain no. Useful when the topic is about the two of you and the guesser is close.
On two phones or over a call
Make a code on the long distance page and open 20 Questions with it on both phones, on the same category. Both screens show the same topic, so you can play over a call and each count on your own phone.
Asking good questions
- Start wide and narrow down: “Is it bigger than a shoebox?” rules out more than “Is it a lamp?”.
- Keep a guess in your back pocket, but spend early questions on facts, not names.
- A round that runs out is still a good round: the reveal usually comes with a story.
All 100 topics for the 20 questions game
Every topic in the game, grouped by category. The thinker picks one thing that fits the topic; the guesser only hears the topic.
About us
Things from your life together, so the guesser has a head start and a memory to share.
- Think of…a place we have been together
- Think of…something we bought together
- Think of…a meal one of us cooked for the other
- Think of…a song that reminds you of us
- Think of…a movie or show we watched together
- Think of…a gift one of us gave the other
- Think of…something from our first date
- Think of…a trip we would like to take
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- Think of…a friend we both know
- Think of…something one of us says a lot
- Think of…a restaurant we have eaten at together
- Think of…an inside joke
- Think of…something we see differently, like where the towels go
- Think of…a day out we both remember
- Think of…a habit of mine
- Think of…a habit of yours
- Think of…something in our photos from this year
- Think of…a game we have played together
- Think of…a place one of us lived before we met
- Think of…something we want to buy one day
Around the house
Objects within reach of where you are sitting, or somewhere at home.
- Think of…something in this room
- Think of…something in the kitchen
- Think of…something you can see from the window
- Think of…something in the bathroom
- Think of…something in the fridge right now
- Think of…something in a drawer
- Think of…something on a shelf
- Think of…something we use every morning
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- Think of…something with a plug
- Think of…something soft
- Think of…something made of wood
- Think of…something smaller than your hand
- Think of…something red
- Think of…something we have more than one of
- Think of…something that makes a sound
- Think of…something we rarely use
- Think of…something in the closet
- Think of…something on the wall
- Think of…something you would pack first if we moved tomorrow
- Think of…something in the car or bag by the door
People and characters
Famous names, fictional heroes and faces you both know.
- Think of…a famous singer
- Think of…a movie character
- Think of…a cartoon character
- Think of…a person from history
- Think of…a famous athlete
- Think of…a character from a book
- Think of…a TV host or presenter
- Think of…a person in our family
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- Think of…a superhero or villain
- Think of…a famous scientist or inventor
- Think of…an actor we both like
- Think of…a teacher one of us had
- Think of…a character from a video game
- Think of…a fairy-tale character
- Think of…a famous artist or painter
- Think of…someone we met on a trip
- Think of…a character from a kids’ show
- Think of…a famous chef
- Think of…an animal character
- Think of…someone who was at our last get-together
Places
Cities, landmarks and spots on the map, near or far.
- Think of…a city anywhere in the world
- Think of…a country
- Think of…a famous landmark
- Think of…a place in our town
- Think of…a place on our travel list
- Think of…a natural wonder, like a waterfall or a canyon
- Think of…an island
- Think of…a place one of us grew up
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- Think of…a building we have both been inside
- Think of…a park or a beach
- Think of…a store we go to often
- Think of…a place from a movie
- Think of…a body of water
- Think of…a mountain or a volcano
- Think of…a place in our home
- Think of…a city one of us has visited without the other
- Think of…a place you would love to live
- Think of…a museum or gallery
- Think of…a place to eat out
- Think of…somewhere you went as a child
Anything at all
Animals, foods, jobs and things that fit no box at all.
- Think of…an animal
- Think of…a food
- Think of…a fruit or vegetable
- Think of…a dessert
- Think of…a job
- Think of…a sport
- Think of…a musical instrument
- Think of…a vehicle
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- Think of…a board game or card game
- Think of…a toy
- Think of…a holiday or celebration
- Think of…a piece of clothing
- Think of…a plant or flower
- Think of…a kind of weather
- Think of…a tool
- Think of…something you would pack for a trip
- Think of…a hobby
- Think of…something in the sky
- Think of…a sea creature
- Think of…something you would find at a fair
Frequently asked questions
How do you play 20 questions?
One player thinks of something, and the other has up to twenty yes-or-no questions to work out what it is. Here the card gives a topic to think within, and the ring counts the questions for you.
Is 20 questions the same as 21 questions?
No. 21 questions is a getting-to-know-you game where you take turns asking each other anything. For that, open the questions for couples deck and make a 21-question list.
Does the game keep score?
Only within a round: it shows how many questions the guess took, or that all twenty were used. There is no total and no winner.
How many topics are there?
There are 100 topics, 20 in each of five categories: about us, around the house, people and characters, places, and anything at all.