Classic Twenty Questions
Most everyone is already familiar with the classic parlor game Twenty Questions, also known as the Game of Questions. One player thinks of some random thing, and the other player or players must try to determine what it is by asking 20 or fewer yes-or-no questions. In its classic form, the thing being thought of must be tangible, hence the frequent questions of whether the object is “animal, vegetable or mineral.”
Abstract Twenty Questions
Abstract Twenty Questions is a much more challenging version of the game, which can last for hours or even days. It’s Twenty Questions in name only, as the actual number of questions required to guess a thing correctly is closer to two hundred. One has to stop counting questions and just settle in for the experience. The simple trick is to abandon the requirement that the thing being thought of must be able to be touched with one’s hands. Intangible things are fair game here: events, moods, abstract concepts, anything. You will find that your usual techniques of narrowing it down are not as useful, and you have to get creative. Have fun!