20 Questions Game: 431 Secret Things to Guess: how it works
In the 20 questions game one player thinks of a secret thing and everyone else gets twenty yes-or-no questions to find it. This page deals the secret: 431 things to guess in seven groups, from animals to tricky things such as a shadow.
How to play 20 questions from one phone
The answerer turns the screen away and presses Next card, because everyone has seen the card that shows on load. Read out the group printed above the card, the way the old game opens with animal, vegetable or mineral. Guessers ask yes-or-no questions in turn, and the answerer may not lie. The page does not count questions, so one guesser counts on fingers. Whoever names the thing answers next. After twenty, the answerer has stumped the room and deals again.
Read the full guide
Easy bananas, hard sea sponges and 88 notes
The 20 questions game ideas sit in seven groups, from Animals to Tricky things. Easy cards are things a six-year-old can answer questions about, such as a banana. Hard cards are unusual or easy to call wrong: a sea sponge is an animal, and amber is fossilized tree resin, so it is vegetable. Tricky things are not objects at all (a shadow, an echo, Monday), so say so first. In the list under the tool, 88 cards carry a note on that call: a book is vegetable, because paper is made from wood pulp.
Tips
Halve the field. Twenty yes-or-no answers can separate 1,048,576 things, so ask questions that split what is left in two.
In the car, the front passenger deals and answers; the driver only guesses.
Agree on "maybe" before the first card. It saves an argument when the secret table could be wood or glass.
Questions and answers
What are good 20 questions game questions to ask first?
Start wide. Is it alive? Is it bigger than a microwave? Could I hold it in one hand? Each answer should rule out about half of what is left. Save a direct guess, such as "is it a penguin?", until two or three things remain.
Does a wrong guess count as one of the twenty?
That is a house rule, so settle it first. Counting guesses is the stricter way; with young children, let them be free. To keep score, press +1 for whoever names the thing, or for the answerer when all twenty run out. Add a team allows up to four names.
Where does the 20 questions game come from?
It is an old parlor game, dating to at least the eighteenth century. A letter from 1786 describes it being taught at a London dinner party, and a quiz show built on it first aired on American radio in 1946.
BarnacleAnimal: a relative of crabs and lobsters that cements itself to a rock, a shell or a ship for life.
Bear
Bee
Bison
Butterfly
Cat
Chicken
Clam
Clownfish
Cow
Crocodile
Crow
Deer
DodoAn extinct bird that could not fly. Tell the guessers if extinct animals are in play.
Dog
Dolphin
Donkey
Duck
Eagle
Earthworm
EelA fish, though it is shaped like a snake.
Show all 431 secret things (407 more)
Animals, continued
Elephant
Falcon
Fox
Frog
Gazelle
Gecko
Giraffe
Goat
Goldfish
Hamster
Horse
Housefly
Iguana
Jaguar
Kangaroo
Kiwi birdA bird that cannot fly. Say "bird" at the start so nobody thinks of the fruit.
Komodo dragonA real animal: the largest living lizard.
Lion
Mongoose
Monkey
Moth
Mouse
Mule
Okapi
Opossum
Orangutan
OrcaA mammal, not a fish, and the largest member of the dolphin family.
Otter
Owl
OysterAnimal, even though it looks like a rock and never walks anywhere.
PangolinA mammal covered in hard scales.
Penguin
Pig
Rabbit
SalamanderAn amphibian, like a frog. It is not a lizard.
Salmon
Sea spongeAnimal, though a grown sponge has no eyes, stays fixed to one spot and feeds by filtering water.
Sea turtle
Shark
Sheep
SilkwormAnimal: the caterpillar of a moth. Silk thread is unwound from its cocoon.
Snake
Sparrow
Spider
Squirrel
Stork
Termite
Tiger
Tortoise
Turtle
Wasp
Whale
Wolf
Wombat
Woolly mammothExtinct. Agree before the game whether animals that no longer exist are allowed.
Zebra
Plants and food 68
Apple
Artichoke
Asparagus
Banana
Bell pepper
Black pepperVegetable: the dried fruit of a climbing vine.
Bonsai tree
BreadVegetable in the old opening: flour is ground wheat, and wheat is a plant.
Cabbage
Carrot
Celery
ChocolateVegetable: made from the seeds of the cacao tree.
Christmas tree
Cinnamon stickVegetable: rolled inner bark of a tree.
Coffee beanVegetable: the roasted seed of the coffee plant.
CorkVegetable: the bark of the cork oak.
Corn on the cob
CottonVegetable: the fluffy fiber around the seeds of the cotton plant.
Cucumber
FlourVegetable: ground wheat or another grain.
French friesVegetable: cut potato.
Ginger
Grapes
Grass
HoneyBees make it from flower nectar, so animal and vegetable are both fair calls. Decide before the first question.
Ivy
Jack-o'-lantern
Lettuce
Lime
Maple syrupVegetable: boiled-down sap of a maple tree.
Mistletoe
MushroomA fungus, which is neither animal nor plant. Vegetable is the nearest of the three, so say that.
Oak tree
Oatmeal
Olive oilVegetable: pressed olives.
Onion
Orange
Pancakes
Peach
Peanut butterVegetable: ground peanuts, which grow underground on a plant.
Peas
PickleVegetable: a cucumber kept in brine or vinegar.
Plum
PopcornVegetable: a popped kernel of corn.
Potato
Pumpkin
RaisinVegetable: a dried grape.
Raspberry
Rice
Rose
SaltMineral: salt is mined from the ground or dried out of seawater.
SeaweedSeaweeds are algae, which are often not counted as true plants. Vegetable is the nearest call.
Soy sauceVegetable: brewed from soybeans and wheat.
Spaghetti
Spinach
Strawberry
SugarVegetable: made from sugar cane or sugar beets.
Sunflower
Tea bagVegetable: dried leaves in a paper bag.
TofuVegetable: pressed soybean curd.
Tomato
Tulip
Tumbleweed
VanillaVegetable: the flavor comes from the seed pod of an orchid.
VinegarVegetable: made by fermenting fruit juice or grain.
Walnut
Watermelon
YeastA fungus, like a mushroom. Vegetable is the nearest of the three, so say that.
Around the house 67
Aluminum foilMineral: metal rolled very thin.
Backpack
Ball
Ball of yarnWool yarn is animal and cotton yarn is vegetable. Decide which before the first question.
Balloon
Bar of soap
Battery
Bed
Blanket
BookVegetable in the old opening, because paper is made from wood pulp.
Bottle cap
Calendar
CandleBeeswax makes it animal, paraffin makes it mineral. Decide before the first question.
Cardboard boxVegetable: cardboard is thick paper, and paper is made from wood pulp.
Chair
China plateMineral: clay baked hard.
Chopsticks
Clock
CoinMineral: stamped metal.
Crumb
Cup
Cutting board
Door
Drinking straw
DustHouse dust is a mix of fibers, soil and skin flakes, so "a bit of all three" is the honest answer.
Feather pillowAnimal for the feathers. A cotton cover is vegetable.
Fork
Glass jarMineral: glass is made mostly from melted sand.
Hat
Hourglass
Ice cubeMineral: frozen water.
Key
Kitchen spongeMost are plant fiber or plastic. A natural sea sponge is the skeleton of an animal.
Ladle
Lamp
Leather beltAnimal for the leather strap, mineral for the metal buckle.
Light switch
Magnet
Microwave
Mirror
NailMineral: metal.
Napkin
Paper towelVegetable, because paper is made from wood pulp.
PencilVegetable and mineral: a wooden case around a core of graphite and clay.
Pillow
Postage stamp
Refrigerator
Rubber bandNatural rubber starts as latex tapped from a rubber tree, so vegetable is a fair call.
Safety pin
Scissors
Sewing needle
Shoe
Shoelace
Silk scarfAnimal: silk thread comes from the cocoon of the silkworm.
Smoke detector
Spoon
String
TableA wooden one is vegetable, a glass or metal one mineral. Say which you have in mind.
Television
Thimble
Tin can
Toothbrush
Umbrella
Window
Windowsill
Wooden spoonVegetable: carved from wood.
Wool sweaterAnimal: wool is sheep fleece.
Out in the world 62
Airplane
AmberVegetable: fossilized tree resin. Most guessers will expect mineral.
AntlerAnimal: bone that a deer grows and sheds.
Bicycle
Bike rack
Billboard
Bird nest
Boat
Bridge
Bus
CampfireThe wood is vegetable. The flame itself fits none of the three.
Car
Cloud
Coral reefAnimal: a reef is built by colonies of tiny animals called coral polyps.
Crosswalk
DiamondMineral: carbon pressed hard deep underground.
Drinking fountain
Ferris wheel
Fire hydrant
Fire truck
Flagpole
Fountain
FrostMineral: frozen water.
HailstoneMineral: a ball of ice.
HoneycombAnimal: wax made by bees.
Kite
LavaMineral: melted rock.
Lump of coalDug up like a mineral, but coal began as ancient plants. Either call is fair.
Mailbox
Manhole cover
MeteoriteMineral: a rock from space that reached the ground.
Moon
Mountain
Ocean wave
Park bench
Parking meter
PearlMade by an animal (an oyster or a mussel) out of mineral layers. Either call is fair.
Pebble
Picnic table
Pier
Pothole
Rainbow
River
Rocket
Sandcastle
ScarecrowMostly vegetable: straw and old cotton clothes.
Slide
SnowmanMineral: packed snow, which is frozen water.
SpiderwebAnimal: spun by a spider from silk it makes in its own body.
Star
Stop sign
Subway train
Sun
Sundial
Swing
Telephone pole
Tent
Tractor
Traffic light
Train
Tram
Weather vane
Places 64
Airport
Amazon rainforest
Antarctica
Back seat of a car
Balcony
Bathroom
Beach
Bottom of the ocean
Castle
Center of the EarthA real place that nobody has ever visited.
Checkout lane
Colosseum
Dead Sea
Desert
Dog park
Eiffel Tower
End of the line
EquatorAn imaginary line around the middle of the Earth: a place you can visit, not a thing you can touch.
Farm
Finish line
Fitting room
Forest
Front porch
Front row
Golden Gate Bridge
Grand Canyon
Great Barrier Reef
Great Wall of China
Grocery store
Hallway
Hawaii
Hospital
Ice rink
International Date LineA line on the map through the Pacific Ocean where the calendar date changes. A place you can cross, not a thing you can touch.
Island
Jungle
Kitchen
Laundry room
Leaning Tower of Pisa
Library
Locker room
Mount Everest
Mount Fuji
Mount Rushmore
Movie theater
Museum
Niagara Falls
Orchard
Outer space
Park
Parking garage
Playground
Pyramids of Giza
Restaurant
Riverbank
Sahara Desert
School
Statue of Liberty
Stonehenge
Swimming pool
Taj Mahal
Top bunk
Under the bed
Zoo
Jobs 55
Archaeologist
Astronaut
Auctioneer
Author
Baker
Beekeeper
Builder
Bus driver
Carpenter
Cashier
Chef
Clown
Coach
Crossing guard
Dentist
Doctor
Dog walker
Electrician
Farmer
Firefighter
Flight attendant
Florist
Gardener
Hairdresser
Janitor
Librarian
Lifeguard
Lighthouse keeper
Locksmith
Magician
Mail carrier
Mechanic
Nurse
Painter
Park ranger
Photographer
Piano tuner
Pilot
Plumber
Police officer
Referee
Reporter
Scientist
Sign language interpreter
Singer
Stunt performer
Tailor
Teacher
Tour guide
Translator
Truck driver
Vet
Waiter
Weather forecaster
Zookeeper
Tricky things 35
The alphabet
Birthday
Bubble
Coin toss
The color blueA color, not an object. "Can you hold it?" gets a no.
EchoA sound that comes back to you. Fits none of the three kingdoms.
FootprintA shape left behind, not a thing you can carry.
Goosebumps
GravityA force, not an object. Expect the guessers to need all twenty.
Halftime
Hiccup
HoleIt is made of nothing, and it gets bigger the more you take away.
Homework
HorizonThe line where land or sea seems to meet the sky. You can walk toward it and never arrive.
Hug
Itch
Joke
Knot
Last place
Leap yearA year with one extra day, February 29. A time, not a thing.
Midnight
MondayA day of the week. Say "none of the three" at the start.
Nap
The number sevenAn idea rather than an object. Open with "none of the three".
Password
Recess
ShadowYou can see it and point at it, but never pick it up.
Summer vacation
Tie game
TomorrowA time, not a thing. "Is it something you can touch?" is the question that cracks it.
Whisper
Wind
Wink
Yawn
Your turn
How this list was compiled: Written by the Game Night Generator editors on 2026-09-18 from general knowledge; no list was copied from anywhere. Every card is a common noun, a material, a kind of place, a job or a landmark that has stood for generations, so nothing here changes from year to year. Cards were picked for how well they stand up to yes-or-no questions, not for how easy they are to draw or act out, so ingredients, raw materials and things made by animals sit beside the everyday objects. No real people, no film, show, book or game characters and no brand names are included. Levels are ours: easy cards are things most six-year-olds know and can answer questions about, medium cards need narrower questions, and hard cards are unusual, easy to confuse with a neighbor or, in the Tricky things group, not objects at all. The notes beside 88 cards say how to answer the traditional opening question (animal, vegetable or mineral) when the call is not obvious. The facts in the less obvious notes, such as what cork, vanilla, amber, pearls, sponges and house dust are, were checked against the matching Wikipedia articles on 2026-09-19. Rules of the game were checked on 2026-09-18 against https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty_questions, which describes the answerer and the questioners, yes-or-no answers, no lying, the winner becoming the next answerer, the animal, vegetable or mineral variant and variants that allow 'maybe'. Whether a wrong guess uses up a question is a house rule, and the page says so. Licence: own work