In Guess Who?, two players each secretly pick a mystery character. You take turns asking one yes-or-no question, such as “Is your person wearing glasses?”, and flip down every face that no longer fits the answer. When you think you know the answer, you can guess instead of asking on your turn. Guess right and you win. Guess wrong and you lose.
This guide follows Hasbro’s official rulebooks for the classic game (C2124) and the current version (F6105). It covers setup, turns, when you can guess, the five-game championship, and simple tips for asking better questions.
- Players: 2, ages 6 and up
- Characters: 24 on each board in the classic game
- Who starts: the youngest player
- Each turn: ask one yes-or-no question, or make one guess
- Wrong guess: you lose the game
- Championship: first to win 5 games is the champion
How to set up Guess Who
In the classic game (C2124), each player takes a gameboard and flips all the doors open so every face shows. The 24 face cards on each board can go in any order. Shuffle the mystery card deck, and each player takes one card from the top and puts it in the mystery card slot, facing themselves so the other player can’t see it. Put the rest of the mystery cards aside until the next game.
In the current version (F6105), there are no mystery cards. Both players agree on the same character set, slide the character sheet into their frame, and use the selector frame to secretly choose their mystery character.
How to play Guess Who
The youngest player goes first. Players then take turns, and each turn goes like this:
- Ask one yes-or-no question about the other player’s mystery character. For example: “Is your person wearing glasses?” The other player must answer only “yes” or “no”.
- Flip down the faces that don’t fit. If the answer is “yes”, flip down everyone who is not wearing glasses. If the answer is “no”, flip down everyone who is.
- Pass the turn. Now the other player asks you a question.
When can you guess in Guess Who?
You can guess on any of your turns, but the guess uses your turn: you make it instead of asking a question. You don’t have to wait until only one face is left.
- Right guess: you win the game.
- Wrong guess: you lose, and the other player wins.
The classic rulebook warns: don’t take a guess until you’re ready. One line in the 2022 English sheet also mentions guessing again on a later turn, but the same sheet’s main rule, its French text and the classic rules all say a wrong guess loses.
The championship series: first to 5 wins
One game is quick, so the rules suggest playing a series. Each time you win a game, move your scorekeeper (or score tracker) up by one. The first player to win five games is the Guess Who? champion.
Guess Who tips: how to ask better questions
The classic rulebook’s own tip is to look closely at what makes the characters similar or different: hair and eye colour, the size of noses and mouths, facial hair and accessories like hats and glasses. A few simple ideas follow from that:
- Ask about features many characters share. A question that splits the board roughly in half removes the most faces, whatever the answer.
- Avoid very rare features early. A question that fits only one or two faces usually gets a “no” and removes only those few.
- Count before you guess. With two faces left, guessing now is a 50:50 risk. Asking one more question can make it certain, but gives the other player another turn.
- Ask about what you can see. Questions are about the characters’ looks, so stick to features shown on the cards.
How many questions does it take?
If every question split the remaining faces exactly in half, 24 characters would go 24, 12, 6, 3, then 2 or 1. That is about 5 good questions to narrow the board to one face (our maths, not an official figure). In real games, the characters’ features don’t split evenly, so it usually takes a few more.
More family game rules: the official Yahtzee rules, the official Monopoly rules, and the full UNO rules.
Like quick two-player games? See the official Connect 4 rules too.
Frequently asked questions
Who goes first in Guess Who?
The youngest player goes first, according to Hasbro’s rules. After that, players take turns.
Can you guess at any time in Guess Who?
You can guess on any of your own turns, instead of asking a question. You can’t guess during the other player’s turn.
What happens if you guess wrong in Guess Who?
You lose the game, and the other player wins. That’s why the rules say not to guess until you’re ready.
How many characters are in Guess Who?
The classic game has 24 characters on each board (48 face cards in total) and 24 mystery cards.
Can you ask more than one question per turn?
No. You ask one yes-or-no question per turn, then the other player takes their turn.
How many players can play Guess Who?
Two. The board game is made for 2 players, ages 6 and up.
How do you win Guess Who?
Correctly guess the other player’s mystery character before they guess yours. In a championship series, the first to win 5 games is the champion.
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