What's My Number?
A simple guessing game for four or more people, by Allan Stagg.
Summary
Each player has a number that is not known to the other players. The first player to identify the numbers held by the other players wins the game.
Start
The GM determines the range of available numbers, based on the number of players in the game. I would suggest that the range should be 10 x (no. of players - 1), so for a six player game, the range would be 1 - 50.
Play
The GM asks the players to select their own secret number, and to submit guesses for two numbers within the range.
In the turn report, the GM will inform the players of the results of their guesses, by indicating whether the other players' numbers are higher or lower than the guess. If a player's guess successfully identifies a secret number, that player will be awarded with an extra guess in the next round.
In subsequent turns a player may make two (or more) guesses, or they may submit a list of what they think are the other players' secret numbers. If the list is correct, that player will have won the game. If one or more numbers on the list are incorrect, the turn report will indicate how many of the numbers on the list are correct, but it will not say which were the correct ones.
A suggested format for the turn report would be:
| Guess | A | B | C | D | E | F |
| A 1 | X | L | H | H | H | H |
| A 2 | X | L | H | L | L | L |
| B 1 | H | X | 4 | L | L | L |
| B 2 | H | X | X | L | L | H |
| C List - 3 correct. | ||||||
H means that the player's secret number is higher than the guess.
L means that the player's secret number is lower than the guess.
4 means that the player's secret number is the same as the guess.
X - no information will be given on players' own secret numbers, or for numbers that have previously been guessed by that player.
From the information given above, Player A, who's guesses were 17 and 33, will be able to work out that Player B's number is less than 17, Player C's number is greater than 33, and Players D, E and F will have selected numbers below 33 and above 17. Player B has immediately guessed Player C's number (and gets a bonus guess next time). Player C has submitted a list, and is informed that three of his guesses were correct (and therefore two were wrong).
Winning
A player will win the game if they have correctly identified all of the other players' secret numbers. They will do this either by submitting a correct Guess List, or by having successfully identified all the other players' secret numbers by individual guesses. If two or more players manage this in the same round, victory will go to the player(s) submitting a Guess List. If no player has submitted a list this turn, then victory will go to the player submitting the earliest guess to reveal the last secret number.
Allan Stagg
March 2000