GuessWhat

This is a two-player guessing game. Each player takes turns trying to guess the other player's choice. You can play against the computer.

At the start of the game, the screen displays a set of objects, usually 16 to 20. These objects look alike but differ in certain characteristics. Computer and the player selects one object from the ones displayed. The object of the game is for you to guess what computer has selected and for the computer to guess you choice. You have to find out computer’s choice before the computer guesses yours. You eliminate potential candidates by asking questions about object characteristics. For example, when ‘persons’ are displayed you may ask whether a person is a male or female. Depending on yes or no answer, you can eliminate a group of objects on the screen. Once you have eliminated all the objects but one, then you know what computer had selected. Computer and you take turns asking questions. You start first.

A number of different themes are provided, for examples, Persons, Houses, Flags etc. Each theme has a fixed set of potential questions. Answer to a question is either yes or no. The best way to play the game is to look at the features of the remaining objects and ask relevant questions to eliminate most of the objects. The game is over when one of the players submits a guess. If the guess is correct the player wins, otherwise the computer wins.

The computer plays using a process of elimination similar to a strategy a human might use. It tracks which questions it has asked and based on the responses, eliminates potential candidates for its next guess. At its turn, the computer totals the features of the remaining objects. Whichever feature has the highest representation determines what the next question will be. Computer will always make the correct guess. It will never try to make a guess unless it has eliminated all choices but one.

This game can be played as computer vs player, computer only, or player only. Following is list of steps that you would use in a typical game:

1. Start the program

2. Select whether Computer vs player, computer only, or player only

3. Press START

4. If you are playing, then select your questions from the question tree. Computer will reply. Click ‘Remove all non-matching …” button to acknowledge the reply. You can use abbreviated words to ask a question. Usually the computer will understand the question. For example you can type ‘beard’ instead of clicking on the question tree to ask whether the selected object has a beard or not.

5. Computer will then ask its question. Examine the display and reply YES or NO as appropriate. Normally you would know by visual check what to reply. You can also move mouse over the object you have selected for computer to guess, and check from the characteristics displayed whether to reply YES or NO. Or else right-click on the object selected. Program will display what to answer.

6. At your turn, you can type in your guess at any time. You will lose your turn if the guess is incorrect.

7. You can restart a game by pressing ‘Reset’ any time

8. Click on ‘New’ button in order to load a new theme

HAVE FUN.