Botticelli
Someone picks a famous person. Stump them with clues to earn yes-or-no questions, then guess who they are.
the best bit: stumping the know-it-all with a clue they can't name
- Players
- 3–8 (best with 3–6)
- Time
- 15–40 min
- Learn in
- A minute
- Mood
- Chill
- Format
- One vs. everyone
The 30-second version
One player thinks of a famous person and says only the first letter of their last name. Everyone else takes turns describing someone with that initial. If the player can't name who you're describing, you get to ask a real yes-or-no question about their mystery person. Use those questions to work out who it is.
read this, then walk through the steps below once.
Grab these
Nothing at all. just your people.
Set up
- Pick someone to go first. They think of a famous person, real or fictional, and say the first letter of their last name: "My person's last name starts with B."
How to play
-
Describe someone
Going around, each guesser thinks of a famous person with that initial and describes them as a question: "Are you a Renaissance painter?"
-
Dodge it
The player has to name someone with that initial who fits: "No, I'm not Botticelli." Any right answer counts, even if it's not who you meant.
-
Earn a real question
If they can't name anyone, say who you meant. Then you get to ask one yes-or-no question about their actual person: "Are you alive?"
-
Guess
Ready to guess? Spend one of your real questions on it: "Are you Beyoncé?" If you're right, you win.
for example…
The player says "B." Sam asks, "Are you the painter of The Birth of Venus?" "No, I'm not Botticelli." Jo asks, "Are you a cartoon character who fixes things?" The player is stumped. "Bob the Builder!" says Jo, and earns a real question: "Are you a musician?" "Yes."
How to win
Whoever guesses the mystery person wins and picks the next one.
From experience…
- Guessers: niche clues earn questions. The harder your description is to name, the better.
- Pick someone everyone has heard of. It's a game of trivia, not mind reading.