Guess My Story

An English party game, loosely based on a long forgotten television show.

12 cards are provided, each of which contains a different personal “ story,” all of them famous in the sense that the Daily Press has, or would have, given them headline publicity. They are modern, historical, legendary, or fiction.

One player to be Chairman. He takes all the cards; no one eise must see them yet. He selects one card and chooses a player (the Challenger) who will answer questions as though he were the person about whom that story was made. The Challenger and the Chairman sit together facing the other players, who become the “ panel.” The Chairman announces to the panel the free information, as printed at the top of the card. This is the only “ free ” information given. The panel have to discover what the Challenger’s story is by questioning him (or her), and they ask any questions they wish, one at a time and in turn. The Challenger gives the answers, Consulting the information provided on the card about “ his own ” story. The Chairman may help and advise the Challenger in his answers. In answering questions, the Challenger should use the first person “ I.”

It is the story which has to be discovered, not necessarily the name of the person concerned, though it is usually simpler for the panel to find the name first, which will lead them to the story quickly.

The Chairman may announce a time limit, say 5 minutes, after which the panel if still unsuccessful have been defeated, and the Challenger announces his story. A new Challenger is selected for each story.