Who Am I Game: Rules and 215 Characters to Guess

Who am I is a guessing game where you wear a name you can't see: the card on your forehead says Penguin or Amelia Earhart, and everyone else gives clues until you say it. Here are the rules, a phone deck for the forehead version and 215 cards to guess: animals, people from history, jobs, storybook types and everyday things. In the car, play the spoken version so the driver can join in.

Updated By the Carful editorial team

On this page: 11 sections

Who Am I Game Rules

One player wears a name they can't see, and everyone else gives clues until they guess it.

  1. The guesser holds the phone to their forehead with the screen facing out, or wears a sticky note with a name on it. Everyone can read the card except the guesser.
  2. The others give clues: what it looks like, what it does, where you would find it. Nobody may say the name, any word in it, or spell it out.
  3. The guesser calls out answers as fast as they like. Right answer: tilt the phone down, or tap Got it, and the next card appears. Stuck: tilt it up, or tap Pass, to skip.
  4. A turn lasts 60 seconds. Count the cards guessed, then hand the phone to the next player.
  5. When everyone has had a turn, the player with the most cards wins and picks the category for the next round.

Hold the phone to your forehead

Screen facing the others. They give clues without saying the name. Tilt the phone down when you get it and up to pass, or tap the right side for got it and the left side to skip.

Who Am I Character List

The cards come in five lists: animals, famous people from history, jobs, storybook and fantasy and everyday things, plus a road trip set. Every card is a generic character or a real person from history, so nobody needs to have seen a particular show to guess it.

With kids under 7, stick to animals, jobs and storybook cards: they can be acted out, and the clues are easy to give. From about 8, add everyday things, which are harder than they sound (try describing a paper clip without saying what it holds). Famous people work best from about 10, or with a grown-up giving the clues. Pick names the kids have met in school, like Benjamin Franklin or Amelia Earhart, and pass on the rest.

Who Am I Characters: Animals

Easy to act out and easy to give clues for, so start here when young kids are playing.

  1. Gorilla
  2. Tiger
  3. Cheetah
  4. Hippo
  5. Rhino
  6. Crocodile
  7. Koala
  8. Kangaroo
  9. Penguin
  10. Elephant
  11. Porcupine
  12. Hedgehog
  13. Raccoon
  14. Bat
  15. Peacock
  16. Ostrich
  17. Bald eagle
  18. Hummingbird
  19. Pelican
  20. Toucan
  21. Shark
  22. Jellyfish
  23. Crab
  24. Lobster
  25. Snail
  1. Spider
  2. Ant
  3. Firefly
  4. Caterpillar
  5. Chameleon
  6. Goat
  7. Donkey
  8. Turkey
  9. Rooster
  10. Mouse
  11. Moose
  12. Wolf
  13. Fox
  14. Otter
  15. Walrus
Play these as forehead cards

Who Am I Characters: Famous People From History

Inventors, explorers, artists, writers and athletes that kids meet in school, best for players about 10 and up.

  1. Albert Einstein
  2. Isaac Newton
  3. Galileo Galilei
  4. Marie Curie
  5. Thomas Edison
  6. Alexander Graham Bell
  7. Wright brothers
  8. Benjamin Franklin
  9. George Washington Carver
  10. Ada Lovelace
  11. Louis Braille
  12. Florence Nightingale
  13. Amelia Earhart
  14. Neil Armstrong
  15. Sally Ride
  16. Marco Polo
  17. Sacagawea
  18. Bessie Coleman
  19. Matthew Henson
  20. Leonardo da Vinci
  21. Vincent van Gogh
  22. Pablo Picasso
  23. Claude Monet
  24. Frida Kahlo
  25. Georgia O'Keeffe
  1. William Shakespeare
  2. Mark Twain
  3. Charles Dickens
  4. Hans Christian Andersen
  5. Langston Hughes
  6. Maya Angelou
  7. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
  8. Ludwig van Beethoven
  9. Louis Armstrong
  10. Ella Fitzgerald
  11. Babe Ruth
  12. Jackie Robinson
  13. Jesse Owens
  14. Wilma Rudolph
  15. Roberto Clemente
  16. George Washington
  17. Abraham Lincoln
  18. Betsy Ross
  19. Johnny Appleseed
  20. Harry Houdini
Play these as forehead cards

Who Am I Characters: Jobs

People you meet around town, from the plumber to the orchestra conductor, and every one of them can be mimed.

  1. Firefighter
  2. Astronaut
  3. Doctor
  4. Baker
  5. Plumber
  6. Electrician
  7. Carpenter
  8. Car mechanic
  9. Barber
  10. Dog walker
  11. Babysitter
  12. Crossing guard
  13. Garbage collector
  14. Train conductor
  15. Ship captain
  16. Flight attendant
  17. Taxi driver
  18. Photographer
  19. Ballet dancer
  20. Orchestra conductor
  21. Opera singer
  22. Clown
  23. Juggler
  24. Weather forecaster
  25. News reporter
  1. Author
  2. Umpire
  3. School principal
  4. Surgeon
  5. Pharmacist
  6. Paramedic
  7. Beekeeper
  8. Florist
  9. Architect
  10. Waiter
  11. Cashier
  12. Window washer
  13. Marine biologist
  14. Paleontologist
  15. Lumberjack
Play these as forehead cards

Who Am I Characters: Storybook and Fantasy

Dragons, genies, knights and other types from fairy tales and adventure stories, none of them from a particular movie or show.

  1. Pirate
  2. Knight
  3. Wizard
  4. Dragon
  5. Mermaid
  6. Robot
  7. Giant
  8. Genie
  9. Alien
  10. Superhero
  11. Ninja
  12. Cowgirl
  13. Witch
  14. Troll
  15. Unicorn
  16. Elf
  17. Gnome
  18. Leprechaun
  19. Bigfoot
  20. Yeti
  21. Loch Ness monster
  22. Cyclops
  23. Centaur
  24. Phoenix
  25. Griffin
  1. Queen
  2. Prince
  3. Court jester
  4. Caveman
  5. Sidekick
  6. Time traveler
  7. Mad scientist
  8. Secret agent
  9. Gingerbread man
  10. Treasure hunter
Play these as forehead cards

Who Am I Game Ideas: Everyday Things

Objects and foods from around the house, harder than people because a stapler has no personality to act out.

  1. Toaster
  2. Umbrella
  3. Plunger
  4. Stapler
  5. Paper clip
  6. Crayon
  7. Backpack
  8. Lunchbox
  9. Sock
  10. Flip-flop
  11. Sunglasses
  12. Balloon
  13. Kite
  14. Yo-yo
  15. Snow globe
  16. Light bulb
  17. Hairbrush
  18. Sponge
  19. Magnifying glass
  20. Piano
  21. Trumpet
  22. Bubble wand
  23. Meatball
  24. Burrito
  25. Marshmallow
  1. Hot chocolate
  2. Lollipop
  3. Gummy bear
  4. Coconut
  5. Mushroom
  6. Onion
  7. Potato
  8. Fried egg
  9. Cheeseburger
  10. Mac and cheese
  11. Chocolate chip cookie
  12. Milkshake
  13. Cherry pie
  14. Blueberry
  15. Peanut
Play these as forehead cards

Who Am I Game Ideas for a Road Trip

Things and people you pass on the way, for a round at a rest stop, a motel room or the back seat.

  1. Tow truck
  2. Park ranger
  3. Motel
  4. Traffic cone
  5. Truck driver
  6. Speed bump
  7. Seat belt
  8. Traffic light
  9. Spare tire
  10. Backseat driver
  11. Drive-through window
  12. Ice cream truck
  13. Glove compartment
  14. Pothole
  15. Roadside fruit stand
Play these as forehead cardsWho Am I in the car: the spoken version the driver can playMore road trip games

Who Am I Game Variations

  • Sticky-note party version. Everyone writes a name on a sticky note and sticks it on the forehead of the player to their left. Going around the table, each player asks one yes-or-no question about their own card. First to name theirs wins, and the rest keep going.
  • Yes or no only. The classic rules: no clues, only answers. The guesser asks "Am I an animal? Do I live in water? Am I a real person?" and the others say yes or no. Fewest questions to the right answer wins.
  • Charades clues. The clue-givers act the card out without words or sounds. Penguin and firefighter take five seconds; Ada Lovelace takes a lot longer, so let players pass freely.
  • Teams. Two teams take turns. One player per team guesses while teammates give clues for 60 seconds, then the phone goes to the other team. Highest total after three rounds wins.
  • Spoken car version. The player keeps a name in their head, and everyone else asks yes-or-no questions until someone says it. Nobody needs to look at a card or a screen, so the driver can play every role.

Printable Who Am I Game (Free PDF)

All 215 cards from this page, by category, on letter or A4 paper. Cut them apart, shuffle, and hold one to your forehead or draw from a hat. Free, made in your browser, no email.

Frequently asked questions

How do you play the who am i game?

One player holds a card to their forehead without looking at it, and the others give clues until that player names what's on it. With a phone, tilt down for a right answer and up to pass, and each turn lasts 60 seconds. Most cards guessed wins.

What are good who am i characters?

Pick names everyone playing knows: animals and jobs for young kids, storybook types like a genie or a dragon, and people from history like Albert Einstein or Amelia Earhart for older players. This page has 215 of them in six lists, and the deck above deals them at random.

What questions to ask in who am i?

In the yes-or-no version, start broad: Am I a real person? Am I an animal? Am I bigger than a car? Can you eat me? Then narrow it down by where you live and what you do, and only guess a name once you're down to two or three.

How do you play who am i on a phone?

Open the deck on this page and hold the phone to your forehead with the screen facing the other players. They give clues; tilt the phone down when you guess right and up to pass. If tilting doesn't work on your phone, tap Got it or Pass instead.

Can you play who am i with sticky notes?

Yes, that's the original party version. Each player writes a name on a sticky note and sticks it on a neighbor's forehead, then everyone takes turns asking yes-or-no questions about their own card. The free PDF on this page prints every card ready to cut out, if you'd rather skip the writing.

How many people do you need to play who am i?

Two can play: one holds the card and the other gives every clue. Three to eight is easiest, with one guesser and the rest giving clues. For a bigger group, split into teams and pass the phone between rounds.