Two text games to play with an AI character
Try a six-question guessing game or a short word chain with your AI character. Both work in text chat and take only a few turns. Choose one starter below, keep a small note of the moves, and correct mistakes as they happen.
Updated by the tempteo editorial team
The writing examples below are invented. They illustrate the advice and are not recorded chat results.
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Pick a game
In the guessing game, you choose a household object and the character tries to identify it. In the word chain, you take turns finding a word that starts with the last letter of the previous one.
On tempteo, choose a character and send the starter in a text chat. These are games you run through conversation, so keep track of the answer and accepted moves yourself. The character may miscount or overlook a rule. The rounds below are invented examples of how to play and correct a mistake.
Game 1: guess the object in six questions
Write one household object and a few facts about it in a note outside the chat. Keep that answer fixed for the round and reveal it only at the end. Use a harmless object, rather than a password or personal secret.
Each turn is one yes/no question. A direct guess, such as 'Is it a thermos?', also counts. A correct guess ends the game immediately, even on question six. If six answered questions pass without a correct guess, reveal the object and end the round.
If the character asks two questions at once, ask for one replacement and leave the count unchanged. Do the same if a question cannot be answered yes or no. Check your own answers against the note.
guessing-game starter - do not include your answer
Let's play a yes/no guessing game. I've chosen a household object and written it outside this chat. Ask one question at a time and wait for my answer. You get six answered questions, including direct guesses. A correct guess ends the game. Two questions at once do not count; replace them with one. I'll keep count and ask for the next question after each answer. Please don't write my answers. Ask question 1.
Example: human answer note - keep off-chat during play
Fixed answer: my small stainless-steel thermos with an insulating body and lid. Held in one hand: yes. Needs electricity: no. Designed to hold a drink: yes. Keeps a hot drink warm: yes. Accepted question count at start: 0. Do not change this object during the round.
A complete guessing round
Here the answer is the thermos described in the note. You answer each question and ask for the next one. The character guesses correctly on question five, so the round ends with one attempt unused. A wrong guess would still count as an attempt.
Example: complete guessing round, ending at 5/6
AI 1: Can you hold it in one hand? You: Yes. Count 1/6. Ask question 2. AI 2: Does it need electricity? You: No. Count 2/6. Ask question 3. AI 3: Is it designed to hold a drink? You: Yes. Count 3/6. Ask question 4. AI 4: Does it keep a hot drink warm? You: Yes. Count 4/6. Ask question 5. AI 5: Is it a thermos? You: Yes. My fixed answer was my small stainless-steel thermos. Correct guess at 5/6. The round is over. AI: Round over: thermos, guessed on question 5.
When it asks two questions at once
After question two, suppose the character asks, 'Does it hold a drink, and is it made of metal?' Leave the count at two and ask for a single replacement. Answering both would give it an extra question.
If you gave a wrong answer yourself, correct that answer before continuing. Keep the object the same. You can end an awkward round unfinished rather than keep repairing it.
repair from the last valid guessing state: That's two questions. Please ask just one. We're still at 2/6: it fits in one hand and doesn't need electricity. Ask question 3 and wait for my answer.
Example: repaired turn
AI 3: Is it designed to hold a drink? You: Yes. Count 3/6. Ask question 4.
Game 2: build a six-turn word chain
Start with 'cat'. The character moves first, then you alternate. Each new word must be a common singular English noun, use only letters a-z, and start with the last letter of the previous accepted word. Compare words in lowercase. No repeats, including cat.
The seed cat counts as turn zero. End after six accepted moves, making seven words in the full chain. An invalid move does not count; the same player tries again from the last accepted word. If a spelling or noun is uncertain, pause and choose a word you can check.
There is no score or winner in this version. If either player stops early, leave the round unfinished.
six-turn word-chain starter: Let's play a word chain, starting with cat as turn 0. You go first, then we alternate. Use one common singular English noun per move, letters a-z only. Start with the last letter of the previous accepted word. No repeats, including cat; compare words in lowercase. A mistake doesn't count, and the same player tries again. I'll keep the word list and count. Stop after six accepted moves. If we stop earlier, leave it unfinished. Give one word for turn 1 and wait.
A complete word chain
The chain below runs cat, table, egg, grape, ear, rabbit, tree. Check each join: cat ends in t, table begins in t and ends in e, and egg begins in e. Keep the accepted words in a note so a repeat is easy to spot.
After tree, six moves are complete. Stop there, even if the character has another word ready.
Example: complete word-chain round
Seed, turn 0: cat AI: table You: Accepted turn 1: cat -> table. My turn 2: egg. Word list: cat, table, egg. Give turn 3. AI: grape You: Accepted turn 3: egg -> grape. My turn 4: ear. Word list: cat, table, egg, grape, ear. Give turn 5. AI: rabbit You: Accepted turn 5: ear -> rabbit. My turn 6: tree. Word list: cat, table, egg, grape, ear, rabbit, tree. Six accepted turns reached. Round over. AI: Round over at six accepted turns.
Fix a wrong letter or repeated word
If the character says apple after egg, the starting letter is wrong. Egg ends in g. Reject apple without counting it, then accept grape as turn three if it supplies that replacement.
After rabbit at turn five, table has the right starting letter but has already been used. Reject it and choose tree instead. That completes turn six.
word-chain repair after invalid apple: Apple doesn't start with g. The last word is egg, and we're at turn 2. Used words: cat, table, egg. Try one unused singular noun starting with g for turn 3, then wait.
Example: repair and accepted replacement
AI: grape You: Accept turn 3. Word list: cat, table, egg, grape. My turn is 4.
If the character loses track
Restate the last accepted word or question count and ask for one move. If the character keeps ignoring the rules, stop or switch to a looser prompt from the conversation-starters guide. You can also play these same rules with a willing person.
Character.AI announced a limited-time games beta in January 2025. That historical announcement is background about games in character chat, rather than a current feature list. The two games here are original chat exercises with no built-in scoring.
