# What is the name of this game? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 25, 2003, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-this-game/171077 "2003-04-25T09:59:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_great_unwashed/32/4791_2.png) [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-this-game/171077/1 "2003-04-25T09:59:27Z")
Gah! This is driving me crazy. There is a party game where the players are allotted the name of some famous person, typically this name is written on a piece of paper and stuck to the players’ backs or foreheads so that everyone else can see the names except for the players themselves. The object is that by asking questions that will take answers _YES_ or _NO_ that each player ascertains their “identity”. What the hell is that called? Some have volunteered “Who Am I?” or “The Name Game”, but I remember this as being a Proper Name, Portsomething or other. Please tell me, or failing that kill me. Ta. ---
**Author:** ![shamrock227](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@shamrock227](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shamrock227)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-this-game/171077/2 "2003-04-25T10:24:48Z")
Searching the net I’ve found several sites that list the game you describe. Unfortunately, they do not agree on the name of the game, either. We got “The Name Game”, “Guess Who?”, “Star Search”, and “Celebrity Hunt” Hope one of these will put you out of your misery 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_great_unwashed/32/4791_2.png) [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-this-game/171077/3 "2003-04-25T10:28:51Z")
Thanks **shamrock** , I did the same Googling, and _none_ of those names are what I’m looking for. I get the feeling that the name I’m looking for is a proper name of some minor historical character. Of course I might just be dreaming, that happens. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_great_unwashed/32/4791_2.png) [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-this-game/171077/4 "2003-04-25T10:30:56Z")
…_none of those are the names **what** I’m looking for_. I really am having a bad day. ---
**Author:** ![hammos1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@hammos1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammos1)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-this-game/171077/5 "2003-04-25T10:32:06Z")
Botticelli? Not _exactly_ the same game as you describe, but similar, and perhaps the name you were thinking of? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_great_unwashed/32/4791_2.png) [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-this-game/171077/6 "2003-04-25T10:40:22Z")
**hammos1** , I am _sure_ _ **Botticelli** _ is the name I was looking for – thanks. Now I have to worry why I confused the two. (Answer: general brain-addleness, exarcerbated by caffeine deficiency.) Thread over I think, thanks again. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-this-game/171077/7 "2003-04-25T10:57:23Z")
We call it “The Rizla game”, because of the cigarette papers that can be conveniently used to play it. Rizlas - used for rolling cigarettes you see. That’s it. Cigarettes. ---
**Author:** ![brainfizz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/da6949/32.png) [@brainfizz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainfizz)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-this-game/171077/8 "2003-04-25T11:16:26Z")
It’s called “The Great I Am” ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-this-game/171077/9 "2003-04-25T11:22:16Z")
I believe the ‘Portsomething’ name you were thinking of may have been _Portmanteau_ (or at least that is the name that was on the tip of _my_ tongue when i read the OP) - Portmanteau is not the same game though; it is a game where novel words are invented. ---
**Author:** ![Hairy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/22d042/32.png) [@Hairy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hairy)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-this-game/171077/10 "2003-04-25T11:32:52Z")
Down here we call it Celebrity Head ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-this-game/171077/11 "2003-04-25T11:41:32Z")
Botticelli may be the name you were looking for, but I’ve always used that name for a different game, where the player comes up with the person to identify themselves. Others ask yes/no questions and the player answers. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-this-game/171077/12 "2003-04-25T12:10:48Z")
Rick: Well, why don’t we play a game? Vyvyan: Oh, boring! Rick: Oh, come along now. What about Boticelli? Where you have to guess the identity of the famous person? Vyvyan: What about Jelly Botty, where you have to eat eighteen curries?