The Office Behind the Faces
Guess Who? turns a row of illustrated faces into a process of elimination: players ask yes-or-no questions, then fold down portraits that no longer fit. That format depends on each person being recognizable as an individual, so the faces are more than decoration—they are the clues the game runs on.
The creators reportedly found some of their models close at hand: people from their advertising agency. One colleague was said to resemble Bernard, the wide-eyed character. That points to a practical source of inspiration rather than a cast assembled from abstract character types: familiar people could supply distinct looks for a game built around comparing faces.
From Real Person to Playable Portrait
A colleague’s likeness need not be a literal portrait to matter. An illustrator can carry over a memorable feature—the eyes, hair, or expression—while simplifying it into a clear, repeatable drawing. The result has to work at small size and remain distinguishable among many faces, because players make decisions by scanning the lineup.
That link between office and game gives the cast a quietly personal origin. Bernard’s wide-eyed look was not just another feature in a lineup; it reportedly echoed someone the creators knew. The game’s mystery, then, began with a very ordinary act of looking closely at the people around them.
