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2025 was another successful year for Facts in Five, with 360 official registrants (though over 400 sheets handed out in the first few rounds so an estimated 410 in the room watching). This year was our first year successfully streaming video for the game on Twitch, and you can see what was streamed on YouTube at the WBC Facts in Five channel: https://www.youtube.com/@wbcfactsinfive9886.
Special thanks, as always, to our Assistant GMs who ran around getting papers where they needed to go and are the backbone to this game’s success: Roni Breza, Kevin Breza, Rebecca Corrado, and Elizabeth Corrado. Likewise, thanks again to those who stayed after to chat and sort and data enter so that we can get results in before 4AM: Andrew Drummond, Sara Ward, Max Murdoch, Eric Peffer, Mark Love, Keith Boone, Evan Boone, Matt Craig, and Sean McCulloch.
With that, here are the categories, letters, and results from this year’s Facts in Five!
Round 1
Categories:
- Soups not named after their ingredients
- Painters who have a work which sold for over $80 million
- Synonyms for “abode"
- Spanish cities with over 100,000 residents
- Top Literary villains
Letters: B, G, H, M, and V
The average score for Round 1 was 9.7. Our first round winner was Russ Bielefeldt, with an amazing 21 out of 25 correct answers! Right behind him were Mike Assante with 20, J.R. Tracy with 19, and Ewan McNay, Mike Kaltman, Sid Verkatesh, and Jeff Bennett all tied at 18.
For soups, many people decided to go with adjectives, hoping that Hearty, Homemade, Bad, or Great all would count, which they did not. The main lesson learned from this category, however, was that after a long week of gaming and maybe a few beers, you shouldn’t ask people to try and spell Vichysoisse.
For painters, we decided that our answer set was overly narrow, when compared to the description of the category, so Vermeer, Bansky, Bosch, Goya, and some others were allowed in as ‘famous’ painters even if they didn’t meet the fundraising goals.
For synonyms for “abode," a full 3% of you made the argument that “Van down by the river" should be a valid answer, and as much as we love Chris Farley, we can’t sway Roget’s Thesaurus into agreeing.
For Spanish cities, we have much appreciation for the answers Very Big Spanish City, Minnesota, Gondor, and Mexico City. ?
And for villains, we gave credit for Goliath, but Maleficent, Gaston, Godzilla, and Adenoid Hynkel were movie characters first, not literary characters. Likewise, Blackbeard and Hitler were historical figures, not literary figures. Also, Hamlet, Heathcliff, and Gatsby - while jerks - were anti-heroes and not villains.
Special thanks to Ralph Gleaton for writing “Marty Fromage" in every box he couldn’t think of an answer to.
Round 2
Categories:
- Current Native Birds of Oceania
- Popular English/French-original Animated TV shows debuting in 1990 or later
- Amusements Parks of the US or Canada with a Roller Coaster
- Genres of Popular Music
- Modern writing scripts
Letters: C, E, H, K, and M
Round 2 became a little easier with an average score of 10.2. Our second round winner was Stephan Marquette, with an outstanding 20 right. Next were Felicia Alfieri with 19, and Alfred Schnabel, Matthew Craig, and Caitlin Cagwin with 18.
For native birds, we appreciate the person who couldn’t think of Emu and instead wrote Ewok. Likewise, the idea of an Everglades Amusement Park with a roller coaster fills us with a mixture of glee and dread. For music, we were looking for current popular musical genres, and so traditional Yiddish folk music Klezmer doesn’t quite make it in; likewise, Mash-ups, Kidz Bop, and Eurovision aren’t really genres. Finally, as a Star Wars fan, “Cantina music" is not the term, there’s actually a very specific in-universe term for the music being played, and you should definitely google that.
Round 3
Categories:
- Names of Seas
- Elementary School Supplies c. 2025
- Most Popular Internet Slang Acronyms
- Sayings
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- Top 100 Classic (pre-2000) Horror Movies
Letters: F, I, L, N, and S
The openness of Sayings and the ubiquitousness of Internet Acronyms made this an easier round at 10.1. Four people tied for the win: Russ Bielefeldt, Mike Assante, Ewan McNay, and Sean McCulloch with 18 points each. Right behind were Leslie Coussis, Daron Schrier, Felicia Alfieri, Kieth Boone, and Mike Kaltman with 17.
For names of seas, we will note that there is no Funky Sea. I think it’s actually a town.
For school supplies, we said yes to a lot of circled answers, but said no to food or to ink, as no one should be buying ink for their children in 2025, it already comes in pens. Those of you who suggested incendiary devices: no. Also, there are no laminator or laser pointers, as I would not trust eight-year-olds with one. And “laurels" are something they should earn on their own.
For Internet Slang Acronyms, ATM we TYVM for the BDE you showed, and accepted SYL and NIMBY as answers. IYKYK.
For sayings, our favorites not on the original list were “F— you and the horse you came in on"; “First rule of Fight Club"; “If you keep that up, your face will freeze that way"; “In vino veritas"’ “Live long and prosper"; “Never pet a burning dog"; “Never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line"; “Silence is golden, duct tape is silver"; “Sin in haste, repent at leisure"; and “Sit to the left of the newbie". We did not give credit to “France sucks" or “In case of emergency, break glass."
Round 4
Categories:
- Unique pieces and parts of the brain
- Regular Sesame Street Muppets
- Brands of Chewing Gum distributed in the US/UK/CAN/AUS
- NHL Players with over 1000 points
- Movies featuring Robin Williams
Letters: C, F, G, H, and O
Round 4 was our toughest round, with an average score of 8.2. Glen Pearce and Jeff Bennett shared the lead with 18 points each. Robert Eno and Leslie Coussis were just behind with 16, and Mitchell Shore, Adam Fry, Eric Peffer, Patti Swift, Sean McCulloch, and Russ Bielefeldt filled out the round’s lead with 15.
In answers given, things I am happy are not brain parts include Fidgety Bits, the Hypocondria, the Fighting Nerve, and the Charles Barkley Gland. I am especially glad that the brain does not include an Outer Nervous System. Many people answered Homonculus, and while there is no part of the brain called the Homonculus, there is a Cortical Homonculus which is a model of how the brain processes information- check out Wikipedia for a great article on it.
For Muppets, many people answered Fozzie Bear and Gonzo (and “Old Guys" who I assume were Statler and Waldorf, the guardian angels on my shoulders as I grade papers). Unfortunately, those are Muppet Show Muppets, and while Gonzo made a single appearance on Sesame Street, none of them were ever regulars on the show. Also, not Muppets on Sesame Street: Hamburglar, Hastur, Homonculus, Car Admirer, or Hobbit. And also, not Muppets but I wish they were: Fluffalumpolis and Humpa Lumpa Guy.
For gum, based on circled answers, we did some research and agreed with Five and Clove as brands of gum. We do not agree with Ovaltine, Oral-B, Half-chewed, Gooey Booey, O’Doul’s, or Cavity-Causing Gum as brands, though.
For the record, not an NHL player who starts with a C: Christina Applegate.
Then, finally, for Robin Williams movies we refused to accept: Hwat Dreams May Come (to make it an H answer); Garp: The World According To (to make it a G answer); “Hi, Tim!" the Musical Comedy; Centennial Man; and finally, he was definitely not in The Breakfast Club no matter how often you circle it. Also, The Breakfast Club would be an answer B, which was not one of the letters this round, so it’s even worse than that.
Round 5
As always, our Round 5 has a theme. Andrew Drummond made the mistake of informing me that he and Sara Ward were expecting their first child, and so, of course, I decided we all needed to pitch in and suggest names, and so “Helping Andrew and Sara name their new child" was our theme this year.
Round 5 was graded the hardest the night of the event, but after fixes to our answer sets, it turned out to be the overall easiest with 10.3 as the average score. Richard Irving took top numbers here with 19 correct answers, followed quickly by Chris Shasbin, Alfred Schnabel, Zach Goldstein, and Daniel Bush with 18 each. J.R. Tracy, Mike Kaltman, and Robert Eno filled out the rest of the top performers with 17 each.
Categories:
- Presidents, Prime Ministers, and Governors General of the US, UK, and Canada
- First Names of Movie Directors Nominated for an Academy Award
- Rivers of North America
- Defunct major league nicknames, 1920 – present
- Most popular dog names according to the American Kennel Club
Letters: B, M, R, S, and T
For Presidents, Prime Ministers, and Governors General, the number of people genuinely upset that our answer list forgot William Howard Taft reassures me that I am among my own people. I especially appreciate the player who put the specific dates of Taft’s term as proof; I apparently needed it.
For rivers: our answer list here was even worse, missing many, many rivers over 20 miles in length. I blame anonymous Wikipedia editors. In any case, we reviewed every answer, including the not-circled answers, and gave credit where it was due, so a lot of scores went up. Examples of missed rivers include the Boston, the Brazos, the Milwaukee, and the Suwanee. Our apologies for this one - we’ll work to do better next time.
For major league sports teams, one of the rules was that the team had to exist after 1920, and unfortunately for some people, the New York Metropolitans, the Pittsburgh Stogies, and the Cleveland Spiders were all defunct before that. There were, however, a number of suggested team names we’d love to watch in the future, specifically: the Mennonites; the Mondays; the Stoppers; the Thieves; the Tirade; and the Trout. To be clear - not “The Trouts," just “The Trout." Thanks also to the LaDue’s, who we did not know were from Tonawanda, New York, before our long detailed explanation of the Tonawanda Kardex’s history as a professional football team. We hope we gave you a bit of pride in your hometown.For dog names, we couldn’t give credit for Barksalot, Sir Licksalot, or Rizzler, but wanted to give appreciation for them at least.
Finally, for Round 5, we asked people to submit votes for baby names for Andrew and Sara, and the overall winner was Mississippi Drummond with 12 votes. We hope that, should Andrew and Sara raise a child who likes to gamble, that this legally-binding vote serves their young one well in the years to come. Scout Drummond was second with 7, and Steagle Drummond was third with 6. Other interesting vote getters include Candadiana, Chungus, Duderonomy, Jonawanda, Mad King Santa Fe, Nosferatu, Schulky, Rutherford, The Quadratic Formula, and Most Exalted One Who Can’t Be Stopped.
Final Results
Congratulations to Russ Bielefeldt, who had a total score of 85 out of 125 and is our winner after losing a tie-breaker and finishing 2nd last year! Mike Kaltman, with 81, took second place, beating out Mike Assante’s 81 on tiebreakers. Leslie Coussis was our 4th with 79, and Daniel Bush and Zach Goldstein came in 5th and 6th with 75 each. Also hitting 75, but just losing out on tiebreakers, were Stephane Marquette and Sean McCulloch.
If you’d like to see your own standings, we have the graded results here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-KY9DOpVnY5C-mibs0W58kmhILt02g7B1AxPgKZ7z8M/edit?usp=sharing.
Please note that tiebreakers are based on night-of results, so we include both night-of averages and actual post-grading averages.
Thank you to everyone who came out to participate or just watch; we hope you had a great time, and we can’t wait for Facts in Five 2026!
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Corrado, John [12th Year]