The Jargon File (version 4.4.7, 29 Dec 2003):

initgame
 /in?it'gaym/, n.

    [IRC] An IRC version of the trivia game ?Botticelli?, in which one user
    changes his nick to the initials of a famous person or other named
    entity, and the others on the channel ask yes or no questions, with the one
    to guess the person getting to be ?it? next. As a courtesy, the one picking
    the initials starts by providing a 4-letter hint of the form sex,
    nationality, life-status, reality-status. For example, MAAR means ?Male,
    American, Alive, Real? (as opposed to ?fictional?). Initgame can be
    surprisingly addictive. See also hing.

    [1996 update: a recognizable version of the initgame has become a staple of
    some radio talk shows in the U.S. We had it first! -- ESR]


The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (30 December 2018):

initgame

    /in-it'gaym/ [IRC] An IRC version of the venerable
   trivia game "20 questions", in which one user changes his
   nick to the initials of a famous person or other named
   entity, and the others on the channel ask yes or no questions,
   with the one to guess the person getting to be "it" next.  As
   a courtesy, the one picking the initials starts by providing a
   4-letter hint of the form sex, nationality, life-status,
   reality-status.  For example, MAAR means "Male, American,
   Alive, Real" (as opposed to "fictional").  Initgame can be
   surprisingly addictive.  See also hing.

   [Jargon File]