Imposter
Explain the rules, then pass the phone round. Everyone peeks at their secret word. The imposter gets nothing but a hint, and has to bluff.
How to play
- Pass the phone round. Each player taps their card to see the secret word, then hides it.
- One player sees “Imposter” instead (plus a one-word hint, if hints are on). They must bluff.
- Go round the circle. Everyone says one word linked to the secret word, then discuss and vote.
- Catch the imposter and everyone else scores 1. If they escape or guess the word, they score 2.
The imposter game for friends and family
Imposter is a social deduction word game for 3 or more players. It runs in your browser on one phone. You don’t need an app, an account, or cards. One person is secretly out of the loop, and everyone else has to work out who.
Every player gets the same secret word, except one. That player is the imposter, and has to bluff through the clues without getting caught. Everyone else gives one-word clues to prove they know the word, without making it so obvious the imposter can guess it.
Choose from more than 900 handpicked words across 23 categories, from easy words, food and animals to movies, internet culture, Christmas and a hard mode full of abstract ideas. Add your own words for inside jokes, or turn on hints so the imposter gets a nudge.
You can explain it in thirty seconds, and a round lasts just a few minutes. It works for icebreakers, family dinners, long car journeys and late nights, and it plays offline once loaded.
Tips
- Give clues that are specific but sideways: for “Beach”, try “sunburn” rather than “sand”.
- Watch for players who repeat or rephrase someone else’s clue.
- As the imposter, wait for a few clues before you commit.
- With 7 or more players, add a second imposter to keep the game tense.
Imposter questions
How many players do you need for Imposter?
Imposter needs at least 3 players and works with up to 30 on one phone, passed round the group.
How long does a game of Imposter take?
About 10 to 20 minutes with the default settings. On the game page, open “Game ends” to choose a number of rounds, a target score or Endless, or tap End at any time to see the scores.
Is Imposter suitable for kids?
Yes. Family mode is on by default and hides every adult prompt, so Imposter is safe for kids and family gatherings. Adults can turn on spicy mode in Settings for bolder prompts.
Great for
- Birthday parties
- Office parties and team building
- Weddings and sangeets
- Baby showers
- Graduation parties
- Christmas parties
- Halloween
- Diwali
- Eid
- Lunar New Year
- New Year’s Eve
- Thanksgiving
- Games for large groups
More games like Imposter
- 20 Questions: Yes or no only. Crack it in twenty.
- Two Truths & a Lie: Three stories. One is fake. Spot it.
- Charades: Act it out. Can your team guess it?
- Whisper Chain: Pass a phrase along. Watch it fall apart.