Games / Imposter
Imposter
Blend in. Sniff them out.
Imposter is a party game for 3–10 people sitting together, each on their own phone. Everyone gets the same secret word, except the imposter. Go around the table giving one-word clues, then vote on who's faking it.
No app. No account. Free.
How a round works
One person starts a room. Everyone at the table scans the code with their own phone. A round takes about 5 minutes.
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Get your secret
Everyone's phone shows the same secret word, like "Pizza". The imposter's phone just says "You're the imposter".
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Go around the table
The game picks who starts. Everyone says one word about the secret, out loud. Go around two or three times.
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Vote them out
The host starts the vote. You have 30 seconds to pick who's faking it. Then comes the big reveal.
Who wins
Play a single round, or have the host set up to 10 rounds and keep score. Then the host asks: play again?
The crew wins by voting out the imposter, as long as the imposter can't then guess the word.
The imposter wins by not getting voted out, or by getting caught and guessing the secret word.
More than one round? Points add up, the imposter role rotates so everyone gets a turn, and the most points wins.
3–10 players
Everyone picks their own character when they join. No two players can have the same one.
Full rules
What you need
- 3 to 10 people in the same room, each with a phone (or any device with a browser).
- One person to start the room and host. Everyone else scans the QR code or types the 4-letter room code.
- About 5 minutes a round. Nothing to download and no accounts.
Round by round
- The deal. Everyone gets the same secret word and its category, except the imposter, who's told they're the imposter. Tap your card to peek, and tap again to hide it.
- The clues. The game picks who goes first. Going clockwise, everyone says one word that relates to the secret. Go around two or three times.
- The vote. When the group is ready, the host starts the vote. Everyone, the imposter included, has 30 seconds to vote for who they think it is. If everyone votes early, it moves straight to the reveal.
- The reveal. The player with the most votes is shown, then whether they were the imposter. If the group got it wrong, the real imposter is revealed.
- The last guess. A caught imposter gets 30 seconds to guess the secret word. Get it right and the imposter wins anyway.
- Next round, or play again. In a longer game the next round gets a new word and a new imposter. After the last round, the host is asked "Play again?".
Ties
If two or more players tie for the most votes, everyone gets another 30 seconds to vote again between just those players. If it's still a tie, nobody is voted out and the imposter gets away.
Scoring (games of 2 or more rounds)
| What happened | Points |
|---|---|
| Imposter who wasn't voted out | +2 |
| Imposter who was caught but guessed the word | +2 |
| Crew member who voted for an imposter | +1 |
| Every crew member, when the crew wins the round | +1 |
The player with the most points after the last round wins. Ties share the spot.
An example round
The secret is "Pizza" (Food). Cy is the imposter. Ana goes first.
- Ana: "oven"
- Ben: "slice"
- Cy: "dinner" Hmm
- Dee: "delivery"
Cy's clue fits almost any food, which is suspicious. Three players vote for Cy, so Cy is voted out and gets one guess. Cy says "pasta". Wrong! The crew wins.
Settings
- Imposters: 1, 2 or 3 a round. Two imposters need at least 5 players, and three need 7. Imposters are told who the others are.
- Imposter knows the category: on by default, so they know it's "Food" or "Animals". Turn it off for hard mode.
- Hint for the imposter: they also get one related word, like "Oven" for "Pizza". Good for younger players.
- Last guess: on by default. Turn it off and a caught imposter just loses the round.
- Rounds: anywhere from 1 to 10. One round by default, then the host can play again.
- Categories: play all of them or pick your favorites.
In the middle of a round, the host can also deal a new word if nobody knows the secret or someone peeked.
Categories
- Food
- Sweets & desserts
- Animals
- Under the sea
- Places in town
- Countries
- Jobs
- Sports
- Around the house
- In the kitchen
- Things that move
- Nature & weather
- Space
- School
- Holidays & parties
- Fantasy & fairy tales
- Clothes & accessories
- Hobbies
- Music
- Toys & games
- Technology
- Camping & outdoors
- Body
More than 3,600 secret words, all family friendly. Words don't repeat within a room until you've played them all.
Tips for the crew
- Give clues that prove you know the word without handing it to the imposter. "Oven" is better than "pepperoni".
- Listen for clues that would fit almost anything in the category. That's what an imposter sounds like.
- Watch who hesitates, or who copies the clue just before theirs.
Tips for the imposter
- Listen first. Every clue before yours narrows down the word.
- Go vague but confident. "Dinner" can fit a lot of foods.
- If you get caught, think back over every clue before you guess.
Questions
How many people do you need to play Imposter?
At least 3, and up to 10. It's best with 5 or more, which also lets you play with 2 imposters.
How long does a game of Imposter take?
About 5 minutes a round. By default a game is one round, and the host can play again as many times as you like, or set up to 10 rounds and keep score.
Does everyone need their own phone?
Yes. Each player sees their own secret on their own screen, so nobody has to pass a phone around. Any device with a web browser works, and there's nothing to install.
Can we play over a video call?
Yes, as long as everyone can hear each other. Imposter is made for playing together in person, so there's no matchmaking with strangers. Share the room code with your friends.
Does the imposter know the category?
By default, yes. The host can turn that off for a harder game, or give the imposter a hint word to make it easier.
What if nobody knows the secret word?
The host can deal a new word at any time before the vote. Everyone gets a new secret, and the imposter may change too.
Is it family friendly?
Yes. Every word is clean, and you can pick which categories to play.
Want a game you can play online with anyone? Try Last Second, our fast categories game.