How to Play the Imposter Game: Rules, Voting and Variations

The rules in one minute

1. 1Get your card

   Pass the phone around. Everyone sees the secret word, except the imposter, who only gets a hint.

2. 2Say one word

   Take turns saying one word that fits the secret word. Not too obvious, not too vague.

3. 3Vote

   After a round or two, everyone points at the player they think is bluffing.

4. 4Reveal

   Catch the imposter and the group wins. Vote wrong, or let the imposter guess the word, and the imposter wins.

Players: 3 or more. Time: 5 to 10 minutes a round. Needs: a word, a way to hand it out secretly, and a voting method.

1. Pick a word. One word, like “lighthouse”. Everyone sees it except the imposter.
2. Choose the imposter in secret. Slips of paper, cards, or a phone passed around.
3. Clue round. Going clockwise, each player says one word that relates to the secret word. Not the word itself, and nothing so obvious the imposter copies it.
4. Discuss. A minute or two of arguing about who sounded off.
5. Vote. On “three, two, one”, everyone points at who they think the imposter is.
6. Reveal. If the group picks the imposter, the group wins. If they pick the wrong person, the imposter wins.

A worked round

The word is “lighthouse” and there are four players. Sam gets IMPOSTER.

• Ana says “tall”.
• Ben says “sea”.
• Sam has no word, so listens and says “night”. It is vague but plausible.
• Cleo says “beam”.

Ana and Ben think “night” is a bit generic. Cleo says “beam” is a very specific clue, almost too good. The group votes Sam, correctly. Sam then gets one guess at the word and says “tower”. Wrong, so the group wins.

The skill is in the clue. Too vague and you look like the imposter. Too specific and the imposter works out the word.

Scoring

You can play single rounds, or keep score over several:

• Group catches the imposter: every non-imposter scores 1.
• Imposter survives the vote: the imposter scores 2.
• Imposter caught but guesses the word: imposter scores 1.

First to 5 points wins, or play one round per person so everyone gets a turn as imposter.

3 ways to play

1. Buy a board or card game

There are published party games built on the same idea, such as Spyfall and Undercover. Both are real products from their own publishers and play a little differently from the classic version above: Spyfall asks players to question each other about a location rather than give one-word clues. Check the box and rules before you buy, since the details vary. The upside is a ready-made deck and tidy components.

2. Make it yourself

You need paper, a pen, and a word list.

1. Cut slips of paper, one per player.
2. Write the word on all but one. Write IMPOSTER on the last one.
3. Fold and shuffle. Everyone takes a slip and looks in secret.
4. Use a phone timer for a 60-second discussion.

Not sure what words to use? Our imposter game word list has hundreds, and you can pick a random one with the pictionary word generator or spin the wheel. Use random order generator to decide who speaks first.

3. Play on Duoo

The Duoo app has an Imposter game built for one phone. It has 10 categories and 340 words. You pass the phone, each player taps to see their word or their IMPOSTER card privately, and then you talk it out. No slips, no hat, no setup. It works offline, and you can try it free in a browser first.

Variations

With 3 people. Use one imposter, and do only one clue each. Because there are so few votes, play three rounds so everyone is imposter once. Pick tight categories, like animals or foods, so clues are easier to judge.

In teams. Split into two teams of 3 or more. Each team has a secret imposter planted on it by the host. Both teams give clues in turn, and each team has to find its own faker. Teams score a point for a correct catch.

Adults and party. Use spicier words (bars, dating, hangover cures) and add a rule: the person voted out takes a sip, or the imposter picks a dare for the table if they win.

Video call. A host messages each person privately. Everyone gives clues in the chat in a set order so nobody can wait to copy others. Vote with a countdown and a reaction emoji.

In the car or in a classroom. Without phones or paper, the host whispers the word to each player one by one and says “imposter” to one of them. Players then give clues in seat order. In a classroom, use vocabulary words or topics from the lesson as the secret words, so the clues double as review.

Two imposters. For 9 or more players. The imposters do not know each other, which makes the clues a little chaotic.

Tips

• If you are the imposter, listen to the first two clues carefully. They tell you the category.
• Give clues that only make sense if you know the word, but avoid the obvious first association.
• Do not point out the imposter too early. Let them dig their own hole.

More to read

Browse the imposter game words, or see our party games for adults and games to play with friends without anything for what to play next.