How to play
The category is public. The word is not. Everyone who is crew sees the same word. Each imposter sees either a blank card or, if you switched hint mode on, a vague hint from that category. Nobody is told who the imposters are. You win the room by sounding as if you know the word, or by noticing who does not.
Set the table
Choose 3 to 20 players, how many imposters, a category, and whether imposters see a hint. Add names if you want the phone to use them.
Deal the words in private
Pass the phone around. Each person holds the card, reads their own word, and hides it before the phone moves on.
Give clues
A randomly chosen player starts. Talk about the secret word without saying it. Start the timer if you set one.
Vote and reveal
Agree who is bluffing, then confirm the reveal to see the word and the imposters. Play again deals a new word with the same settings.
A good house rule is one clue each, going clockwise from the starting player, then a second clue only if the group is stuck. Vote out loud or with a pointed finger on three. Then use Reveal. Play again keeps the same headcount, category, hint setting and timer, deals a new word, and chooses the imposters again.
Rules you can change
Hint mode
Turn this on for younger players, a very wide category such as Countries, or a group that has never played. The hint belongs to the secret word. It is related, and it is not the answer. Imposters still have to talk their way through clues that may only half fit. Leave it off once the table knows the game. A blank card is funnier.
Several imposters
The generator allows one imposter for every three players, so six people can hide two bluffers and nine can hide three. They are not introduced to each other. Decide the win before you deal: either the imposters win if the vote names a crew member, or they win only when every imposter is missed. The second rule is harsh on the crew and better for a short party round.
Timed rounds
One minute is a lightning round: one word each and an immediate vote. Three minutes suits a table of eight. Five minutes is plenty for a classroom that wants every pupil to speak. Start the timer yourself once the phone has come back to the table, so the clock is not running while people are still peeking.
Tips that actually help
If you are the imposter
- Let someone else speak first if you can. Their clue is free information.
- Copy the shape of what they said and add a detail that could fit several words in the category. “Packed in lunchboxes” is safer than guessing “banana” out loud.
- Ask a question instead of staking a claim. Questions sound involved and commit you to less.
- If you were given a hint, treat it as fog, not as a label. The hint may sit next to the real word rather than on it.
- With more than one imposter, do not hunt for your partner. Two people exchanging looks is a confession.
If you have the word
- Give a clue a teammate would get and a guesser would not. “Yellow” is weak in Food. “Often bruised in a lunchbox” is sharper, and it still is not the word.
- Watch who agrees with everything and never adds a new fact.
- Ask one player for a second clue. Crew can usually do it. An imposter starts to wobble.
- Do not say the word, spell it, or point at the thing if it is in the room. That ends the round and annoys everyone.
- If you are sure, say so. Long, polite indecision is how a bluff survives.
How many players work well
- 3 or 4. One imposter, short rounds, good for a kitchen table. Hint mode stops the first game feeling cruel.
- 5 to 8. The sweet spot for who is the imposter. One or two imposters. Everyone gets a turn to speak before the vote.
- 9 to 12. Use two or three imposters and a three-minute timer, or the clues start repeating and people drift.
- 13 to 20. Party size. Names on, timer on, clues kept to a single word. The phone will tell you who looks next, which matters once the room is loud.
Families, classrooms and parties
At home
Playtime, Animals and Food are the kindest lists. Sit so the screen faces away from the table, and drop the brightness if you are outside. A grown-up can read the card with a child who is still learning to read, whisper the word, then hide it. Let them guess before anyone presses Reveal.
In a classroom
School, Jobs, Countries and Nature sit next to a lesson without dragging in film titles or brands. Pairs can share one card if you have more pupils than you want to type. Skip real names if you would rather not: “Player 7” works, and anything you do type stays in the browser on that device. One clue each, then a vote, keeps the noise inside a few minutes.
At a party
Stories, Holidays and Household get loud. Agree the voting rule before the first deal, or you will relitigate it every round. Play again is there so a best-of-three does not mean tapping through the setup. The starting player is chosen at random after the last card is hidden, so the person who owns the phone is not always the one who talks first.
Questions people ask
What is an imposter word game?
It is a pass-the-phone party game. Everyone but the imposter sees the same secret word. You give clues, listen for someone who is bluffing, and vote. People also call it the imposter word game or who is the imposter game. Impostor is another spelling of the same word.
How many people can play?
Three to twenty. Four to eight is the easiest size if you are new to it. Larger parties should turn the timer on and use more than one imposter. The app allows at most one imposter for every three players.
What does the imposter see?
By default, nothing except the category. They have to blend in while everyone else shares a word. In hint mode they also see a short clue linked to the secret word. The clue is not the word, and the imposter still never sees the word itself.
Can there be more than one imposter?
Yes. A group of six can have two, a group of nine can have three, and a group of twenty can have six. Imposters are not told who the others are. Agree before you start whether they win together if any one of them escapes the vote.
Does the imposter game generator work offline?
Yes, after the first visit. A small service worker stores the app on your device, so a later round does not need a signal. Dealing happens in the browser. No account and no download from an app store.
Is it suitable for families and classrooms?
The built-in lists are family-friendly and avoid brand names and film franchises. Use Playtime, Animals or Food with hint mode for younger children. For a lesson, School, Countries, Jobs and Nature sit well next to the topic. You do not have to enter real names.
Do you collect player names?
No. Names, custom word lists, the colour theme and your cookie choice stay in local storage on the device. They are not sent to a server by this site. Clear the site data in your browser if you want them gone.
Can we add our own words?
Yes. Choose Custom words and type one word or phrase per line. You can add a hint after a pipe character, for example: Lighthouse | A tower near the sea. The list stays on this device. Random will include it once you have saved at least eight words.