Imposterly
How to play the imposter game
The imposter game is a party word game for 3 to 20 people. Everyone gets the same secret word except the imposter, who has to fake it. The crew’s job is to work out who the imposter is; the imposter’s job is to blend in. You need one phone, and a round takes a few minutes.
It goes by other names too: who’s the spy, the spy word game, undercover. Imposterly plays it on one phone: it deals the cards, runs the secret vote and keeps the score.
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Set up
Add 3 to 20 players in seating order, pick your word packs and set how many imposters: one, or up to one for every three players. Choose Classic or Decoy.
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See your word
Pass the phone round. Tap your card to see the secret word: it stays up for 15 seconds, or until you tap again, then the next player’s card comes up sealed. The imposter’s card says “You’re the imposter” instead.
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Talk it out
Everyone says what they know about the word without giving it away. The imposter listens, bluffs and tries to blend in. There’s no clock: the argument ends when the table says so.
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Vote
With in-app voting, pass the phone again. Each player secretly taps as many suspects as there are imposters, never themselves. The players with the most votes are accused.
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Unmask
Catch every imposter and the crew wins. Miss one and the imposters survive. With word steal on, a caught imposter gets one guess at the word to steal the round back.
The imposter wins by saying almost the right thing.
Imposter game rules, in full
How many imposters
One, or up to one for every three players, always leaving at least two crew. The number is never a secret: the table knows how many it is hunting.
Classic or Decoy
In Classic, the imposter is told they’re the imposter, and with the category hint on they see the category too. In Decoy, the imposter is told and also handed a different word from the same category to hide behind.
Ties and the word steal
A tie that leaves too many suspects for the seats gets one revote among the tied players. With word steal on, a caught imposter picks the real word from a grid of nine. Right, and the imposters steal the round.
Voting out loud
Rather argue than tap? Switch in-app voting off, vote however your table likes, and the host taps who was accused.
Playing on separate phones
One phone hosts a room and reads out its four-letter code; everyone else joins with the code and a name (the app draws each player an avatar from it), and the host starts once three phones are in. Each phone shows only its own card. Tap Ready when the talking is done (the host can open the vote early), then vote on your own phone. A remote round always ends in the secret ballot: no word steal, no voting out loud.
Scoring
Points add up across rounds. End the game for the podium.
| What happened | Points |
|---|---|
| An imposter survives the vote | Each imposter +3 |
| An imposter is caught but guesses the word | That imposter +2 |
| Every imposter is caught, no steal | Every crew player +2 |
| You voted for a real imposter | +1 per correct name |
The +1 for a correct vote counts with in-app voting.
Imposter game words to start with
A dozen words from six of Imposterly’s 110 packs, to show what a round deals. The app has all 5,238, and a word doesn’t come back until its pack runs out.
Food
Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Sushi, Soup, Pizza, Fried Rice, Bread, Lamb Chops, Lasagna, Shrimp, Roast Chicken, Salami
Wild Animals
Lion, Kangaroo, Cobra, Squirrel, Elephant, Platypus, Otter, Meerkat, Polar Bear, Chameleon, Zebra, Sloth
Around The House
Sofa, Broom, Wi-Fi Router, Pillow, Staircase, Fridge, Doormat, Ladder, Houseplant, Washing Machine, Candle, Bookshelf
Jobs
Teacher, Plumber, Astronaut, Waiter, Hairdresser, Judge, Farmer, Programmer, Nurse, Bus Driver, Baker, Detective
Sports
Cricket, Surfing, Judo, Long Jump, Ice Hockey, Swimming, Table Tennis, Marathon, Golf, Skateboarding, Boxing, Sailing
Movies
Jurassic Park, The Notebook, Inception, Rush Hour, Titanic, Mad Max, Mamma Mia, The Godfather, Now You See Me, Skyfall, Life Of Pi, The Conjuring
Rules questions
Can you play the imposter game with 3 people?
Yes. Three is the minimum: one imposter and two crew. The game works from 3 to 20 players, and bigger groups can deal more imposters.
How many imposters should there be?
One, or up to one for every three players, always leaving at least two crew. So 6 players can have 2 imposters and 9 can have 3. The number is never a secret: everyone knows how many they are hunting.
Does the imposter know they are the imposter?
Yes. Their card says “You’re the imposter” instead of the word. In Classic they can also be shown the category; in Decoy they get a different word from the same category to hide behind.
What do you say about the word?
Something true about the word that doesn’t give it away. Too vague and you look like the imposter; too exact and the imposter learns the word. The imposter listens and bluffs a clue that fits.
Who wins the imposter game?
The crew wins if every imposter is voted out. If even one imposter survives the vote, or the crew accuses the wrong person, the imposters win the round.
What happens if the imposter guesses the word?
With word steal on, a caught imposter gets one guess: they pick the real word from nine words in the same category. Right, and the imposters steal the round and that imposter scores 2 points.
Can you play without the app?
Yes, with paper slips: one host writes the word on every slip but one, then has to sit out. Imposterly deals the cards on one phone instead, so everyone plays, and it runs the secret vote and keeps score.
Grab a phone. Find the imposter.
Scan with your phone’s camera to get it.