Imposter on your own devices
In the imposter game everyone gets the same secret word except one player, who has to bluff. Online, nobody passes a phone around: each player opens their own card at the same time, holds it to read it alone and taps Ready. The host picks the categories, the number of imposters, the hint they get and the discussion timer before the round starts.
Clues and the discussion are spoken, so play in the same room or on a voice or video call. When everyone has tapped Ready to vote, or the timer runs out, each player votes on their own phone and every screen shows the votes as they come in; a tie gets one revote. A caught imposter gets a last chance to name the word from eight options. Points carry over from round to round, and every rematch deals a new word and new imposters.
Free for 3–12 players, each on your own phone, tablet or computer. Share a link or a 6-character code; nobody needs an account or a download.
How to play the imposter game online with friends
An online imposter room is a party room, so nobody picks a seat. Everyone who opens the link before the host taps Start gets a place, from three players up to twelve. Someone who arrives once the round has begun can watch, but their screen shows no card and no word, so wait for the last name to appear before you start.
The host sets the round up in the lobby, and every phone sees the choices as they change:
- Imposters: one, two once six people have joined, or three from nine.
- Categories: any mix of the built-in word lists. At least one has to be picked.
- Imposter hint (under More options): Category only, Nothing, or A similar word.
- Clue rounds: one, two or three spoken clues from each player.
- Discussion timer: Off, or 1, 2, 3 or 5 minutes.
Our server deals the word from the built-in lists, so the host doesn’t know it either and can play like everyone else. Word lists saved on your own phone stay on the one-device game.
Everyone reads their card at the same moment
On a shared phone the cards go round one person at a time. In a room they all open at once. When the host taps Start, each screen shows its owner’s card: hold it to read it, let go and it hides again. Tap Ready once you have it. Every screen lists who is still reading, so nobody has to ask, and the clues begin as soon as the last person is ready.
The hint decides what the imposter’s card looks like. With Category only, they see the category and know straight away that they are the imposter. With Nothing, they get no help at all. With A similar word, their card looks exactly like everyone else’s, just with a related word on it, and they aren’t told. An imposter in that game may not notice until the other clues start to drift away from theirs.
Clues, the vote and the last chance
Clues are spoken, so sit round one table or keep a voice or video call open in another app. The first clue giver is picked at random and moves one place along with every rematch. Only the player who just gave a clue has Next on their phone, so nobody can skip a turn by mistake. When the discussion timer is on, it counts down on every screen at once.
Nobody can end the talking alone. Each player taps Ready to vote on their own phone, and the vote opens once everyone has, or when the discussion timer runs out. Then everyone votes on their own phone, and every screen shows who voted for whom as the votes come in. Nobody can vote for themselves, and the most votes decides. A tie gets one revote between the tied names; tied again, nobody is caught.
A caught imposter still has a way to win. Their phone alone shows eight words from the category, and picking the right one steals the round, while everyone else sees that they are guessing. At the end every screen shows the word and who the imposters were. A crew win gives each crew member 1 point and an imposter win gives each imposter 2, and the totals carry over to the next round in the same room.
Tips for an imposter game on a video call
- Keep a fixed clue order. Go down the list of names on screen, so nobody speaks twice and nobody is skipped.
- Vote your own read of the clues. Every vote shows as it comes in, so make up your mind before you look at the others.
- Start with Category only. Move to A similar word once everyone knows the game: it’s the hardest version for the crew.
- Two imposters need six or more. With a big group they keep the vote uncertain for longer.
The imposter rules cover the hints, ties and scoring in full, and the imposter tips help with clues, bluffing and the vote. All on one sofa with a single phone? Play Imposter on one phone instead, where your own word lists play too.
Rooms are private and close by themselves after the game; the server keeps a room’s names and moves only while it is open. See the privacy policy for the details.
