The rules in 30 seconds
Everyone secretly sees the same secret word — except the impostors, who see nothing. Going around the circle, each player asks their neighbor an indirect question about the word. Then the group votes on one suspect: catch an impostor and the citizens score, accuse an innocent citizen and the impostors score. New round, new word, new roles — highest score after a few rounds wins the night.
Fastest way to learn: play one round
The game walks your group through every step — reveal, questions, vote, scores. Free, on one phone, nothing to install.
▶ Start a round now1. Setting up the game
You need 3–20 players, one phone, and about a minute. Type the players' names in seating order around the circle — the game uses that order for passing the phone and for the question round. Then choose how many impostors will hide in the group.
| Group size | Recommended impostors | What it feels like |
|---|---|---|
| 3–5 players | 1 | Tight and tense — every answer is under the microscope |
| 6–9 players | 2 | Impostors can cover for each other — trust no one |
| 10–13 players | 3 | Party mode: alliances, accusations, chaos |
| 14–20 players | 4 | Full theater — see the large-group guide |
The game suggests this automatically and caps the maximum so that citizens always keep the majority (always fewer impostors than half the group) — otherwise the vote could never win.
2. The secret reveal
Pass the phone around the circle. On their turn, each player presses and holds the reveal button privately:
- 🙂 Citizens see the secret word — the same word for everyone.
- 🕵️ Impostors see... nothing. Just the news that they're the impostor and must fake it. (With the optional hint mode on, they see the word's category — e.g. "Food" — which is friendlier for beginners.)
- 👀 The golden rule: hold the phone close, make sure nobody's peeking, then tap "Got it" and pass it on. Nobody — including whoever set up the game — knows anyone else's role.
3. The question round
Once the last player has seen their role, the discussion opens. Going around the circle, each player asks the person next to them one indirect question about the word — like "Would you take this to a desert island?" — and that person answers, then asks the next player. That's the whole engine of the game:
- Too vague an answer? Suspicious — maybe they don't know the word.
- Too detailed an answer? Careless — you just handed the impostor a free clue.
- The impostors' job is to answer convincingly with zero information, and to piece the word together from everyone else's answers.
- House rules we recommend: no asking "what is the word", answers must be honest for whoever knows the word, and everyone must both ask and answer at least once before the vote.
Stuck on what to ask? We wrote a full list of 25 battle-tested imposter game questions, sorted from casual openers to killer closers.
4. Voting and the reveal
After the discussion (add a 1–5 minute timer if your group loves to ramble), the group talks it out, argues, and agrees on one prime suspect. Mark them in the app and hit accuse:
- ✅ You caught an impostor — the citizens win the round and score points.
- ❌ You accused an innocent citizen — the impostors win the round, celebrate loudly, and score more.
- 🧠 The comeback rule: at the reveal, ask the impostors if they can guess the secret word. A correct guess earns a bonus point — so citizens, watch what your answers give away.
- 👁️ No verdict? You can skip the vote and just reveal everything — nobody scores, straight to the next round.
5. Scoring and winning the night
| Outcome | Points | Who scores |
|---|---|---|
| The group catches an impostor | +2 | Every citizen |
| The group accuses an innocent citizen | +3 | Every impostor |
| An impostor guesses the secret word | +1 bonus | That impostor |
Impostors score more because their job is harder — they're outnumbered and blind. Points carry over between rounds on the scoreboard: play 8–12 rounds, then crown the champion of the night.
6. Optional rules & game modes
- ⏱️ Discussion timer (1–5 minutes) — keeps big groups moving; you can pause it or add a minute mid-round.
- 🧩 Hint for the impostor — impostors see the word's category. Great for first-timers and younger players.
- 🎯 First asker is always a citizen — a training-wheels option; heads up that it also tells everyone the opener is innocent, so it's fairer to leave it off.
- ⚡ Chaos mode — a 1-in-8 chance that every citizen secretly gets a different word. Nobody knows it happened until the reveal. Total mayhem, highly recommended.
- ✍️ Host mode (your own word) — a host who sits the round out types a custom secret word into a hidden field. Perfect for inside jokes; need ideas? Browse the word list.
7. Winning strategies
The rules take a minute to learn — the mind games take years to master. Start here:
🙂 Playing as a citizen
- Calibrate your answers — true enough to prove you know the word, vague enough to feed the impostor nothing.
- Listen for echoes — impostors recycle earlier answers because they have nothing of their own.
- Ask follow-ups that need specifics — "rate it 1–10 and say why" is brutal to bluff.
- Watch the vote — impostors often push accusations onto strong citizens.
- Don't over-celebrate a catch — with several impostors, the round isn't over till the reveal.
🕵️ Playing as the impostor
- Don't panic on question one — a confident general answer buys you the whole round.
- Mirror the room — build your answers out of pieces of everyone else's.
- Accuse early and boldly — silence is what gets impostors caught.
- Hunt the word constantly — even if you're caught, guessing it earns the bonus point.
- Never change your story — one consistent vague answer beats three clever contradicting ones.
Imposter game rules — FAQ
What happens if the vote is a tie?
The group must agree on one prime suspect before accusing — if you're split, keep debating until a majority forms. Can't agree at all? Use the "skip the vote" option to reveal everything: nobody scores, and you jump straight into the next round.
Can the impostor accuse someone too?
Absolutely — and good impostors always do. Accusing someone else with confidence is the impostor's strongest camouflage. Staying quiet during the vote is one of the most common ways impostors get caught.
What if someone peeks at another player's screen?
House rule: the round is void — start a new one with a single tap (same players, new word, new roles). The reveal screen is designed to be held privately, and the pass screen reminds everyone not to peek.
How long does one round of the imposter game take?
About 5–10 minutes: a minute to pass the phone around, a few minutes of questions and discussion (you can set a 1–5 minute timer), then the vote and the reveal. A full game night is usually 8–12 rounds with cumulative scoring.
Can the same word come up twice?
Practically never — the word is drawn in secret from a bank of over 5,000 English words in 11 categories (plus 5,000+ in Hebrew), so even a long game night won't repeat itself.
Do you need internet to play?
Only for the first load. After that the game is saved on your device and works fully offline — planes, road trips, camping. You can also add it to your home screen and open it like an app.
You know the rules. Time to break some trust.
3–20 players, one phone, 5,000+ words, zero setup. Free, no app, no sign-up — and it works offline.
🎭 Play The Impostor freeAlso available in Hebrew — חוקי המשחק בעברית