IMPOSTORS

How to Play

The fast version you can teach in one minute.

One player is faking it. Everyone else knows the word. The group gives clues, discusses suspicious answers, and votes before the impostor fully settles in.

Basic round flow

  1. Pick a category and start a new round.
  2. Each player reveals their role privately.
  3. Citizens see the secret word. The impostor does not.
  4. The game picks a first speaker.
  5. Players give one short clue each.
  6. The room discusses what sounded real and what sounded rehearsed.
  7. Everyone votes for the person they think is bluffing.
  8. If the group votes out the impostor, the citizens win. If not, the impostor wins.

How to explain it to new players

Tell them this: "If you are a citizen, prove that you know the word without saying the word. If you are the impostor, listen for patterns, stay calm, and give a clue that sounds close enough to survive the vote." That framing usually works better than a long rules dump.

Clue guidelines

The best clues are specific enough to show confidence but not so specific that they hand the answer away. For example, if the word is "Pizza," "late-night favorite" is stronger than just saying "food." It helps citizens identify each other while still leaving room for doubt.