Imposter game ideas that make it exciting again

One of the best things about the imposter game is that the rules are so simple you can build almost anything on top. If your group already knows the basics, these ideas turn the same core into a completely new game.

Variations for beginners

1. 1Silent round. Nobody may comment during the first clue round, only give their word. Discussion starts after. It makes it much clearer who said what.
2. 2Last word. A caught impostor gets one guess at the word. Get it right and they win anyway. The most popular house rule, for good reason.
3. 3Category switch. A new category every round, so nobody can coast on routine clues.
4. 4Rotating start. A different player opens each round. The impostor cannot plan around their position.

Variations for experienced groups

1. 1Double agent. Two impostors who do not know about each other. Chaotic at first, then everyone's favourite.
2. 2Reverse impostor. The impostor gets the word and the crew does not. They have to lead everyone to it without being too obvious.
3. 3Two-word mode. Half the group gets one word, the other half a similar one. Nobody is told they are different, and at the end everyone guesses who had which. Ready-made pairs are in imposter game words.
4. 4Double bluff. Crew members score a point for drawing suspicion on purpose and still not getting voted out.
5. 5Silent impostor. The impostor may not say a single word all round. Only nods and body language.

Settings live in the app

In the impostor party game you can set the number of players, impostors, round length and category. Every other house rule just needs saying out loud before the round.

Impostor Party Game

Download free

Themed rounds

These are custom word list ideas. Write fifteen to twenty words on a theme on slips or in a note and draw from there.

1. 1Inside jokes. Only words from your group's shared history: a holiday, a party, someone's nickname. Guaranteed to be the best round of the night.
2. 2Office edition. Quarterly report, coffee machine, hybrid working, meeting that could have been an email. Unbeatable at team building.
3. 3Childhood. Cartoons, school smells, packed lunches, fancy dress costumes.
4. 4Our town. Streets, bus stops, pubs and squares from where you live.
5. 5This year. Only things that happened this year. Perfect for New Year's Eve.

Scoring and tournaments

Call a winner after five rounds. Scoring alone makes everyone take it more seriously, because suddenly every word counts.

Ideas for playing with kids

• Short rounds. Thirty seconds is plenty before attention wanders.
• Drawing clues. Instead of saying a word, everyone draws something linked to it. Paper is all you need.
• Mixed pairs. An adult and a child give clues together, so nobody feels exposed.
• Easy categories. Animals and food. Films and jobs are still too abstract.

Playing with eight or more? Read imposter game for large groups first.