Imposter the free online party game where somebody is faking it

What is Imposter?

Imposter is a social deduction party game for three to sixteen people, played in a browser on any device with internet access. At the start of a round every player is shown the same secret word — apart from one or two, who are the imposters and see either a vague hint or nothing at all.

Play then goes around the table. On your turn you say exactly one word as a clue about the secret word. If you are innocent, you have to prove you know it without making it so obvious that the imposter can guess the real word. If you are the imposter, you have to invent a clue convincing enough to pass, using only what the others have already said. After everyone has spoken, the group votes someone out. The innocents win by ejecting every imposter; the imposters win by surviving, or by correctly guessing the secret word.

Who it is for

It works best with four or more people. Rounds run about five minutes. There is no reading age requirement beyond recognising everyday nouns.

What you need to play

One person creates a room and shares the four-letter code; everybody else types it in. That is the whole setup. There is no app to install, no account to create, no email address to hand over, and it is free with no limits on how long or how often you play. Each player needs their own device, because each player has to see their own word in secret — but any device with a browser will do.

Frequently asked questions

How many players do you need for Imposter?

Three at minimum, sixteen at most. It is at its best with five to eight — enough people that the voting is genuinely uncertain.

Is Imposter free?

Yes, completely. There is no account, no payment, no trial and no limit on the number of games. You do not need to give an email address to play.

Do I need to download an app?

No. The game runs entirely in a web browser on any phone, tablet or computer. One player creates a room and shares the code; everyone else joins by typing it in.

How long does a game take?

A single round takes about five minutes. Most groups play several in a row and stop after twenty to thirty minutes, but the host can keep going for as long as the selected categories hold out.

What is the difference between Imposter and Spyfall?

They share a shape — one player is missing the information everyone else has — but the unit of play differs. Spyfall is about a location and free-form questioning; Imposter is about a single secret word and a single one-word clue per turn, which makes rounds much shorter and the bluffing much tighter.

Can I choose the words?

You choose the categories. The word list is split into subjects — animals, food, household objects, nature, the body, people, feelings, jobs, travel, technology, art, sport, clothes, fantasy, colours and numbers, school and abstract ideas — and the host picks any combination. Leave them all on for the full deck, or narrow it to two or three for a much harder game.

What languages can we play in?

Fifteen. English, German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Russian, Turkish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish and Romanian all have their own native word lists, chosen in the lobby.

Ready to play?

Pick a name, create a room and send the code to your group. The first round starts as soon as three people have joined.

Read the rules · Browse the word categories