Imposter game words

250 words for the imposter game

Start with Food, Animals or Places for a new group: everyone knows the words, so the first rounds are about learning how to give a clue. Move on to Nights out and Movies and TV when the table is warm, and save Hard mode for players who have caught every imposter so far.

How to play Imposter with these words

You need three or more players and one phone. The full rules, with Undercover and scoring, are on the Imposter game page. This is the short version.

1. Deal the wordPass the phone around with the dealer above. Everyone sees the secret word, except the imposter, who sees only the category.
2. One clue eachGoing round the circle, each player says one word that hints at the secret word without giving it away. The imposter has to invent a clue that sounds right.
3. DiscussAfter one or two rounds of clues, talk it through. Whose clue was too vague? Who hesitated?
4. VoteEveryone points at the player they think is the imposter on three. If the group gets it right, the imposter has one last chance: guess the word and they still win.

Hint rules

How much the imposter knows decides how hard the game is. Agree on one of these before you deal.

• Category hint (default). The imposter sees the category, like Animals. Best for most groups, and how the dealer on this page works.
• No hint. The imposter sees nothing and has to work out the topic from the first clues. Hard, and very funny with experienced players.
• One word hint. The imposter gets a related word, for example Bird when the word is Penguin. Good for new groups and when the imposter goes first.

What makes a good imposter word

The best words sit in the middle. Too broad, and everyone's clue is so vague that nobody can tell who is bluffing. Too narrow, and the first clue gives the word away to the imposter.

• Everyone must know it. If one real player doesn't know the word, they look exactly like the imposter. Skip niche films, local slang and inside jokes in mixed groups.
• It needs several sides. Penguin works because you can talk about cold, black and white, waddling, fish or films. A word with only one obvious clue makes the game too easy for the imposter.
• Not too close to the category. In Animals, Dog is a weak word because "loyal" or "walk" fits half the category. Flamingo is better.
• Funny words are allowed. Walk of shame, Group chat and Hangover make the clues funnier, and funny clues are what people remember.

Similar word pairs for Undercover

In the Undercover variant, one player gets a similar word instead of nothing, and doesn't know they are the odd one out. They give honest clues, which is what makes them so hard to spot. These pairs are close enough to overlap, but far enough apart to show up after two or three clues.

Keep the night going