Timer Imposter: The Stopwatch Game With a Secret Time
Timer Imposter is the imposter format on a stopwatch. Everyone at the table learns the same secret time, say 7.40 seconds, except one player. Then you take turns stopping a stopwatch you cannot read. The imposter has to blend in without knowing the time.
After every stop the lid opens and the whole table sees that player's time. Then you discuss, vote and find out who was faking. One phone, 3 or more players, free in the Dronk app.
iPhone · Free · No account · English and 22 other languages
| Players | 3 or more on one phone |
|---|---|
| Imposters | 1, or 2 from 6 players |
| Secret time | Short 1-5 s · Classic 3-15 s · Long 10-30 s |
| Imposter's hint | A range the target is hidden inside, or none |
| Stopwatch | Blind: the lid covers the dial while it runs |
| Who loses | A caught imposter, or an innocent who gets voted out |
| Free to play | Yes, in the Dronk app |
01 · DefinitionWhat is Timer Imposter?
If you have played Imposter, you know the shape: everyone gets the same secret, one person does not, and that person has to act like they do. Timer Imposter swaps the secret word for a secret time. Instead of giving a hint about the word (see our imposter game words if that is the version you know), you stop a stopwatch and let your time speak for you.
The stopwatch is the twist. It is a chrome pocket watch with a lid, and the lid stays shut while it runs: no digits, no ticking hand, just a slow shine across the metal that deliberately does not pulse in seconds. Tap to start, count in your head, tap to stop. Only then does the lid swing open and the hand sweep to your time, so the table sees 7.12 s or 9.80 s and starts talking right away.
The imposter never sees the target, only a rough range if the hint is on. Stop too far from the others and you look guilty. The trick is that honest players miss too, which is exactly the cover the faker needs.
02 · RulesHow to play Timer Imposter (step by step)
Four stages on one phone: setup, role cards, the stopwatch round, and the vote with the reveal.
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1Set up: players, length, roles
Add at least three names. Pick a length: Short (1 to 5 seconds), Classic (3 to 15) or Long (10 to 30). With six or more players you can switch to two imposters. Leave the hint on if you want the imposter to see a rough range, then tap start.
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2Pass the phone and learn the secret time
The phone goes around in setup order. Hold the card to flip it. Everyone sees the same secret time, for example 7.40 s, with two decimals. The imposter sees only a range like "Between 5 and 10 s", or just the length bounds if the hint is off. Tap I've seen it and pass it on.
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3Stop the watch blind, one at a time
The order is shuffled, so the imposter is not always first or last. Tap the stopwatch to start, tap again when you think the time is up. The lid stays closed while it runs. When you stop, the lid swings open and the hand sweeps to your time. Show it to the table, then hand the phone to the next name on screen.
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4Discuss, vote, then see the target
All times are listed and the app names who starts the discussion. Agree on a suspect, tap their tile and lock in. A caught imposter takes the penalty and the group wins. Vote out someone innocent and they take the penalty; if the imposters are still outnumbered, you vote again. The reveal then shows the secret time and everyone's times side by side.
The screen reminds you, and it matters. One player muttering "five, six, seven" hands the imposter a free metronome. Count in your head.
03 · SettingsLength and hint: how hard it gets
Two settings decide how much cover the imposter gets. The length sets where the secret time can land, and the hint sets how much of that range the imposter is told.
Short
1 to 5 seconds. Everyone is close, so the imposter hides easily. Fast and chaotic.
Classic
3 to 15 seconds. The default. Enough room for honest misses and obvious fakes.
Long
10 to 30 seconds. Counting drifts, the table goes quiet, and the imposter sweats.
What the imposter's hint actually is
With the hint on, the imposter's card shows a range such as "Between 5 and 10 s". It covers roughly half of the length's span, and the target sits somewhere inside it, deliberately not in the middle. With the hint off, the imposter only knows the length bounds, for example "somewhere between 3 and 15 s", which is brutal on Long.
Two imposters
From six players you can play with two imposters. They get the same hint and do not know each other, and the group has to vote both out.
04 · TipsHow to blend in, and how to catch the faker
Imposter: aim for a believable miss
Honest players are rarely spot on. Pick a point inside your hint, stop with the same confidence as everyone else, and do not react when the lid opens. Going late in the order helps because you can copy the crowd, but the order is shuffled, so you will not always get that luxury.
Group: watch the first stop
The first player has no times to lean on. If their time is wildly off, they are either the imposter or terrible at counting. Later stops that neatly average out the earlier ones are the other classic tell.
Nobody is scored on distance
The app shows the target and all times at the end but does not rank them or hand out penalties for being off. The only penalty in Timer Imposter comes from the vote. The "who was closest" argument is yours to have.
05 · FAQTimer Imposter: frequently asked questions
What is Timer Imposter?
Timer Imposter is a stopwatch party game in the Dronk app, built on the imposter format. Everyone learns a secret time except one player, each person stops a blind stopwatch as close to it as they can, and the group votes out whoever seems to be guessing.
How many players do you need?
At least three, on one phone. Up to five players there is always exactly one imposter. From six players you can choose two imposters in setup, and the group then has to vote out both.
What does the imposter see?
Not the secret time. With the hint on, the imposter sees a range such as "Between 5 and 10 s", and the target sits somewhere inside it, never neatly in the middle. With the hint off, the imposter only knows the bounds of the chosen length, for example somewhere between 3 and 15 seconds.
How does voting work?
The group agrees on one suspect and locks in the vote on the phone. If it is the imposter, the group wins and the imposter takes a penalty. If it is an innocent player, they take a penalty and you vote again among the rest, as long as the imposters are outnumbered. If the imposters ever equal the rest, the imposters win.
Does the app judge who was closest?
No. The reveal shows the secret time, the imposter's hint and a plain list of everyone's times. There is no score for distance and no penalty for being off. Who got closest is for the table to argue about.
Is Timer Imposter free?
Yes. Timer Imposter is free in the Dronk app, with no account and no ads. It is a pass-the-phone game, so you only need one iPhone.
Stop the watch. Don't blink.
Timer Imposter is free in Dronk. One phone, a secret time, and a stopwatch nobody can read.
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