How to play Imposterium, the impostor party game
Learning Imposterium takes about a minute. Everyone except the impostor shares the same secret word, and your job is either to expose the spy or, if you are the impostor, to blend in. Here is the full round, step by step, plus the rules people ask about most.
The goal of the game
The crew wants to identify and vote out the impostor. The impostor wants to survive the vote without being caught, or to guess the secret word. Everything hinges on clues that prove you know the word without giving it away for free.
Clues are the heart of it
Good clues are specific enough to show the crew you belong, but vague enough that the impostor can't reverse-engineer the word. The impostor, meanwhile, listens closely and tries to echo the vibe of everyone else.
- Start a game and choose your settings
Open Imposterium and create a game. Pick a category, set the number of players and impostors, and choose your word language and difficulty. - Gather your players
Play online by sharing the invite link, QR code or join code, or pick in-person mode and pass one phone around the table. - Reveal the secret word
Everyone secretly sees the same word from the chosen category, except the impostor, who only sees that they are the impostor. An optional hint can reveal the category to the impostor for a point cost. - Take turns giving clues
Going around the group, each player says one short clue about the word. Show you know it without being so obvious that the impostor can copy you. - Discuss who seems off
After the clues, talk it through. Whose clue was too vague, too generic or just suspicious? The impostor will try to deflect and blend in. - Vote on the impostor
Everyone votes for the player they think is the spy. In online mode you tap your choice; in person you vote out loud or by show of hands. - Reveal and score
Flip the result. The crew scores +2 for catching the impostor. If the impostor survives they score +3, and if they correctly guess the secret word they score +2.
What happens if the crew votes wrong?
If the group fails to vote out the impostor, the spy escapes and scores points. A wrong accusation is exactly what the impostor is hoping for.
Can the impostor still win after being caught?
If you turn on guessing, a caught impostor gets a chance to name the secret word. Guess it correctly and the impostor still scores.
How does scoring work?
When points are on, the crew earns +2 for catching the impostor, the impostor earns +3 for escaping the vote, and +2 for guessing the word.
Can there be more than one impostor?
Yes. You can set the number of impostors before the round, which makes bigger groups harder and the discussion more tense.
What is the impostor hint?
The hint optionally reveals only the category to the impostor, making it easier to bluff. Using it costs the impostor a point if points are on.