Imposter
Everyone gets the secret word. One person is bluffing. Find them.
Free in beta · free account needed: you'll sign in before the room opens. Host a free game as a guest instead
Imposter
One player is the imposter who does not know the secret word. Find them before time runs out!
- Recommended players
- 4–20
- Session length
- 15–25 min
- Best for
- Teams that know each other a bit, any size from 4–20
Before you host
Free in beta · free account needed. During beta, accounts receive Pro access free: up to 30 players and unlimited sessions. No payment card is required. Guest hosts use the Free game list, up to 8 players and 2 sessions per week on this browser. The engine requires at least 3 players to start this game. Recommended group sizes describe the experience, not a plan entitlement; the host’s plan sets the room limit, including the host.
Participants join with a room code and display name; no account or download is required. Hosts can use Free games without an account. Other games require a host account and the relevant access.
Play in a current browser on a laptop, tablet or phone. A larger screen helps with images and matching. Use your usual video or voice call to talk; Fun Friday does not include a call. Everyone plays on their own device. Screen sharing is optional; keep private answers and roles off a shared screen.
The hosting button opens setup with Imposter selected. Enter a display name or sign in if needed, then choose Create room. Invite colleagues with the link or code, check the settings and press Start when the group is ready. Opening setup creates no room.
Full plan detailsWhat is Imposter?
Every player is shown the same secret word — except one, who is shown a different one and has no idea what everyone else is describing. Players take turns giving a one-line clue about their word, vague enough not to give it away, specific enough to prove they know it.
The imposter has to bluff from context alone, and the tell is almost always someone being a fraction too general. Then everyone votes. It is the game that reveals which of your colleagues can lie under pressure, which is more useful team information than it sounds.
How to play Imposter online
- 1
The host starts a session and shares the room code.
- 2
Everyone is privately shown the secret word — except the imposter.
- 3
Players take turns describing their word in one line, without saying it.
- 4
The imposter improvises, trying to blend in with the clues already given.
- 5
Everyone votes. The group scores for catching the imposter; the imposter scores for surviving.
New to Fun Friday? See how a session works or compare plans.
Example words and clues
The secret word comes from a pack — Animals, Food, Countries, Movies, Brands, Jobs, Sports, Nature, Music or Household Objects. The skill is a clue that proves you know the word without handing it over:
- Animals → Chameleon. Safe: “you would struggle to find one.” Too generous: “it is a lizard.”
- Food → Croissant. Safe: “flaky.” Too generous: “you eat it for breakfast in Paris.”
- Household Objects → Plunger. Safe: “you hope never to need it.”
- Brands → Nintendo. Safe: “childhood.”
- Countries → Iceland. Safe: “cold — and also a shop.”
When to run Imposter
A team that has already played together once or twice
It needs enough familiarity that people are willing to bluff in front of each other. As a first-ever session it can land flat; as a second or third it is the one people ask for by name.
Rooms of six to twelve
Below six the deduction is trivial and above twenty the turn order drags. If your room is bigger than that, run Hot Takes or Majority Rules instead — both score everyone at once.
When you want to find out who can hold a straight face
The imposter improvises from other people’s clues alone. It is the fastest way to discover that your quietest colleague is an exceptional liar, which is more useful team information than it sounds.
Imposter questions
Do players need an account or a download?
Participants join with a room code and display name; no account or download is required. Hosts can use Free games without an account. Other games require a host account and the relevant access.
How many people do you need for Imposter?
Four is the minimum for the deduction to work, and it plays best between 6 and 12. Above about 20 the turn order gets slow — try Majority Rules or Hot Takes for bigger groups.
Does the imposter know they are the imposter?
Yes. They are told privately at the start, which is what makes the bluffing deliberate rather than accidental.
Is Imposter free?
Yes, during the beta. Hosting Imposter needs a host account. During beta, accounts receive Pro access free: up to 30 players and unlimited sessions. No payment card is required. Guest hosts use the Free game list, up to 8 players and 2 sessions per week on this browser. Players never pay and never need an account.
How long does a game of Imposter take?
A typical game of Imposter takes 15–25 min.
Can we play Imposter on Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Google Meet?
Yes. Imposter runs in the browser, separately from your call: start your Zoom, Teams or Google Meet meeting as usual, share the room code in the chat, and everyone plays on their own screen. Nothing needs installing or connecting to the call.
More team games
See all 22 games →Run Imposter with your team this Friday.
Create a session, share the room code, and everyone joins from their browser. No downloads, no IT tickets.
Set up Imposter →