The Impostor
Everyone has the same word except the impostor. Give clues without slipping up and vote out the faker.
How to playHow to play
The Impostor is the most played party game on PASANDOLA. The whole group gets the same secret word and only one or more players, the impostors, are left without it and have to fake that they know it.
Every game takes 3 to 15 players and runs straight from your phone browser, with no download and no sign up. It works just as well at a pregame, around a long dinner table or on a road trip.
- The phone goes around and each player sees their role in private. Civilians read the secret word. Impostors only get a hint so they can blend in, although depending on the settings they can get the category, know their allies or get nothing at all.
- Taking turns, each player says one word related to the secret word, without saying it out loud and without being so obvious that it ends up helping the impostors.
- The impostors listen closely and improvise something believable so nobody suspects them.
- The game runs in rounds. The group decides how many rounds to play and how long each one lasts before the total time is up. At the end of every round they can vote somebody out or skip the vote and decide in the next one. Once time runs out, voting is mandatory.
- The most voted player is eliminated and reveals their role. Civilians win when they eliminate every impostor and impostors win when they match the number of civilians.
Civilian
Gets the secret word and plays to expose the infiltrators. The challenge is proving that you know the word without handing it to the impostors.
Impostor
Depending on the settings, can get a hint related to the secret word, see only the category, know the other impostors or get no help at all. Improvises from what everyone else says and tries to survive the vote.
The White Player
An expert role that plays completely blind, with no word and no hint. When eliminated, they get one chance to guess the secret word by typing it right there. If they get it right, they win the whole game.
Normal mode
The game keeps the recommended ratio of one special role for every three players and ends automatically once the impostors match the civilians. It is the balanced option for groups that are just starting out.
Free Mode
Removes every restriction. There can be as many impostors as you want, even all the players at once. The game keeps going until the last impostor falls or a single player is left standing.
Game settings
Before starting, the settings screen lets you tune every detail of the game. These are all the options and what each one does.
Players
This is where you type the names of everyone playing, with a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 15. Short nicknames work best because those are the ones that show up later on the voting screen. If two people share a name, the game asks you to tell them apart so nobody gets confused when voting.
Number of Impostors
Sets how many infiltrators are in the game. The recommendation is to stay under one third of the total players. With few impostors deduction wins and with many of them chaos wins, so raising this number is the fastest way to make life hard for the civilians in big groups.
White Players
Adds players who get no word and no hint and play completely blind. It is the hardest role in the game. Great for groups that already know the rules and want an extra challenge, because an eliminated White Player can still steal the game by guessing the word.
Limit Special Roles
Keeps the suggested ratio of one special role for every three players. Best left on for normal games. Turning it off enables Free Mode and every cap disappears.
Hint for Impostors
Gives every impostor a word related to the secret one. If the word is Koala, the hint can be Eucalyptus. Great for new groups or for playing with kids, because it gives the impostor something to hold on to during that first turn.
Impostor Visibility
Lets the impostors know who their allies are from the very start. It changes the whole dynamic because they can cover for each other and push suspicion elsewhere as a team. Recommended whenever there are two or more impostors.
Show Category
Reveals the category of the word to the impostors, for example Animal or Place, without telling them which word it is. It is the middle ground between playing with a hint and playing completely blind.
Categories
Picks which topics the words come from. If you select none, the game uses all of them at random. Handy for tailoring the game to the group, for example leaving only Food and Animals when kids are playing.
Content by Country
Adds words made for one country in particular, with local artists, characters and cultural references. It works like an expansion that mixes with the general words and shows up more often. The No General option leaves only the words from that country.
Round Duration
Controls how long the discussion lasts before the vote. Short rounds force quick calls and long ones make room for proper interrogations.
Force Auto End
Ends the game the moment the impostors match or outnumber the civilians, instead of playing out a round that is already lost. Turning it off puts the game in Free Mode and the rounds become endless until the last impostor falls.
Frequently asked questions
How many players do you need to play The Impostor?
Three players are enough to get a game going and the maximum is 15. In groups of 3 or 4 a single impostor works best, and from 8 players up the game gains a lot with two or more.
Is The Impostor free?
Yes, it is completely free. There is no app to download, we ask for no sign up and there are no ads. You play straight from your phone browser.
Do you need one phone per person?
No. A single phone passed around is enough, because each player sees their role in private and then hands it to the next one.
What if the impostor has no idea what to say?
That is what the helpers in the settings are for. You can turn on a related hint or show only the category of the word. If the group wants the maximum challenge, play with neither of them.
How long does a game last?
It depends on the round duration you pick and on how many people are playing, but a typical game wraps up in five to fifteen minutes. It is built for stringing several rounds together.
Can you play without drinking?
Yes. The Impostor has no drinking penalties and no drinking mechanic at all. It is a deduction game and it works the same at any kind of gathering.