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Word list

Imposter game words by category

Good imposter game words are everyday things with lots of possible clues: pizza, zebra, bakery, pirate. Below are 300 words in 12 categories. Pick a category, give everyone the same word except the imposter, and go around the circle with one clue each. Then everyone votes.

Cut paper collage: five matching figures, the one in the middle wears an eye mask
12 categories

The rules in one minute

  1. Deal the word. Everyone gets the same secret word, except one player, who only learns that they're the imposter. Say the category out loud.
  2. Give clues. Go around the circle. Each player says one word or one short sentence that fits the secret word. Not too obvious, or the imposter catches on. Not too vague, or you look suspicious.
  3. Vote. After one or two rounds, everyone points at who they think was faking, on three.
  4. Reveal. Caught the imposter? The group wins. Picked the wrong person? The imposter wins. In many groups, a caught imposter may still guess the word to steal the win.

You need at least three players. It gets really good with five to eight.

300 imposter words in 12 categories

Each category has 25 words. Mix easy and tricky ones within a game, and skip any word that somebody at your table doesn't know.

Food and snacks

Everyone has an opinion about food, so clues come easily. Great for the first round.

Animals

Easy for kids and surprisingly tricky for adults, because many animals share the same clues: stripes, big, swims.

Places around town

Places work well because everyone has been there and remembers something: a smell, a line, a sound.

Jobs

Clues can be tools, uniforms or working hours. The imposter can usually fake a job for one round, rarely for two.

Sports and games

Good for competitive groups. Tip: ball sports are harder to tell apart than they look.

Stories and legends

Characters from fairy tales, legends and bedtime stories. Perfect for mixed ages.

Christmas and winter

For the holiday party. Many of these share clues like cold, red or December, which makes the imposter's job easier. That's the fun.

Travel

Everyone has a travel story, so the clues get personal fast. Watch for the player who stays suspiciously general.

Around the house

Ordinary objects are harder than they sound. Everyone owns one, so a vague clue stands out right away.

School and office

Great for the office party and for families with school kids. Everyone has memories, good and bad.

Nature and weather

Weather words are tricky, because clues like wet, loud or scary fit half the list. Good for a second or third round.

Hobbies

The imposter's favorite category, because many hobbies sound alike when you only hear one word. Listen closely.

Tips for picking good words

Ways to change it up

Two or three imposters. From six players, add a second imposter. They don't know about each other, so sometimes they accuse each other. That's the best part.

Clue timer. Give everyone five seconds for their clue. It stops the imposter from waiting for the perfect idea.

Find the liar. Instead of a word, everyone gets a question with an answer, like a number or a place. The liar doesn't know it and has to bluff. The GameClique app has this as its own game, Find the Liar.

Words from the group. Everyone writes one word on a slip for the pile. It's quick, and it brings in words nobody expects.

Playing on paper. Without phones, one person who sits out picks the word and prepares small folded slips: the word on all of them except one, which says "Imposter" and the category. Shuffle, hand them out face down, and everyone looks at theirs without showing it. After the vote, the dealer reads out the word. Swap dealers each round so everyone gets to play. Fold every slip the same way and use the same pen, so the imposter slip does not stand out on the table.

Questions people ask

What makes a good imposter game word?

A good word is something everyone knows, with lots of possible clues, and a category that gives the imposter a fair chance. Pizza is great, because clues can be cheese, delivery or Friday. A rare word like a specific bird is too hard. Everyone freezes, and the round falls flat.

How do you play the imposter game with paper?

Write the secret word on all slips but one. On that one, write imposter. Fold them, mix them and hand them out. Everyone reads their slip without showing it. Say the category out loud, so the imposter has a starting point. Then go around the circle and give one clue each.

How many imposters should there be?

One imposter for up to five players. With six or more you can add a second one, and a third from about nine. More imposters make the round wilder, because they don't know about each other. In the app you pick one to three, and more than one only from six players.

Should the imposter know the category?

Yes, in most groups. Without it, the imposter has almost nothing to go on and gets caught in round one. With the category, they can listen, guess the word and blend in. For expert groups, try a round where only the category is secret, too.

What happens if the imposter guesses the word?

Many groups give the imposter one last chance. After being caught, they may guess the secret word out loud. If they get it right, they still win the round. That rule keeps the imposter in the game until the end, and it makes careful clues even more important.

App for iPhone and Android

Play it with GameClique

The app deals the secret word, so nobody has to sit out as the host.

  • Pass the phone. Each player taps their card and sees the word or "You're the imposter."
  • One to three imposters, from 3 to 12 players.
  • Clue round with an optional timer, then vote by tapping names.
  • Two categories free, all the others with Plus.

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