Christmas Imposter Game Words & Ideas
By Guifré BallesterUpdated
Looking for Christmas imposter game words that work at a family gathering or an office party? Below are 60 festive secret words, from mince pies and eggnog to Rudolph, Secret Santa and the ball drop, ready to play tonight.
Free · one phone · 3–20 players · no sign-up
The imposter game needs one phone, no app and no setup: pass the phone around, everyone sees the secret word except the imposter, and the group has a few minutes to work out who is bluffing.
This list is the Christmas & New Year pack built into our free web game. Read it for ideas, write the words on slips of paper, or tap the button and play it straight away with 3 to 20 players. It covers six themes: food and drink, traditions, characters, decorations, gifts and games, and New Year's Eve.
A quick note on spelling: most people search for the imposter game, while our app is called The Impostor. It is the same party game, and both spellings are correct.
How to play the imposter game at Christmas
- 1
Gather everyone
Get 3 to 20 players around the table or the sofa. Open the game on one phone; nobody needs to install anything, sign up or share an email address.
- 2
Pick the Christmas pack
In the lobby, choose the Christmas & New Year word pack (the button on this page selects it for you), type in the players' names and choose how many imposters to play with.
- 3
Pass the phone
Each player taps to see their role in private. Citizens see the secret word, for example Gingerbread Man. The imposter sees only a vague hint, or nothing at all in Classic mode.
- 4
Give one clue each
Going round the circle, everyone says one word or a short phrase linked to the secret word. Citizens want to prove they know it without giving it away; the imposter has to bluff.
- 5
Discuss and vote
When the timer runs out, talk it over and vote for the player you suspect. If the group catches the imposter, the citizens win. If the imposter survives the vote, the imposter wins the round.
All 60 Christmas imposter words
Every word below is a secret word in the pack. The imposter gets a related hint instead, which is why these words stay fun even when everyone at the table knows them. They are grouped by theme, so you can also use them for a pen-and-paper game.
Food & drink
- Mince Pie
- Eggnog
- Candy Cane
- Christmas Pudding
- Fruitcake
- Hot Chocolate
- Yule Log
- Roast Turkey
- Cranberry Sauce
- Mulled Wine
Traditions
- Elf on the Shelf
- Ugly Sweater
- Caroling
- Christmas Eve
- Boxing Day
- Midnight Mass
- Letter to Santa
- Milk and Cookies
- Home Alone
- Christmas Card
Characters
- Santa Claus
- Mrs. Claus
- Rudolph
- Grinch
- Scrooge
- Jack Frost
- Three Wise Men
- Angel
- Gingerbread Man
- Nutcracker
Decorations
- Christmas Tree
- Tinsel
- Wreath
- Mistletoe
- Christmas Lights
- Holly
- Poinsettia
- Snow Globe
- Nativity Scene
- Tree Topper
Gifts & games
- Secret Santa
- Christmas Cracker
- Stocking Stuffer
- Gift Card
- Matching Pajamas
- Lump of Coal
- Regifting
- Board Game
- Snowball Fight
- Charades
New Year's Eve
- Ball Drop
- Auld Lang Syne
- Champagne
- Fireworks
- New Year's Resolution
- Hangover
- Party Popper
- Midnight Kiss
- Party Hat
- Countdown
Why Christmas words make great imposter rounds
A good imposter word is one that everybody at the table knows, yet can describe in a dozen different ways. Christmas is perfect for that. Grandparents, teenagers and colleagues who barely know each other all share the same picture of a Christmas tree, a stocking or a snowman, so nobody is left out, and every player has plenty of clues to choose from.
Each word in the pack comes with a vague hint for the imposter in Mysterious mode, so the bluffer is never completely lost. The fun is in the gap between the two: citizens try to show they know the word without saying anything too obvious, while the imposter tries to sound festive enough to blend in.
The pack also mixes cozy family words with a few grown-up ones for New Year's Eve, and Family mode filters those out with one switch. That makes the same list work for a quiet Christmas Eve at home and for a loud party on the 31st.
Tips for a merry imposter round
- Turn on Family mode when kids are playing. It hides the drink words, such as eggnog, mulled wine and champagne, and the New Year's hangover.
- With 10 or more players, use 2 imposters so every round stays tense and nobody feels singled out.
- Set the timer to 2–3 minutes. Christmas words are familiar, so short rounds keep the energy up between dinner and dessert.
- Ask for one-word clues. Long sentences give the secret word away and make the imposter's job far too easy.
- Rotate who starts the clues each round, so the youngest player is not always first and the last player gets a fair chance to bluff.
Christmas imposter game FAQ
What are good Christmas words for the imposter game?
The best words are ones everyone knows but can describe in many ways: Christmas Tree, Santa Claus, Gingerbread Man, Mistletoe, Secret Santa or Fireworks. Very obscure words make citizens explain too much, so the 60 words on this page were chosen to be familiar to a typical group of adults and older kids.
How do you play the imposter game at a Christmas party?
Open the game on one phone, choose the Christmas & New Year pack, add the players and pass the phone so each person sees their role privately. Then go round giving one clue each, discuss, and vote out whoever you think is the imposter. A round takes about five minutes, so it fits neatly between courses.
Is the Christmas imposter game OK for kids?
Yes. Turn on Family mode and the game skips the words about alcohol and other grown-up topics. Children from about seven can play on their own, and younger ones can team up with an adult and whisper their clues together.
Can we play it at an office Christmas party?
It works well as a team icebreaker: no cards, no materials, no downloads and room for up to 20 players on a single phone. For a big team, pick 2 imposters and a 3 minute timer, and keep Family mode on if you would rather skip the drink words.
Do we need an app or a phone for every player?
No. The Impostor runs in the browser on one phone that you pass around the group. There is nothing to install, it is free to play, and after the first visit it keeps working offline, which helps at a cabin or a busy venue with poor signal.
Ready for your Christmas game night?
Tap the button to open the lobby with the Christmas & New Year pack already selected. Add your players, choose a mode, and your first round can start in under a minute. Happy holidays, and good luck spotting the bluffer.
Play the Christmas pack