A step-by-step tutorial to master the ultimate social deduction party game
Welcome to The Impostor, one of the most exciting social deduction party games you can play with friends, family, or coworkers. Whether you are gathered around a table at a party, sitting in a circle at a family reunion, or looking for a fun icebreaker at a team-building event, this impostor game tutorial will walk you through everything you need to know to start playing immediately. The best part is that you only need a single device and a group of curious people willing to outwit each other.
Here is how a typical round works from start to finish. First, one player opens The Impostor on their phone or tablet and sets up the game by choosing the number of players, selecting a theme such as animals, movies, or sports, and picking a game mode. Once the game is configured, the device is passed around the circle. Each player privately views the screen to discover their role. Most players are Citizens and will see the same secret word. One player, however, is the Impostor and will either see a different word, no word at all, or a question mark depending on the game mode.
After everyone has seen their role, the clue-giving phase begins. Going around the circle, each player says a single word out loud that relates to the secret word they were shown. Citizens want to prove they know the word without giving it away to the Impostor. The Impostor, meanwhile, must bluff convincingly by offering a clue that sounds plausible based on what they have heard from other players. Once all clues have been given, the group enters an open discussion where players debate, question each other, and try to figure out who the Impostor is.
Finally, everyone votes. If the majority votes for the Impostor, the Citizens win. If the Impostor escapes detection and an innocent player gets voted out instead, the Impostor wins. The round is quick, often lasting just five to ten minutes, which means you can play many rounds in a single session and everyone gets a chance to experience different roles.
When the device reaches you during setup, you will see one of two things on the screen. If you are a Citizen, you will see the secret word clearly displayed. Your job is straightforward: give a clue that subtly proves you know the word, pay attention to what everyone else says, and try to identify which player seems like they are faking it. Citizens have the advantage of knowledge but must be careful not to make the word too obvious, because if the Impostor figures out the secret word, they can start blending in much more effectively.
If you are the Impostor, your screen will look different depending on the game mode. In Classic mode, you will see a blank screen or a message telling you that you are the Impostor with no additional information. In Mysterious mode, you will be shown a decoy word that is related to the real secret word but different, which gives you a starting point for crafting your clue but can also lead you astray if you lean on it too heavily. In Chaotic mode, the number of impostors is randomized, so you might be the only impostor or one of several, and in some rounds there might be no impostor at all.
Understanding the psychology behind each role is essential for enjoying the game fully. As a Citizen, you should feel confident because you hold real information. Your challenge is communication: proving your innocence while detecting deception. As the Impostor, your challenge is entirely different. You are operating with incomplete information, relying on social skills, quick thinking, and the ability to read the room. Both roles are equally fun, and experienced players often say that being the Impostor is the most thrilling part of the game.
The clue-giving phase is the heart of The Impostor, and mastering it is the single most important skill you can develop. When it is your turn, you must say exactly one word that relates to the secret word. This sounds simple, but the strategy behind it is surprisingly deep. Your clue needs to accomplish two things simultaneously: it must be specific enough that other Citizens recognize you know the word, and it must be vague enough that the Impostor cannot use your clue to figure out the secret word.
Let us look at a concrete example. Suppose the secret word is "penguin" and the theme is animals. A clue that is too specific would be "tuxedo" because it practically gives away the answer. The Impostor would immediately know the secret word is an animal associated with tuxedos, and now they can adjust their strategy to blend in. A clue that is too vague would be "animal" because it applies to every possible word in the theme and gives no useful information to your fellow Citizens. The sweet spot might be something like "Antarctica" or "waddle" because these words connect clearly to penguin without being a dead giveaway, and they are specific enough that another Citizen would nod in recognition.
Another critical consideration is the order in which you give your clue. If you are one of the first players to speak, you have less information to work with, but your clue sets the tone for the round. Later players have the advantage of hearing previous clues and can calibrate their response, but they also face more scrutiny because the Impostor has had more time to gather intelligence. If you are the Impostor and you speak later in the round, you can listen to the legitimate clues and craft something that fits the emerging pattern. If you speak early, you are flying blind but also setting a potentially misleading anchor for the group.
Pay attention to the specificity gradient of clues around you. If most players are giving moderately specific clues, a clue that is either much more vague or much more specific will stand out. As a Citizen, try to match the specificity level of the group. As an Impostor, mirroring the general energy and detail level of the clues you have heard is your best camouflage.
Social deduction games like The Impostor are fundamentally about reading people, and this skill improves dramatically with practice. During the clue-giving phase, watch the other players carefully. When the device is passed to them and they see their role, do they react with immediate confidence or do they pause and look uncertain? When they give their clue, do they deliver it smoothly or does it feel rehearsed and hesitant? These micro-reactions can reveal a lot about whether someone truly knows the secret word or is making something up on the spot.
Body language is your most reliable detection tool. Players who know the secret word tend to give their clue quickly and naturally because they have a genuine connection to draw from. The Impostor, on the other hand, often takes slightly longer to formulate their clue because they are constructing a plausible response from incomplete information. Watch for fidgeting, avoiding eye contact, crossing arms, or nervous laughter. However, be cautious about over-relying on body language because some people are naturally nervous in group settings, and a confident Impostor can deliberately project calm body language to mislead you.
During the discussion phase, listen carefully to how people explain and defend their clues. A Citizen who is asked to elaborate on their clue can usually do so effortlessly because they have a real understanding of the connection. An Impostor, when pressed, might give vague explanations, change the subject, or become defensive. Also watch for players who are unusually aggressive in accusing others. Sometimes the most vocal accuser is actually the Impostor trying to shift attention away from themselves. Conversely, a player who is very quiet during discussions might be trying to avoid revealing their lack of knowledge.
One advanced reading technique is to track the logical consistency of clues across the round. If the secret word is an animal and five players give clues that could relate to a specific animal but one player's clue seems to point in a slightly different direction, that inconsistency is worth investigating. The Impostor's clue does not need to be wrong; it just needs to be slightly off-target, and that subtle misalignment is what you should train yourself to detect.
New players often make predictable mistakes that can undermine their game whether they are playing as a Citizen or as the Impostor. Recognizing these pitfalls early will give you a significant advantage. The most common Citizen mistake is giving a clue that is too specific. In their eagerness to prove they know the word, beginners often give clues that essentially reveal the secret word to the Impostor. Remember, your goal is not to show off your knowledge but to communicate subtly with your fellow Citizens while keeping the Impostor in the dark.
Another frequent Citizen error is tunnel vision during the discussion phase. Once a player decides someone is the Impostor, they often stop considering other possibilities. This confirmation bias is exactly what a skilled Impostor exploits. Stay open-minded throughout the discussion and consider the evidence for and against multiple suspects before casting your vote. Also avoid the mistake of changing your vote at the last second based on group pressure. If you have a genuine read on someone, trust your instinct.
For Impostor players, the biggest mistake is panicking. Many new Impostors give themselves away not through their clue but through their behavior afterward. They become visibly nervous, over-explain their clue, or aggressively accuse others in a way that feels forced. The key to successful deception is staying calm and acting as naturally as possible. If your clue was not perfect, do not draw more attention to it by trying to justify it unless someone directly challenges you.
Another common Impostor mistake is giving a clue that is too generic. While it might seem safe to say something broad, experienced players will immediately notice that your clue could apply to almost anything in the theme. Instead, take a calculated risk and give a clue that is moderately specific, even if you are not sure of the exact secret word. A clue that is slightly off-target but specific is less suspicious than a clue that is perfectly safe but tells the group nothing about what you actually know.
Once you have played several rounds and feel comfortable with the basics, you can start incorporating advanced techniques that will elevate your gameplay significantly. One powerful strategy for Citizens is the anchor clue. If you are one of the first players to give a clue, give something highly specific that firmly establishes a direction for the discussion. Other Citizens will recognize the connection and build on it, while the Impostor will struggle to align their clue with yours in a convincing way. This creates a reference point that makes inconsistencies easier to spot during the discussion phase.
The echo test is another valuable technique for identifying the Impostor during discussion. When you suspect a player, casually ask them to explain the connection between their clue and the general theme of the round. A genuine Citizen can elaborate naturally because they understand the real link between their clue and the secret word. An Impostor will often give a vague or circular explanation, or they might pause longer than expected while constructing a response. Pay attention not just to what they say but to how fluidly they say it.
For advanced Impostor play, consider the strategy of controlled aggression. Instead of staying quiet and hoping to avoid attention, actively participate in the discussion by analyzing other players' clues and forming theories about who the Impostor might be. This makes you appear engaged and innocent. You can even take it further by being the first to accuse someone, which positions you as a confident truth-seeker rather than a hiding deceiver. However, be careful not to accuse someone whose clue obviously connects to the secret word, as this will backfire and make you look suspicious.
Another advanced technique is meta-gaming: paying attention to how players behave across multiple rounds rather than just within a single round. Some players have consistent tells when they are the Impostor, like speaking more slowly, fidgeting more, or giving clues in a particular style. If you play regularly with the same group, you will start to develop a behavioral baseline for each player, which makes detecting deception much easier over time. This is one of the reasons The Impostor gets more fun the more you play with the same people.
The Impostor is designed to work with groups ranging from three to twenty players, but the dynamics of the game shift significantly depending on how many people are playing. Understanding these dynamics will help you adapt your strategy and get the most enjoyment out of every session. In small groups of three to five players, every single clue carries enormous weight. With fewer players, the Impostor has fewer clues to learn from before giving their own, which makes the role more challenging. At the same time, Citizens have fewer suspects to evaluate, which means any slight inconsistency in a clue is immediately noticeable.
In medium groups of six to ten players, the game hits what many consider its sweet spot. There are enough players to create interesting social dynamics and alliances, but not so many that the discussion becomes chaotic. The Impostor benefits from having more clues to work with before their turn, and the discussion phase becomes richer as players form theories and debate different suspects. This group size also makes it harder for a single dominant player to control the outcome, because there are more voices and perspectives in the room.
Large groups of eleven to twenty players create a party atmosphere that is loud, chaotic, and extremely entertaining. In these groups, the Impostor can more easily hide because there are so many clues to track that individual inconsistencies are harder to spot. However, the discussion phase can become unwieldy if not managed well. It helps to have a moderator or to enforce a time limit on discussions. You might also consider using game modes like Chaotic mode, which adds additional impostors in larger groups, creating more uncertainty and excitement.
Regardless of group size, the core strategy remains the same: give thoughtful clues, observe carefully, and communicate during discussions. But adjusting your expectations and approach based on the number of players will make every game more enjoyable. Small groups reward precision and careful observation. Medium groups reward social skills and alliance-building. Large groups reward boldness and the ability to make quick judgments in a noisy environment.
If you are the Impostor and do not speak first, use every clue before yours as intelligence. Look for common threads and themes among the clues to narrow down what the secret word might be before giving your own response.
The instant a player sees their role on the device is the most unguarded moment of the game. Watch their face closely. A brief flash of worry or surprise can indicate they just learned they are the Impostor.
Do not always give the same type of clue. If you always give geographic clues or always give adjective-based clues, the Impostor will have an easier time mimicking your pattern. Mix it up between categories, associations, and emotions.
If your game has a timer during the discussion phase, use the pressure it creates. Impostors are more likely to make mistakes when they feel rushed. Call for a vote when you sense the Impostor is on the verge of being caught.
In sessions with multiple rounds, do not always play optimally. Occasionally give a weaker clue as a Citizen or take a risk as the Impostor. This makes your behavior harder to predict and keeps opponents guessing about your true patterns.
Some of the best moments in The Impostor come from spectacular misreads and surprising reveals. Do not be afraid to make bold accusations or take creative risks. The game is most fun when everyone is fully committed and willing to be wrong.
You now have everything you need to jump into your first game of The Impostor. Gather your friends, pick a theme, and start playing. Or explore advanced strategies to take your game to the next level.