How to play the imposter game

The rules in 30 seconds

1. Everyone gets a secret word. One player, the imposter, gets a slightly different word and doesn't know it.
2. Each player gives one word as a clue that fits their secret word.
3. Everyone looks at the clues and discusses who seems off.
4. Everyone votes. Catch the imposter to score, or score as the imposter by not getting caught.

What you need

• 3 to 8 players (best with 4 to 6)
• One shared screen: a smart TV, laptop or tablet, or a shared screen on a video call
• One phone per player, with any browser. No app.
• About 15 minutes for a 5-round game

A round, step by step

1. Open the game on a shared screen. Open Echo on a TV, laptop or tablet and press Start. A 4-letter room code and a QR code appear.
2. Join on your phones. Every player scans the QR code or types the room code on their phone, then enters a name.
3. Read your secret word. Each phone shows a secret word. Everyone has the same word except the imposter, who has a close cousin, like tent instead of cabin.
4. Give a one-word clue. Each player types one word that fits their secret word. All clues appear on the TV at once.
5. Discuss. Talk about the clues. Whose clue does not quite fit?
6. Vote. Everyone votes on their phone for who they think the imposter is.
7. Reveal and score. The imposter is revealed. If caught, they get one guess at the real word. Play 5 rounds; the highest score wins.

Scoring

A game is 5 rounds, with a new imposter and a new word pair each round. The highest total wins.

Tips for good clues

When you have the real word

• Not too obvious. If your word is "cabin" and you say "log", the imposter learns the word.
• Not too vague. "Nice" fits everything, and makes you look like the imposter.
• Think about the cousin. A good clue fits your word but not the close alternatives.

When you might be the imposter

• You don't know if you are. Read the other clues: if they all point slightly away from your word, it might be you.
• Pick a clue that fits both your word and its likely cousins. For "tent", "camping" is safer than "zipper".
• If you're caught, use the clues to guess the real word for the last 100 points.

Play on a TV, a laptop or a video call

Echo needs one shared screen that everyone can see, and one phone per player. The shared screen can be any of these:

On a TV: open Echo in the TV's browser, or on a laptop connected to the TV, and press Start. Everyone in the room joins by scanning the QR code with their phone camera.

On Zoom, Teams or Google Meet: the host opens Echo on their computer and shares the screen. Players type the room code into their phone browser. Turn on computer sound in the share so everyone hears the reveal.

On a laptop or tablet: no TV needed. Open Echo on a laptop or tablet in the middle of the table and press Start.

No phone? A player can join from a second browser window on a computer instead.

Variants

Mr. White (no word at all)

One player gets no word and knows it. They have to bluff a clue from what the others say. If caught, they get one guess at the word to steal the win.

Undercover

A bigger-group version with several players on the imposter's word, and sometimes a Mr. White too. Players are voted out one per round until one side wins.

Haunted (coming to Echo)

Players who get voted out become ghosts and keep playing by sneaking a fake clue onto the screen each round.

Browse the imposter word lists →

FAQ