TIMOZ

The Impostor Guide: Find the Player Who Lacks the Word

The Impostor is a game of talk, suspicion and bluffing for friends sitting together. Every player gets the same secret word on their phone except one, the impostor, who does not know it and gets at most a small hint, sometimes nothing. The crew want to expose the impostor; the impostor wants to blend in until the round ends.

You need 3 to 8 players in a private room, each on their own device. A game is 6 rounds by default, and a new impostor is drawn at random every round, so next time it could be you.

Players: Multiplayer · 3–8 players

Play The Impostor

How to play

  1. The host creates the room and shares the code or QR, and everyone joins on their own phone. Once everyone is ready, the host taps Start.
  2. Everyone checks their own phone privately: the crew see the word, and the impostor sees that they are the impostor, with or without a hint.
  3. Talk time: each player gives a short clue or description of the word without saying it outright, and you question each other.
  4. When the talk timer ends, or if you tap Vote now, the player list appears. Pick the person you suspect. You get one vote.
  5. The impostor votes too, and also gets an optional box to type the word if they worked it out from your clues.
  6. The round ends when everyone has voted or the time is up, and then the word, the impostor and every vote are shown to all.

Scoring and rewards

The accused player is whoever got more votes than anyone else. A tie accuses nobody, and the impostor gets away.

Every crew member who voted for the impostor earns 10 points, even if the rest of the table picked someone else. The impostor earns 20 points for escaping, or for typing the secret word correctly even when caught. If nobody votes at all, nobody scores that round.

Points add up across the game and show next to each name. At the end the sole top scorer earns the room winner's coins and everyone who took part earns a coin. Coins are only for play inside TIMOZ.

Tips and strategies

  • As crew, describe the word in a way your friends will get but that is not too obvious, so the impostor cannot pick it up.
  • As the impostor, let others speak first and build on what they said with a vague clue that fits several words.
  • If you are the impostor and you work out the word, type it: that is 20 points even if you get caught.
  • Watch for players who hesitate, echo someone else's clue, or stay suspiciously general.
  • Agree before you vote. A split vote lets the impostor slip away.

Frequently asked questions

Does the impostor know they are the impostor?
Yes. Their phone says so clearly and shows the hint if there is one. With no hint, it says that too, so it does not look like a glitch.
Can I vote for myself?
No. The voting list only shows the other players.
What if I vote correctly but the others do not?
You still earn your 10 points, but the impostor also scores, because they escaped the accusation.