Quick takeaways
- Give every player private role information.
- Take turns giving clues without saying the word.
- Discuss after everyone has spoken once.
- Vote only after all players have had a fair chance.
Step 1: choose players and imposters
For a smaller group, start with one imposter. Adding more imposters makes deduction harder and can work better with larger groups. Keep the first few rounds simple while everyone learns how specific clues should be.
Step 2: reveal the secret information
Each innocent player sees the same word. The imposter sees only their role or limited information. Pass the phone privately so nobody can infer roles from what another player sees.
Step 3: give clues
Go around the group with one short clue each. A good clue proves you understand the word without making it obvious enough for the imposter to copy. If the word is “beach,” “towel” may be useful; “sand and sea” may reveal too much.
Step 4: discuss and vote
After the clue round, let players question suspicious clues, then vote. If the imposter survives, you can play another clue round or end according to your chosen rules.
Use app-assisted setup
Imposter Party handles the secret role screens, word difficulty, custom words, player flow, discussion timing and voting on one Android device. That means nobody needs to prepare paper slips or act as a permanent moderator.
Frequently asked questions
Can the imposter win by guessing the word?
Some versions allow this as a comeback rule. Decide before the round whether a correctly guessed word can rescue an identified imposter.
How specific should clues be?
Specific enough to show you know the word, but not so obvious that the imposter can identify it immediately.
How many imposters should a group use?
Start with one. Add more only when the group is large enough that the deduction still feels fair.
Offline pass-the-phone social deduction with secret roles, custom words, discussion and voting.