Reference · Updated 2026-07-05

Complete rules

Pass the Imposter is a free, no-download imposter party game for 3 to 20 players on one shared phone, with 56 word packs, custom packs, offline play, and three ways to play: Classic, Undercover, and Mr. White. This page covers every rule in detail. For a friendly walkthrough, read how to play instead.

Players

Pass the Imposter supports 3 to 20 players. The sweet spot is 5 to 10. With exactly 3 players the game still works but is very fast, so use a single imposter.

Imposters

Suggested counts: 1 imposter for 3 to 6 players, 2 for 7 to 11, and 3 for 12 or more.
You can override the suggestion, but imposters (plus Mr. White) always stay under half the group, so civilians start in the majority.
Mr. White is an optional add-on to either mode with 5 or more players: exactly one extra player gets a blank card.

The deal

At the start of a round, Pass the Imposter secretly assigns roles and draws one secret word from your selected word packs. Civilians all receive the same word. Imposters receive a blank (Classic) or their own word (Undercover): a similar decoy by default, or, if you pick the “Different” option in setup, a completely different word from the same category. A Mr. White, if enabled, sees a blank card. A word pair never repeats until your group has seen every pair in the selected packs.

Private reveal

Players view their role one at a time using the hold-to-reveal pad. The word is only visible while a finger is held down and hides instantly on release, which prevents peeking as the device is passed in the randomized order Pass the Imposter shows on screen.

Clue rounds

Pass the Imposter shows a randomized speaking order.
On your turn, say exactly one word that relates to your secret word.
You may not say the secret word itself, and you may not repeat a clue already given.
Set 1 to 3 clue rounds before the first vote; larger groups enjoy 2 or 3.
An optional timer can limit discussion.

Voting

Everyone votes by secret ballot: the phone goes around once more and each player taps a name. The player with the most votes is out. On a tie there is one revote between only the tied players; if that ties too, nobody is eliminated that round and the group gives another round of clues.

Game length

Quick game (default): one vote, then the full reveal and the win is decided.
Full game: the vote only reveals whether the eliminated player was an imposter, never the word. Clues and votes repeat until every imposter is out (civilians win) or the imposters are at least as many as the civilians left (imposters win).

Winning (quick game)

Civilians win if the player voted out is an imposter.
Imposters win if the player voted out is an innocent civilian.
Mr. White, if voted out in either game length, gets one guess at the secret word. A correct guess steals the win for the imposter side; a wrong guess counts as a normal elimination.

Scoring

A running scoreboard is kept on the device and survives page reloads. Each civilian scores 2 points on a civilian win, each imposter-team member scores 6 points on an imposter win, and Mr. White scores a bonus 8 points for stealing the game with a correct guess. Tap “Play again” to keep the scoreboard and deal a new word, or “Reset scores” to start from zero.

House-rule variations

Sudden death: only one clue each, then vote.
Hard mode: turn off the category hint so nobody knows the pack.
Double blind: Undercover mode with 2 imposters who share the same decoy word but don't know each other.
Custom packs: create your own category and word list for inside jokes, then share it as text from the pack editor.

Ready? Head back to the game and deal a round.