How to win the imposter game

If you are the imposter

1. Do not go first if you can help it. The first clue sets the pattern. Going later lets you copy it. If you do go first, pick something wide, like a colour or a place.
2. Listen to the second clue more than the first. One clue can be a trap. Two clues from different people usually point at the same thing.
3. Be a little less specific than the crew. The crew's clues are accurate. Yours should be close enough, not clever.
4. Use the category. If it says Food, the word is food. If you have a hint, treat it as one idea, not an answer.
5. Commit to your clue. Changing your story when asked is how most imposters lose.
6. Do not accuse first. Let a nervous crew member do it, and agree with a reason.
7. Keep your timing normal. A long pause before every clue is a tell. So is answering faster than anyone else.
8. Save your guess. If you are caught, think about all the clues together. The word is usually the thing every clue could describe.

If you are on the crew

1. Give clues that only help people who know the word. "Round" for pizza is open to everyone. "What we ate on Friday" is not.
2. Do not be too clever. A clue so obscure that the crew cannot follow it makes you look like the imposter.
3. Ask each player to explain their clue. Real clues have a reason. Fake ones tend to be vague.
4. Watch for copycats. An imposter often repeats an idea someone else just used.
5. Vote for a reason. "I don't know" is not a reason.

Group habits worth having

• Rotate who starts the clues.
• Agree before the round whether hints are on.
• Keep voting simultaneous. Waiting for someone else to point first helps the imposter.