The Impostor Game for Families: Rules and Tips
Who is the Impostor? is a great family game: simple rules, short rounds and a single phone for everyone. Here's how to adapt it for kids and grandparents alike.
Why families love this game
- The rules fit in three steps: discover your prompt, describe it, vote.
- Everyone plays at the same time, young and old, with no teams to set up.
- One phone is enough: nobody else needs to install the app or create an account.
- A game lasts 5 to 10 minutes, so you can play several in a row or stop at any time.
What age is it for?
The main skill is describing what you see without naming it, which usually comes around age 7 or 8. The prompts describe everyday situations: doing a puzzle, peeling carrots, sleeping in a tent.
For kids who are still learning to read, Photo mode works best: there's nothing to read, just a picture to describe. In Text mode, an adult can whisper the sentence to the child, as long as they sit that round out themselves.
Kid-friendly rules
- Let the youngest go first: it's easier to give a clue when nobody has spoken yet.
- Accept a single word or a gesture as a clue in the first round for the little ones.
- Just ban saying the exact word: it's the only rule to remember.
- During the vote, everyone explains why they suspect a player: it's often the funniest part.
The best times to play as a family
Holiday dinners
At Thanksgiving, Christmas or a birthday, between the main course and dessert, one game brings three generations together around the table without anyone leaving their seat.
Vacations
In a rental, at a campsite or on a rainy day, the game takes up no room in your suitcase: the phone is all you need, and Text mode is unlimited.
Road trips and waiting rooms
On a train or in a waiting room, you can play quietly: the phone goes from hand to hand and everyone describes their prompt in turn.
Free or Premium?
Text mode is free and unlimited. Photo mode gives you 3 games per day and Video mode 3 trial games. Premium unlocks unlimited Photo games, 10 videos per day and removes ads, which comes in handy for a long family game night.