Impostor Games: Undercover, Werewolf, Spyfall… Which One to Pick?
Impostor games, also called social deduction games, all share the same idea: one or more players hide their role and the group has to unmask them. But the rules, the equipment and the player count vary a lot from one game to another. Here are the main ones, and what sets them apart.
Who is the Impostor?
Every player gets the same prompt, except the impostor, who gets a slightly different version. Everyone describes it in turn, then the group votes. Nobody knows at first whether they are the impostor: you figure it out by listening to the others' clues.
What makes it different: three game modes, with sentences, photos or videos, on a single phone you pass around. From 3 to 20 players, with no moderator.
Undercover
Undercover is a word game app where the civilians get a word, the undercovers get a similar word, and one player called Mr. White gets no word at all and has to improvise. The similar-words idea is the same as in Who is the Impostor?, but it only uses words, with no photos or videos.
Werewolf (Mafia)
Werewolf, a variant of Mafia (one well-known boxed edition is The Werewolves of Millers Hollow), is a hidden-role card game: seer, witch, hunter… At night, the werewolves take out a villager; during the day, the village debates and votes. It works best with 8 players or more and needs a moderator who doesn't play. Games run longer, often 30 minutes or more.
Spyfall
In Spyfall, every player knows a secret location (a beach, a hospital, a submarine), except the spy. Players ask each other questions to spot who doesn't know the location, while the spy tries to work it out. Unlike Who is the Impostor?, the spy knows they are the spy from the start.
Among Us
Among Us is an online video game: each player has their own device, the crewmates complete tasks on a spaceship and the impostors try to take them out without being seen. It's a great game to play remotely, but it needs one screen per person and is less suited to a night around the table.
Quick comparison
- Fastest to start: Who is the Impostor?, one phone and no moderator.
- Best for big groups: Werewolf, from 8 players.
- Most question-driven: Spyfall, where players quiz each other directly.
- Best for playing remotely: Among Us, everyone on their own device.
- The only one with photos and videos: Who is the Impostor?
Good to know
The names mentioned belong to their respective owners. Who is the Impostor? is an independent game developed by Emapse, not affiliated with these games or their publishers.