L'Imposteur
L'Imposteur Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Rules of the Game
At the start, each player learns the secret word by receiving a confidential card, except one player, who receives a card with no information about the secret word. That player is the Impostor.
For 3 turns, taken in turn order, each player communicates a clue word related to the secret word to prove their innocence to the group.
The players' objective is to unmask the Impostor, while the Impostor must blend in with the group by pretending to know the secret word so as not to arouse suspicion.
Setup
To start a game, lay the cards face down on the table in 18 different piles. The cards are identified by the mission number printed on their backs.
Choose a mission to start with and take as many cards as there are players, making sure that the "Impostor" card is among the cards taken.
A player announces a number from 1 to 20, then the cards are shuffled and one is dealt to each player. All players except one now have a card containing a list of 20 secret words.
- Secret word list card (headed "TOP SECRET / YOU ARE NOT THE IMPOSTOR"): the 20 secret words, numbered 1 to 20, are: 1 Jules César; 2 Paris; 3 Fraise; 4 Netflix; 5 Histoire; 6 Témoin; 7 Boulangerie; 8 Neige; 9 Tennis de table; 10 Zèbre; 11 Bouddha; 12 Fusil; 13 Conduite; 14 Vaisseau spatial; 15 Superman; 16 Caramel; 17 Plume; 18 Astérix; 19 Docteur; 20 Le Louvre.
- Impostor card (headed "TOP SECRET / YOU ARE THE IMPOSTOR"): it lists the numbers 1 to 20, each marked "Impostor", and contains no information about the secret word.
One player among you therefore receives the "Impostor" card, which contains no information. That player must play blind and bluff in order to avoid being unmasked.
Locating the Secret Word
Once the number has been announced, each player looks at their card and locates the secret word on the card they received. If, during a game, the secret word is revealed, the players continue the game as normal, even though the Impostor has been identified through this mistake.
Code Names
For the first turn, the youngest player (or the last person to have lied) starts by giving the group a clue word that relates, in one way or another, to the secret word. The game then continues clockwise. During this time, the Impostor must try to guess the secret word before their turn and/or find a clue word vague enough not to arouse suspicion.
Voting
- After 3 complete turns, the players may express their suspicions and make accusations in an attempt to unmask the Impostor. The only rule is not to mention the secret word during the debate.
- If you are the Impostor, you may try to cast suspicion on someone else.
- When all players have secretly decided who the Impostor is, they count up to three and simultaneously point at their suspect.
- The player who received the most votes must reveal their identity to the group.
- If several players are tied, the tied players must each give an additional clue word, and the others then vote again.
- If the Impostor has escaped, without having been unmasked, they automatically win the round.
- If the Impostor has been unmasked, they still have one chance to win the round: in a single answer, they must try to name the secret word. If they correctly name the secret word, they win. If they fail, the other players win the game.
- Then start a new round by drawing a new pile of cards.
Our Tips
The key to this game is creativity and the ability to dose subtlety. If your clue words are too obvious, the Impostor will easily guess the secret word and blend in perfectly with the game. If your clue words are too subtle or obscure, you risk being suspected. So use your imagination and think more creatively!
Variants
- For a faster game: you may adapt the game as you like. For example, you may leave out the accusation phase before the vote. This speeds up the game and reduces the pressure on the Impostor, since everyone makes their guesses based only on the clue words given.
- With children: if you play with children who are not yet old enough to grasp the subtlety of the game, or if you want to increase the difficulty level, you may replace the clue words with mimes. Instead of a word, players must then perform a mime that relates in one way or another to the secret word.
- More than 6 players: to play with more than 6 players, group together in pairs and deal one card per pair. In this case, there will be only one round (or at most 2) of clue words, to avoid giving too many clues to the impostors.
Scoring
Scoring is entirely optional. For the most competitive players, if you still want to count points, announce this in advance.
Decide together how many rounds you will play. We recommend 6 rounds for a mini game, 12 for a standard game and 18 for an epic game.
At each turn, award 3 points to the Impostor if they manage to avoid the votes, and 2 points if they manage to guess the secret word after having been unmasked. Award 1 point to each of the other players if the Impostor loses.
At the end of the game, the player with the most points wins.
In case of a tie, vote for the player who carried out the best impostor performance during the game.
Bonus
The cards leave free space so that you can add your own words in pencil and thus play endlessly!