How to bluff as the impostor

1. Start by guessing the real prompt

Your prompt is the near-twin of everyone else's, so ask yourself what it could be confused with. Got "mushroom"? The crew might have umbrella, cupcake or something else round on a stem. Got "bowling pin"? Think penguin or snowman. Every pair in the game was chosen because the two things share a silhouette, so the shape you're holding is a strong clue to theirs.

You won't always be sure. That's fine: the next tip is about drawing something that works for several answers at once.

2. Draw the overlap, not your word

The drawings that give impostors away are the confident ones. If you got "mushroom" and you add spots and grass, you've drawn a mushroom. Draw the shared shape instead, a dome on a stalk, and leave out the details only your object has. Honest players often draw that way too, especially under a timer, so a plain sketch doesn't stand out.

• Keep it to the outline and one or two neutral details.
• Avoid backgrounds and context. Rain says umbrella, a forest floor says mushroom.
• Use colour carefully. The crew all agree on colour without thinking, and a wrong colour is the easiest tell there is.

3. Don't finish first, don't finish last

Everyone draws at the same time, so nobody can copy anyone during the drawing. What people do notice is a drawing that is suspiciously empty or one that is far busier than the rest. Aim for the middle: about as many strokes as a normal player would make. A blank canvas costs you a point anyway.

4. Use the spotlight to learn the real prompt

While the drawings replay, watch the order people drew things in. Three players who all start with a handle are telling you it's an umbrella. This matters twice: it tells you how far off your own drawing looks, so you know how hard to defend it, and it sets you up for the comeback if you're caught.

5. Vote like a crew member

Your vote is secret until the reveal, but how you talk isn't. Pick a real suspect, usually the honest drawing that looks most like yours, and say why in one sentence. Impostors who say nothing get noticed, and so do impostors who accuse everyone.

Your own ballot only counts on an exact split. It can't save you from a clear majority, but in a tight vote it can, so don't waste it.

6. If they catch you, steal it back

A caught impostor gets one guess and 10 seconds to steal +2 back. Usually you have to name the real prompt, which is why step 4 matters. Sometimes the question is who voted for you instead, so remember who accused you out loud. A good comeback turns a bad round into a break-even one.

Watch out for twist rounds

At tables of four or more there is sometimes a second impostor. You won't know who it is, and the crew's votes decide each of you separately, so you can't team up. Just play your own bluff.