A party game that needs nothing but a phone
The imposter game works well at Christmas because it needs no board, no cards and no setup: one phone goes round the table between courses. Everyone except the imposter sees the same festive word, like “Candy cane” or “Fireplace”, and each player gives a one-word clue. The imposter, who only sees a hint, has to blend in.
Here the Christmas & holidays pack is already picked, set for 8 players with one imposter, a hint word for them and a three-minute discussion timer. Adjust the numbers to your table, then tap Start game.
Good Christmas clues (and bad ones)
Festive words are easy to give away, so the crew has to be careful. For “Reindeer”, saying “Rudolph” hands the word to the imposter; “antlers” or “roof” proves you know it without spelling it out. The imposter’s best move is a clue that fits half the pack: “red”, “cold”, “December”.
Ideas for a holiday party
- Between courses: play one round while the table is cleared; a round takes three to five minutes.
- Office party: split into groups of 6 to 10, one phone per group, and keep score with the crew and imposter buttons after each reveal.
- Your own theme: pick “Your own words” and type family jokes, last year’s presents or names of the pets. Add a hint after a colon.
- Prizes: the player who was never caught as imposter picks the first present from the pile.
All 44 words in the Christmas & holidays pack
Each word with the hint the imposter sees when “Imposter sees” is set to “A hint word”. Reading the list spoils the game for whoever reads it, so let the person who reads it sit out the first round, or add your own words.
Show the word list
| Secret word | Imposter's hint |
|---|---|
| Santa Claus | beard |
| Reindeer | sleigh |
| Snowman | carrot |
| Christmas tree | ornaments |
| Gingerbread house | icing |
| Elf | workshop |
| Stocking | fireplace |
| Candy cane | peppermint |
| Mistletoe | doorway |
| Sleigh | bells |
| Wreath | door |
| Present | wrapping |
| Hot chocolate | marshmallows |
| Snowflake | unique |
| Chimney | roof |
| North Pole | map |
| Ornament | shiny |
| Tinsel | sparkle |
| Star | treetop |
| Angel | wings |
| Nutcracker | ballet |
| Eggnog | drink |
| Fruitcake | slice |
| Carols | singing |
| Fireplace | warm |
| Mittens | hands |
| Scarf | neck |
| Snowball | throw |
| Sled | hill |
| Fairy lights | string |
| Advent calendar | doors |
| Bells | ringing |
| Milk and cookies | plate |
| Wrapping paper | tape |
| Pine cone | forest |
| Holly | berries |
| Poinsettia | red |
| Ugly sweater | knit |
| Snow globe | shake |
| Toy soldier | march |
| Christmas Eve | night |
| Menorah | candles |
| Dreidel | spin |
| New Year's Eve | countdown |