Playing Impostor with classic American cartoon characters

What a cartoon characters round looks like

Each player gets a different character from the list, from Homer Simpson to Yosemite Sam. Everyone writes one clue about their character, and the impostor invents one from context.

Then the group compares clues, argues and votes. Because these characters are so familiar, the impostor gets caught fast if a detail contradicts what the others describe.

Many clues describe an animal, so a second detail, like the show or the setting, is what separates a real player from a bluff.

• Best with 4 to 10 players
• Rounds take 3 to 5 minutes
• The category is written in English, but your clues can be in any language
• Great for mixed ages: most adults grew up with these reruns
• Runs in the browser with nothing to install

How the U.S. Cartoon Characters category is built

The list comes from the English-language pack, so names stay exactly as written: SpongeBob SquarePants, Scooby-Doo, Fred Flintstone. Nobody translates them in the game.

The winning detail is usually the show a character comes from. A stone-age dad and a cat who hates Mondays are not the same kind of clue, and that contrast is what exposes the bluff.

1. Create a room and pick U.S. Cartoon Characters
2. Write one clue about your character without naming it
3. Look for contradictions between the shows people describe
4. Debate in chat and vote for the suspect
5. The ejected player reveals their character and the next round starts

Characters you will actually be dealt

These are entries straight from the database. Pinning each one to its show makes accusations much easier in the first round.

Bluffing as the impostor when you know none of these cartoons

You do not need to have watched anything. The impostor survives when a clue could belong to several characters at once.

• Lean on the animal: 'a cat' or 'a mouse' covers half the list.
• Avoid catchphrases: only Bugs Bunny asks 'What's up, Doc?'.
• Talk about the era: 'an old TV classic' sounds plausible.
• Never copy a clue word for word; rephrase it instead.
• When challenged, answer with a question: 'do you mean the show or the comic strip?'
• Stick to visible traits: color, size, clothing, accessories.
• Mention a prop or a place: the costume, the favorite food, the hometown.

How to catch the impostor if you grew up with these cartoons

Everyone who watched these shows has an edge, but it only counts if you ask questions instead of pointing fingers.

1. Ask which show the character comes from before voting
2. Ask for an enemy or a sidekick: most of these characters have one
3. Test the traits: Garfield does not work in a quarry
4. Look for duplicates: Tom and Jerry cannot have the same clue
5. Notice who always writes last
6. Merge the votes before ejecting: split accusations gift the round

Settings that work best for a cartoons game

Match the group size and the pace to what the table knows. With kids or casual viewers, accept simpler clues so nobody gets stuck on their turn. In larger rooms, split into two tables so everybody can still read the clues.

House rules for groups who know every character

Once the table recognizes every name, house rules keep the round from becoming too easy:

• One show only: the round becomes almost unplayable
• Two impostors, each with a different fake clue
• One-word clues only
• Mix U.S. Cartoon Characters with the TV shows category in the same room
• The ejected player becomes the impostor next round

Mistakes that ruin the round

• Naming the character outright: it kills the fun and makes the next round trivial
• Voting by likability instead of evidence
• Using references half the table does not recognize
• Confusing this list with the Disney and Pixar characters category, which is separate
• Adding more than 12 players, where the chat becomes unreadable

Frequently asked questions

Game guides