How to play Impostor with video game characters

What a video game round of Impostor looks like

Each round gives every player a different video game character and asks them to write a clue without naming it. The impostor receives no character and has to invent something believable enough to pass.

The group then compares clues, debates and votes. The fun here comes from the mix of eras: one player only knows this year's releases and another only knows 90s franchises, which creates misunderstandings that are hard to spot.

• Best with 5 to 10 players
• Great for gaming groups, classes and streams
• Rounds last 3 to 5 minutes
• Nothing to install: it runs in the browser

How the Video Game Characters category works

When you create a room you choose the Video Game Characters category. The game deals console icons, platform heroes, action stars, creatures from Japanese franchises and well known side characters.

Your clue can describe a power, an item, a typical enemy or the console associated with the game. Impostors usually slip by using terms that are too modern, or by describing a character that actually belongs to another franchise.

1. Create the room and select the video game category
2. Write a short clue about your character
3. Read the other clues and look for contradictions
4. Debate in the chat and vote for the suspect
5. The ejected player reveals their character and the next round starts

Video game characters that come up most

These are the most common draws. Recognising which franchise each one belongs to lets you catch the impostor in round one.

Strategies for an impostor who hardly plays

You do not need to be a gamer to win. The impostor wins when nobody can pick them out, not when they guess the right game.

• Use broad descriptions: 'platform lead', 'has a recurring enemy', 'from an old franchise'.
• Name the console instead of the title: 'mine is a Nintendo one' sounds informed without committing.
• Avoid very current vocabulary; if you do not know a recent release, do not mention it.
• Never copy a clue word for word, reorder it.
• Answer accusations with a question: 'do you mean the platform one or the one in armour?'
• Match the group's style, including abbreviations and inside jokes.

How gamers catch the impostor

Your knowledge only helps if you use it properly. Accusing without proof splits the vote; asking for one concrete detail works.

1. Ask for the franchise or console: 'which game is yours from?'
2. Compare clues: characters from the same franchise should share a tone
3. Look for impossibilities, like a platform hero with modern shooting mechanics
4. Notice who writes late with the vaguest wording
5. Combine two suspicions into one vote before voting

Common mistakes that ruin the game

• Naming your character outright, which empties the round
• Mixing up franchises from different consoles and accusing without proof
• Voting by likability instead of evidence
• Reusing the same clue round after round
• Adding more than 12 players, which makes the chat unreadable

Recommended settings for gaming groups

Match player count and pace to the group. If retro fans and current-generation players sit together, mix the eras so nobody starts disadvantaged.

How to write a clue that keeps your character hidden

The clue decides the round. Too obvious and the group guesses instantly; too cryptic and they suspect you instead of the impostor.

• Describe an action: 'jumps over enemies', 'collects items'
• Mention a signature item: sword, hammer, cap
• Use a typical enemy: 'chases ghosts', 'fights demons'
• Do not give two unique details at once
• Raise the difficulty if earlier rounds were easy

House rules for video game rounds

Once the group knows the characters well, house rules restore the tension:

• Retro only: everything before 2000
• One console only, narrowing the pool to Nintendo, Sony or Xbox
• Two impostors with different fake clues
• One-word clues, maximum difficulty
• The ejected player becomes the impostor next round

Frequently asked questions

Game guides