How to play Impaintor

What is this, exactly?

Impaintor is a social deduction game, but with drawing instead of talking in circles. All players get the same secret word, say House. You take turns adding one stroke each to a shared picture. One player, the impostor, never got the word. They only got a vague hint like “a building”, and they are drawing along and hoping nobody notices.

So every stroke is a small dilemma. Draw something too clear and you hand the impostor the word. Draw something too vague and the others start wondering about you. Meanwhile everybody is chatting, accusing, and voting.

It is a browser version of the board game A Fake Artist Goes to New York, made so you can play it with friends who are in the same room, or on another continent, without anyone having to own the box.

The rules, properly

1. Get 3 to 10 people together. One of you types any room code (whatever you type creates the room) and shares the invite link. When everyone has pressed “I'm ready”, the round begins.
2. Read your word. Everyone sees the word to draw, except the impostor, who sees only a hint, or nothing at all in hard mode. The impostor is picked at random every round, so it could be you next time.
3. Draw one stroke when it is your turn. A stroke is a single continuous line in your own colour. There is no time limit; take a moment, but don't take all evening.
4. Chat and vote whenever you like. Talk in the chat and tap a player to vote for them. Someone is out as soon as more than half of the living players have voted for them. If everyone has voted and the votes are tied, nobody goes.
5. Win the round. The crew wins by voting out the impostor. The impostor wins by surviving until only two players are left, or, if guessing is on, by naming the word. One guess only: right wins, wrong loses.

Room settings

• Public or private. Private rooms can only be found with the code. Public rooms show up on the start page so strangers can join.
• Chat language. A room announces a language so people can find one they understand. The interface, the words and the hints are translated into 13 languages, and each player reads them in their own.
• Hard mode. The impostor gets no hint at all. Pure bluffing.
• Impostor may guess. On by default. Whoever made the room can turn off the impostor's guess-to-win option.
• Rude mode. The game comments on your strokes, your votes and especially your defeats. Switch it on at your own risk.
• Spectators. Anyone joining mid-game watches live and plays from the next round.

A few tips

When you know the word

• Prove it without giving it away. Draw a stroke that only makes sense if you know the word, but don't finish the picture. A drawing that is too obvious is a free win for the impostor.
• Watch who hesitates. The first strokes are the hardest for the impostor. Someone who waits, copies, or only adds “safe” decoration deserves a question in the chat.
• Ask questions. “What was that meant to be?” is a fair question. Vague answers are evidence. Just remember the impostor reads the chat too, so don't spell out the word.
• Count before you tap. A vote resolves as soon as more than half agree, so coordinate first.

When you are the impostor

• Commit early. Hesitation is the biggest tell. A confident wrong-ish stroke beats a timid perfect one.
• Build on what is there. Extend or mirror an existing stroke. It looks knowledgeable and commits you to nothing.
• Read the drawing. Every stroke narrows the word down. The hint says “an animal” and you see whiskers? Start thinking cat.
• Time your guess. If the votes are closing in anyway, a desperate guess costs you nothing. If you are blending in well, keep collecting clues.

Questions people ask

Is Impaintor free to play?

Yes, completely. It runs in your browser, with no download, no signup and no account. Open impaintor.com, type a room code and a name, and you're in.

How many players do you need?

3 to 10. Three is the minimum for the deduction to work at all; 5 to 8 is where it gets really good.

Can I play on my phone?

Yes. It was built for phones first: you draw with your finger, and if you briefly switch apps or lose signal the game reconnects you on its own.

What languages does it support?

The interface, the words and all the game messages come in 13 languages: English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Polish, Turkish, Russian, Ukrainian, Japanese and Chinese. People in the same room can each use their own.

How does the impostor win?

Two ways: by surviving until only two players are left, or, if guessing is switched on, by naming the secret word. The guess is a one-shot gamble. Right wins the round on the spot, wrong loses it.

What does the impostor see?

Everyone else sees the word, say House. The impostor only sees a vague hint, like “a building”. In hard mode they see nothing at all.

Can I join a game that has already started?

Yes. You come in as a spectator: you see the canvas, the chat and the votes live, and you play from the next round.

What happens if I lose connection or reload the page?

Your seat is kept for two minutes and the game reconnects you automatically, with the full drawing and chat restored. Only pressing the leave button gives your seat up right away.

What is rude mode?

An optional room setting where the game comments on your strokes and your defeats with zero tact (“Sam seems to be having a stroke or something”). Whoever created the room can switch it on or off at any time.

Is this like A Fake Artist Goes to New York, or like skribbl?

It is a browser take on A Fake Artist Goes to New York: one stroke per turn, one player who doesn't know the word. Unlike skribbl-style guessing games, you all draw the same picture together, and the point is to work out who is faking it.

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