Imposter Game for the Office
Free, no sign-up. Works on any phone.
Play the Office packThe imposter game for the office is a quick team-building activity that gets colleagues talking, laughing and reading each other. Everyone gets the same secret word except the imposter, who gets a slightly different one. Each person gives a short clue, then the team votes on who doesn't fit. It works around a meeting-room table, at the office party or with a remote team on a video call – and it's free, with no sign-ups, no ads and nothing to install.
Why it works as an icebreaker
- Everyone speaks, briefly. One clue per person. The app picks a random first speaker and an order, so no one has to volunteer.
- Low pressure. There are no wrong answers in a clue, and the imposter in Undercover mode doesn't even know they are the imposter until the end.
- Fast. A round takes three to five minutes, so it fits at the start of a meeting or in a lunch break.
- No IT approval headaches. It runs in a browser. No accounts, no downloads, no data to collect.
The Office & Work word pack
The Office & Work pack has 40 pairs that anyone with a job will recognise. Real pairs from it:
| Most players get | The imposter gets |
|---|---|
| Zoom | Microsoft Teams |
| Slack | |
| Coffee Machine | Water Cooler |
| KPI | OKR |
| Agenda | Minutes |
| Work From Home | Hybrid |
| Monday | Friday |
| Lanyard | ID Badge |
The pairs are workplace-friendly and gently self-mocking. See every pair on the Office & Work pack page, or mix in general packs like Food, Movies or Countries & Cities for variety.
Remote teams: play over a video call
For distributed teams, use online rooms. The host creates a room and pastes the invite link (or 6-character code) into the meeting chat. Up to 15 people can join on their own phones or laptops while staying on Zoom, Google Meet or Teams. Everyone sees their word privately and votes on their own device, so there is no screen-sharing juggling. If someone's browser refreshes, they rejoin the same seat.
Tips for remote sessions:
- Ask people to keep their cameras on if they are comfortable – reactions are half the fun.
- Follow the app's speaking order to avoid people talking over each other.
- Set the discussion timer to 1 or 2 minutes to keep energy up.
- For teams larger than 15, split into breakout rooms, each with its own game room.
In the office, pass-the-phone mode works with 3–20 people on one phone, or use big-screen mode to cast the game to the meeting-room TV for reveals.
A 15-minute session plan
- Minutes 0–2: Set up. The host opens the game, picks the Office & Work pack and Undercover mode, and shares the room code. With 8–12 people the app recommends 2 imposters.
- Minutes 2–4: Explain. "Everyone gets a word. One or two of you have a different word and don't know it. Give one clue without saying the word, then we vote." Link people to how to play if they want details.
- Minutes 4–8: Round one. Example: most people have "Coffee Machine"; one has "Water Cooler". Clues might be "Queue", "Gossip", "Refill", "Caffeine". "Gossip" fits both – suspicious or clever?
- Minutes 8–12: Round two. Hit "Play again" – same players, new pair, scores carried over.
- Minutes 12–15: Final round and wrap-up. Show the scoreboard and share the result card image in the team channel.
Scoring is automatic: civilians get +1 each for catching an imposter, an imposter gets +2 for surviving, and +1 for a correct last-chance guess of the civilians' word.
Ideas for team events
- Custom team pack. Add pairs about your projects, tools or in-jokes in "My custom words" and share the pack as a link before the session.
- Secret vote keeps it fair when the boss is playing.
- Holiday party. Switch to the Holidays & Christmas pack – it even includes Secret Santa/White Elephant. See the Christmas imposter game.
- Keep it professional. The "Party (18+)" pack is hidden behind a toggle and never on by default.
FAQ
How many people can play in one session?
Up to 15 per online room, or up to 20 on one phone in person. Larger teams can run several rooms.
Do colleagues need to install anything?
No. It runs in the browser with no login or download.
Does it work with Microsoft Teams or Zoom?
Yes. Talk on your usual call and play on your own devices via the shared room link.
How long does a round take?
About three to five minutes, depending on the discussion timer.
Ready? Start a round in two taps.
Play the Office pack