Guide
Games like The Chameleon
The Chameleon's hook is simple: everyone knows the secret word except one player, who has to blend in and then guess it. These games keep that hook and change how you give yourself away.
What makes The Chameleon work
The outsider isn't helpless: they hear everyone's clue before their own and can still win by guessing the word. So every clue is a small dilemma: specific enough to prove you know, vague enough not to hand the answer over.
Five to try
Play it here
Undercover (Impostor mode)
Everyone sees a category and the same eight words; all but the impostor know which one is secret. One clue each, one secret vote, and a caught impostor wins by guessing the word. Plays in 5–8 minutes on your phones; Impostor mode is a Plus setting, free in every room during Early Access.
- Players
- 4–10
- Length
- 5–15 min
- You need
- A phone each; a big screen is optional
- Who runs it
- The phones
- Knocked out?
- Yes in Classic; out players watch
Good for Groups that want the Chameleon idea with no box and quick rematches; 8–10 players can have two impostors (Plus).
Not for Tables that want long discussion: it is one round of clues by design.
Board game
Spyfall
Everyone but the spy knows the location. Players question each other; the spy tries to work out where they are before being voted out.
- Players
- 3–8 (Spyfall 2: up to 12)
- Length
- Rounds of about 8 min
- You need
- Location cards and a timer
- Who runs it
- Nobody
- Knocked out?
- No
Good for Quick talkers and improvisers.
Not for Quiet players: the questioning is open and fast.
Board game
A Fake Artist Goes to New York
Everyone draws one line at a time of a word only they know, except the fake artist, who has to fake it and then guess the word.
- Players
- 5–10
- Length
- About 20 min
- You need
- Pens, paper and title cards
- Who runs it
- A Question Master (rotates)
- Knocked out?
- No
Good for Groups who'd rather draw than talk.
Not for Anyone who hates drawing in front of others.
Board game
Insider
The table asks yes-or-no questions to find a word; one player secretly knows it and steers them. Guess the word, then find the Insider.
- Players
- 4–8
- Length
- About 15 min
- You need
- Cards and a sand timer
- Who runs it
- The Master (a player)
- Knocked out?
- No
Good for Twenty-questions fans who like a second layer.
Not for Groups who want the outsider to be clueless: here the hidden player knows too much.
Play it here
Undercover (Classic mode)
The Chinese party favourite: most players share a word, a few get a close one, and nobody knows which side they are on. Several rounds of clues and votes.
- Players
- 4–10
- Length
- 5–15 min
- You need
- A phone each; a big screen is optional
- Who runs it
- The phones
- Knocked out?
- Yes in Classic; out players watch
Good for Longer sessions where the table enjoys reading each other round after round.
Not for Very small groups: it shines from 5 players.
How to choose
You want one short round
Undercover's Impostor mode or The Chameleon itself.
You want to talk a lot
Spyfall.
You want pens and laughs
A Fake Artist Goes to New York.
Questions
Can I play The Chameleon on partygame?
No. We don't host The Chameleon. Undercover's Impostor mode is our own game on the same idea, played on your phones at the same table.
How many players does Undercover's Impostor mode need?
4 to 10, with one impostor, or two at 8–10 if the host chooses (Plus).
Everyone in the same room?
partygame is for playing face to face, not online matchmaking: each phone keeps your secret and counts the votes, the talking happens at the table. Open a table in the browser, free, no app.