Christmas Imposter words: the Christmas and New Year deck
Every word from the Antics Christmas and New Year deck, ready for a round of Imposter on paper. Every word comes with an easy hint and a hard one, so you decide how much help the imposter gets.
Christmas suits Imposter because everyone has the same memories and nobody tells them the same way. Secret Santa is the mug from whoever clearly drew your name at the last minute. Brussels Sprouts is the argument that comes round every December. Re-gifting is the bath set you are fairly sure started out as yours. It works at the office Christmas party once the speeches are done, on Christmas Eve when the telly has nothing on, and in the pub on the 23rd when everyone is back in town and the catching up has run dry. Every word is below, with both of its hints.
The full Christmas and New Year word list, with an easy and a hard hint
These are the words the Antics app deals in its Christmas and New Year deck, with the hints it gives the imposter. Playing on paper? Give the imposter one hint, or none, your call.
| WORD | EASY HINT | HARD HINT |
|---|---|---|
| Christmas Tree | Needles | Corner |
| Tinsel | Strands | Tacky |
| Baubles | Hooks | Shattered |
| Santa | Boots | Milk |
| Reindeer | Hooves | Carrots |
| Elf | Tights | Overtime |
| Stocking | Toe | Satsuma |
| Advent Calendar | Cardboard | Mornings |
| Secret Santa | Names | Mug |
| Wrapping Paper | Rolls | Bin-bag |
| Re-gifting | Unopened | Tight |
| Turkey | Wishbone | Dry |
| Brussels Sprouts | Bitter | Overcooked |
| Leftovers | Clingfilm | Grazing |
| Gingerbread | Buttons | Baking |
| Mince Pie | Lid | Crumbs |
| Chocolate Coins | Net | Pirate |
| Snowman | Twigs | Garden |
| Snow Globe | Dome | Souvenir |
| Ice Skating | Blades | Clinging |
| Board Game | Counters | Sulking |
| Christmas Jumper | Itchy | Wardrobe |
| Cracker | Tube | Groan |
| Christmas Film | Credits | Rewatch |
| Christmas Songs | Chorus | Radio |
| Christmas Market | Huts | Browsing |
| Mulled Wine | Cloves | Simmering |
| Nativity | Straw | Tea-towels |
| Carol Singers | Lanterns | Doorstep |
| New Year's Eve | Chimes | Taxi |
| Fireworks | Fuse | Dogs |
| New Year's Resolution | Willpower | Ambitious |
| Mistletoe | Sprig | Excuse |
| Christmas Card | Envelope | Mantelpiece |
| Snowball Fight | Gloves | Ambush |
| Pigs in Blankets | Mini | Stolen |
How to play Christmas Imposter
- Pick a word and write it on folded strips, one per player, with IMPOSTER and the hint on one strip. Whoever writes them is the dealer: they sit this round out and play the next.
- Everyone draws a strip and reads it in secret, then you go round the circle giving one clue each. No miming: a "ho ho ho" is the same as saying Santa.
- Vote on three. A caught imposter gets one guess at the word, and a right guess still wins it.
Tie-breaks, example rounds and what to do when someone blurts out the word are on the Imposter rules page.
Once it's just your mates, Christmas Truth or Dare deals festive truths and dares one at a time in your browser.
Easy hint or hard hint: picking for your room
The easy hint is something you could point at. Tinsel gets Strands, Mince Pie gets Lid, Snow Globe gets Dome. Give the easy one for a first game, a big office crowd that has never played, or anyone who has been at the party since lunch.
The hard hint is the mood or the moment around the word. Santa gets Milk, Stocking gets Satsuma, Leftovers gets Grazing. It gives far less away, so save it for people who have played before and want the imposter to work for it.
Watch the sets, because that is where the hard hint bites. Christmas Tree, Tinsel and Baubles all hang off the same branch. Turkey, Brussels Sprouts, Pigs in Blankets and Leftovers all end up on the same plate, so an imposter who hears "gravy" has four answers and one guess, and Turkey's hard hint, Dry, could be any of them. Christmas Film, Christmas Songs and Christmas Card are close enough that a lazy clue fits all three.
Can you play Christmas Imposter at the office party?
Yes, and it suits an office party better than most games. Nobody needs to know anyone well, every word is common ground, and a round takes a few minutes. Keep Secret Santa in the pile: it lands differently when the person who bought your present is in the circle.
Should the imposter get the easy or the hard hint?
Easy for a first game or a big mixed group, because the imposter needs something to hold on to before the first clue. Once everyone has the hang of it, switch to Hard. Mistletoe's hard hint is Excuse, and that one starts a conversation on its own.
Why are there New Year words in a Christmas deck?
Because the deck is Christmas and New Year. New Year's Eve, Fireworks and New Year's Resolution keep it going in the odd days after Boxing Day, when nobody knows what day it is and the leftovers are nearly gone.
How many players do you need?
Four to eight is the sweet spot, plus whoever writes the strips. Three works with a few tweaks, covered in how to play Imposter with 3 people.
One of you is lying about the sprouts
The Christmas deck is free in the Antics app from 1 December to 1 January. The app deals the word, keeps the imposter secret and hands them a one-word hint, so nobody has to sit out as dealer.
On a laptop? anticsapp.com/get sends the right store to your phone.