Charades and Impostor, the two modes where dubbing well isn't enough: how to play them and why you should try them

We looked at which modes you play the most, and the result was pretty predictable: it's almost always Character, sometimes Parallel. Charades and Impostor sit at the bottom of the list. That's a shame, because they're the two where the strangest things happen at the premiere.

They have one thing in common. Besides the script, there's a secret note, a direction on how to act the scene. That means dubbing well isn't enough anymore: in Charades you have to make yourself understood, in Impostor you have to avoid getting caught.

Charades#

Everyone gets a secret note, a specific way to play the scene. You might get the Pirate, the Sports Commentator, the Trailer Voice. There are 38 notes in total. You know yours, the others don't.

In the booth you record as usual, and as usual nobody hears you while you do it. The versions are revealed at the premiere, one after another. At that point everyone tries to guess which note was behind the others' dubs.

How to score#

You score when you guess someone else's note. You also score when the others guess yours. That second part is the one people tend to forget: subtle acting doesn't pay off here. A pirate who speaks in a calm, polite voice won't be recognized by anyone, and you're the one losing points.

A few tips#

• Go big. A note that's barely hinted at looks like an ordinary dub at the premiere.
• Stay in character for the whole scene. If the note only shows in the first line, the people watching might miss it.

Voice effects are still available, line by line. Use them wisely: a Chipmunk over a Trailer Voice is funny, but it makes the note much harder to guess.

Impostor#

You need at least three people. Almost everyone is part of the crew and shares the same secret note. Only one player is the impostor, and they don't know it.

The crew acts according to the note. The impostor has to dub as if they knew it too, trying to blend in with the others.

Eavesdropping#

In every other mode, nobody hears anything while the others are in the booth. Impostor is the exception: the impostor can eavesdrop on the booths. A few seconds of listening can be enough to figure out what tone everyone is using, and adjust before recording.

For the crew, this changes things. If you play the note too obviously, you're also helping the impostor who's listening in.

The emergency meeting#

After the premiere comes the emergency meeting. That's when the room tries to work out who was just making it up. Then comes the verdict, and you find out whether the impostor got away with it.

Tips for the crew#

Find a balance. You need to play the note well enough to recognize each other at the premiere, but not so much that it becomes obvious to whoever is eavesdropping. During the meeting, ask yourselves who was too generic: it's often the impostor, who chose to play it safe.

Tips for the impostor#

Eavesdrop early, before recording the longer lines. And if you couldn't work out the note, go for a tone that could fit lots of different interpretations. Whoever goes big in the wrong direction gets caught right away.

Impostor works much better if you can talk out loud during the meeting. If you don't already have a call going, our Discord server has voice channels open to everyone.

How to try them#

When you create a lobby, pick Charades or Impostor as the mode. The full rules are on the dedicated pages for Charades and Impostor.

Tonight, instead of the usual round of Character, try a round of Impostor with your friends. At the emergency meeting you'll find out which of you is the best liar.