Werewolf and Mafia were incredibly popular party games back in the late 80s and early 90s. They required players to work together in order to identify imposters hidden amongst their numbers before they were picked off one by one. It was a race against time and quite often a battle of wits. As the years have passed, these games have been re-imagined by video game developers and turned into online multiplayer games that put their players' powers of deduction to the test.
Among Us is one of the more popular examples of modern-day social deception games, but it is far from the only one. Some might even argue that it's not even the best, although that's perhaps a matter of personal preference. For anybody beginning to grow tired of Among Us though, it's definitely worth a moment of their time to check out some of the other fantastic imposter games that are on the market today.
Updated March 21, 2022 by Thomas Bowen: Thanks to the game's recent next-gen releases and the announcement of a VR version of the title, Among Us has managed to recapture a fairly significant portion of its former players in recent months. That said, the size of the game's player base is considerably smaller than it was at its peak, with far fewer people playing and streaming the game in 2022 than there were just a year or two ago. For those who've had their fill and are now looking for another great social deception game to scratch that itch, these are the best imposter games like Among Us that can be played today.
18 Secret Neighbor
Based on Dynamic Pixels' fantastic Hello Neighbor series, Secret Neighbor is one of two multiplayer spinoffs that have been released over the past two or three years. Unlike Hello Engineer though, which takes the form of a sandbox game, Secret Neighbor is a social deception game that's along the same lines as Among Us.
Six players are placed into the shoes of children and tasked with exploring their neighbor's creepy house. As they make their way down to the basement, they'll soon realize that one of them is actually the neighbor in disguise and will need to work together to figure out who the imposter is before all of them go missing.
Secret Neighbor is available on all major consoles as well as PC and iOS devices. Due to it being a few years old at the time of writing, it can usually be picked up for between ten and twenty dollars.
17 Hidden Agenda
Hidden Agenda is one of the most visually impressive social deception games out there and has received widespread praise for its innovative gameplay mechanics and well-integrated social elements. It's one of only a handful of games that makes use of the PS4's PlayLink functionality and shares more than a few similarities with some of the other great titles from Supermassive Games.
It can accommodate up to six players at once and gives each of them the opportunity to shape the game's branching narrative in a variety of ways. To a certain degree, it feels like a multiplayer version of Until Dawn although is considerably shorter with only around two hours of gameplay in a main story run.
Hidden Agenda is only available for the PlayStation and can be purchased from the PlayStation Store for around $10. Alternatively, a physical version of the game is also available from a number of online retailers.
16 Betrayal.io
Betrayal.io is an Among Us clone with a few interesting ideas up its sleeve. These include quests, as well as a number of mini-games like fishing. The character designs are a bit more unique than those found in Among Us too, with players all given their own distinct human forms. Individually they may not hold up to the iconic alien design all that well, but it's nice to be able to refer to other players as something other than just their color.
Why exactly the game needs microtransactions is anybody's guess, but spending money isn't at all required for those just looking to enjoy the game and have some fun with friends. On that subject, it's remarkably easy to party up with other players. The game even has a friend's list available, which isn't at all bad for a title that's still in the Beta testing phase.
Betrayal.io can be played online for free by visiting the associated web address. At the time of writing, it'll only work on a PC, although a version is also being developed for iOS and Android devices.
15 Secret Hitler
Although not quite as enjoyable as the original board game, web-based versions of Secret Hitler are still a lot of fun when paired with the right players. The subject matter is nowhere near as controversial as the game's title might suggest either, but it's probably best to avoid playing it at work just in case.
There are a lot of interesting ideas on display here and fully understanding how the game is supposed to be played might take bit longer than other games as a result. These ideas are all fully fleshed out though and this makes for an intriguing and enjoyable experience that's far deeper than the likes of Werewolf and Mafia.
The best way to play Secret Hitler is by picking up the physical board game, although its creators also provide all of the materials needed to print out and play the game for free on their webpage. Alternatively, a stripped-back browser-based version is available at secrethitler.io.
14 Hidden in Plain Sight
Hidden in Plain Sight isn't much to look at, but the gameplay that it offers really is top-notch. In fact, the simplistic art style actually helps in many ways, as it enables up to eight players to blend into the crowd a lot more seamlessly than they'd otherwise be able to if the graphics were of higher quality.
Unlike most other modern titles, Hidden in Plain Sight offers local multiplayer only and can only be played with a compatible controller. It's well worth adhering to these limitations though, as the end result is an awful lot of fun. So much so that Among Us fans would be foolish not to give it a try, particularly as it only costs five bucks.
Hidden in Plain Sight is only available through Steam. As mentioned above, it's only playable with a compatible controller, so players should keep this in mind before purchasing it.
13 Undercover ^^
Undercover ^^ can be played by up to 20 players on a single device, which makes it a great game for parties and get-togethers. The rules are fairly simple too, so explaining how everything works shouldn't take up half the evening as can often be the case with other party games.
This simplicity also helps to keep games moving at a steady pace and prevents them from dragging on for too long. The only downside is that the more players that are involved, the easier the game becomes for the player who is assigned the role of the game's main antagonist and so smaller matches tend to be far more enjoyable.
Undercover ^^ is available for both Apple and Android devices and can be downloaded from their respective stores. It's free to play, although, like most mobile games, it also offers in-app purchases.
12 Krimi
Anyone who's ever played the board game Deception: Murder in Hong Kong should immediately recognize the structure and format of Krimi. That's because it's a web-based adaptation of the aforementioned game. Up to 12 people can play together at once, although it's possible to enjoy the game with just five.
The aim of the game is to figure out who among the players is a murderer and this can be achieved by asking questions about the crime. The catch is that each player only has one shot at guessing the right answer and they must also ascertain some additional information regarding the killers M.O. and the evidence that they left behind at the crime scene.
Those wanting to play Krimi can do so free of charge through their browser, while copies of the original board game are available from Amazon in most countries.
11 Saboteur Online
Saboteur is another popular social deception tabletop game that's been given the video game treatment. Its web-based adaptation Saboteur Online can be played in most modern web browsers and allows for up to 12 players in any given match.
The rules are fairly simple and it uses artwork from the original board games to perfectly replicate the experience. Whether or not players are able to come away with the gold will depend entirely on their powers of perception and their ability to single out the saboteurs before it's too late.
Several versions of the strategy card game are available for purchase online, although Saboteur can also be played for free over at the Board Game Arena website.
10 Trouble In Terrorist Town
Trouble in Terrorist Town was created using the Fretta framework and was the winner of a 2009 programming competition held by Facepunch. As a result, it was added to Garry's Mod in July 2010 and has since gone on to become an incredibly popular game mode.
Players are randomly assigned to one of three different teams with each having a distinct role to fulfill. Detectives are responsible for finding Traitors who in turn are tasked with killing all of the Innocents. Innocents must work together with the Detectives in order to figure out who the Traitors are and kill them all before being killed themselves. It's a really well-made game and can be hilarious with the right lobby.
The only way to play Trouble in Terrorist Town is through Gary's Mod, which is available on Steam for under $10.
9 Space Station 13
Space Station 13 is quite an old title, but it's still every bit as enjoyable as it was when it was first released in 2003. Like Among Us the game is set in space and has seen a noticeable surge in player numbers over the last year or so. There are eight different roles that players may be asked to carry out, while others attempt to sabotage their work.
Although match conditions vary from server to server, antagonists are typically aiming to force an evacuation of the space station while regular players try to keep things ticking over until the timer has run out. It's incredibly important not to misidentify an antagonist in this game as removing a player who's fulfilling a vital role could help to speed up evacuation.
Anybody wanting to play Space Station 13 can find it at spacestation13.com. It's free to play, although requires users to download a special piece of software in order to play it.
8 Mindnight
Mindnight is a fairly standard deception game, but some may find its simplicity to be charming. Rather than survivors and monsters, players are given the roles of hackers and agents. As one might expect, it's the job of the agents to figure out who the hackers are before they've caused too much disruption. Hackers need only cause chaos.
The game has a cyberpunk theme and, in spite of its somewhat basic art style, it all comes together really nicely. The only real downside is that it's not quite as large as some of the other popular online imposter games, so finding a decent game can sometimes take a little longer.
The only way to play Mindnight is through Steam, where it is free to play in all regions. There's also a fairly comprehensive guide on how to play over on the creator's webpage.
7 Deceit
Deceit puts players' instincts to the test as they try to figure out who among them has been infected with a deadly virus. The game takes place in an abandoned asylum with healthy players trying to escape while the infected try to kill them. Its biggest strength is definitely the atmosphere and the feelings of uneasiness that it evokes in players.
Unlike most other social deception games, Deceit is a first-person shooter - although it still makes use of many of the mechanics associated with the genre. The infected needing to collect blood bags in order to transform into their monster form provides a nice cat and mouse style angle to the game that helps to set it apart. It's a lot of fun, but can be a little scary when the lights go out.
Those looking to try Deceit out for themselves can do so for free on Steam. There are also a few DLC packs available to help freshen up the experience a little if it starts to get a little too stale.
6 Wolflord
Wolflord draws a lot of its inspiration from classic party games like Mafia and Werewolf, but is quite a bit more advanced when it comes to how the game is actually played. As many as 64 people can take part in a single game and there are hundreds of different roles available. What's more, there are plenty of customization options meaning that no two games will ever play out the same.
The game is still in active development and so fresh content is being added all the time, although the low player numbers can sometimes make it difficult to actually find a game. It is possible to play with bots to get around this, although the experience is nowhere near as enjoyable as when playing with other people.
Wolflord can be purchased through Steam's Early Access program for a nominal fee, with a full release expected to arrive at some point further down the line.
5 Unfortunate Spaceman
Unfortunate Spaceman is set on a failing outpost in the depths of outer space. As well as the spacemen who are posted there, the outpost is also occupied by a terrifying shape-shifting monster whose only aim is to prevent the humans from escaping to safety. It might seem like a tired trope, but it's executed incredibly well.
Those playing as spacemen must work together in order to survive, but trusting others isn't always easy given that any one of them could be the monster. It's a game that relies quite heavily on the quality of the lobby. Thankfully, the game has a great community and so finding a good lobby is easy. There are some very good liars among them though.
Unfortunate Spaceman is free to play on Steam, although there's also a collector's edition available on the platform which provides a selection of special cosmetic items and a unique victory pose.
4 Barotrauma
Barotrauma somehow manages to combine space and deep-sea exploration to create a social deception game like no other. The game takes place on a submarine in an ocean on one of Jupiter's moons. It's been in early access for more than a year now and there's no official word yet on when a full release will arrive, but it's still an interesting title nonetheless.
Each player is assigned a different job and is given tasks to complete to keep the submarine operational. Saboteurs on the vessel will aim to cause enough damage to render the submarine irreparable - at which point the round will end. Its mechanics are not too different from other imposter games, but the fantastic atmosphere created by the developers really helps the game to stand out.
A copy of Barotrauma will set players back around $20 on Steam. There's also a special DLC pack that contains additional content as well as some exclusive wallpapers and a copy of the game's soundtrack.
3 Project Winter
Project Winter allows for up to eight players and focuses as much on its survival elements as it does the social deception angle. The game features survivors and traitors, with the sole aim of the traitors being to prevent the other players from escaping. There are also bears, but, unfortunately, nobody gets to play as those. Not yet, anyway.
Strong teamwork is essential if players are to survive, with lone wolves making for easy targets both for the traitors and the game's hostile wildlife. The knowledge that there are traitors among them makes trusting other players incredibly difficult and this creates tension that can easily derail efforts to call in a rescue vehicle. It may sound similar to other imposter games, but it's one of the better examples.
Project Winter currently costs around $20 on Steam and there is also an expansion available that introduces several new roles and limits the number of traitors to one.
2 Throne Of Lies
Throne of Lies is a fairly basic-looking 3D imposter game that combines medieval politics with the classic social deception party games created in the late 80s. Where it differs from other games however is in the vast array of different classes available. These add a level of depth that other games just can't provide.
Up to 16 players can play together, with the imposters aiming to seize control of the throne before being discovered by the other players. The journal and death note mechanics are just some of the things that help to set Throne of Lies apart, but there are plenty of other great features. There are hours of fun to be had with this one as no two games are even close to being alike.
Throne of Lies is free to play and can be found on Steam in most regions.
1 Town Of Salem
Town of Salem is one of the largest imposter games out there and at its peak had a player base of around 8 million. The game tells the story of the infamous Salem Witch Hunts and features all of the functionality that one might expect from a social deception game.
What makes Town of Salem such a great experience is the attention to detail paid by the developers. Well, that and all of the great custom and bespoke game modes that have been added over the years. That the game is still going strong almost six years after its first release on Windows is a testament to its staying power and the popularity of the genre in general.
Town of Salem is completely free to play and is available on Steam, mobile devices and even through browsers.