Undercover

What is Undercover?

Undercover is a free word party game for groups sitting in the same room. Everyone gets a secret word. Most players get the same one, but one player gets a similar word and has no idea they're different, and sometimes another player gets no word at all. You take turns describing your word without saying it, then vote out whoever seems to be on a different page. Undercover is also known as Who Is Undercover? and Who Is the Spy?. Play it free in your browser on slicegames.app, with a single phone passed around the room.

How Undercover works

1. Add the players. Enter everyone's name, choose how many Undercover and Mr. White players there will be, and pick a word pack.
2. Pass the phone around. Each player taps to see their secret word on a card, memorizes it, hides the screen and passes the phone on. Nobody ever sees anyone else's word.
3. Give one clue each. In turn, say a short phrase about your word. Be specific enough to prove you belong, but vague enough not to hand the word to the others.
4. Talk it over. Whose clue didn't quite fit? Who copied everyone else a little too carefully?
5. Vote someone out. Everyone points at one suspect. The player with the most votes is eliminated and their role is revealed.
6. Repeat until one side wins. The civilians win by removing every Undercover and Mr. White. The Undercover wins by surviving until only two players are left. Mr. White wins by correctly guessing the civilians' word.

The three roles

• Civilian: You and most of the group share the same secret word. Your job is to find the player who doesn't.
• Undercover: You get a word that is close to the civilians' word, but not the same. You don't know you're different, so you have to work it out from the clues and blend in.
• Mr. White: You get no word at all. Listen carefully, bluff a clue that fits, and if you get voted out you have one chance to guess the civilians' word and win on the spot.

An example round

Six friends are playing. The civilians (Mira, Theo, Anya and Sol) all get the word “Croissant”. Jonas is the Undercover and gets “Brioche”. Lee is Mr. White and gets nothing. Mira says “buttery”, Theo says “breakfast” and Anya says “flaky”. Jonas thinks for a second and says “sweet”, which isn't wrong, but it isn't quite what the others are describing. Lee listens to everything and says “French”. Sol finishes with “crescent”. The table votes for Jonas, who turns out to be the Undercover. One infiltrator is still hiding, though, and in the next round Lee's clue is so cautious that everyone votes for him. As Mr. White, Lee gets one guess at the word. He says “baguette”. Wrong, so the civilians win.

Tips for winning Undercover

If you're a civilian

• Don't be too obvious. A clue that gives the word away helps the Undercover and Mr. White more than it helps you.
• Don't be too vague either. If your clue could fit any word, you'll look suspicious yourself.
• Listen for the odd one out. Look for the clue that fits almost, but not quite.

If you're the Undercover

• Match the group. You don't know your word is different, so the first goal is to notice it. If everyone's clues feel slightly off, it might be you.
• Aim for the overlap. Describe the things your word and theirs have in common.
• Cast doubt. Point out that someone else's clue was vague.

If you're Mr. White

• Listen first. The earlier clues are your only source of information.
• Keep your clue safe. Say something general that fits what you've heard.
• Save your guess. If you get voted out, use everything you heard to guess the word.

When to play Undercover

Undercover works anywhere a group can sit together for a few minutes:

• Game nights: a quick, clever filler between longer board games.
• House parties: easy to join and easy to explain, even when people are already chatting.
• Family gatherings: a game everyone understands after one round, from teenagers to grandparents.
• Trips, camps and classrooms: no cards, no pens, no setup. Just one phone.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many players do I need?

You can play Undercover with 3 to 12 players. It's at its best with 6 or more, when there's enough talk to hide in and enough clues to catch someone out.

Do I need my own phone?

No. Only one phone is needed. It's passed around once so each player can read their word in private, and again at each vote.

Can I play Undercover online?

Undercover on slicegames.app is made for people in the same room, with one phone and no accounts. There are no online rooms at the moment.

Does the Undercover know they're the Undercover?

No, and that's the whole trick. The Undercover just sees a word and assumes it's the same as everyone else's. They only find out they're different when they hear the clues, or when they're voted out.

How is Undercover different from Imposter or Spyfall?

In Imposter-style games the odd player usually knows they're the odd one. In Undercover, the Undercover gets a word that is close to everyone else's and may not realize it, which makes the clues, and the arguments, much more interesting.

Do I have to play with Mr. White?

No. For small groups, one Undercover and no Mr. White is a great place to start. Add Mr. White when you're playing with five or more players.

How long does a game take?

A game usually takes 10 to 20 minutes, depending on how many players there are and how quickly the table makes up its mind.

Is Undercover free?

Yes. Undercover is free to play in the browser on slicegames.app, with no download and no sign-up.