How to Play Who Is the Spy
Who Is the Spy is a talking game for a group of friends or a family. Almost everyone gets the same secret word, but the spies get a different, similar one, and nobody is told which word they have. Listen carefully, describe cleverly, and vote out the odd one.
What you need
- 4 to 12 players. One spy with 4–6 players, two spies with 7–12.
- One phone passed around, or one phone each in an online room. The site deals the words, keeps the speaking order, counts votes and reveals the result.
Dealing the words
The site picks a pair of words from the same family, such as coffee and tea, or beach and swimming pool. The civilians all get one word of the pair and the spies get the other. Which word is the spies' word is chosen at random, and nobody sees anyone else's word.
- On one phone: pass the phone around. Each player taps to see their word, remembers it, taps to hide it and passes the phone on.
- Online: each player's phone shows only their own word. It stays hidden until you tap it, so you can keep it away from the people next to you.
A round
- Describe. In the speaking order shown, each player says one sentence about their word without saying the word itself. Rhymes, translations and spelling it out don't count either.
- Vote. When everyone has spoken, the host starts the vote. Each player still in the game votes for the person they think is a spy. You can't vote for yourself.
- Reveal. The player with the most votes is out, and their role is revealed: civilian or spy.
- Next round. A new speaking order is drawn among the players still in, and the round repeats.
Ties: the tied players describe once more, then everyone votes between them only. A second tie means nobody goes out this round.
On one phone there is no secret ballot: the group votes by pointing or a show of hands, and the host taps the player who goes out.
Who wins
- Civilians win as soon as every spy is out.
- Spies win when they are as many as the civilians left. With four players and one spy, that is when two civilians have gone out.
At the end, everyone's word and role is shown.
The spy's goal
As a spy you don't know you're the spy at first. If the descriptions you hear don't quite fit your word, you're probably the spy. From then on, describe in a way that would fit both words and blend in until the end.
Playing on kawu
Create an online room for one phone each, or pass one phone around. In the settings, choose the number of players for one-phone games. New words deals a fresh pair. Rooms close 24 hours after the last move, and nothing anyone says is typed in or stored.
Next, read the Who Is the Spy strategy, or try another party game: Truth or Dare.
Frequently asked questions
How many spies are there?
One spy with 4 to 6 players, two spies with 7 to 12. Nobody is told whether they are a spy: you only see your word, so a spy may not know at first.
What happens on a tie?
The tied players describe their word once more, then everyone votes again, choosing only between them. If that vote is tied too, nobody goes out this round.
Can I play with friends who aren't in the same room?
Yes. Create an online room and send the link; everyone joins on their own phone and sees only their own word. Talk on a video or voice call: the site has no chat and stores nothing you say.
Do players who are out still talk?
They can watch, but they shouldn't give hints. Their role is revealed when they go out, so the others know whether the spy is still in the game.
Last updated 2026-10-22