How to Create Custom Word Lists - The Ultimate Guide

Why Create Custom Word Lists?

Pre-made word lists are great, but custom lists take your party game to the next level:

✨ Personal connection - Inside jokes your group will love 🎯 Perfect difficulty - Tailored to your players' knowledge 🎨 Unique themes - Match any occasion or interest 💯 Replayability - Endless new content

---

The Golden Rules of Word Selection

Rule 1: Know Your Audience

Consider:

• Age range
• Shared experiences
• Cultural backgrounds
• Interest levels
• Sense of humor

Example: Office workers might love industry jargon, while family reunions work better with childhood memories.

Rule 2: Balance Difficulty

Too easy = boring, Too hard = frustrating

Sweet spot: 70% of players should recognize the word, but describing it should still require thought.

Rule 3: Descriptive Potential

Good words have multiple ways to describe them:

• Pizza: shape, toppings, where eaten, temperature, texture
• Bad word: The: limited descriptive options

Rule 4: Avoid Overlapping Categories

Don't use "Apple" and "Fruit" in the same game - too confusing!

---

Word List Categories That Work

Personal History

• High school teachers' names
• Childhood vacation spots
• Family traditions
• Wedding memories (for wedding parties)
• Company milestones (for corporate events)

Inside Jokes

• Funny incidents your group experienced
• Recurring phrases your group says
• Memorable embarrassing moments
• Group's favorite memes

Professional/Industry Specific

• Medical terms (for healthcare workers)
• Tech jargon (for developers)
• Legal terms (for lawyers)
• Kitchen equipment (for chefs)
• Teaching methods (for educators)

Hobby & Interest Based

• Video game titles
• Sports team names
• Book series
• Music artists
• Craft techniques
• Fitness exercises

---

Creating Undercover Word Pairs

The Similarity Formula

Perfect pairs share 2-3 qualities but differ in 1-2 key aspects:

Example: Coffee vs Tea

• ✅ Both: Hot beverages, morning drinks, caffeine
• ❌ Different: Beans vs leaves, preparation method

Easy Pairs Strategy

Same category, obvious differences:

• Dog / Cat
• Summer / Winter
• Pizza / Burger
• Car / Truck
• Basketball / Football

Medium Pairs Strategy

Same subcategory, subtle differences:

• Cappuccino / Latte
• iPhone / Android
• Netflix / Hulu
• Football / Soccer
• Guitar / Bass

Hard Pairs Strategy

Near-identical with tiny distinctions:

• Leopard / Cheetah
• Turtle / Tortoise
• Jam / Jelly
• Prawns / Shrimp
• Couch / Sofa

---

Step-by-Step Creation Process

Step 1: Brainstorm (15 minutes)

Method: Mind mapping

1. Choose a central theme
2. Branch out to subcategories
3. List 20-30 words per subcategory
4. Don't filter yet - quantity over quality

Example for "Office Party":

• Central: Work Life
  • Branch 1: Office equipment → Printer, Scanner, Laptop, Mouse
  • Branch 2: Meetings → PowerPoint, Zoom, Conference Room
  • Branch 3: Coffee culture → Latte, Break Room, Monday

Step 2: Filter & Test (10 minutes)

Ask yourself:

• [ ] Can players describe this without the word?
• [ ] Is it appropriate for the group?
• [ ] Does everyone know what this is?
• [ ] Does it fit the theme?

Remove any words that don't pass all checks.

Step 3: Organize by Difficulty (5 minutes)

Create three tiers:

• Tier 1 (Easy): Everyone knows, easy to describe
• Tier 2 (Medium): Most know, requires thought
• Tier 3 (Hard): Expert knowledge, tricky descriptions

Step 4: Create Pairs (for Undercover mode) (15 minutes)

Match similar words within each tier:

• Write each word on a card
• Physically arrange similar ones together
• Test if descriptions could apply to both

Step 5: Playtest (One full game)

Monitor:

• Are players struggling or breezing through?
• Which words get the best reactions?
• Any words nobody understands?
• Game duration (adjust word count accordingly)

---

Theme Ideas & Examples

Wedding Party Theme

Guest categories:

• Bride's side: Words related to bride's interests
• Groom's side: Words related to groom's interests
• Mixed words: Relationship milestones

Sample words:

• First date location
• Proposal place
• Wedding venue
• Honeymoon destination
• How they met
• Wedding cake flavor
• First dance song

College Reunion Theme

Categories:

• Professors' names
• Campus locations
• Dorm names
• Popular hangout spots
• Class subjects
• School traditions
• Graduation year events

Friend Group Theme

Personalized content:

• Group members' nicknames
• Favorite restaurants you visit
• Inside jokes from specific events
• Commonly used phrases
• Shared music/movie preferences
• Past trip locations

Industry Conference Theme

Professional vocabulary:

• Industry buzzwords
• Company names (competitors)
• Product names
• Technical terminology
• Conference session topics
• Keynote speaker names

---

Advanced Techniques

The "Nostalgia Factor"

Include words that trigger memories:

• "Remember when we..."
• Classic TV shows from childhood
• Old technology (Walkman, Floppy Disk)
• Discontinued products

Why it works: Emotional connection makes descriptions more animated and fun.

The "Local Flavor" Method

Use location-specific content:

• Local restaurants
• Neighborhood landmarks
• City slang
• Regional foods
• Local sports teams
• Municipal trivia

The "Progression" Approach

Create word sets that tell a story:

• Theme: Wedding planning
• Words: Proposal, Ring, Venue, Dress, Cake, Vows, Dance, Honeymoon

Players subconsciously follow the narrative, creating richer discussions.

The "Opposite Day" Twist

Pair antonyms for comedy:

• Hot / Cold
• Fast / Slow
• Big / Small
• Love / Hate

Works great for the Mr. White mode where guessing is involved!

---

Tools & Resources

Digital Tools

Word generators:

• Use ImposterGame.fun's custom mode
• Spreadsheet with random selection
• Online word generator tools

Organization:

• Google Sheets for collaborative list building
• Notion for categorized databases
• Trello for visual organization

Physical Tools

Card creation:

• Index cards (3x5 inches)
• Cardstock paper
• Laminator (for reusability)
• Colored markers for categories

Storage:

• Small envelopes by theme
• Index card box with dividers
• Ziplock bags labeled by difficulty

---

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Mistake 1: Too Obscure

Bad: "That restaurant we went to in 2015" Better: "Our favorite pizza place"

❌ Mistake 2: Too Specific

Bad: "iPhone 15 Pro Max in Desert Titanium" Better: "iPhone"

❌ Mistake 3: Requires Visual Knowledge

Bad: Colors (hard to describe without saying the color) Better: Objects that happen to have colors

❌ Mistake 4: Negative Associations

Avoid words tied to:

• Traumatic events
• Fired employees (for office parties)
• Failed relationships
• Sensitive topics

❌ Mistake 5: Too Many Similar Words

Don't include:

• Apple, Pear, Orange, Banana all in one game
• Too many overlapping categories

---

Template: Fill-in-the-Blank Word List

Use this template for quick custom creation:

Our Group's Favorite ______

(Restaurants, movies, songs, etc.)

1. ---

2. ---

3. ---

4. ---

5. ---

Places We've Been Together

1. ---

2. ---

3. ---

More Inside Jokes

1. ---

2. ---

3. ---

Shared Experiences

1. ---

2. ---

3. ---

---

Case Studies: Real Custom Lists

Example 1: Tech Startup Team Building

Created by: Sarah, HR Manager Group: 20 engineers, ages 25-35

Word categories:

• Programming languages: Python, JavaScript, TypeScript
• Tech companies: Google, Microsoft, Amazon
• Developer tools: GitHub, Stack Overflow, VS Code
• Memes: 404 Error, Merge Conflict, Code Review

Result: "Best team building activity we've had! Everyone was laughing and actually engaged."

Example 2: Family Reunion

Created by: Mike, organizing 50-person family gathering Group: Ages 8-75, three generations

Word categories:

• Grandparents' hometown locations
• Family recipes: "Grandma's Cookies", "Uncle Joe's BBQ"
• Family pets over the years
• Holiday traditions
• Family business history

Result: "Sparked amazing conversations. Younger kids learned family history while playing!"

Example 3: Bachelorette Party

Created by: Maid of Honor Jessica Group: 12 women, bride's closest friends

Word categories:

• Bride's ex-boyfriends (code names)
• Best friend trip destinations
• Embarrassing stories
• Wedding planning dramas
• Groom's quirks (affectionate)

Result: "We laughed until we cried. So personal and memorable!"

---

Scaling Your Custom List

For Small Groups (4-6 people)

• 20-30 words minimum
• More inside jokes work
• Can be highly specific

For Medium Groups (7-10 people)

• 40-50 words recommended
• Balance specific and general
• Include some easier words

For Large Groups (11+ people)

• 60+ words needed
• Lean toward universally known
• Multiple difficulty tiers

---

Maintaining & Updating Lists

After Each Game

Track:

• Which words were most fun
• Which were too easy/hard
• Player feedback
• Words that fell flat

Quarterly Updates

Refresh:

• Remove overused words
• Add new shared experiences
• Update for current events
• Rotate seasonal themes

Version Control

Keep dated versions:

• "Summer 2026 List"
• "Holiday Party 2026"
• "Post-Pandemic Reunion"

Allows you to reuse successful lists later!

---

Sharing Your Custom Lists

Within Your Community

Options:

• Share digitally via Google Docs
• Print copies for each household
• Post in group chat
• Create a group website/wiki

Public Sharing

Considerations:

• Remove overly personal content
• Generalize inside jokes slightly
• Add context for outsiders
• Credit sources if using others' ideas

---

Quick Start: 30-Minute Custom List

Don't have hours to prepare? Use this speed method:

Minute 0-10: Brainstorm

• Set timer
• Write down every word that comes to mind
• Don't filter

Minute 10-20: Categorize

• Group similar words
• Remove duplicates
• Check for appropriateness

Minute 20-25: Balance

• Ensure 30-40 words minimum
• Mix difficulty levels
• Verify everyone knows words

Minute 25-30: Write cards

• One word per card
• Optional: Note difficulty on back
• Shuffle and ready to play!

---

Printable Worksheet

Custom Word List Planner

Theme: _________________ Audience: _________________ Date: _________________

Easy Words (15): 1-15. ________________

Medium Words (15): 1-15. ________________

Hard Words (10): 1-10. ________________

Undercover Pairs:

• _______ vs _______
• _______ vs _______
• _______ vs _______

---

Start Creating Your Custom List

Ready to build the perfect personalized word list? Head to ImposterGame.fun and use the Custom Mode to input your words and start playing immediately!

No printing needed - digital custom lists save time and are easy to update.

---

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How many words do I need? A: Minimum 20-30 for one game. Create 50+ for multiple rounds.

Q: Can I mix custom and pre-made words? A: Absolutely! Use 70% custom, 30% general for best balance.

Q: What if my group has different knowledge levels? A: Create multiple difficulty tiers and let players choose.

Q: How do I handle offensive suggestions? A: Set ground rules: if one person objects, word is removed, no debate.

Q: Should I tell players it's a custom list? A: Surprise factor is fun, but warning them can prevent confusion.

---

Related Resources

• 100 Undercover Word Pairs
• Complete Game Rules
• All Word Categories

Ready to create? Start Custom Game →

Tags: #custom #DIY #personalized #creative #guide #wordlist