Buy the Scanner first. $85 gets you 3 instant imposter detections with zero guesswork. I wasted my first 10 shifts memorizing every imposter tell when I could've just scanned them. Save Scanner charges for ??? travelers who have no passport info.
Terminal 13 puts you on the night shift at an airport checkpoint. Scan passports, question travelers, decide who passes. Some travelers aren't human. Letting the wrong ones through has consequences.
How the Game Works
You process 7 travelers per shift across 3 night shifts per chapter. Each traveler scans their passport, and you question them to verify their identity. Humans pass through. Imposters get shot.
The Loop
- Traveler approaches and scans passport
- Read their passport info (name, job, origin, duration, reason)
- Ask questions and compare answers to passport
- If human, press the green button to let them pass
- If imposter, grab your shotgun and shoot them
- Mop up the green goo they leave behind
- Repeat until shift ends
Letting an imposter through summons a monster at shift's end. Shooting a human costs you money and reputation. Accuracy matters.
Imposter Detection Basics
Every imposter has at least one tell.
| Check | What to Look For |
|---|---|
| Photo | Passport photo doesn't match their face |
| Job | Answer doesn't match passport (students may say part-time job) |
| Origin | Names a completely different country |
| Duration | Answer contradicts passport info |
| Reason | Purpose doesn't match passport |
| Physical | Extra limbs, wrong proportions, inhuman features |
| X-Ray | Skeleton doesn't match human anatomy |
Vague answers are usually fine. "I come from a small town" is acceptable. "I come from Mars" is not. Students might say their part-time job instead of "student" and that's not an imposter tell.
For the full breakdown of every imposter type, see the Imposters Guide.
The ??? Traveler
Once per shift, a traveler shows up with no passport info. Just question marks. You have no way to verify them through normal means.
How to handle ???
- Use your free hint (one per shift, tells you human or imposter)
- Use a Scanner charge if you have one
- If you have neither, it's a 50/50 guess
Save your free hint for ??? travelers. Don't waste it on someone you can verify normally.
Shop Items
You earn cash from processing travelers (even imposters) and looting dead imposters. Spend it on these items.
| Item | Price | Worth It? |
|---|---|---|
| Scanner | $85 | Yes, best item with 3 instant verifications |
| Landmine | $40 | Yes, one-shots the Entity |
| Music Box | $50 | No, Landmine is cheaper and better |
| Blunderbuss | $60 | No, your shotgun has infinite ammo |
Buy Scanner first, then Landmine if you accidentally let an imposter through. Skip Music Box and Blunderbuss entirely.
See the Items Tier List for detailed rankings.
Monster Survival
Monsters appear when you let imposters through or during random events. Each one has specific counterplay.
The Entity appears at shift's end if you let an imposter through. Place a Landmine at the sliding door before your shift ends. It steps on it, takes damage, and leaves. Or pump it full of shotgun shells until it retreats.
The Employee is a random event. Hulking creature rushes through the door, lights go out, then an alarm triggers. You have 30 seconds to find and kill it. Walk out of your workstation, turn right in the hallway. It's crouching there trying to hide. One shotgun blast and it's gone.
The Boss appears at the end of Chapter 1. You can't fight it. Just watch the cutscene and prepare for Chapter 2.
For complete monster strategies, see the Monsters Guide.
Chapter 1 Airport
The airport terminal is your first assignment. Three night shifts, seven travelers each.
Key mechanics
- Passport verification at your booth
- X-Ray scanner available on Shift 2
- Mop up goo to fill canister for free items
- The Boss reveals the truth at the end
Common mistakes
- Shooting students who say their part-time job
- Ignoring the X-Ray scanner (it confirms suspicions)
- Not mopping goo (free items!)
- Panicking when the Entity appears
Chapter 2 Road Checkpoint
Chapter 2 moves you to a road checkpoint. Same concept, different mechanics.
Key differences
- Process entire cars with multiple passengers
- Only the driver has ID
- Check the computer screen for last checkpoint data
- New monster called The Corrector
Driver verification
- Name, birthday, job, origin, ID photo
- Same process as airport
Passenger verification
- Purpose (compare to last checkpoint data on computer)
- Duration (compare to last checkpoint data)
- Disfigured faces (no ID to compare, learn normal faces)
- Demonic voices (walk around car to pinpoint source)
- Strange walking (watch them exit the car)
- Backwards/unreadable text
Stay outside your office during shifts. You need to see passengers exit the car to catch strange walking. Headphones help identify demonic voices.
Chapter 2 Monsters
The Corrector is Chapter 2's version of the Entity. Comes down the road if you let an imposter through. Cheese it by staying inside until it enters, then jump out the window. It gets stuck trying to reach you through the window while you shoot it.
Employee (Power Outage) shows up when power goes down. Restart it in the back building. The Employee chases you on the way back. Don't stop to shoot, just run to your office.
Employee (Hiding) sometimes hides at the checkpoint. Check behind the dead tree near the power building. Shoot it before it attacks.
Window Imposter appears after fixing the printer. An imposter climbs through the window. Back away and shoot when it falls.
Car Imposters happen when someone calls asking for help with their stranded car. Walk to it, then run back when they chase you. Make it to your office to survive.
Money Making
Maximize earnings every shift.
- Process everyone because you get paid even for imposters
- Loot dead imposters by walking over bodies for bonus cash
- Fill goo canisters for free shop items
- Get tips because some humans tip extra
Don't buy Blunderbuss or Music Box. Save money for Scanners and emergency Landmines.
Common Mistakes
Trusting vague answers too much. "I come from a small town" is fine. "I come from a small town on Jupiter" is not.
Forgetting the free hint. One per shift. Save it for ??? travelers.
Not checking the X-Ray. It confirms suspicions when you're unsure.
Shooting students. They often say their part-time job instead of "student." Check the passport. If it says student, they're human.
Ignoring the goo. Mop it up. Free items add up.
Panicking during monster attacks. Every monster has counterplay. Learn the patterns.
Progression Path
Shifts 1-3 (Chapter 1)
- Learn passport verification
- Buy Scanner when you can afford it
- Practice X-Ray interpretation
- Survive the Entity if you mess up
Shifts 4-6 (Chapter 2)
- Adapt to multi-passenger cars
- Use the checkpoint computer
- Learn new monster patterns
- Learn the Corrector cheese
Endgame
- Perfect shifts (no mistakes)
- Speedrun attempts
- Help friends learn
Related Content
- All Imposters Guide covers every imposter type
- All Monsters Guide has survival strategies
- Items Tier List ranks the best shop items
