Naughty Bits Improv Game Book

Improv Game Book
To the interested improvisor:
Welcome to the NAUghty Bits Improv Game Book! This serves as a reference book
for improv games, exercises, and warm-ups, with descriptions of each game with instructions
and tips for performance or rehearsal. Think of this book like a script, but by no means does
it need to be followed. It can serve as a reference and source of ideas, but because improv is
always changing, don’t let it restrict you!
Theoretically, any person should be able to learn, play, teach, and lead each game
inside this book based on the book. The reader should be able to visualize how the games are
played, even with minimal improv experience. Hopefully this book can help both directors
and members to learn new games and work on specific skills.
However, as with any acting style, there are tons and tons of different variants for
each game. Games change beyond recognition, and that’s okay. This book isn’t meant to be a
set of rules, but instead a guideline or reference. Feel free to add new games when they are
learned or invented.
Just let go, and let your imagination go wild!
Written by Spencer Beckwith

Edited by Claire Woodard, Ryan Bowman, and Maddie Moe
Spring 2019
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Categories of Improv Games:
These are the categories which most improv games can be placed under. Variations on
games do allow less or more players, and these categories are very flexible. They only serve
to keep this Game Book organized so similar games are nearby to each other.
 Warm-Up Games (Section 1)
o Intended to be played before a rehearsal or show. They help the players
prepare their bodies, voices, and minds for improv.
 Two-Person Games (Section 2)
o Only played with two people. They are not played very often due to the fact
that it limits the number of participants, and they are mostly gimmick games.
 Three-Person Games (Section 3)
o Played with three people. This allows enough people to participate, although
most are short-form or gimmick games.
 Four-Person Games (Section 4)
o Mostly consist of guessing games or scene-work games. Helpful to rehearse
and allow for more participation.
 Five+ Person Games (Section 5)
o Played with five or more people, but not everyone in a rehearsal or show.
 Team Games (Section 6)
o Can technically be played with as few or as many people as desired. Most work
better with as many people as possible. This is also long-form improv.
Types of Games:
These are the types of game assigned to each game in the book.
 Warm-Up: Games in which the group gets ready to improv!
 Icebreaker: Games that help the group become more comfortable.
 Elimination: Games in which players are eliminated when they lose.
 Competition: Games in which players compete to be the winner.
 Gimmick: Games that have little to no practical use but are fun to play.
 Exercise: Rehearsal games that focus on only one skill.
 Pun: These games depend on puns, word plays, and references in order to be played.
 Musical: These games have an element of musicality required.
 Scene: These games revolve around a scene that is played, sometimes more than once.
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 Interactive: These games involve characters directly interacting with the audience.
 Short-Form: Quick, rapid-fire scenes that aren’t always fully fleshed out.
 Medium-Form: These games are a mix between short-form and long-form.
 Long-Form: A long and interesting series of connected or related scenes, usually with
a lot of fleshed out characters and ideas.
Skills of Improv:
These are the skills that the games in this book can help with. Everybody excels with
some and can improve in others, but they all can be learned with practice. The letter in
parenthesis indicates the abbreviation for the skill. Games in the table of contents are listed
with the abbreviation, to make finding games based on certain skills easier.
 Focus (F): Committing, being engaged, staying in character, and remembering things.
 Communication (Co): Giving information to other people effectively.
 Listening (L): Gaining information from what other people say or do. This includes
giving other people a chance to talk and contribute without steamrolling them.
 Anxiety Handling (A): Handling nerves and stage-fright.
 Energy (E): Being fun and outgoing, creating an entertaining and open atmosphere.
 Creativity (Cr): Thinking quickly of unique ideas, and free associating. This also
includes making puns or rhymes.
 Reflexes (R): Reacting instantly and in the moment.
 Movement (M): Using (or not using) your body in different ways.
 Teamwork (T): Thinking as a group, cooperating, and listening. Also called Ohana.
Ohana means family, and family means nobody gets left behind… or forgotten.
 Pantomime (P): Creating and using invisible objects effectively.
 Comedy (Cm): Making the audience laugh. This shouldn’t be specifically pursued but
should be allowed to arise naturally instead.
 Character (Ch): Creating interesting and complex characters. This includes creating a
name, backstory, voice, physicality, and personality.
 Story (St): Telling a story, through beginning, middle, and end. This is also called Z-
Formation, where the beginning is the platform (who/what/where/when), the middle
is the tilt (rising action).
 Initiation: (I) Beginning a new scene on the spot without thinking too hard.
 Sustaining (Su): Keeping scenes alive and able to be added to, without getting stuck.
 Justification (J): Explaining why things don’t always make sense in the world.
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General Guidelines of Improv:
Improv is short for improvisation, the art of creating worlds, scenarios, and characters
on the spot and telling a story to the audience.
One of the most important guidelines of improv is the yes, and. This doesn’t mean to
never say no, but to always allow others to contribute and to not shoot down their ideas
immediately.
Most scenes have an inherent pecking order. Each person can be called “the number
one,” “number two,” and so on. This indicates who is in control of each scene and who
contributes the most to the direction the scene takes. Things become pretty wild and you
might take a trip to crazy town if this isn’t clearly defined. Listening is important to help set
this up.
Another important thing to understand is the idea of game. Game is essentially the
weird thing in a scene, something that may be out of the ordinary, and it is meant to be
discovered collectively. When the game is found, it can be played deliberately for real
laughter. It can help to deliberately say “That’s weird…” when you think you see a game in a
scene. Then milk it for everything it’s worth. “If this is true, what else is true?”
There is also a difference between improv and meta-improv. Meta-improv is when
players decide to do things that they know will make their audience laugh, deliberately or
not. An example is excessive cursing. While this works in specific crowds, it can only go for
so long before it runs out of steam in front of new people. Rather than trying to be funny,
just let it happen, honestly and truthfully.
Some topics to avoid: religion, race, gender, incest, bestiality, suicide, genocide. Stay
away from sensitive topics as much as you can, and if you notice one of these beginning to
appear, don’t be afraid to call it out, in or out of character, and stop it.
Similarly, don’t do things your partner is not okay with. This can be hard to tell in
improv. Don’t actually hurt your partners of course, and get consent, in or out of character,
when you need to.
Other than that, improv has no rules to it, and its “rules” are meant to be broken. Just
get out there and have fun with it!
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Sample Game No. 0.0
Type of Game: The category/type of the game

Skills: What skills the game helps players to improve
Description: Brief tag line describing the game
Instructions:
This section contains the instructions to actually play the game. The format may be
changed and utilized in whatever way is necessary for the game. Numbers, bullet points, etc.
New sections may be added to the game sheets as well. Not every game will fit neatly into
the categories marked, so new categories may be added when needed.
Variations:
This section displays what other ways the game can be played. For example, with
more people, fewer people, rule alterations etc.
Tips for Performance:
This section is where additional tips can be written. The tips section, if needed, will
detail the ways that when the game is performed, it remains fun and interesting.
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Table of Contents
This list is subject to change.
1. Warm-Up Games Skills Number
1. Bunny Bunny E, F 1.1
2. Czechoslovakia E, F 1.2
3. Wiener E, F 1.3
4. Do You Love Your Neighbor? Cr, R 1.4
5. Huggy Bear R 1.5
6. I am a Tree Cr 1.6
7. Park Bench F 1.7
8. Yee-Haw E, F 1.8
9. Zoom Zorch Cr, E 1.9
10. Zip Zap Zop F 1.10
11. Twizzle M 1.11
12. Captain’s Game F, M 1.12
13. Thunderdome Cr, E, F 1.13
14. This is a Pen F, L 1.14
15. Give Me Back My Son Cr, F 1.15
16. Bibbity Bibbity Bop F, M 1.16
17. Who Am I Cr, L, T 1.17
18. Red Ball, Blue Ball F, E, L 1.18
19. Scream! A 1.19
20. Mind Meld T 1.20
21. Kitty Kat Career Cr, P 1.21
22. Big Booty E, F 1.22
23. Shootout A, R 1.23
24. Character Generator Ch, Cr 1.24
25. Categories F, T 1.25
26. Sneaky Thief F, M 1.26
27. Chi-Town I, Su 1.27
28. What Do You Know I, L 1.28
29. Fart Circle F 1.29
30. Pizza Hut and Taco Bell Cr 1.30
31. Five, Six, Seven, Eight Cr, F 1.31
2. Two-Person Games
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1. Scripture J 2.1
2. Text Line J 2.2
3. Blind Line Cr, J 2.3
4. Short Attention Span Co, L 2.4
3. Three-Person Games
1. New Choice Cr, J 3.1
2. Interrogation Co 3.2
3. Slap My Face and Call Me Sally Co, J 3.3
4. The Good, Bad, and Ugly Ch 3.4
5. Sit, Stand, Lie J 3.5
6. Two Line Vocab J 3.6
7. Game-O-Matic Cr 3.7
8. Ahab and the Whale F 3.8
9. A Day in the Life St, Ch 3.9
10. Tricks of the Trade Ch 3.10
11. Hypnotist Ch, M 3.11
4. Four-Person Games
1. Pan Left J, St, Su 4.1
2. Party Quirks Ch, Co 4.2
3. CSI Cr, M 4.3
4. Dating Game Ch, Co 4.4
5. Survivor F, E 4.5
6. Understudy Co, L, T 4.6
7. Late for Work Co, P 4.7
8. Chain Murder Co, P 4.8
9. Stop and Swap J, Su 4.9
10. Countdown F 4.10
11. Foreign Film Dub P, T 4.11
12. Hey You Down There! L, J 4.12
13. Town Forum Ch 4.13
14. Character Creator Ch, Cr, L 4.14
15. Talking Heads L, T 4.15
5. Five+ Person Games
1. Playground Insults P, L 5.1
2. My Movie Cr, E 5.2
3. Five Things Cr, P, L 5.3
4. Objection Ch, Cr, J 5.4
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5. Arms of War T 5.5
6. Team Games
1. Laugh and Go Co 6.1
2. Waiter Cr 6.2
3. Pet Names Cr 6.3
4. Back in My Day Cr 6.4
5. Incredible Growing and Shrinking Machine (IGSM) I, J 6.5
6. Spit-Take - 6.6
7. Freeze J, M 6.7
8. Do-Run-Run Cr 6.8
9. Beastie Raps Co, L, T 6.9
10. Montage Long-Form All 6.10
11. Narrative Long-Form/Cut All 6.11
12. Follow the Exiter All 6.12
13. Pin Drop All 6.13
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Section 1
Warm-Up Games
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Bunny Bunny No. 1.1
Type of Game: Warm-Up

Skills: Energy, Focus
Description: Players pass a “bunny bunny” around the circle while everybody attempts to
keep the beat going. The speed of the game increases over time, making it harder to follow
the beat.
Instructions:
Everybody stands in a circle. They begin patting their quads and chanting “Zumba” all
together. The beat starts out slow, until the leader begins with a “bunny bunny” to
themselves. To make a “bunny bunny,” whoever has it holds their hands up and makes a
sort-of “quotation-mark” gesture with each word. The chant goes “bunny bunny” (to
yourself), then repeating “bunny bunny” (sending it to someone else).
“Bunny bunny” coincides with one chant of “Zumba.” It is at double the speed. To
send the bunny bunny, point the hands out while chanting it again. The next person must
receive it in one beat, and then send it in the next beat of “Zumba.”
Upon messing up the beat, the game restarts. If the players have gotten the hang of it,
try playing it even faster.
Once passing the “bunny bunny” is understood, the people on either side of the
person with it must chant “ticky tocky” at the same pace, while wagging theirs arms side to
side next to their head, similar to the arms of a clock.
Once that is understood, the people on either side of the “ticky tocky” must squat up
and down, swinging their arms up and down in front of them, along with the pace of
“Zumba” and chant “Ding, dong.”
In summation: One person has the “bunny bunny,” and their neighbors have the
“ticky tocky,” and the neighbors’ neighbors have the “ding dong.” Everybody else remains
chanting “Zumba.” Play for as long as desired.
Variations:
You can play without the “ticky tocky” or “ding dong” if desired.
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“Bunny Bunny” can also be an elimination game. Anytime someone fails produce a
“bunny bunny,” “ticky tocky,” or “ding dong” when they should, they are eliminated from
the circle.
Don’t forget to breathe! Always keep an eye on the bunny bunny.
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Czechoslovakia No. 1.2

Description: Players chant along to a tune while clapping their hands to each other’s.
Instructions:
Everybody stands in a circle. One person begins the following chant, and everybody
begins chanting along. The lyrics are found on the musical arrangement on the next page.
During the process, everybody follows along by: clapping hands to their quads, their
hands to each other, and then extending their hands to the left and right, such that the backs
of their hands hit the backs of their neighbors’ hands. Then the hands return and clap again,
and the process repeats.
After each “rhythm in our hands” line, everybody takes the break from the pattern
above and instead claps their hands three times, keeping the beat.
After each “rhythm in our feet” line everybody stomps their feet three times, still
keeping the beat.
After each “rhythm in our hips” line, everybody swings their hips sideways, while
saying “Ha-boom. Ha-boom. Ha-boom boom boom.” This does not follow the beat exactly,
but the beat and clapping resumes afterward.
After following this chant once, repeat it again, but faster. After doing it twice, do it
one more time as fast as physically possible, while still maintaining the beat and clapping
pattern.
Variations:
Czechoslovakia can continue in ad nauseam, the speed increasing until it can no
longer be maintained.
Take off all rings and watches, or you might hurt your partners’ hands!
On the next page is a musical arrangement for this game. This contains the lyrics and
rhythm for the game, but the pitch and accompaniment doesn’t matter.
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Wiener No. 1.3

Description: Players chant along to a tune while patting their legs and their neighbor’s legs.
Instructions:
Everybody stands in a circle. One person begins the following chant, and everybody
begins chanting along:
“Wiener, wiener, wiener, wiener, wiener, wiener, wiener, wiener.
I know a wiener man. He owns a wiener stand. That se-ells everything from
hotdogs on rye (or down). Woo!
One day, I’ll make his life. I’ll be his wiener wife. Oh how, I love that wiener
ma-a-an. Woo!”
During the song, everybody begins slowly, while patting their hands on their own
knees. The pattern goes as follows:
1. Pat your own knees until the first “wiener man.”
2. On the “wiener man,” pat the knees of the person to your right, only twice.
Return to your own knees afterward.
3. On the “wiener stand,” pat the knees of the person to your left, again only
twice. Return to your own knees afterward.
4. On “se-ells,” for the first beat, pat to the right once. Return center once.
5. On the “thing” in “everything,” pat to the left, again once. Return center once.
6. On the “dogs” in “hot dogs,” cross your arms and pat the opposite knee.
7. On “Woo,” raise your hands to be next to your head.
8. Repeat this same pattern for the second verse.
Similarly to Czechoslovakia, repeat the song two more times. Each time, increase in
speed from the last. Try to maintain the beat and clapping pattern.
Take off all rings or watches.
Although the music and lyrics are listed below, the pitch doesn’t matter in the
slightest. Just chant along however you’d like.
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Do You Love Your Neighbor? No. 1.4
Type of Game: Icebreaker

Skills: Creativity, Reflexes
Description: One person in the middle of the circle tries to gain a position in the circle by
asking questions that make some circle members switch places.
Instructions:
Everybody stands in a circle. One person begins in the middle. While in the middle,
they approach people in the center and ask:
“Do you love your neighbor?”
The person asked can respond with “No,” which will force their two neighbors (the
people to their direct right and left) to switch places. They must cross in front of the person
asked, not behind them. Or alternatively, the person can respond with “Yes, but I don’t love
anyone that/who ____.”
When it comes to saying yes, the person must come up with a condition. Anybody
that fulfills that condition must switch places. The condition can be almost anything, about
what somebody is wearing, what they’ve done before, or anything you can think of, given it
isn’t personal, taboo, or offensive. Here are some examples:
“Yes, but I don’t love anyone wearing red.”
“Yes, but I don’t love anyone who ate breakfast.”
“Yes, but I don’t love anyone wearing a jacket.”
“Yes, but I don’t love my neighbor’s neighbors.”
Be creative! Try to think of unique things beyond just what people are wearing.
Variations:
During the game, while the person in the center is distracted or not paying attention,
you can attempt to switch places with somebody else in the circle. Make eye contact before
doing this, and be careful not to crash into anyone. Keep in mind, if you aren’t fast enough,
the person in the middle will steal your spot!
This game works best in a large group setting.
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Huggy Bear No. 1.5
Type of Game: Icebreaker, Elimination

Skills: Reflexes
Description: People hug in groups of different numbers. People left out are eliminated!
Instructions:
The leader stands above the group of people. Each turn, they call out any number.
The number must be less than the number of people in the group. They call it out in the
following form:
“Huggy bear six!”
According to the example above, the players must hug in groups of six. Whatever
number is called is the number of people that must hug in each group. Anybody who does
not get into a group matching the number called is eliminated and sits out the rest.
Variations:
When there are only four people left, send them to different corners of the room
before calling out the number.
This game works best with a lot of people, preferably over 15.
Be very careful, especially when there’s few people left, to not crash into others. Also,
be mindful of if you aren’t part of the hug, to give up. Try to avoid pulling or pushing people
or dragging others down if you fall.
Be careful playing this game with people who are uncomfortable with close physical
contact.
As the leader, do not hesitate to tell people to spread apart or come closer together to
make the game play more fairly.
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I Am a Tree No. 1.6

Skills: Creativity
Description: Gradually, the people in a circle begin a still and silent scene based on a
suggestion.
Instructions:
Everybody stands in a circle. One person begins, based on a suggestion, location, or
idea. They will step into the center and say, “I am a ____.” With the blank being replaced
with an object at that location. They also must make a pose related to that suggestion.
Then, the people in the circle take turns stepping in, joining the scene, and becoming
something directly related to the last thing. It’s important to be creative, and to add new
items, objects, people, or animals, and also to declare exactly what they have become, using
the phrase “I am a ____.”
Once everyone has joined the scene in one way or another, the game is over.
Variations:
Not all additions to the scene have to be physical. For example, you could become a
feeling or idea.
I Am a Tree can continue in ad nauseam, though it is best to do multiple rounds off of
different suggestions.
Try to be related. If your addition isn’t related, it muddies the scene and makes it
harder for new people to build off of what already exists. Additionally, try to make your
addition be something open ended. Don’t make your addition be something that nobody can
build anything off of.
Be creative! Think outside the box!
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Park Bench No. 1.7
Type of Game: Competition

Skills: Focus
Description: Players try to make each other laugh in any way they can.
Instructions:
Everybody will stand or sit in a line, forming a semicircle around a chair or bench.
The first player will sit on this at all times.
Each person in the line will enter the scene with this person and try to make them
laugh. Even smiling or grinning counts as well. They can do anything they want, they just
cannot touch the other person. They remain in the scene until they’ve made the other
person laugh, smile, or grin, in which case they take their position. If they fail to do so after a
brief, set amount of time, they leave the scene.
Either way, whoever leaves the scene joins the end of the line, and the next person
enters to the park bench. The game continues until the leader decides to end it.
Variations:
For an added challenge, try creating a new character every time you enter, and justify
what you do to the other person. Whoever remains behind will keep the same character
throughout.
This game is very much a “high-school” gimmick game with no real room to grow.
The reason for this is because the objective just to make the other person laugh is a fake and
insincere objective, prompting the players to be as ridiculous as possible, or reference things
outside the world of the game.
There are some players who are very good at this game, which can make it very
frustrating and challenging for the others.
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Yee-Haw No. 1.8

Description: Players pass a “yee-haw” around a circle, while calling different actions.
Instructions:
Everybody stands in a circle. The players pass around a “yee-haw,” which can change
direction or be sent across the circle. The game continues until the leader decides to end it.
When in possession of the “yee-haw,” there are several calls that a player can do:
 Yee-Haw: With a swinging motion of the arm, with the hand in the fist, call out “yee-
haw!” This sends the “yee-haw” to the player to the left or right, depending on the
direction. This call cannot change the direction of the “yee-haw.”
 Whip: Swing the arm and hand (in a fist) downward ahead of you, while making a
whip sound. This reverse the direction of the “yee-haw.”
 Hey Barn: Call out “Hey barn!” while clapping the hands above the head. This skips
the next person after you to receive the “yee-haw.”
 Get Down, Little Doggy!: Call out “Get down, little doggy!” while making finger guns
at somebody else in the circle. That person can either respond by receiving the “yee-
haw” and proceeding with a yee-haw or another call, or by going “Pah-ting!” while
pretending to hold a belt buckle. This sends the “yee-haw” back to the person who
called “Get down, little doggy!”
 Four-Shifter Gear Box!: This called out to everyone before it is done. With a motion of
your arm and leg, everybody must shift the gear of their imaginary car four times.
This is done by stepping forward with the foot while moving the arm above it as well.
Everyone has to count out the number of shifts as they go through the motions. After
this, the caller still has the “yee-haw.”
 There’s a Snake in my Boot!: This call should be used sparingly. When a person calls
out the phrase “there’s a snake in my boot” everyone in the circle has to find a new
spot in the circle while yelling and reacting to the ‘snake’.
Variations:
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Instead of four-shifter gear box, call out any number. For example, “eight-shifter gear
box!” Do not push this number to the extremes, as that is often more a
frustration/complication than a source of focus or energy.
This game can, in some situations, be combined with Zoom Zorch. Everybody will
most likely yell at you for this.
This game is best when played in either a smaller group of people, or when the people
playing make an effort to send the “yee-haw” to other people. This is because, in large
groups, players of this game may never possess the “yee-haw” if the group is too large.
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Zoom Zorch No. 1.9

Skills: Creativity, Energy
Description: Players shout out calls of people from NAU Theatre/Arizona Playmakers/
NAUghty Bits in the past and present. The calls are phrases, actions, or events that occurred
throughout time and were deemed memorable.
Instructions:
Everybody stands in a circle. You “zoom” to your left, by motioning your hands in an
arc that direction. You “zorch” to your right, by motioning the opposite way. You can
“zotch” across the circle to another person. This is done by pelvic thrusting in their direction.
Lastly, you can “perfigliano” across the circle by pointing at somebody else. You can respond
to a “zotch” with another “zotch,” but you cannot “perfigliano” another “perfigliano.”
When somebody has zoomed, zorched, or zotched toward you, it is your turn to
either make a call, or send it to somebody else. Calls are made by calling out the name, and
then everybody in the circle does the action with the caller. The creative aspect of this game
comes from combining calls. This is done by saying two (or more, in some situations) calls in
a row, then performing the first call, with the second or other calls playing into it.
Other calls play into previous calls by either replacing words, actions, or phrases.
Some combined calls are performed differently than expected.
Below is a list of all current Zoom-Zorch calls at the time of this writing:
 Zoom: To the right.
 Zorch: To the left.
 Zotch: Hip-thrust across the circle.
 Perfigliano: Point across the circle.
 Perfigli-igli-anio: Point at the top of your head and spin in a circle saying “doodly
doodly doodly doo”
 Doughnut: Point at the ground, and point. Move your hands in a circle and say
“doughnut.”
 Route 66: Pantomime driving in the circle. Everybody turns to their left and slowly
walks while frustrated and angry, as if stuck in traffic.
 Phil Collins: Stepping inward, everybody sings the line “I can feel it coming in the air
tonight.” Bounce on your knees on the beat. Afterward hold the position for a
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moment, then everybody breaks out backward with their hands in the air, singing
“ohh”.
 Stage Combat: Take three steps inward, make eye contact with someone, and shout
“eye contact!”
 Cthulhu Incarnate: Place your hands over your mouth and swing your fingers all
around, while emitting a deep, guttural roar.
 Baby Cthulhu Incarnate: Same as above, but only using two fingers and making a
gentle, high-pitched noise.
 Astronaut: Low-gravity walk towards the center while ad-libbing, as if on the moon.
 Nick’s not ____ (cool, here, bad, etc.): Wag a finger on each word while repeating
“Nick’s not cool” (or whatever word is said) twice. Any word can be used.
 Entrapment: Walk towards the circle while writhing your limbs and say “Sean
Connery is a silver fox!”
 Masturbating…: Say “Masturbating” before any other call, and during that call, make
a masturbation movement over your crotch with your hand while acting out the
other call as you normally would.
 Anonymous Director: Place hand forward and quickly draw it back, and say “oop,
almost touched your boob!”
 Anonymous, Anonymous Director: Turn your head in disbelief and say “Was that
racist?”
 Anonymous NAUghty Bits Member: Touch your fingertips to each other and say
wickedly, “You see cat, I see lunch!”
 Anonymous Party-Goer: Fist pumping the air, chant “Fuck MegaBlocks! Fuck
MegaBlocks!”
 Camping Trip: Hold arms up to your sides with elbows bent and arms forward like
claws, and say “The bear provides!”
 Drunk Mime: Pantomiming as a mime, put your hands up on a box in front of you,
then throw up.
 Sounds Birds of Prey Make: Put your hands up next to your face, open your mouth,
but don’t make any sound.
 Sexy Clown: Turn around and grab each butt cheek, and squeeze twice, saying “honk
honk.”
 Bicycle: Pantomime riding a bike then stopping sideways, while saying “cycle cycle
bring bring skiiirt!”
 Accountant: Say “add, subtract” while pretending to press a computer key with your
pointer finger on each word.
 Satire Duck: Hold your wrist, make a duck with your hand, and say “this is satire!”
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 High School Improvisor: Shrug your shoulders and say “what is a cat?”
 Bob Yowell: Put your hand up and say “Bob Yowell.”
 Steven House: Hold your hands out and say “Look at your life, look at your choices…”
 Darby Winterhalter Loftstrand: Shout out, shrill and high-pitched, “WHAT!?”
 Naoko Skala: Put your head around an imaginary wall and call out high-pitched, “kill
me!”
 Lee Becker: This call repeats itself three times. For each time, crouch down on one
side, then leap around to be facing the other way with your hands on your hips and
yell “I am a Klingon Warrior!” Repeat this three times, getting bigger each time.
 Evan Cipra: Flip off the rest of the circle and say “Callbacks.”
 Aly Coppell: Flip your hair off your shoulders and say “Bitches.”
 Aly Ritter: Kick a leg forward three times and say “Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you!” in a
high-pitched voice
 Mike Rutter: Crouch and swing your arm forward and back, while saying “Shut your
dick!”
 Dennis Verrett: Dance toward the center with jazz hands and sing “Hellooo, Tokyo!”
 Ethan Hoover: Place your hands on your body with fingers out and yell “milk me!”
 Kishan Batcheldor: Move hands away from your head with palms down and say
“Kishan!”
 Logan White: Stab forward with a hand three times, moving inwards in the circle, and
say “And a stab, and a stab, and a stab, stab, stab!”
 Sera Young: Crouch down and smack your hands on the ground on each word, saying
“I’m a bad snail! But me in jail!”
 Claire Herron: Wag a finger forward and, in a British accent, say “Is that your willy?”
 Aidan Cipra: Grab the face of somebody next to you, and say “Are we doing this?”
Then reply with “No” and shake your head.
 Hadley Singer: Throw your arms to your side and say “Ayyy, sticky!”
 Maddie Moe: Act drunk and confused and make a “nyahhhhh” sound.
 Blake Regottaz: Swinging each arm forward, say “swiggity swoosh!”
 Sean Lang: Say “It’s bread, or sex!” On “bread” and “sex” hold out each of your hands,
palm-up.
 Ryan Bowman: Crouch down and make finger guns, while saying “chicken fingers!”
 Emily Wood: With panic, lean back, stand super still, and yell “Yes I love my
neighbor go ask my other neighbor.”
 Sonja Usher: Hold your arms out and say, “Let’s all take a collective breath.” Then
take that collective breath.
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 Zach Mauck: Put one leg up on the other knee, then slap that leg and say “Come sit on
my lap, baby boy.”
 Zach Mauck Part II: put your hands in your pockets and, with a suave tone, say
“Heyyy honey bunny, wanna learn about pork?”
 Spencer Beckwith: Hold both arms out and up with palms forward, then close the
hands on each word of “Come here.”
 Je’maya Jackson: Say “Here’s a hand… here’s another hand” while placing both hands
out.
 Michaela Rodriguez: Point a finger into the center and yell out “HOE!”
 Daniel Langdorf: Put your hands on your hips and yell, loud and proud, “I am cream
lad!”
Variations:
New calls can (and should!) be created in everyday life. This is done after something
call-worthy happens in front of a large amount of the improv troupe and somebody there
proposes to use it as a zoom-zorch call. Give the call a name and clarify the action. If
everybody agrees, it becomes a new call and can be used in the game.
When combining calls that aren’t commonly combined, repeat both component calls
before doing the final one. Sometimes if the calls are confusing, it may be beneficial to repeat
the combined call again.
Usually, it is more beneficial to use recent calls. Calls that are old tend to be very
alienating, especially when done by juniors or seniors about people who have graduated.
When making new calls, name them either after the person who did it, or give it a
title. A title is necessary for it to be incorporated going into the future. Making too many
calls in a short period of time is confusing and it is difficult to remember them all.
Lastly, while this game can be a lot of fun for members, it can be confusing and
frustrating for newer members. Be very careful not to play this game too much or for too
long at a time, as it may risk its reputation. It can make new members feel excluded, as the
game is based around inside jokes.
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Zip Zap Zop No. 1.10

Skills: Focus
Description: Players send a zip, a zap, and a zop to each other, in that order, and try not to
mess up.
Instructions:
Everybody stands in a circle. The leader begins with a “zip,” while pointing at
somebody. That person responds with a “zap,” while also pointing at somebody. That last
person must point and send a “zop” to somebody.
The game continues in that order: “zip,” “zap,” and “zop.” Try not to mess up. After
the group understands the game, try speeding the game up in order to make the game more
challenging.
Variations:
The game can be played with sending around another “zip” This gets very confusing,
very fast.
Can also be played by changing the first consonant, or even the entire word; i.e. “sip,
sap, sop,” “clip, clap, clop,” “battleship, battleshap, battleshop,” etc.
Focus is necessary for this game. The game is only effective and helpful for warming-
up when each player is actively engaged and excited. Upon being pointed at, immediately
respond as fast as possible.
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Twizzle No. 1.11
Type of Game: Elimination

Skills: Movement
Description: Players walk in a circle and respond to the leader’s calls with different actions.
Upon messing up, players are eliminated. The last person standing wins.
Instructions:
Everybody begins in a circle and starts walking in the same direction. Actions can be
called out by the leader at any time, and the players must respond accordingly.
Players are eliminated if they fail to complete a call, or if they move after completing
a call before the leader calls “Walk.” The game ends when only one person remains standing.
A list of the possible actions is below:
 Twizzle: Everybody must jump 180 degrees in the air in their spot, and land facing
the opposite direction. After landing, the players must remain still. This applies to all
calls, unless they require movement afterward. If a player moves after the call, they
are eliminated.
 Double Twizzle: Just like a twizzle, but completed twice in quick succession. If this
takes too long, or if the player doesn’t make two 180-degree rotations, they are
eliminated. The player should complete this facing the same direction as below.
 Triple Twizzle: Same as a double twizzle, with three jumps. The player should
complete this facing the opposite direction as they began.
 Quadruple Twizzle: Same as a triple twizzle, but with four jumps. The player should
complete this facing the same direction as before. As with a double twizzle, if a player
takes too long, messes up, or moves after landing, they are eliminated.
 Extreme Twizzle: Rather than a 180-degree jump, everybody does a 360-degree jump.
Should they mess up or take too long, they are eliminated.
 Walk: This must be called after any kind of twizzle, pose, or jump is called. This is
what resumes walking in either direction. Should a player walk the wrong direction,
they are eliminated.
 Turn: While walking, all players must rotate over a shoulder and continue walking.
 Pose: All players strike any pose in their current location. If they are walking, they
must stop walking. If a player fails to strike a pose, they are eliminated. They must
hold this pose until twizzle or walk is called.
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 Jump: All players must jump in place. If they are in a pose, that pose must be
maintained.
Variations:
It may be beneficial to put a stool or block in the center of the circle, such that the
players circling have a point of reference as they rotate.
Don’t push yourself too hard! This game can be very physically exhausting, and make
sure to drink water when needed.
The leader is often standing on a block for increased visibility.
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Captain’s Game No. 1.12
Type of Game: Elimination

Skills: Focus, Movement
Description: The players must follow a series of orders given by the Captain in order to
remain in the game. The last player(s) standing win.
Instructions:
The leader becomes a ship’s captain, and everybody else are sailors. The captain grabs
a block or chair and stands at the head of the room and shouts out calls. When players mess
up or do the wrong call, they are eliminated. The last people standing win.
The calls are as follows:
 Captain’s Coming!: Everybody salutes, and stands still. Should they not salute, they are
eliminated. They must hold this pose until the captain calls “At ease!” If the captain
calls something else before calling “at ease,” then the players must not react to it, or
be eliminated.
 Cannonball!: Similar to “Captain’s coming!” all players must curl into a little cannon
ball on the floor. Again, they must hold this pose until the captain calls “all clear!” If
they react to any other call, they are eliminated. “All clear” and “at ease” cannot be
used interchangeably… so a player may not get up from their cannonball when “at
ease” is called, and vice versa.
 Bow: All players must run to the front of the room, near where the captain is
standing. Be careful!
 Stern: Opposite of “bow,” all players must run to the back of the room, away from the
captain.
 Crow’s Nest: All players must gather in the center of the room and look out over the
sea with their hand on their brow.
 Seasick: All players must run to either side of the room and imitate vomiting over the
side of the ship.
 Sick Turtle: All players roll onto their backs, and kick their limbs in the air, like a sick
sea turtle.
 Hit the Deck: All players must lie down flat on the floor.
 Captain’s Ball: All players must find a partner, and dance. Anybody left without a
partner is eliminated.
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 Rowboat: All players group up in pairs of three and pretends to row a little rowboat.
Anybody left without a partner is eliminated.
Variations:
Many people may know of the calls by different names.
Make sure to drink water, and be careful, especially in a small place. Don’t push
yourself too hard. If you’re getting exhausted or hurt, please don’t continue to play.
As the captain it is essential to project and ensure everybody can hear your voice. It
may also help to have calls in mind, so that you don’t have to stop or think. Feel free to stop
the game when there are only two or three people left.
Additionally, as the captain, it can be entertaining to point opposite ways as where
the calls make the players move. For example, pointing to the far wall when calling out
“bow.”
It may be necessary to become stricter as the captain as the game comes to an end, as
the last eight or so people are usually very good.
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Thunderdome No. 1.13

Skills: Creativity, Energy, Focus
Description: Players compete in naming off as many subjects in a category as possible.
Instructions:
Everybody stands in a circle. The group will come up with a first category for the
game to begin with, and pick somebody to start. That person will face off against the person
to their left as the very first round.
During each round of this game, there will be two people in the center. One is the
champion, the other is their runner-up. The way it works is the two people will take turns
listing off topics/objects in the suggested category, without faltering. During this, the circle
will be continuously chanting:
“Thun-der-dome! Thun-der-dome! Thun-der-dome!”
The tempo of the chant increases to increase pressure on those in the center to deliver
items more quickly.
As soon as either person messes up, repeats something, or can’t think of anything,
they must swap out with the next person in the circle, who then challenges the new
champion. The next person in line, on deck, will then give the next category, and the round
begins again once both players are ready.
The game continues until every person in the circle has gone at least once.
Variations:
There are multiple ways to get suggestions for each new round.
The chanting is a formality and isn’t necessary to play the game, but does increase
pressure, and important factor to practice.
During each round, the players do not have to be in sync with the chanting at all. It is
up to the discretion of the players to decide when somebody falters too long.
It is entirely possible to have the same champion for multiple rounds. However,
everybody will get a chance to go up against them.
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The circle needs to be able to hear the players, and they need to be able to hear each
other, so keep the chanting to a lower volume and tempo at first, and only increase as two
competitors continue to face off – the game is controlled by the two competitors, who play at
their own pace.
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This is a Pen No. 1.14

Skills: Focus, Listening
Description: Players chant in sync, while sending different objects around the circle.
Instructions:
Everybody stands in a circle. The leader begins, by turning to the person to their
right, and pantomiming holding a pen (or any object, for that matter). The two of them will
say the following dialogue:
“This is a pen.”
“A what?”
“A pen.”
“A what?”
“A pen.”
“Oh, a pen!”
The person to the leader’s right will finally accept the pen, and take it. They will then
pass it to the person to their right, following the same process. At the same time, the leader
will pass them another object again. The point of the game is to maintain a pattern and a
rhythm with every person in the circle. For example, the following section could be what
the players are saying during the game:
Leader Player One Player Two Player Three
“This is a cat.” “This is a dog.” “This is a pen.”
“A what?” “A what?” “A what?”
“A cat.” “A dog.” “A pen.”
“A what?” “A what?” “A what?”
“A cat.” “A dog.” “A pen.”
“Oh, a cat!” “Oh, a dog!” “Oh, a pen!”
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All “a what’s” will be simultaneous. The players will pass the objects all the way
around the circle, while both sending and while receiving at the same time. When the game
is fully going on, there will be a lot of noise and chaos.
The leader will eventually end the game and can ask each person what they have at
that time.
Variations:
You can pass objects all the way around the circle and have the leader take them out,
or keep them in and rotating all the way around.
Make sure to play with the speed of the game. Faster speeds make the game go faster,
but also make it more difficult to play.
For players just starting out, the leader can leave a one person gap in between new
objects until the players have a better sense of the rhythm.
To stay focused, turn your head to your left and to your right, depending on who you
are talking to. This game can be very difficult, and requires a lot of focus.
When leading, start slowly and once the players get the hang of it, restart and speed it
up a little bit.
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Give Me Back My Son No. 1.15

Skills: Creativity, Focus
Description: Players attempt to break one another by making them laugh.
Instructions:
Everybody stands in a circle. One person begins in the center. They go around,
approaching people in the circle, and saying “give me back my son.” This can be said in any
way, as long as no words are changed or added, and the person asking does not touch
anybody in the circle. The goal of the person in the center is to make the people in the circle
laugh.
The people in the circle, when asked this question, must not break character, laugh,
or even smile. Upon smiling or laughing, the person in the circle takes the place of the
person in the middle. If the person does not react to the person in the center, the person in
the center must move on and continue asking.
The game continues in this manner until the leader decides it’s played out and stops
it.
Variations:
It is possible to ask the same person several times in a row, if so desired.
For a greater challenge, don’t even allow people in the circle to show their teeth.
Although you cannot touch anyone in the circle, it can be beneficial to be unexpected
or ridiculous. Be creative, especially with people who are harder to break.
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Bibbity Bibbity Bop No. 1.16

Description: Players must execute actions when called on by the player in the circle. Upon
messing up, they go in the center.
Instructions:
Everybody stands in a circle. One person begins in the center. During the game, this
person points at somebody in the circle, and shouts one of the calls below. If the player (and
other players involved) execute the call, the player in the center continues calling on others.
If the players don’t execute the call, or if they mess up, the person who messed up the worst
takes the position in the center.
Upon calling any “count call” the player in the center counts to 10 as fast as possible.
These calls always involve both neighbors of the person called on. If they count to 10 before
the players complete the call, then one of the players in the circle goes into the center and
the original caller takes their position.
All calls are listed below. More calls can be created with time. Below, “the player”
refers to the person called on, and the “neighbors” refers to the two people to either side.
“Caller” refers to the person in the center of the circle.
The normal calls are as follows:
 Bibbity bibbity bop: The player in the middle says the phrase, and the player in the
circle player must say “bop” before the caller does, or else they are in the middle.
 Hippity hippity hop: The player in the middle says the phrase, and the player in the
circle must physically hop before the caller says “hop,” or else they are in the middle.
 Bop: The player must not say anything.
 Hop: The player must not move or hop.
The “count calls” include:
 Batman: The neighbors must fall on the floor and hold hands, while the player must
make a mask over their face with their hands.
 Screaming Viking: The neighbors begin rowing a boat, while the player makes horns
with their hands. All three scream like Vikings. The neighbors must row outside the
boat!
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 Elephant: Both neighbors become ears, pointing their arms inward to the player,
while the player becomes the trunk and makes an elephant noise.
 Amish People: The neighbor begins churning butter, while one of the neighbors raises
a barn and the other reads from a bible. The neighbors must decide who is doing what
and cannot do the same thing.
 May Pole: Both neighbors switch positions. No backsies, meaning the neighbors must
pass in front of the player. The caller will attempt to take one of their positions, in
which case that neighbor becomes the new caller.
 Kamikaze: The player makes goggles over their eyes with their hands and makes
airplane noises, while the neighbors point their arms out and become wings.
 Charlie’s Angels: All players hold a gun in their hands and stand back to back.
 Toaster: The neighbors make a square with their arms around the player, while the
player leaps, kicks a leg up with their head to the side and says “butter me I’m done!”
 Jello Bowl: The neighbors make a bowl with their arms around the player, while the
player wiggles their body like a bowl of jello.
 Haunted House: The neighbors point their arms up to make a triangular roof over the
player, while the player flings their arms out and howls like a spooky ghost.
Variations:
New calls can be created or found over time, and should be added to this document as
such!
As the caller, make sure to count quickly! Also try to use variety when calling and try
to be quick and energetic when making calls. It may work to make calls on the same people
several times quickly, or to be very erratic when pointing at the circle.
As one of the players, be listening and focused on the caller. Don’t give up on
purpose.
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Who Am I No. 1.17

Skills: Creativity, Listening, Teamwork
Description: Players create a character and pass that character off and begin monologuing.
Instructions:
Everybody stands in a circle. One person begins, by pointing at another and saying
“who” with as blank of an expression as possible. That person points at another and says
“am,” while still maintaining the blank expression. The final person points again, and says
“I,” same as the others. This process repeats.
As soon as an expression is found in the “who am I,” all players should pick up on that
and begin to emphasize it. For example, if the intonation begins to sound sad, the players
should capitalize on that and make all further “who am I” calls to be sad as well, following
the intonation.
Eventually, a player will decide to become that character. They step into the center of
the circle, introduce themselves as the character, and begin a monologue about their life.
This will continue until another player cuts them off. They begin another monologue, as the
same character, and elaborate.
After this is done, that character is dropped, and the process repeats with another
person starting with a “who,” with a blank slate.
Variations:
If desired, players can continue with more monologues than just two from each
character.
The intonation can change over time, before a monologue begins.
If the player monologuing is struggling, cut them off to relieve them, and continue
the monologue that way.
Try to build as much of a world as possible with your monologue. Try touching on
many aspects of the character’s life (family, friends, jobs, school, etc.). Try to bring in unique
ideas that can be further played off of.
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Red Ball, Blue Ball No. 1.18

Skills: Focus, Energy, Listening
Description: Players must focus during chaos and keep the passes going around the circle.
Instructions:
Everybody stands in a circle. The leader begins with the first object, which is a red
ball. They say “red ball” and pantomimes throwing it to somebody else. The person receives
it by pantomiming a catch and also saying “red ball.” Then it is their turn to pass it around.
This continues, with people throwing and catching the red ball around the circle.
Eventually, the leader will throw a blue ball in, using the same process as the red. As
the game continues, the leader will add various different objects. At the height of the game,
every object is being continually announced and passed around the circle at once. The game
concludes when the leader decides to end it by collecting all the objects.
A full list of the game’s objects is below:
 Red Ball
 Blue Ball
 Green Ball
 Yellow Ball
 Bowl of Spaghetti: To send this, the holder will dance across the circle to another
person while flailing their limbs like noodles. They will say “do you want a bowl of
spaghetti?” as Italian as possible, then switch places with the next person.
 Baby: To send this, the holder will walk across the circle to another person, while
pantomiming holding a baby. They will pass the baby off by saying “baby” and
handing the infant to the next person.
 Hawk: To send this, the holder will thrust their forearm forward while saying
“hawk,” to send their imaginary messenger hawk across the circle to another person.
The next person receives this hawk by saying “hawk, come” and thrusting their
forearm forward as well.
 Knife: To send this, the holder throws a knife at somebody across the circle and yells
“die!” To receive this, the next person claps their hands together and catches the knife
in the air, and yells “not today!”
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Variations:
New calls can be created as desired.
Stay focused and stay open. Be ready to receive any object, or multiple objects at a
time. Also if you’re sending an object, make sure that the next person receives it! Repeat the
call until they hear you and you see they acknowledge it.
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Scream! No. 1.19
Type of Game: Competition, Gimmick

Skills: Anxiety Handling
Description: Players scream at each other… and die.
Instructions:
Everybody stands in a close circle, shoulder-to-shoulder. On the leader’s signal,
everybody looks down. The leader will say “look!” or “look up!” and then everybody looks
up, and directly at one other person in the circle.
If two players make eye contact, both of them will scream as loud as they can, and
they must die overdramatically. Unless the players make eye contact, they do not die.
If anybody died in the last round, close the circle tighter. Then the leader says “look
down” and everybody looks down again. The rounds repeat until there are one or two people
left. They are the winners!
Variations:
The leader can choose to count to each “look.” The players do not need to “die
overdramatically” if they don’t want to, although it does make the game more interesting and
more fun to play.
There should be an even number of people dying each round. If not, then somebody
did not acknowledge eye contact or did not notice. The odd person out will know who it
was.
The leader can greatly increase the quality of this game by using different types of
“look” shouts, and by really letting the silence sit.
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Mind Meld No. 1.20

Skills: Teamwork
Description: Players try to sync into one another’s mind and say the same word at the same
time.
Instructions:
Everybody stands in the circle. The first person will turn to their right, and they and
their neighbor will count down from three. After counting down their clap their hands at
the same time, and both say the first word that comes to their mind, based on a suggestion.
If they both say the same word, they win and the game restarts with an entirely new
topic. If they don’t say the same word, the two words that were said become the suggestions,
going to the right. For example, if the first person said “cat” and the second said “dog,” then
the topics used to inspire the next players are becomes “cat” and “dog.” The second person
will count down again with the person to their right.
The clapping and guessing may go around the circle more than once before two
people align and say the same word. Feel free to restart at any time, if topics become too
random, unrelated, or obscure.
Variations:
Rather than using both the words that were said, you can instead use just one every
round and try to match up based on aspects of a central topic.
The goal is for people to be thinking on the same wavelength, so to speak, so that they
have a similar method of thinking during a scene. This game gets quite frustrating over time
and may take a long while to complete, so don’t hesitate to end it if it becomes too stale or
too frustrating.
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Kitty Kat Career No. 1.21
Type of Game: Warm-Up, Guessing

Skills: Creativity, Pantomime
Description: One person stands in the center and pantomimes an occupation, and the people
in the circle try to guess what it is.
Instructions:
Everybody stands in a circle. One person begins in the center of the circle. They pick
an occupation and mime it as a cat. Everybody in the circle will shout out their guesses and
try to guess the occupation.
When somebody in the circle guesses the occupation, the person in the center
approaches them and makes fierce eye contact. Everybody chants the following:
“Meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow
meow meow meow! Kitty cat career! (clap twice) Kitty cat, career! (clap twice)”
After the chant, the guesser switches positions with the person in the center and
begins pantomiming a new occupation.
Written on the next page is the sheet music for the song. It is just a guideline, so the
rhythm and pitch do not matter. Just chant along however you’d like.
If people aren’t guessing your occupation, try changing it!
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45
Big Booty No. 1.22
Type of Game: Warm-Up, Competition

Description: Players call each other in a circle and attempt to mess each other up and take
the title of “Big Booty.”
Instructions:
Everybody stands in a circle. One person begins as “Big Booty,” and everybody else is
numbered off clockwise from that person, until it reaches the person directly to the right of
Big Booty. The game begins with the following chant, while everybody claps their hands
along with the beat:
“Biiiiig booty! Big booty, aww yeah. Big booty big booty big booty!”
After this, everybody continues clapping their hands along to the beat. Big booty
begins the game on the next beat, by saying:
“Big booty, number one!”
They can say any number, as long as there is somebody with that number in the game
circle. For example, if there are only nine players, you cannot say number twelve, but you
could say numbers four, eight, etc.
In the next beat, that numbered person (in this case, number one) will respond by
saying:
“Number one, number two!”
So the next beat, number two will have to go. Again, number one can say any number
they want, or they can say “big booty” and send it back to big booty.
Play continues like this, with players clapping along to the beat and saying each
other’s numbers, or big booty. When somebody messes up, either by saying a number that
doesn’t exist, missing their cue, saying their own number wrong, etc. they go to the end of
the circle (directly to the right of big booty) and become the highest number. Everybody
who was higher than them before moves down a number as well.
For example, if number three messes up, then number four becomes the new number
three, number five becomes the new number four, and so on. Big booty, number one, and
number two all remain the same in this case.
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As another example, if big booty messes up, number one becomes the new big booty,
two becomes one, three becomes two, and so on and so forth.
The game can repeat as many times as desired. After somebody messes up, the game
begins again with the same chant.
Variations:
As the game continues and the players get used to the game, speed it up!
Alternatively, try naming other players in the circle as well.
Try to remember as many numbers of the circle as possible, to involve more people.
When somebody messes up and moves to the end of the circle, make sure to recount
and make sure you understand your own number. It is your responsibility to know your
number, and if you mess up, you will go to the end of the circle.
There are tactics to try and throw people off as well. For example, point at somebody
while saying somebody else’s number. You can also send it to yourself repeatedly, but don’t
mess up.
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Shootout No. 1.23
Type of Game: Warm-Up, Elimination

Skills: Anxiety Handling, Reflexes
Description: Players have a shootout and die, one by one.
Instructions:
Everybody stands in the circle. The leader of the game steps into the center.
Everybody will pantomime a pistol in their hands, and to start, everybody “fires a test shot”
into the air. After this, the game begins.
The leader will point their gun at somebody in the circle, and shoot. The person they
point at must duck. If they do not duck fast enough, they “have been shot” and die. That
person is out of the game and leaves the circle.
Once the person who was first shot ducks, their two neighbors must shoot each other
above the ducking person. Whoever shoots first wins, and the other person dies. The leader
always decides who wins and may call a tie and let both people live if their shots are too
close to call.
The game continues like this, with the leader shooting people in the circle who duck,
and the neighbors shooting each other. Each shot, somebody should die, be it the first person
or one of the neighbors, unless it is too close to call.
When only two people remain alive, they stand back to back, and walk away from
each other. The leader will call “draw!” and they both shoot. The first to shoot wins.
Also, when somebody ducks when they are not shot, or if they shoot when they
should not shoot, the leader can decide to shoot them then and there and eliminate them
from the game. The leader can also pardon them and not shoot them. However players are
eliminated, it is always by gunshot from somebody else.
Variations:
For a little added fun, make dying as outrageous as possible, and lie dead on the floor
after being shot.
There are different ways to the end the game as well, when there are only two people
left. The leader can have a classic “draw” call and the dead players vote on the winner, or the
48
leader can decide. Also, the leader can force them to yell for as long as possible, rock-paper-
scissors, or any other method of deciding who wins.
When there are only three or four people left, pay close attention to who is standing
next to whom. Shoot the correct person, or you’ll die first.
Keep an eye on the leader, if they attempt to pull tricks to mess up the players. As the
leader, try to keep the players on their toes by being unpredictable, or especially fast. It is
beneficial to start the game slowly, then speed it up as time goes on.
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Character Generator No. 1.24

Skills: Character, Creativity
Description: Players create different characters and their roles in the world.
Instructions:
Everybody stands in a circle. One person begins by saying a name, then saying
something about that person. They pass it to another person (by pantomiming a throwing
action) who will repeat that name, repeat the saying, and then come up with their own name
and saying. This continues around the circle for as long as desired. For example:
“Sally Dorky, she failed first grade.”
“Sally Dorky, she failed first grade. Bill Borgin, an evil first grade teacher.”
“Bill Borgin, an evil first grade teacher. Pam Socks, she lives in a shoe.”
It may be beneficial to force yourself to come up with a name and saying on the spot,
or if you want, to think of one ahead of time.
This game is a good chance to stretch your creativity, especially before a show, by
coming up with unique names and characters and maybe hinting at a game, in this
hypothetical character world. Try to think of how these characters would exist physically, or
what would happen to them in a scene.
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Categories No. 1.25

Skills: Focus, Teamwork
Description: Players point at each other and name objects in categories while trying to
remember who said what, and to whom.
Instructions:
Everybody stands in a circle. The game has three rounds and is led by a leader
through all three rounds. Each round begins based on a word, and eventually it forms a
category the players should pick up on. After the rounds are all learned, the group attempts
to execute all three rounds at once, or a combination of two at a time, before attempting all
three.
Each round begins with every player raising their hands. The leader lower their hand
to point at somebody and say a word. Upon being pointed at, each person will lower their
hand to point at somebody else, and say another word related (in any way) to the first. When
the last person receives it, they send it back to the leader, and the round is complete.
After doing this initial “learning” process, the leader begins the round again, but
without raising their hands. The goal is that each person remembers the pattern of who they
received it from and who they sent it, so that it can be sent seamlessly throughout the entire
circle until it finds its way back to the leader, upon which the leader will send it again and
begin the loop.
After repeating the last round a few times, the leader begins again, restarting by
pointing at somebody and saying something else. This creates an entirely new pattern and
category that should be learned. After this one is mastered, add in a third.
After all three rounds are learned, it is time for the final round. The group will
attempt all the categories at once. Upon completing this, the game is over and everybody
wins.
Variations:
More categories can be added to the game as desired.
In the final round, it can also be played that you switch spots with the person you
point your “you” to, so there is movement across and around the circle.
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For an added challenge, after all the rounds are mastered, have the group begin
walking around the room while trying to still play. Instead, the players could toss objects to
each other as well. For the hardest version, both walk around and toss objects. For an added
twist, add in a “toy” you pass around, just randomly.
Once the items make it back to the first person, they can restart it again to make the
game continuous.
When sending a you, fruit, or animal, make sure to be direct and make eye contact to
ensure the next person receives it. If they do not receive it, keep sending it until they do!
The goal is to be able to do all three categories as fast as possible without being
thrown off.
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Sneaky Thief No. 1.26

Description: The players attempt to steal an item from a blindfolded person.
Instructions:
One person will be selected as the first blindfolded player. Whoever is blindfolded
must cover their face with something and sit on a chair in the center of the room. There will
be an object underneath the chair that everybody else will try to steal. This object can be a
hat, jacket, or anything. The other players will start in contact with the outer wall. When
the signal is given to start, the game begins.
Each player will attempt to sneak into the center of the room, close enough to grab
the object. Meanwhile, the blindfolded player is trying to protect it. They will point in any
direction they hear a sound. If they point at another player, that person must return back to
the wall and try again.
This continues until somebody has stolen the object under the chair without being
pointed at. After this, the game begins again, but the person who stole the object gets
blindfolded. There can be as many rounds as desired.
If you’re blindfolded, don’t point every which way. That’s not fair to the others. But
also, don’t be afraid to point when you think you hear someone.
As a sneak, also be aware of small things that make noise you don’t think about. For
example, your clothes or your face when you smile.
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Chi-Town No. 1.27
Type of Game: Warm-Up, Exercise

Skills: Initiation, Sustaining
Description: Two players will establish their scene, characters, and resolve their conflict in
three lines.
Instructions:
Divide the group in two and make two lines. Designate one line to always initiate the
scene. The people in this line will deliver two sentences. The people in the other line will
deliver one. The game begins with the first pair entering the scene.
The two people will begin a short, three-line scene. They must establish their scene in
three sentences. One sentence will establish their relationship. The next will introduce their
conflict. And the third sentence will resolve the conflict. The scene will play out very
quickly, so this should be repeated to provide more practice.
After finishing their scene, the two people will return to the end of the opposite line.
The game will keep playing until the leader decides to end it.
Variations:
This could also be played by two or three people at a time, just creating as many mini-
scenes as possible in such a short time.
One alternative to playing this game is to have everybody stand in a circle, with one
person in the middle. They’ll then approach someone and complete a scene with them, only
using the lines. Then the next person will go into the middle and repeat. This works well
when there are fewer people.
Virtually any improv skill can be practiced using this format.
The main purpose of the game is to provide practice in creating scenes and conflicts.
Divide the game clearly into three sections, or the sentences: The first sentence needs to set
their relationship, or the platform of Z-formation. The second will introduce a tilt to that
platform, a conflict will emerge. The final line will be the resolution of the conflict, forming
a complete Z and solving the scene. Think of the scenes as a normal scene, but extremely
condensed.
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What Do You Know No. 1.28
Type of Game: Warm-Up, Exercise

Skills: Initiation, Listening
Description: One player delivers one line, and the recipient will list off everything they
know from that line.
Instructions:
Divide the group in two and make two lines. Designate one line as the starter, and the
other line as the observer.
For each pair of people, the starter will come up with a sentence and say it to the
observer. After the line, they will freeze and the observer will list off everything they know
to be certainly true from the other person’s sentence: not implications, only the facts
themselves. For example:
“Wow Josh, why did you do that?”
(Frozen) “My name is Josh. I did something. You want to know why I did it.”
After the observer has listed off everything they know, the observer will list things
that they want to know, and then develop a response that answers some of these questions.
Working from the former example:
(Frozen) “I want to know what I did and what our relationship is.”
(Unfrozen) “I’m sorry I broke up with you, but I needed to in order to grow!”
The two players switch to the ends of the opposite lines. The game will keep playing
until the leader decides to end it.
Variations:
One alternative to playing this game is to have everybody stand in a circle, with one
person in the middle. They’ll then approach someone and deliver their line, who then
becomes the observer and lists off everything they know. Then the observer will go in the
center and become the starter. This works well when there are fewer people.
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The purpose of the game is to provide practice in initiation and response. As such, as
the starter, know that specific initiations are stronger choices for your scene partner to play
off of. As the observer, make sure to list off all of the things you learned from the initiation,
but only the things you know to be 100% true and factual . There is no speculation.
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Fart Circle No. 1.29
Type of Game: Warm-Up, Competition

Skills: Focus
Description: Two players begin a serious or dramatic scene, while the other players make fart
noises in an attempt to get them to break.
Instructions:
Everybody stands in a circle. Two people will volunteer and enter the center of the
circle. They will begin a very serious or dramatic scene, based on a sad or emotional
suggestion from the circle.
During the scene, each person in the outside circle can decide to make any kind of
fart noise, in hopes of ruining the moment and the scene. If either player in the circle laughs,
grins, or breaks character in any way, they return to the circle and the other person wins.
Somebody else can then enter and the game repeats.
The caveat is that the people of the outer circle only get three fart noises they can
make. After the third, if both players lasted, they tie and both return to the circle as winners.
This process continues until the group decides to stop playing.
Variations:
The circle could have more or fewer than three fart noises if desired. There could also
be no limit, which would allow scenes to continue for a long time.
Having variety in the fart noises is hilarious and more likely to break the players.
It may be tempting to fart immediately, but it is more effective if farts are saved later
into the scene for more tense moments.
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Pizza Hut and Taco Bell No. 1.30

Skills: Creativity
Description: The circle of players will chant their locations to a tune, combining places in
ridiculous ways.
Instructions:
Everybody stands in a circle, and one person begins. They will say:
“I’m at the Pizza Hut,”
The person to their right will then say:
“I’m at the Taco Bell,”
Together, everybody in the circle will chant:
“I’m at the combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell!”
After this, the chanting continues immediately, repeating the tune, going to the right
around the circle. Rather than saying “Pizza Hut” or “Taco Bell” each person will say their
own location. Regardless of the locations said, or how likely or unlikely it is they’d be
combined, both players chant the final line, replacing “Pizza Hut” and “Taco Bell” with the
locations they each said.
The game continues for as long as desired.
The tune and rhythm are on the next page. It also includes a brief intro section if
desired. The pitch doesn’t matter at all, so just chant however you’d like.
Some locations, due to their number of syllables, won’t fit neatly into the rhythm.
Just give it your best shot.
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59
Five, Six, Seven, Eight No. 1.31

Skills: Creativity, Focus
Description: On their turn, players quickly name off four objects in a category to the beat.
Instructions:
Everybody stands in a circle. They begin a beat, and one person begins by turning to
the person next to them, saying their name, and asking for four of anything from a category.
Examples include:
“Name me four fruits.”
“Name me four car brands.”
“Name me four things you can put on your head.”
The circle will then count on the beat with:
“Fix, six, seven, eight!”
On the downbeat, the person will then name off the four things that come to their
mind. They don’t have to be accurate or right, or even make any sense, as long as they name
something or make any kind of noise. They should do their best to name each thing on the
beat.
After each person has named their four, they turn to the next person and ask for four
more things. This continues around the circle until the group decides to stop playing.
Variations:
Rather than asking in a circle, each person can ask across the circle. This doesn’t make
sure everyone is included if it is a particularly large group.
The objects you name don’t need to be right, good, or accurate. Just name whatever’s
on your head and roll with it.
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Section 2
Two-Person Games
61
Scripture No. 2.1
Type of Game: Gimmick, Scene

Skills: Justification
Description: Two people start a scene, but one of them can only use lines from a book.
Instructions:
The leader begins the game with a book and giving the book to one of the players.
During the game’s scene, that person can only say lines from that book. The other person
becomes the pillar and must facilitate a scene between the two of them.
Then, the two people begin a scene on a suggestion. They play the scene to
completion, while one character can only speak from the book.
Variations:
In order to get a book, the leader can bring in several books and have the audience
vote on their favorite, or the leader can ask for a book from the audience. There are several
different ways to get a book to use for the game.
The leader can also call out “swap” or “scripture” or a similar word, to force the pillar
to change. The person with the book will hand it off to the other, and the scene continues.
This game can also be played with three people.
Plays are good books to use, as they are already lines of dialogue.
It is very difficult to construct a cohesive scene, especially if the book isn’t a good
choice. As a result, this game can be hard to play and is often not very interesting to watch,
as it heavily restricts one or more of the improvisers.
The person with the book will probably spend a lot of time looking through it to find
an ideal line, but it is easier to just find any line that’ll work, or even lines that won’t. If you
have the book, focus on staying engaged and interesting, as it is too easy to lose interest in
this game.
As the pillar, it is very important to keep the scene moving. It is up to the pillar to
play along with the lines from the book and make them make sense in the world. The pillar
serves as the justification for whatever absurdity comes about from the book.
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Text Line No. 2.2

Description: Two people start a scene, but one of them can only use lines from somebody’s
text message history.
Instructions:
The leader will ask an audience member for their phone, and the players will use it
during the scene. One player gets the phone and can only say lines that are text messages in
the phone’s text message history. The other person becomes the pillar and serves and must
facilitate a scene between the two of them.
completion, while one character can only speak from the phone’s text messages.
Variations:
The leader can also call out “swap” or a similar word, to force the pillar to change.
The person with the phone will hand it off to the other, and the scene continues.
Make sure the phone is unlocked and easy to use.
It is very difficult to construct a cohesive scene, especially if the phone doesn’t have a
lot of texts. As a result, this game can be hard to play and is often not very interesting to
watch, as it heavily restricts one or more of the improvisers. It also violates the phone
owner’s privacy. As such, this game is rarely played.
The person with the phone will probably spend a lot of time looking through it to
find an ideal line, but it is easier to just find any line that’ll work, or even lines that won’t. If
you have the phone, focus on staying engaged and interesting, as it is too easy to lose interest
in this game.
play along with the texts and make them make sense in the world. The pillar serves as the
justification for whatever absurdity comes about from the phone.
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Blind Line No. 2.3

Skills: Creativity, Justification
Description: Two people start a scene, but they can only use a preset list of gathered lines.
Instructions:
There are several ways to play this game and to acquire lines for the players. The
leader will decide how to gather lines from the audience and write the lines on small slips of
paper. The two players can only say these lines, and nothing else, unless the leader decides to
have a pillar who can say anything.
completion, while only using their set of lines.
Variations:
The game can be played the same as Scripture or Text Line, in which one person
serves as a pillar and the other is restricted in their lines. If so, the leader can also call out
“swap” or a similar word, to force the pillar to change. The person with the lines will hand
them off to the other, and the scene continues.
The lines for this game can be placed on the floor or can be held by the players.
It would probably help the game to play well if each player only has three lines but
can say them whenever and however they wish.
When gathering lines, try to find variety and use lines that can be used in a lot of
situations.
A lot of lines with a lot of variety will make this game more interesting, but even so,
without a pillar the scenes will be incohesive and boring. As a result, this game is hard to
play and not as interesting to watch, as it heavily restricts the people playing it.
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Even when the lines don’t make sense, stay focused on staying engaged and
interesting, as it is too easy to lose interest in this game.
play along with the lines and make them make sense in the world. The pillar serves as the
justification for whatever absurdity comes about from the lines.
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Short Attention Span No. 2.4
Type of Game: Scene

Skills: Communication, Listening
Description: During a scene, players are forced to follow a limit on the number of words they
can say.
Instructions:
The two people begin a scene based on a suggestion. The rules to this scene are you
can only use a limited number of words, and the players must speak alternatingly. The other
person must speak before the first person can again. All the while during their scene they
have a strict limit on the number of words they can say, which can be established by the
leader in different ways.
The first method of setting the word limit is by the leader calling it out. The leader
would call “one word,” “two words,” “three words,” and so on, while the scene progresses. It
is best if the leader increases the limit one word at a time. This method of setting the limit
forces the players to pay attention to the leader and adapt.
Variations:
Another method of setting the word limit is to have the players follow a pattern
instead. The first player speaks with one word, the second with two, first again with three,
and so on. After it passes five, it resets back to one word. This takes the stress off the leader,
although it can be harder to follow along with.
It is very important to keep the scene going, because one player can’t speak until the
other one has. It helps to jump in immediately after the other spoke.
Being quick and witty with rapid dialogue helps this game play and makes it much
more interesting to the audience.
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Section 3
Three-Person Games
67
New Choice No. 3.1
Type of Game: Scene

Skills: Creativity, Justification
Description: Players are forced to make new choices about a scene.
Instructions:
Two players begin a scene based on a suggestion while the third will join the scene
later on. The scene will play out normally with no gimmicks, until the leader calls out “new
choice!” When this is called, the last choice made in the scene must be changed to be
something different. When this happens, the last phrase is repeated again with the new
choice present, as if time jumped back to before the choice was made. All three people
should be making new choices.
This call can change what a person says, or their actions as well. The three people will
continue playing this scene, accounting for new choices, until the scene concludes naturally.
Variations:
The leader can also call out “new action!” “new dance!” “new motion!” or another
appropriate phrase that matches the scene, to make it clear to the players what they need to
change.
Stay on your toes and be ready for the “new choice” at any time. Don’t let “new
choice” cause you to stop thinking or break character. The new choices must be fast in order
to make this game interesting to the audience. The calls don’t just change words, so be
prepared to change anything.
Don’t be afraid to change the plot of the scene if the “new choice” permits it. As a
matter of fact, it can be difficult to follow the plot regardless.
Be creative with new choices! They are what make this game more interesting. But
likewise, do not make a choice that severely restricts yourself or the others, or the potential
of the scene.
As the leader, don’t forget to call “new choice” even if you get invested in the action
of the scene!
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Interrogation No. 3.2
Type of Game: Guessing

Skills: Communication
Description: Two cops are interrogating a convict, to try and make them admit to a particular
crime, in a certain place, and with a specific accomplice. The convict has to guess all three.
Instructions:
Out of three players, decide who will be the convict. The other two players become
cops. The convict will leave the room, while the leader and audience decide on three things:
a crime that the convict committed, where they committed said crime, and who they
committed it with. Once these are decided, the convict returns to the room and sits in a chair
in the center.
The two cops will begin interrogating the convict. The players must be careful and
speak in such a way that heavily alludes to the subjects with puns or word play, but doesn’t
give it away for the convict. The convict will try to guess what their crime was, based on the
interrogation. Every sentence should be in-character and in the game’s world, and nobody
should break character to say anything, especially the convict. This includes the guessing.
Once the convict has successfully guessed their crime, the cops will move on to the
location. After that, the accomplice. The purpose of the game is to let the convict know,
without directly telling them. Once all three are done, the game is over
Variations:
The order of the guessing subjects may be changed or altered entirely, if so desired.
Make sure to still create a character for each person. For example, one cop could be a
good cop, the other a bad cop, etc. Having characters, physicality, physical actions, and
chemistry make the game very interesting to watch.
As with all guessing games, do not make the subjects anything the convict would not
know, and not be able to guess.
If the convict is having particular trouble guessing a certain clue, another member can
“call in” with a very obvious clue to help their guess.
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Slap My Face and Call Me Sally No. 3.3
Type of Game: Gimmick, Guessing

Skills: Communication, Justification
Description: Three people begin a scene, with one pillar who tries to guess the names of the
other two characters. (This is a NAUghty Bits original, created during Game-O-Matic, see no.
3.7).
Instructions:
One player of the three becomes the pillar and the other two leave the room. The
leader and audience decide on two, one-syllable names for the two players who have exited.
Once the names are decided, the two players return and all three of them begin a scene based
on a suggestion.
During this scene, the players who have exited will try to guess the other player’s
name. The pillar must be creative in the way they go about hinting at their name, or their
character. The weight rests on the pillar to give the hints that will help them in some way.
Every time one of the players makes an incorrect guess, the pillar slaps them in the
face (whatever speed/strength has been determined), while the audience yells out “Sally!” It
is incredibly important the scene goes somewhere that can reveal the names of the
characters. Once a name is guessed, that person may leave the scene. When the both names
have been guessed, the game is over.
Variations:
“Sally” could be adjusted to guessing people or characters rather than just names. This
could make it easier.
This game could be played with more people as well, if they come in one at a time.
This is easily one of the most difficult improv games. The players often end up just
yelling guesses while getting slapped repeatedly, which is always hilarious.
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The Good, The Bad, The Ugly No. 3.4
Type of Game: Interactive

Skills: Character
Description: Three characters give advice on audience issues – one gives good advice, one
gives bad advice, and one gives horrifically terrible advice.
Instructions:
Three players decide amongst themselves who will give good advice, who will give
bad advice, and who will give worse. They sit on three chairs, in order from the audience:
Good, bad, and worse.
Once they are decided and in order, they introduce themselves, having created a
character for the game. Then, each round, the leader asks the audience about a personal issue
in their life. These issues don’t have to be real. The leader will get a question or a situation
from the audience, and then open up the panel of advice-givers to respond to that audience
member.
The good advice goes first, and this is some genuine good advice that the person could
follow. Then bad advice is next, and this is advice that might not be a good idea and might
have bad results. The last person gives the worst advice, which is outrageously bad and
unreasonable. The humor comes from the advice getting worse and worse over time.
After each question, the round restarts and the leader looks for new questions. This
can continue as long as desired.
Variations:
This can also be played as “Good Advice, Bad Advice,” in which the advice is “good,
mediocre, and bad” rather than “good, bad, and terrible.”
It is important that the leader picks good questions that have a lot of possible
solutions or outcomes, and not a problem that can be solved in one word.
The game becomes much more interesting when the players adopt very interesting
characters that all live in the same world and begin to interact. They can introduce a game if
they want, and fight or agree with each other every now and again.
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Sit, Stand, Lie No. 3.5

Description: Three players complete a scene, while one of them is always standing, one is
always sitting, and one is always lying down.
Instructions:
The leader gets a suggestion from the audience and the three players will begin a
scene based on it. The gimmick to the scene is that of the three people, one of them must be
sitting, one must be standing, and one must by lying down. The scene begins with them in
these positions.
Throughout the scene, there must always be one person in each of the positions.
When one person decides to move, another person must adjust to make sure there is always
one person in each position. For example, if the person who is standing decides to sit down,
the person who is sitting down must stand up.
The challenge of the game comes from attempts to justify the changes in position,
which can be very difficult to do depending on the scene. The scene will continue to the
conclusion, all while the rules of sitting, standing, and lying stay in effect.
Variations:
More people with more, or different, positions could be added.
Can also be played with four players as “Sit, Stand, Kneel, Lie.”
Make sure to justify position changes. It can be very difficult to do so.
The game is largely a gimmick game, because there is not a lot of room to expand or
improve. Similarly, the same justification can always be used over and over again to defeat
the purpose of the game – for this, it’s helpful to enforce that each justification can only be
used once, but even this is hard to do and is more restrictive than it needs to be.
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Two-Line Vocab No. 3.6

Description: One pillar must conduct a scene between two others, who can only say two
sentences.
Instructions:
Out of the three players, one will be selected to be the pillar. The pillar can say
whatever they want during the scene. As for the other two people, they will be restricted to
only being able to say two sentences.
The leader will get the suggestions from the audience, possibly out of pre-written
suggestions in a hat. The four suggestions should be popular phrases, quotes, or sentences.
These both go to each of the other players, who are stuck and only able to say those two
sentences during the scene.
Then, you there will be a suggestion for a scene, and the players will begin. The pillar
will guide the other players in such a way that the scene will eventually establish a platform,
conflict, and resolution.
Variations:
You can try to play this game while giving each player any number of usable lines, or
by making the pillar periodically switch throughout the scene. This will require all three
players to have sentences they can say.
A lot of pressure is put on the pillar to keep the scene going well. As the pillar, make
sure to move the plot along, and be aware of each person’s lines, and play to them. As for the
others, although you only have two lines, they can usually be construed in several ways.
Don’t feel restricted in the characters you can be, because of the sentences you can use.
Because the gimmick of this game is so prominent, don’t lose sight of the actual scene
going on, and do what you need to in order to move it forward.
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Game-O-Matic No. 3.7

Skills: Creativity
Description: Three players create three new improv games and then perform one of them.
Instructions:
First, the leader gets a suggestion of an improv game title from the audience. Then,
the three players are given some time to think about how that game would be played, and
then the leader will ask each of them to explain their idea to the audience.
After the game suggestions have been given, the audience votes on their favorite
game by clapping. The winning game is then played by the three players.
While playing the game, the players must follow the rules as outlined by the original
creator, although all three play it together. The most successful games involve the audience
or leaders in at least a rudimentary way.
Variations:
There are infinitely possible games that can be played during this game, the only limit
is your imagination.
Some suggestions can be very difficult to create a game with. A good starting point is
to start your presentation with “two people begin a scene…” and so on. Just make sure all
three people are involved in the game, however you wish.
Adding a clause to your game that involves audience clapping, or the leader calling
something out, make games more interesting and more likely to be picked.
If you can’t think of a game, just start talking and go with it. When coming up with a
game, keep a lot of things in mind, including how everyone will be involved. The best games
are creative and funny by nature.
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Ahab and the Whale No. 3.8
Type of Game: Gimmick

Skills: Focus
Description: Three players will play a scene, while following three pre-set rules.
Instructions:
The leader will get three suggestions from the audience. These are suggestions of rules
and restrictions that can be placed on the scene that the three players will then play out.
These rules can be anything from silly, to extreme. Some examples are:
“Every time somebody says ‘the,’ you have to clap.”
“Your character changes every time somebody touches you.”
“Every line must rhyme.”
The rules should be enough to change how the game will play out. After the rules are
set out, the leader will get a suggestion to start the scene they will then play out the scene
while following the rules. The scene will continue until it reaches a resolution.
Variations:
More or fewer rules can be applied to this game.
As with all suggestions, make sure that they make enough sense and that they won’t
cause complete chaos. Part of the challenge is finding suggestions that provide room to
change the game or the scene, while still being a rule to follow.
The best rules have a purpose beyond just being absurd. For the examples above, the
second two rules would work well and have a lot of content to add to the scene, while the
first is useless, but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be fun to watch.
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A Day in the Life No. 3.9
Type of Game: Scene

Skills: Story, Character
Description: Three players recreate a day in an audience member’s life.
Instructions:
The leader begins the game by asking an audience member about a day in their life.
For example, the “worst date” or “best day ever” or simply “an interesting day.” An audience
member will share their story, while the players listen. They can ask as many questions as
they want, and once the story is finished, the scene begins.
The players fill the necessary roles in the story as they recreate it, shifting in between
characters if needed, and taking what liberties they may with the story itself. They play it
through from the beginning, the middle, all the way to the ending. Once the ending is
reached, the game is over.
Variations:
Rather than asking an audience member, you could ask one of the improvisors who is
not playing the game, for a story about their life.
Be very careful with what story is told. If the story has the grounds to be offensive or
unacceptable, consider changing to a different story from somebody else. Similarly, this game
depends a lot on a good story, and without anybody in the audience with a story they’d like
to share, it can fall flat.
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Tricks of the Trade No. 3.10

Skills: Character
Description: Three players give advice in their field of expertise.
Instructions:
The game is set up much like “The Good, The Bad, The Ugly.” The three players take
a seat, and the leader asks the audience for two things for each player: their name, and their
profession. After this is done, the players introduce themselves to the audience.
Once this is done, the floor opens to questions. The audience asks questions to the
players, relevant to their character and their experience. The players will respond in-
character, according to who they are. The leader is the one in charge of finding and asking
questions to the players, and this continues until the game is over.
Variations:
The audience can ask anything they want. The questions don’t need to be related to
their professions. Additionally, questions can be asked one at a time, or to all three at once.
Or, the decision can be left entirely up to the audience.
Another option would be to give the players only a name, and then let them come up
with their profession. As you can tell, this game is very flexible.
As a player, make sure to create a unique character with a distinct outlook. The most
interesting characters will fight, interact, and make the game more than a Q&A session.
The leader should also be careful to only ask appropriate questions, and questions that
are open-ended with a variety of different responses.
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Hypnotist No. 3.11
Type of Game: Scene

Skills: Character, Movement
Description: Three people will continue a scene, while gradually transforming into other
objects or people.
Instructions:
The leader will get a suggestion from the audience, and the three players will begin a
scene based on it. The players work to establish a platform and maybe a tilt, before the leader
will eventually yell out “Stop!” and all of the players will freeze in place. At this point, the
leader will get three more suggestions from the audience. These suggestions should be
objects, animals, ideologies, or anything else like that.
After the leader has these suggestions, the scene will resume. From this point onward
until the end of the scene, all three players will slowly transform into their respective
objects. It should be a gradual change, with the first steps of transforming not being obvious
at all. By the conclusion of the scene, they should have completely changed into their object.
Variations:
To give the game more depth, try getting suggestions that can apply to people, and
not just menial or mundane objects. That way, the players have more to use and play with
when they create their characters after the pause is done.
As a player, make sure to give your character room to transform. During the
transformation, be aware of your physicality and how it changes throughout the game.
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Section 4
Four-Person Games
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Pan Left No. 4.1
Type of Game: Medium-Form

Skills: Justification, Story, Sustainability
Description: Four people create an unfolding plot, while being restricted to having scenes
with only certain people.
Instructions:
The four players begin this game facing the audience, standing in a square. The front
two players of this square are the active scene at any time. Before the game begins, the leader
will get a suggestion for each side of this square. The four sides get one suggestion of the
following; occupation, location, relationship, and an object. After each suggestion is given,
the leader calls “pan left!” and the square rotates counter-clockwise, causing one person to
leave the scene, one person to join the scene, and one person to remain in the scene.
After “panning left” all around the circle and giving each pair their suggestion, the
scene begins with the first two people. They begin a scene and continue playing it, until the
leader calls “pan left” again. After this, the square will rotate again and the next pairing will
begin a scene. All players keep their character throughout the whole game.
The game continues, with the leader calling out “pan left” to rotate the square, and
the leader and audience watch the scenes play out. The players should try to make the scenes
connect and to build one final, cohesive plot. The game continues until the leader decides to
end it, but this should be after each person has been in the scene at least twice.
Variations:
Rather than playing with four people, this game could be played with five or even six
people, as long as they still pan accordingly. This variation is more difficult to play and
manage, and is usually less enjoyable for an audience.
This can be played as four disconnected scenes in which characters do not interact.
This game becomes infinitely more interesting when characters talk about or cause
things to happen for characters in another part of the game. As an audience, it is also more
interesting to watch how the characters grow and interact, especially those who cannot be in
a scene together.
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Try not to make your objective depend too much on the person diagonal to you, as
you two will never interact in the game. Instead, try to keep your actions and objectives
closer to your neighbors, who you interact with throughout the scene. We want to see what
you do, not see you talk about someone who isn’t there.
A lot of justification will need to happen, especially if the game comes to a conclusion
too fast, or the leader doesn’t end it on time. As the leader, end the game when the plot is
resolved, but not too soon. It is up to the players to make sure the plot progresses slow
enough that the game can conclude safely.
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Party Quirks No. 4.2

Skills: Character, Communication
Description: One player must guess the characters of three other guests at their party.
Instructions:
Out of four people, decide who will be the guesser. They leave the room. The other
three people will each become a historical figure, fictional character, and a celebrity
respectively. The leader will ask for suggestions from the audience, and once this is done and
the characters know who they are, they leave the scene. The guesser returns.
The game begins with the guesser preparing their place for a party they’re having for
the three people. The characters will take turns coming to their door, knocking, and being
let into the party. They will try to hint to the guesser at who they are, and the guesser will
try to guess it. Once they get it, the character will leave the party and the next will come in.
This continues until all characters have been guessed.
Variations:
Rather than historical figure, fictional character, and celebrity, the game can be
played with any character combination you want.
Instead of playing with characters, you can give each character a “quirk” instead that
will really make them stand out, and then the guesser will try to guess their quirks.
As with all guessing games, do not give anything that would be too difficult to guess,
or that you think the guesser won’t know. The point is that the guesser is able to get them, so
it’s important that they are able to.
Even when the guesser is unsure what is going on, they should still be trying to carry
a scene at the party. Don’t ever just stand still and be confused. Although the party isn’t a
“scene” per se, it is still a world that should be maintained.
When guessing, it is more powerful to phrase your guess in a sentence or other
phrase, instead of just saying the name.
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CSI No. 4.3

Skills: Creativity, Movement
Description: Two detectives try to guess how two people died in a particular location.
Instructions:
Out of the four, two players will be selected to play dead bodies during the scene.
This is their only purpose. The leader will then get a suggestion of a location from the
audience, and the two dead bodies will assume positions inside that location.
Then, the two others, playing detectives, enter the location and find the dead bodies.
They begin a scene, in which they attempt to deduce how these people had died this way.
While deducing how they died, the two players will pick up the dead bodies and re-enact the
scene of their deaths, using the bodies.
After the detectives have deduced the cause of the deaths and re-enacted the scene,
the game is over.
Variations:
Alternatively, the detectives could leave the room, and the audience suggests how the
others died. The players then try to be as close to this as possible, and they can either guess
continually with the audience responding to them, or the leader can tell them once the game
is over. Doing this won’t impact how the scene plays out, where they try to guess.
It is important to use objects or furniture, like blocks, the door, or windows, to give
the players more possibilities.
Playing a dead body, make sure to assist the other two in moving your body.
It is important that even though it isn’t the gimmick of the game, that both detectives
build a world and a relationship during the scene. This will make it much more interesting to
watch, and it will add a purpose to an otherwise pointless farcical scene.
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Dating Game No. 4.4

Skills: Character, Communication
Description: One bachelor or bachelorette will try to guess the character of his/her three
suitors by asking them a series of questions about them.
Instructions:
Out of four people, decide who will be the guesser. They leave the room. The other
three people will each become a historical figure, fictional character, and a celebrity,
respectively. The leader will ask for suggestions from the audience, and once this is done and
the characters know their names, the guesser returns.
The guesser will sit to the side of the other three, who are all sitting next to each
other. Then, the game begins. The guesser will ask a question to one, two, or all three of the
characters, and they give their appropriate response. The guesser will keep asking questions
until they are able to figure out who the characters are, when at which point, they dismiss
them from the game and send them home.
Once the guesser has guessed all three characters, the game is over.
Variations:
Rather than historical figure, fictional character, and celebrity, the game can be
played with any character combination you want.
As with all guessing games, do not give anything that would be too difficult to guess,
or that you think the guesser won’t know. The point is that the guesser is able to get them, so
it’s important that they are able to.
The questions are very important, so if you’re guessing and you’re getting close, try to
be more specific with the questions.
When guessing, it is more powerful to phrase your guess in a sentence or other
phrase, instead of just saying the name.
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Survivor No. 4.5
Type of Game: Scene, Elimination

Skills: Focus, Energy
Description: Four people create an initial scene. Then, this scene is recreated with three, two,
and finally, one person.
Instructions:
Four people begin a scene, based on a suggestion. They will play out the scene until
its conclusion, when the leader will stop it. Don’t play the scene too long, or too short, and
make sure each person is involved in it in some way.
After the scene is done, the four people will stand before the audience and the leader
will ask the audience to clap for who they want to leave the scene. The leader may need to
go back and forth between people to find the favorite. After its been decided, that person
leaves the game and then three people play out the same scene that originally had four
people.
After this is done, the process repeats. The crowd votes out another player, and then
two people are left to play the original scene.
Finally, one more person is voted out, leaving just one person to play the entire scene
by themselves one final time.
Make sure the initial scene makes sense and plays for a decent amount of time. As
with four-person scenes, be careful not to assert yourself too much, and do your best to make
a consistent plot with the initial scene. You’ll be seeing it another three times, so you may as
well make sure it makes sense! A lot of survivor scenes end up nonsensical or ridiculous, so
be careful.
When you’re playing the scene with fewer people than it originally had, it is
beneficial to change characters to make sure that all the important parts of the scene still
happen. The scene remains exactly the same, its just the players trying to do all the same
action that makes it interesting.
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Understudy No. 4.6
Type of Game: Scene

Skills: Communication, Listening, Teamwork
Description: Two players create a scene, which is then recreated by two different people who
did not see the original.
Instructions:
Two of the four players in the game will leave the room, and the two who remain will
begin a scene based on a suggestion. They will play the scene until a natural conclusion, and
then the leader will stop them. Out of the two players in the scene, one will be picked by the
leader to exit the scene.
This character is “incredibly sick and incapable,” and so their understudy is called in.
The crowd all yells out “under-study!” and one of the two who left the room returns. They
will play the scene again, with one person who was part of the original scene, and one who
was not.
During this scene, it is vital that the first player communicates as much of the original
scene as possible to his partner. After this is done, the same thing happens again: the original
player gets sick, and then their understudy is called by the audience.
The scene is done one last time, with two people who never saw the original.
Variations:
This game could be played with more (or less?) than four people.
As the original players, don’t make the scene too ridiculous. It should be easy to
replay, and easy to communicate, but not too easy or stereotypical. Part of the challenge is
finding ways to communicate what is happening in the scene. Each round, the person who
has been in the scene already will be leading it, but that doesn’t mean the second person
should not be making suggestions or trying to help out.
While the goal of the game is to recreate the same scene as before, that never
happens. The fun comes from watching it change, or watching it be the same, so be open to
whatever happens. Nobody’s grading how similar the scenes are.
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Late for Work No. 4.7

Skills: Communication, Pantomime
Description: Two players (co-workers) will pantomime things to a third, who is trying to
convince the boss why they were late and why they shouldn’t be fired.
Instructions:
Begin the game by deciding who will be the boss, who will be the guesser, and who
will be pantomiming. The guesser will leave the room, while the other three remain behind.
The audience will decide on three reasons why the guesser was late to work: one reason
that’s reasonable, one that’s more of a stretch, and then one that’s ridiculous.
The boss will sit in a chair that faces either right or left, where the guesser will enter
from. The pantomimers will begin pantomiming the reasons the guesser was late behind the
boss’s back. The guesser is trying to guess why they were late, based on the pantomimers.
Upon guessing each reason, the pantomimers will give the guesser a nonverbal signal, and
move on to the next reason.
During the pantomiming, the boss will turn around to try and catch the pantomimers
slacking off from their jobs. Once all three reasons have be guessed, the game ends.
Variations:
There could be more than two pantomimers, if desired, although they would need to
cooperate well to not confuse the guesser.
Additionally, the boss can have a smaller or larger role in the game as desired.
The pantomimers can’t communicate with each other, and they need to be able to
cooperate well to communicate certain things. It is important to be listening to each other
and cooperate to portray one vision, rather than opposing things, which will mislead the
guesser.
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If the guesser just won’t get it, the leader can make a phone call to somebody on stage
to try and help them out or drop hints.
Try to create a real work environment. A lot of the fun comes from the boss catching
the employees, and the justification they come up with. While it is a guessing game, it is still
interesting to watch relationships between the characters.
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Chain Murder No. 4.8

Skills: Communication, Pantomime
Description: Four people play an improvised game of telephone, with an occupation,
location, and object.
Instructions:
The game begins by having three of the four people leave the room. The first one
remains, with the leader, and they get three suggestions from the audience: an occupation, a
location, and an object. Once this is decided, the audience calls out “Next victim!” and one of
the three people returns.
Each round of the game, the person who is there will pantomime the three topics.
First is the occupation, then location, then an object. They are all done in order, and when
the next player thinks they know what each one is, they give a nonverbal signal to tell the
other player to move on. There is no speaking allowed. Once the player gets all three, they
give the final signal, and then brutally murder the first person with the object. They remain
dead on the floor until the game is over.
Repeat this process until each person has come in and guessed what the items were.
When it is all done, the last person will tell everybody what they thought the occupation,
location, and object were. If they’re wrong on any, the leader will ask people down the line
until it gets to the very first person. Once it has all been revealed, the game is over.
Variations:
Rather than using occupation, location, or object, any of the three can be substituted
with anything else, as long as it can be pantomimed to somebody else.
Gibberish can be used during the pantomime, depending on how you want to play.
As with all guessing games, if your tactic isn’t working, try something else! Don’t
repeat the same action over and over, expecting your partner to get it. If you’re guessing and
you aren’t 100% sure, move on anyway.
Try to make sure the topics aren’t too outrageous. They should be possible to convey
and guess, but part of the fun is when they are all different at the end anyway.
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Stop and Swap No. 4.9
Type of Game: Scene

Skills: Justification, Sustainability
Description: Two groups of two people continue separate scenes, while sharing lines and
swapping back and forth between the scenes.
Instructions:
The four players split into two groups of two. The leader will get a suggestion from
the audience and picks one pair to go first. They begin a scene based on the suggestion.
At any point during the game, while either pair is playing, the leader can call out
“stop!” Then the entire audience raises their arms and flails them in the air, calling out
“swap!” This swaps the scene from the first pair to the other one. The other group must start
a completely different scene with different characters. The catch is that with the second pair,
their first line must be the last line said by the other pair.
For example, if the last line of one pair is “I dropped my thing!” then the first line of
the other pair must be “I dropped my thing.” It doesn’t matter who initiates the scene.
The game will continue, stopping and swapping back and forth. Each swap back, the
two people will always play the same characters throughout the game, in different places or
situations. The difficulty comes in finding the justification for certain lines.
Variations:
This game can be played with three people (“Three-Person Stop and Swap”), in which
characters filter in and out of the scenes as they swap.
This can be played as a medium-form game, continuing to stop and swap between
scenes for an extended amount of time. This game can also have a backline, if desired.
Make sure you say the correct line when the scene swaps back to you! Focus on using
the same line and justifying it later, rather than keeping your scene intact. If that justification
involves major changes to your relationship or anything, roll with it.
The two pairs of people and their scenes don’t need to interact, although it becomes
interesting if they do! Either way, make sure all four players keep the same character
throughout the game.
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Countdown No. 4.10
Type of Game: Scene, Gimmick

Skills: Focus
Description: A group of four people will play a scene. Then, they must play the same scene in
two minutes, one minute, thirty seconds, and finally ten seconds.
Instructions:
The leader will get a suggestion from the audience, and the four people begin a scene
based on it. The scene will end, or the leader will end it, after an ample amount of time has
passed. For this game, three minutes is good.
After its ended, the leader will use a timer and the players must play the same exact
scene in half the time. After this is done, the same scene is played again and again,
continuing to half the amount of time.
The final round is the initial three-minute scene redone in five seconds. The leader
and audience will count down the seconds while the four players scramble to complete the
scene.
Variations:
For the first scene, it can be beneficial to have the leader actually time the scene to
make sure it is long enough.
Make sure the initial scene plays out for long enough! It doesn’t necessarily need to
make sense, as long as its memorable and long enough. It will get compressed anyway.
As with any three or four person scene, don’t begin the scene with everybody. Have
at least one or two people enter the scene after some time. If you’re in the scene before other
people enter, make sure to give them chances to come in and play a significant role.
When you’re playing the compressed scenes, don’t try to play out everything, because
you won’t be able to. You need to decide what is important, and what isn’t, and only play
what is.
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Foreign Film Dub No. 4.11
Type of Game: Scene, Gimmick

Skills: Pantomime, Teamwork
Description: Two players act out a scene, while two other players act as their voices.
Instructions:
Out of the four players, two will decide to be in the scene while the other two will act
as their voices. The leader begins the scene by getting a suggestion from the audience, either
a location, occupation, etc. The two players begin their scene.
The twist with this game is that the two scene-players cannot speak. The two others
are the narrators, or the film’s dub, and they are responsible for saying everything. As
expected, the two groups need to cooperate very well with each other. Each narrator will
cover each of the two people. However, the narrators are not omniscient and they cannot
enter the scene.
The scene will play until it’s completion. At this point, the game is over. During a
rehearsal, it could be played again, swapping up the roles to ensure everyone gets the full
experience.
Variations:
The narrators can make noises in the world of the scene as well.
For a simpler game, this can be played with two people. One person will pantomime a
scene, while the other will make the noises in the world. The person will react to these
sounds, especially when they’re unexpected.
As a player, make it apparent when you talk. If your narrator speaks when you
weren’t intending to, go with it anyway! Make sure to play with what the narrator gives you
and acknowledge what they decide to endow you with.
As a narrator, watch your player and try to create their specific voice. Keep an eye on
their physical actions to try and tell when they will speak and not. Likewise, be sure to react
to what things happen to your player or what they’re endowed with.
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Hey You Down There! No. 4.12
Type of Game: Scene

Skills: Listening, Justification
Description: One omniscient player explains an unrelated acronym to help another player
figure out how to solve a problem.
Instructions:
First, decide from the four players, who will be the omniscient player, who will be
the person with a problem, and who will be the two players on the backline. After this, the
leader will get a suggestion of any type of problem from the audience, whether menial and
mundane, or incredibly intense. Then, the leader will get a suggestion of an unrelated four-
letter word to use as an acronym.
The game begins with the problem-person struggling with their problem, until the
omniscient person begins with “hey you down there!” There should be a moment of surprise
at the omniscient person talking to the problem-person. The omniscient person and
problem-person aren’t in the same universe, meaning they don’t directly interact beyond
speaking. Then, the omniscient person will introduce the four-letter acronym as a solution to
the problem.
Each letter of the word, the omniscient person will give what that letter stands for,
and what it means when it comes to solving the problem. The problem-person will then act
out that step, with the backline serving as other characters or objects as needed. After the
fourth letter is explained, the problem should be “solved,” and the game completed.
Variations:
This game could be played with just two people and no backline.
If you’re playing as the backline, listen closely for opportunities to act as other people
and objects. The other people maintain the same characters, but the backline doesn’t need to.
Don’t be afraid to jump in, as any person or object whatsoever. Be listening for opportunities.
On the converse, as the leads, give plenty of opportunities for the backline to be used.
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Town Forum No. 4.13

Skills: Character
Description: Characters living in a made-up town debate solutions to a critical problem
bothering their town.
Instructions:
The four players begin by dispersing themselves among the audience. The leader
begins the game by explaining that the venue has now become a town forum, and that
everyone is going to be debating an important issue plaguing the town. They will ask for
suggestions of a town name first, then suggestions of a problem in the town.
After this, the town forum opens with opening remarks. The leader will go around to
the players and ask for their statements. The players will one by one, introduce themselves,
who they are in the town, and then state what their solution to the problem is, and why.
Coming up with a good, dynamic character who can interact with the town, audience, and
other characters is very important.
After each character gives their opening remark, the floor opens for debate. The
players can raise their hands, or speak up, or whatever else they want. They have a lot of
freedom when it comes to debating, although the leader is still in charge, unless they can’t
control the players.
Once the debating has gone on for long enough, the leader calls the town to order.
They will present a vote to the audience on the two most popular solutions, or whatever else
they want. To end, the audience votes on which solution to the town they prefer, and then
the game is over.
Variations:
This game could be played with more (or less) than four people.
The game usually ends with a vote of the audience on the best solution, although this
can be changed to end however you want.
This game works well with the players sitting in the house before the audience even
comes in. Then, when the game begins, it makes for a cool effect when the players reveal
themselves from the audience. If this is the case during a show, the players can go up to the
performance area when the game is over.
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Alternatively, each player in the audience can adopt a new character every time they
speak. By the end, the room is filled with lots of different people from this town created by
the characters.
As the leader, make sure the problem you pick is not one that can easily be solved
with one sentence. As a player, if you realize this can happen, try to add in something from
your character that makes it more complicated or controversial for the town.
Unlike most other games, the leader is actively in charge of this game and controlling
it throughout. As the leader, make sure you’re enabling the players to do well and going
along and supporting them, but don’t be afraid to change the course of the game if things
aren’t going too well.
The entertainment of this game comes from really involving the audience in the
world of the town. Addressing the audience is fun, as is getting up or moving around, or
whatever.
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Character Creator No. 4.14
Type of Game: Scene

Skills: Character, Creativity, Listening
Description: One character is collectively created by three others, who then play out scenes
with that character.
Instructions:
First, decide which of the four players will be the character. They will stand separate
from the other three, who stand facing the player. The leader will direct the process by
which this character is created.
Going down the line of the three others, each person is asked for something about the
one that they can physically observe. For example, their shoes are too big, they have tattoos,
they smell bad, they walk crooked, they’re wearing a pool floatie, or things like that. It can
be about their clothing, body, physical life, accessories, or anything else they can think of, as
long as it is something they can see or observe.
After all the suggestions are done, the last person will give the character a name.
After this is done, the player takes some time to get used to their new character and go over
all the endowments, however ridiculous they are.
The game officially begins with the three other people. One by one, they come to the
generated character and begin a scene. The three always initiate the scene. The only
requirement for these three people is that they each adopt a character that is very important
in the life of the one. For example, they could be a teacher, a parent, a brother, a friend, or
any relevant person. They play their scene, conclude it, and then the next person comes in.
Once all three others have had a scene with the character, the game is over.
Variations:
This game works well in rehearsal, but not so well for shows. During a show, it could
be played with three audience members giving suggestions and then three other players
doing the scenes, but this has not been tested.
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This game is very challenging for the character. Keep in mind physicality, and all
other aspects of the character. It is a good starting point for coming up with game for the
three scenes.
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Talking Heads No. 4.15
Type of Game: Scene

Skills: Listening, Teamwork
Description: Two pairs of people link together as one and must play out a scene together.
Instructions:
The four people begin by splitting into two pairs. Each pair of people will link
together by standing next to each other and wrapping their arms around each other’s back.
That means they will walk next to each other, and each has one arm they can still control.
They must cooperate and work together to become one person.
Once the pairs are ready, they will begin a scene based on a suggestion. During this
scene, both teams operate as only one person in the scene, and they cannot separate. The
goal is to create smooth and coordinated movements, as if they were the same person.
During the scene, one group can only speak one word at a time. The partners must
alternate who is speaking at each moment. Each partner will only say one word and alternate
it to the other person, but they must still try to be quick and cohesive in their speech. The
other group must speak every word together, at the same time.
The game continues until the scene finds a natural conclusion.
Variations:
Both groups can speak one way, or they can alternate. The rules on how and when
each group can speak are flexible and can change.
Because it can be hard to coordinate movements or speaking, the scene will go slowly.
Try to build as much trust as possible and think together with your partner. More interesting
and entertaining scenes make the audience believe they are one person.
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Section 5
Five+ Person Games
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Playground Insults No. 5.1
Type of Game: Guessing, Competition

Skills: Pantomime, Listening
Description: Two teams of three compete in attempting to name pre-determined insults.
Instructions:
This game works best with six people. Have the six people divide into two teams of
three and have one member of each team be their spokesperson. The two others on each
team become pantomimers. Both spokespeople will leave the room, and the audience will get
several suggestions from the audience.
For each team, the leader will get from the audience: an adjective, a verb, and a noun.
These three things form a complete playground insult. For example: “smelly, stinky, pig.”
Each set of pantomimers will have their complete insult ready when the two spokespersons
return.
When the spokespersons return, they will position themselves in the center of the
space, facing each other. Each spokesperson’s pantomimer teammates will stand behind the
opposite spokesperson and begin pantomiming each word of their team’s insult. The first
spokesperson to guess the entire insult and deliver to their opponent wins the round.
As many rounds can be played as desired, or just one, depending on how long it takes
and how complex the suggestions are.
Variations:
The spokespersons of the teams can cycle each round. The leader can keep score, or
not, to help declare a final winner. The caveat is that to play with several rounds requires a
lot of suggestions and an active and creative audience.
As with all pantomiming, if something doesn’t work, try something different.
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My Movie No. 5.2
Type of Game: Scene

Skills: Creativity, Energy
Description: The players create scenes from hypothetical movies, based on two or more
letters from the audience.
Instructions:
The players stand in a line in front of the audience. The leader will begin by asking
the audience for letters from the alphabet. They can ask individual people, or by asking for
the first/last letter of their first/last name, etc. After getting two letters, the game begins.
The leader will crouch down in front of the line, and everybody will shake their
hands while chanting “my movie my movie my movie my movie” continuously, until the
leader points at somebody in the line. That player will need to make a new movie title, using
the two letters as the beginnings of words. If the leader likes the movie title, they’ll clap their
hands and pan them out sideways, as a gesture to say “tell me more.” The player will then say
a tagline for the movie, like a teaser, that will explain more of what its about. Try to be
detailed and precise, so avoid vague or meaningless taglines.
If the leader likes the tagline, they’ll pantomime an old camera and run to the side, as
a gesture to say “let me see it.” The players will then play out a scene from that movie. When
this is done, the leader will run across and wipe, and then continue the game.
After a few movies, the leader can ask for more letters from the audience. This can
repeat in ad nauseam.
Variations:
The initial suggestion/take can be more than two letters, often bumped up to three as
the game progresses, or could be a specific genre of movie.
If you’re the leader, don’t pick on somebody unless they are making dedicated eye
contact. This guarantees they’re prepared and have an idea. Likewise, if you’re playing, don’t
make eye contact unless you’re prepared to be called on.
When making movie titles, don’t be afraid to stretch the letters a little. As long as the
movie title is letter-inspired, you’ll be okay.
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When getting letters from the audience, try not to use any letters you’ve already used.
When your movie is picked, the person who came up with it is expected to play the
lead role in the scene. Make sure to step forward and initiate the movie yourself in this case.
On a similar note, not every movie needs to have every player involved.
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Five Things No. 5.3
Type of Game: Guessing, Competition

Skills: Creativity, Pantomime, Listening
Description: Two teams of people try to guess five things before each other.
Instructions:
This game works best with six people. Divide the people into two groups. This game is
played much like Playground Insults. Each team will participate at the same time, switching
off after a given time limit.
For each round, one person from each team will leave the room while the leader will
get a suggestion of an object from the audience. Then they will get two more suggestions of
some changed properties of the object. For example:
“A bike with pizza boxes instead of tires, and handlebars on fire.”
The players will return, and act as the leader of each team. The rest of their team will
pantomime the objects, while each team leader will attempt to guess each object. The leaders
will stand facing each other, with their teams behind each other’s backs.
After one team guesses, the same process will repeat for the next round. Once all “five
things” have been guessed, the game is over. The first team to guess them all wins.
Variations:
The leader can choose to give both teams the same set of objects, or entirely different
ones. Although the name of the game is “Five Things.”
This game is often played as “Three Things” as it simplifies and shortens it.
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Objection No. 5.4

Skills: Character, Creativity, Justification
Description: Two teams of lawyers face off in a heated court argument about a meaningless
topic.
Instructions:
This game can be played with any number of people. It works best with even
numbers, specifically six. Regardless, the players will split into two teams of two or three
people and form their respective sides of the argument.
The leader acts as the judge in this debate. They will ask for suggestions of
“meaningless” issues from the audience. Examples of issues:
“Is a hotdog a sandwich?”
“Should I get a cat?”
“When should I go to bed?”
The point of the issue is that its meaningless and menial, meaning nobody will get
upset over it. After the question is on the table, the two teams must be assigned a stance on
the issue; for or against. Afterwards, the leader picks a team to present their opening
remarks, then the other team gets a chance to go. After this, the floor is open and the debate
begins.
What the debate consists of is one person from a team arguing what they believe,
about whatever topic the debate is on. This topic can change a lot in just one game. At any
point during an argument, a member of the opposing team can call out “objection!” This halts
the current argument, and the leader will allow the opposite team to present their objection.
The objection can be anything that invalidates the other argument. For example, it
could be something they said, something they said earlier, what they’re wearing, something
about their company, etc. If the leader approves of the objection, they’ll say “sustained!” and
the argument will shift to the other team. If they don’t approve, they’ll say “overruled” and
the current argument continues.
This will continue for a certain amount of time, until the leader decides to stop the
game and hear closing remarks. The teams each have a moment to present their final
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statements. After this, the leader will have the audience decide the winner by voting via
claps. Whichever team gets more claps is the winner of the court case, and settles the
meaningless issue once and for all.
Variations:
The lawyers could introduce themselves, but this typically just lengthens the game.
Be creative! Have creative objections and always be sure to introduce more and more
subject matter. Energy is also very important to prevent this game from becoming stale and
boring.
Nobody said the teams of lawyers have to be good. It can be very entertaining to
watch a team completely struggle to do anything.
The leader is a character as well. If you’re the leader, be sure to find a character and
find where you fit in the game, and your relationships to the other players.
Watching the relationship between team members and the other team is just as
interesting as the debate going on. Make sure to give these relationships room to grow as the
court case goes on. To help with this, you can make your objections about the other team or
person as well, or even the other lawyer company altogether.
The point of the game is to see the objections but be careful not to do it too much.
Allow the other team to present what they’re talking about, and if you can tell they’re
struggling or their argument is almost out, call objection then. Even though you’re on
opposite teams and the goal is to win, you’re still working together.
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Arms of War No. 5.5
Type of Game: Scene

Skills: Teamwork
Description: Pairs of people do a scene together, but the pairs are combined such that one
person is the arms and the other is the body.
Instructions:
This game can be played with any even number of people. Before the game begins,
the players will pair off with somebody else. With their partner, each pair will merge into
one person. This is done by whoever wants to be in front putting their hands behind their
back, and the other person standing directly behind them and putting their arms through the
front’s armpits (or anywhere between their arm and their body.) If this is done right, the
back person’s arms are sticking out the front of the front person.
The leader will ask for a suggestion for a scene, and the pairs of people will begin the
scene. This is the same as any other scene, except each person is actually played by two
people. The person in back acts as the arms, and the person in front is the person who talks.
Each pair must cooperate to play out the scene. When the scene comes to a
conclusion, the game is over.
Variations:
In rehearsal, it is beneficial to swap partners and roles to make sure everyone knows
what its like to be either.
When making pairs, make sure to pair with somebody who is relatively close to your
height and size. If not, it makes things a little more difficult for the pair.
Physical scenes are very fun to watch in this game. Try to stay coordinated with your
partner. If there’s no physical action in the scene, the arms have no real purpose. Although it
may be difficult, don’t be afraid to move around and interact with each other.
For the person in front: always watch what the arms want to do. They can’t see your
face, so work with them. It’s a joint effort and you need to think on the same page. No single
person controls the scene, or even their own person!
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Section 6
Team Games
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Laugh and Go No. 6.1
Type of Game: Scene

Skills: Comedy
Description: Players enter a scene but leave as soon as they get the audience to laugh.
Instructions:
The players begin the game by standing in a line facing the audience. The leader
begins the game by asking the audience for a suggestion of a location. This will be the setting
of all following scenes. When somebody enters, they will maintain the same character in the
scene until they leave, but they can choose to play a new character when they return.
Once the location is established, the two people at the front of the line enter the
location and begin the scene. The special rule about this game is that as soon as one person
makes the audience laugh, they find a justification to leave the scene. Once they exit, the
next person in line enters, and joins the scene with the other person who was left behind.
Upon exiting, the player who left will then join the line at the end. Eventually, they’ll
find their way to the front again, and be back in the scene.
The game continues, with cycling of people from the scene and the line, until the
scene comes to a conclusion or the leader decides to end it.
Let the humor come naturally. It is totally okay to be in the game for several rounds
before you get out. Avoid cheap laughs.
Wait until you can get a considerable laugh from the audience before you leave. If
you hear two or three people chuckling, wait until you can get more. The scene is more
important than the laughing, so make sure to keep it intact and sensible.
If you notice your partner really struggling, try to help them out as best as you can.
Similarly, send them out of the scene even if the laugh isn’t entirely theirs. This game isn’t a
competition.
As with all games, try to keep a very high level of energy for such a fast-paced game.
This will make the audience more open to laughing as well.
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Waiter No. 6.2
Type of Game: Pun

Skills: Creativity
Description: The players act as waiters and make suggestion-based puns about an object or
noun.
Instructions:
The players make a backline behind the leader, who is sitting on a chair in the center.
The game begins with the leader asking for a suggestion of an object or noun from the
audience. This object will be sitting in their soup, so the leader calls out “Waiter! There’s a
____ in my soup!”
The players come up with puns based on the word. When they have one, they’ll step
forward, pantomime picking up the soup, and deliver their pun. Then they return to the line
and leave the game open for somebody else to deliver a new pun.
After the players run out of ideas or whenever they want, the leader can get a new
suggestion. They’ll have a few different suggestions, giving players plenty of chances to
deliver their puns. Eventually the leader will end the game.
Variations:
If there’s too many people, you can have everyone stand in a circle around the leader
instead. However, this is purely a rehearsal setup.
In a show, each person that delivers a pun can then become the next leader.
It’s okay to deliver a pun of your own several times in a row if nobody else has an
idea. Similarly, as the leader, if there aren’t a lot of ideas feel free to get a different
suggestion.
Even if you aren’t confident in your pun, get out there and let them have it. The game
feels a little awkward when puns don’t land, but that’s okay. You’ll never know if the pun
would’ve worked if you don’t say it.
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Pet Names No. 6.3
Type of Game: Pun

Skills: Creativity
Description: The players create a lot of sex/relationship-based puns about an object or noun.
Instructions:
The players stand in a line. The leader will get a suggestion of any object or noun
from the audience, and then the game is open for the players to create puns. They will
deliver each pun individually by stepping forward.
The puns are inherently sexual or relationship-based, as it is why somebody has been
nicknamed the suggestion. They begin with, “I call him/her/them my ___ because…” For
example, if the suggestion is “lamp”:
“I call her my lamp because I always turn her on.”
“I call him my lamp because he’s kinda dim.”
The puns can range from the innocent to very inappropriate. The leader can get a
new suggestion at any time for the players. This will repeat several times, until the leader
ends it.
Variations:
If there’s too many people, you can have everyone stand in a circle, and have the
players step into the center when they deliver a pun. However, this is purely a rehearsal
setup.
You can and should use a variety of “he,” “she,” and “they” pronouns.
This game can also be abrasive and uncomfortable for a lot of people as well. Be
careful in the environments you play it during outside shows. But on the other hand, it has
the potential to be extremely funny!
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Back in My Day No. 6.4
Type of Game: Pun

Skills: Creativity
Description: The players create “throwback” themed puns about an object or noun.
Instructions:
The players stand in a line. The leader will get a suggestion of any object or noun
from the audience, and then the game is open for the players to create puns. They will
deliver each pun individually by stepping forward.
The puns must be based on the past, history, or anything else “throwback.” Think
about how old people would talk about the topic. The puns begin with “Back in my day…”
For example, if the suggestion is “Facebook”:
“Back in my day, writing on walls was considered vandalism!”
“Back in my day, we only kept our nose in our books!”
Once the players have exhausted all their ideas, the leader will get a new suggestion
and the game will continue. This will repeat several times, until the leader ends it.
Variations:
If there’s too many people, you can have everyone stand in a circle, and have the
players step into the center when they deliver a pun. However, this is purely a rehearsal
setup.
This game is more difficult than its counterparts, Waiter and Pet Names.
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Incredible Growing and Shrinking Machine
(IGSM) No. 6.5
Type of Game: Scene

Skills: Initiation, Justification
Description: The players will each create a new scene every time they enter, and the game
builds back down when those characters exit.
Instructions:
This game works best with around eight people. The players begin by standing in a
line. One of the players will step forward, and the leader will give them a suggestion of an
occupation from the audience. That person will begin a scene as that occupation.
Eventually, somebody from the backline will decide to join the scene. This
completely changes the scene and their characters. The scene does not have to be related in
any way. They will begin playing this scene.
After this, the next person will decide to join the scene. This changes the entire scene
again. Each person left in the backline will eventually find a time to enter whatever scene is
going on, creating an entirely different scene for each person in the line.
After the last person has joined and been part of the scene, they will find a
justification to leave. Each person must find a justification and leave their scene in the
reverse order that they joined. Each scene that was played in the beginning must be
continued again as the players leave one-by-one. At the end, it will be the first person again,
with only their original occupation-based scene.
Variations:
See Spit-Take.
It can be difficult to remember each scene in the correct order. Try to remember
when it’s your turn to go! If you forget, run in a circle until somebody remembers.
In scenes with eight people, it is impossible for everyone to be equally involved. As
with all scenes involving entrances, allow the prior scene to play a little while before you
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enter. Lastly, let the newest-enterers lead the newest scenes, and be careful to avoid going to
crazy town.
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Spit-Take No. 6.6
Type of Game: Gimmick

Skills: Water. Lots of water.
Description: It’s just Incredible Growing and Shrinking Machine (IGSM) , but everybody spits
water all over the place.
Instructions:
The game is played exactly the same, following the same rules as Incredible Growing
and Shrinking Machine (IGSM). However, there are a few notable differences.
The scenes play out normally, minus the fact that every player can decide to take a
“spit-take” at any point. This means they spit out a mist from a mouthful of water at
somebody else. As expected, everyone will be drenched by the end.
Each player will get a water bottle and carry it with them in and out of the scene.
Keep extra water bottles in the backrow as well, for when people run out.
Other than the water, the game is the same. Players will find times to enter and find
justifications to leave. This game never stays as neat or sensible as the other one, but that’s
okay.
Once the game is over, you’re going to need a lot of paper towels. You probably
shouldn’t play in a place with a soft or carpet floor.
Variations:
Consider warning the audience about the “splash zone,” but otherwise do not explain
anything about this. It could be fun if the audience was expecting Incredible Growing and
Shrinking Machine (IGSM) but got this instead.
The Spit-Takes are best when the scenes cater to them in specific ways. For example,
if two characters get really close – a point-blank spit-take makes the moment much better.
Spit-taking doesn’t need to have any purpose or motivation, just go for it!
This game is to be played ONLY at the very end of the senior show, near the end of
each academic semester. Forget the rules and have fun, you’re free!
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Freeze No. 6.7
Type of Game: Scene

Skills: Justification, Movement
Description: Players will freeze a scene between two others, tap one of them out, and resume
with a new scene from the same positions.
Instructions:
Any number of people can play this game. The players can sit in the audience during
a rehearsal or stand in a backline during a show. The game begins with two volunteers
stepping forward, and the leader getting a suggestion of a location or occupation from the
audience. After this, the two players begin a scene based on the suggestion.
At any point during the scene, somebody from the backline will call out “Freeze!”
This person will then step forward, choose somebody to replace, and tag them out. They will
then assume the same position, while the other person remains frozen. After the new player
is in position, they will initiate an entirely new scene, justifying the position they were
frozen in. Nothing needs to carry over from one scene to the next.
Players will continually call “Freeze” during the scenes and tag each other out for as
long as desired.
Variations:
You can play Blind Freeze. During this variation, the backline will turn around and
will need to blindly call “Freeze” even though they can’t see the action on stage. This makes
you need to think harder to justify a new scene.
As a rule of thumb, avoid teaching scenes (when the two players are in the same pose,
and one person is trying to show the other how to do something). These scenes are typically
uninteresting and have little room to progress.
The best scenes in this game are largely physical. This gives a lot of creativity for the
freezers coming in.
This game also serves as a good intro-to-improv game for a lot of new people. It is
easy and laid-back, with simple rules and no crazy gimmicks or restrictions.
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Do-Run-Run No. 6.8
Type of Game: Musical, Elimination

Skills: Creativity
Description: Players stand in a line and sing along to a song, while trying to rhyme the end of
each line.
Instructions:
This game works best with six players. The players will stand in a line. The leader will
get a suggestion of a one-syllable word or name from the audience, and then pick a person in
the line to go first. After this, the leader will begin clapping and counting for the song with a
“5, 6, 5 6 7 8.”
Everybody will chant the opening line together. Then the first person will begin with
a line that introduces the name/suggestion, and how they met them. Between each line,
everybody will sing together again. On each new line of the song, the next person standing
in the line must sing it. Each line has either 12 or 5 syllables in it and must always end with a
rhyme to the initial word. The first line is always the same structure of 12 syllables. The
second line is also 12 syllables. The next three lines are all five syllables. After all five lines
are done, the music repeats, with the next person saying the first line again. If the song
reaches the end of the line, it begins again at the front.
When somebody messes up either the beat or the rhyme, doesn’t rhyme, or repeats a
rhyme, then the leader and the audience will scream “die” and that player is eliminated.
Then the leader will get a new word/name from the audience, pick somebody to start, and
begin again. Each round will speed up slightly.
The game will continue with the singing and rhyming until the last two people face
off. After this final round, the last person standing is the winner and the game is over.
The lyrics to the game go as follow, with the underlined lines changing depending
upon the player, and the bolded words must rhyme.
“A do-run-run-run, a do-run-run.”
“I met him on a Monday and his name was Bill.”
“A do-run-run-run, a do-run-run.”
“He lived at the top of a very big hill.”
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“A do-run-run-run, a do-run-run. A do-dee-do, yeah.”
“He was pret-ty chill.”
“A do-dee-do, yeah.”
“He never had his fill.”
“A do-dee-do, yeah.”
“And then all was still.”
After this, the lyrics repeat over and over, until a player messes up.
Variations:
For an extreme challenge, try rhyming with two or three syllable words.
Other variations include not rhyming but trying to tell a cohesive story from person
to person. Furthermore, you could even try to rhyme and tell a story.
Other versions include “truth-run-run,” where every line doesn’t need to rhyme, but
must be an objective, indisputable fact of nature. Other variations include telling subjective
opinions every line, or telling personal stories or facts.
It is imperative that the leader snap to the beat and invites the audience to snap and
sing along as well. As such, the leader should learn how fast to snap for the first few rounds,
and then how to speed it up. The game should get faster over time and become more
energetic. Make sure to start the game slow enough so it has room to grow as it continues.
It is possible to be eliminated from messing up the name on the first line.
The audience is the judge of when people are eliminated. The leader should tell them
beforehand to yell “DIE!” when they believe somebody should be out. There are cases where
the players will survive by being slightly off or by stretching the rhyme a little bit.
The music is on the next page. It is very hard to write the rhythm, and it sounds
incorrect when played, but the melody is correct. The pitch and rhythm of it really doesn’t
matter much, so just chant along with the game however you’d like.
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Beastie Raps No. 6.9
Type of Game: Musical, Competition

Skills: Communication, Listening, Teamwork
Description: Two teams of people compete in a rap battle, depending on their team members
to guess their rhyme.
Instructions:
This game works best with six people. The people will divide into two teams of three,
and each team will pick a member to go first. The leader begins the game by getting a
suggestion of a one-syllable word or object. Then they pick a person to start first.
Each round consists of a back-and-forth “rap battle” between the two teams. The very
first line is introducing the object. The person leading each team will set up a rhyme, ending
in a word that rhymes with the suggestion. However, the team leader cannot say the word.
Their team-members must yell out the correct word the team leader was thinking of, in-
sync, at the end of the line.
If the team members yell different words, or if they yell the wrong word, that team
loses the round and the team leader cycles to another person in that team. The rounds
continue and repeat, until one team has lost three rounds.
An example of the game’s dialogue. The bolded words indicate words that must
rhyme:
Team 1 Leader: “Spittin’ out a rhyme ‘bout a thing called bat!”
Everyone: “Do, do-do-do, do-do, do-do, do!”
Team 2 Leader: “It has pointy ears, it’s called a…”
Team 2 Backup Singers: “Cat!”
Team 1 Leader: “I fell off the cliff and I went…”
Team 1 Backup Singers: “Splat!”
Variations:
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This game could be played with any number of people, as long as it is at least four
total. There must be two people on each team but having three makes it more interesting
with the backline.
As the leader of your team, make sure you are setting up your rhyme in a way that
only one word can complete it. Each team needs synergy to continually get the rhymes
correct.
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Montage Long-Form No. 6.10
Type of Game: Long-Form

Skills: All
Description: Montage is one of the forms of long-form where the players play freely, creating
scenes as they wish.
Instructions:
Long-form begins with an idea-generator, which can be done in different ways. The
two most common are:
 Living Room, where one volunteer from the players talks about an interesting event
from their life, inspired by a suggestion. The back row can ask questions. The
volunteer will continue talking about anything, until somebody starts a scene.
 Rant, where one volunteer will begin talking about a suggestion. As soon as anybody
in the back row has their own rant, they can tag out the volunteer and start talking.
This will continue, with people swapping each other out, until somebody starts a
scene.
As soon as everyone is sufficiently inspired, they can start a scene by tagging out the
person talking/wiping and initiating a scene.
In montage, the backline will continue starting and playing new scenes by tagging
out/wiping throughout. To start a new scene, somebody from the backline must “wipe” the
scene, by either running through the scene or in front of the scene with their hand up. This
person will then initiate a new scene. New scenes can be inspired by the original rants or by
any of the other ideas expressed in the earlier scenes. They do not need to be related to each
other, but they can be
Players can also “tap out” other players to keep the other characters from that scene
for a new idea.
There are other calls and elements that can be utilized in a montage as well.
 Scene Painting, giving a description of the location of the scene or specifics of the
characters; i.e. “We can see that they are in a neighborhood park,” or “You can see
that he is wearing a ten gallon hat.”
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 Canadian Crosses, which give more context to the scene/location and often help to
play game. This is when a character will enter, deliver one line for comedic effect,
then exit.
 Cut To, cuts to a new area or an event that has been mentioned in the scene; i.e. “ Cut
to the birthday party,” or “Cut to why he has trust issues.”
A montage ends when there is no time left for a performance, or the set reaches a nice
conclusion/button. This is typically between 10 and 20 minutes.
Variations:
Long-form is very flexible, and there are no real rules in place beyond basic rules of
improv. Anything is possible and the only restriction is your imagination.
Sometimes it is better to wipe a scene with no room to grow without a new idea, than
it is to let that scene continue playing. If you notice the players struggling, take initiative and
save them from their scene.
Although the scenes are not connected, there can be recurring characters, themes,
and concepts.
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Narrative Long-Form/Cut No. 6.11

Skills: All
Description: Narrative is one of the forms of long-form where the players will continually
return to the world, typically as the same character.
Instructions:
scene.
As soon as somebody feels sufficiently inspired, they can start a scene by tagging out
the person talking and initiating a scene.
The main different between montage and narrative is that narrative is telling a
cohesive story about characters in a certain world. As such, all the scenes are in the same
universe, and most players will play the same characters almost the entire time.
In narrative, the backline will continue starting and playing new scenes throughout
the duration of the time available. To start a new scene, somebody from the back row must
call out “cut!” This freezes the current scene and gives the initiator a moment to bring in the
appropriate players/characters for the next scene in the story. Anybody can also call “cut
to…” to change the scene to a different place or time, as desired.
Try to play out a plot inspired by the original rants. The scenes should connect and
use the same characters.
When the time is out and the last scene concludes, the narrative is over.
Variations:
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Long-form is very flexible, and there are no real rules in place beyond basic rules of
improv. Anything is possible and the only restriction is your imagination.
There is a lot of creativity available by using “cut.” Scenes can go far in the future, far
in the past, to just down the street, or whatever. It can be used as a storytelling device
however you wish.
Sometimes it is better to wipe a scene with no room to grow without a new idea, than
it is to let that scene continue playing. If you notice the players struggling, take initiative and
save them from their scene.
Narrative is quite challenging, as all players need to be operating together as one to
tell one focused plot. Try to find game and build on it, and keep the world alive and growing,
with room to grow. Even if the plot ends or major things happen, be creative and keep and
open mind and keep telling the story
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Follow the Exiter No. 6.12

Skills: All
Description: Players follow the narrative of every person who exits the scene, following them
to a new location and new scene.
Instructions:
scene.
As soon as somebody feels sufficiently inspired, they can start a scene by tagging out
the person talking and initiating a scene.
The difference between this game and other long forms is that the backline has no
control over how the scene gets cut around. They cannot wipe or cut at will. Instead, the
scene changes whenever anybody on the scene exits. The scene will then follow the exiter to
wherever or whatever they’re doing next.
The only character required to remain constant is the exiter. When somebody else
exits, each player has the choice to be a previous character or a new one entirely, depending
on what they want. Usually, characters, locations, and themes will repeat throughout the
game, making it into a larger story.
When time is out and the last scene concludes, the game is over.
It is important to not get stuck in something too early by exiting at an inopportune
moment and getting stuck in the next scene.
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Pin Drop No. 6.13
Type of Game: Medium-Form

Skills: All
Description: Players create a fully fleshed-out world based on a location, and take turns
recommending and playing scenes in that location.
Instructions:
The leader will get a suggestion of a location from the audience. The game begins
with the players repeatedly stepping forward and declaring what is going on at the location.
If the suggestion is “beach,” some of these declarations could be:
“There’s people sun-burning on the sand and they can’t move.”
“There’s the architect who built a legit castle out of sand.”
“The sharks are preparing to strike when tide rolls in.”
The players will keep listing things off, until the group collectively decides to play
one of the suggestions out in a small scene. These scenes are small, short, and to the point,
but they should introduce characters, game, and help to build the world up further.
After the first scene concludes, only three people of the group will step forward with
ideas about the world. From here on it, it becomes super interesting if the new ideas involve
locations or characters that were already introduced, or if they begin interacting with each
other. This is where the story is built. One of the three ideas is collectively picked, and then
a new scene starts.
This continues repeating. When time is out and the last scene concludes, the game is
over. Hopefully by then, we see so much more at the location than we did at the start.
The group has complete control over where the story can go. There are no restrictions
on what you can do, as long as it is at the suggested location.
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What are the different categories of improv games described in the book?

What are the different categories of improv games described in the book?

What are the different types of games assigned in the book?

What are the different types of games assigned in the book?

Improv Game Book

To the interested improvisor:

Written by Spencer Beckwith

Type of Game: The category/type of the game

Type of Game: Warm-Up

Type of Game: Warm-Up

Type of Game: Warm-Up

Type of Game: Icebreaker

Type of Game: Icebreaker, Elimination

Type of Game: Warm-Up

Type of Game: Competition

Type of Game: Warm-Up

Type of Game: Warm-Up

Type of Game: Warm-Up

Type of Game: Elimination

Type of Game: Elimination

Type of Game: Competition

Type of Game: Warm-Up

Type of Game: Warm-Up

Type of Game: Warm-Up

Type of Game: Warm-Up

Type of Game: Warm-Up

Type of Game: Competition, Gimmick

Type of Game: Warm-Up

Type of Game: Warm-Up, Guessing

Type of Game: Warm-Up, Competition

Type of Game: Warm-Up, Elimination

Type of Game: Warm-Up

Type of Game: Warm-Up

Type of Game: Competition

Type of Game: Warm-Up, Exercise

Type of Game: Warm-Up, Exercise

Type of Game: Warm-Up, Competition

Type of Game: Warm-Up

Type of Game: Warm-Up

Type of Game: Gimmick, Scene

Type of Game: Gimmick, Scene

Type of Game: Gimmick, Scene

Type of Game: Scene

Type of Game: Scene

Type of Game: Guessing

Type of Game: Gimmick, Guessing

Type of Game: Interactive

Type of Game: Gimmick, Scene

Type of Game: Gimmick, Scene

Type of Game: Interactive

Type of Game: Gimmick

Type of Game: Scene

Type of Game: Interactive

Type of Game: Scene

Type of Game: Medium-Form

Type of Game: Guessing

Type of Game: Gimmick, Scene

Type of Game: Guessing

Type of Game: Scene, Elimination