Improv Games
A comprehensive collection of games that can be performed in an improv show in front of an audience.
Categories
Experience
Energy
Audience on stage 2
Puppets
Summary Puppets is an improv format in which two players act out a scene while their entire motor activity (arms, legs, head) is control...
Story Solo
One player stands in front of 4-5 players who are sitting with they backs to the public. The main player starts telling a story for a cou...
Chain Games 9
Award ceremony
A game for 3 players and more. A player goes on stage and calls a player B to the stage. For player B he defines a character, a quirk/ti...
Dutch Square
In the game Dutch Square there are four players on the stage where a scene is always played by only two together. These two stand in fron...
Freeze Tag
Freeze Tag: When the picture stands still and everything starts over The Freeze Tag game is basically adrenaline turned into an art form...
Growing and shrinking
The first player establishes and plays a scene alone. A second player comes in, establishes and plays a completely new scene with the oth...
Scene with a wall
There are four players involved in this game, representing two persons. In the middle of the stage there is a wall. Two players will alw...
The central theme
A real object from the audience is placed on a stage. The object is really the object it is. This object specifies the location of the fi...
The hitch-hiker
Two players sit next to each other in a car. One drives, the other is a passenger. Then they see a hitch-hiker standing by the side of th...
Thing on Thing
This game requires that some items are already available before the game starts - for example, as part of a "Bring Your Thing"show. But t...
Toaster
4 to 6 players are sitting on the stage, spread out well. The game master now whistles or claps his hands at different intervals. At eac...
Dialogue Form 7
"3 free" - Three sentences free
Often there is too much talking in improv scenes and showing too little, this is a nice game & a nice exercise to train this: Each p...
Alliteration
A free scene is played. However, one asks the audience for a letter before the game starts. All players must now start each word with thi...
Expedition
In this game for 4 people there is a moderator and an expert who has has been on an expedition. However, the expert only speaks the lang...
Pen Friends
Two players are sitting on stage. They ware pen-friends for many years know and they meet for the first time. After they greet each oth...
Pootie Tang
3 players play out a scene. 1 person is Pootie Tang and speaks only in gibberish (a.k.a. Gromolo). The other two players must act as tho...
The Voice
The Little Voice This improv game is all about interacting with the invisible. One player acts in a scene while one or more fellow playe...
Translator
A player is on the vacation in Gromololand. He complains to a hotel employee about something bad in his hotel room. Because the hotel emp...
Direction Games 3
Acts of god
Two to Four players start a neutral scene. Additional players may be on the bench(es). One player is god. God periodically freezes the sc...
Buzz
Actors 2-4 Suggestions location, conflict, characters Premise A scene is built from the given suggestions, but at any point, either fol...
Cut and paste
The players play a normal scene, based on the suggestion of the audience. At any time, the moderator can call "Cut" to remove ("cut out")...
Dubbing 3
Dubbed commercial
A person is seated aside from the stage and from the other players on stage. 2 players (or 3 or even more) now play the sellers of a tel...
Synchro Replay
First, a base scene is played by 2 to 3 players. The same number of players goes out the door and does not see this scene. Then the playe...
Three Way Dubbing
Synonyms Cross dubbing Introduction In this scene there will be three characters, and each of the character’s voices will be supplied ...
Emotion Games 4
Emotional replay
A short scene is played by two to three players with a pretence of an everyday plot (or something else). This is then repeated two or th...
Roller Coaster
Before the scene begins, the audience is asked for feelings or genres. The emcee makes sure that there are enough positive and negative f...
The hitch-hiker
Two players sit next to each other in a car. One drives, the other is a passenger. Then they see a hitch-hiker standing by the side of th...
Trizophrenia
A game for four players. However, only two people at a time play it on the stage. One of the two is a trizophren. That means he has mult...
Guessing Games 3
Animatronics Jamboree
Players Typically 6-10 Type Gimmick Rules One player from each team is sent out of the room. (This game can be played with one team,...
Boris
Scene for 3 actors. There is a commissioner who has to solve a crime. There is a secretary who gives hidden clues and a defendant who ha...
Reclamation
One player goes outside. The public chooses an object that he must return to a store because it is broken, he doesn't like it or somethin...
In Black and White 3
Actor’s Nightmare
Introduction In this scene one actor will read all her lines from a script, while the other actor must justify those lines and a scene w...
Blindline
Players 3+ Type Scene Rules Players leave the room while the Host collects lines of dialogue. These lines are written on small slips...
Whose line
The famous improv TV show "Whose line is it anyway" was named after this game. Before the games starts (maybe during a break) the audien...
Letter Games 4
Alphabet Game
The Alphabet Game (also known as the ABC Game) is a classic improv game where two players perform a scene with one strict constraint: eac...
Avoid a letter
One of the players has the task to avoid a certain, predefined letter when speaking on stage. If he/she nevertheless pronounces it, he wi...
F.I.S.H.
Players 2+ Description Ask for a short word. Players act a scene in which each line of dialogue starts with successive letters of the ...
Orlando Alliteration
A free scene is played. However, the audience assigns a letter to each player before the game begins. Players must now begin each word wi...
Music Games 10
Anette, the nice one
Anette, the nice one, is an incredibly friendly person who goes for a walk with her pet. Again and again she meets people who have little...
Ballad singer
A player is the ballad singer, who starts to sing with the help of a suggestion from the audience. A second player plays in slow motion e...
Biographical song
The moderator asks an audience member to enter the stage. This person may sit on a chair. Some biographical data such as name, hobby, fav...
Blind musical
This is a musical version of the game Whose line: The audience is asked to write a simple sentence on the notes previously provided. Eit...
Chorus groove
In the chorus groove (also known as Conclusion song), 5 to 7 players/singers are placed side by side on stage. The host asks the audience...
Duet
Duet 1: Two singers look at each other. Singer A sings his four-line verse. B sings his four-line verse. Meanwhile, A sings his again fo...
Klapphörnchen
The "Klapphörnchen" is a revue song, which at the end of a show performance shows the best played scenes as sung scenes or the scenes are...
Music-Café
The director asks the audience for the name of the cafe. In this café 3 or 4 players gather and talk about this and that. As soon as the...
Sing a dialogue
A teams of two players starts a dialogue about something (weather, everyday life...) After a short time the music begins and the 2 player...
That sounds like a song
It can be played in any scene, with or without suggestions from the audience. When a meaningful sentence is said, the game leader stops ...
Objects 4
Bring your thing
They ask for objects the audience has with them. One of the proposed objects will be put on stage and played on, i. e. The following scen...
Hat off
This game is particularly suitable for theater sports matches as there is a winning and losing team. Prerequisite is a hat from the props...
The central theme
A real object from the audience is placed on a stage. The object is really the object it is. This object specifies the location of the fi...
Thing on Thing
This game requires that some items are already available before the game starts - for example, as part of a "Bring Your Thing"show. But t...
Other 6
185 xxx walk into a bar
Not really improv theater but done by a quite a few troupes, and fun when done well. Get a term, e.g. Elephants. The lines go like this: ...
Anything Fabric
Time: 5 Minutes *Number of Participants: * Preferably for groups of about 10-15 people. *Required Equipment: * A piece of fabric large ...
Gentle manipulation - dressage
A nice exercise to listen to and get into the game with each other. Player A leaves the room, the other players define an activity or ac...
New Choice
Rules Players perform a scene based on an audience suggestion. At any point during the scene, the Host may blow a whistle and call for a...
Rollback
A scene is alluded to. A third person (player or moderator) is at the edge of the stage and stops at some point. Now, a striking event fr...
Walking with speed levels
Players are distributed in the room. The task is to walk every which way through the room at increasing speeds. The leader announces "Ste...
Physical Contact 1
Replay 10
Before or after
In this game, the audience directs indirectly by making decisions. 2 or more players play a free starting scene. After the scene the au...
Countdown
Actors any number Suggestions variable, often a location, conflict, possibly characters/quirks, or none Premise With or without suggest...
Emotional replay
A short scene is played by two to three players with a pretence of an everyday plot (or something else). This is then repeated two or th...
Fairytale Replay
A well known fairytale from the spectators will be used as a guideline. This tale is then played briefly in a neutral scene. Then the fa...
From the viewpoint of
A replay game, with 3 players. One starts with a neutral scene. When these end, they will be reviewed from the point of view of one of th...
Genre replay
Genre replay is one of the most popular games at improv theater. First an arbitrary suggestion (e. g. an everyday action) is taken from t...
One for all
An improv game for 3 (or more) players. *First of all, a normal free improv scene is played. It is important that in this scene there i...
Replay of the High Arts
Neutral scene, ask for can be a place, an object or a relationship . Scene is repeated. Peculiarity: it is spoken in rhymes. Scene is ...
Synchro Replay
First, a base scene is played by 2 to 3 players. The same number of players goes out the door and does not see this scene. Then the playe...
Word replay
First, as with all replay games, a free scene is played. Make sure that the players make a lot of speeches and long sentences. In the fir...
Slapstick-Bustle-Action 3
Mousetraps
Summary Mousetraps is an extreme improv format that blurs the line between theatre and a thrill ride. The performers come on stage baref...
Scene with a wall
There are four players involved in this game, representing two persons. In the middle of the stage there is a wall. Two players will alw...
Sit, Stand, Lay
Actors 3 Suggestions location, conflict, characters as necessary Premise Within the provided framework of the location and conflict,...
Speech 9
Alliteration
A free scene is played. However, one asks the audience for a letter before the game starts. All players must now start each word with thi...
Award ceremony
A game for 3 players and more. A player goes on stage and calls a player B to the stage. For player B he defines a character, a quirk/ti...
One word story
One-word stories come in several forms: All in a row 4 or 5 players line up in a row. The audience dictates the title of the story and ...
Radio Mix
The players stand in a line in front of the spectators. Each player is assigned a radio station. Now, the channels (players) change...
Story Solo
One player stands in front of 4-5 players who are sitting with they backs to the public. The main player starts telling a story for a cou...
The Conscience
Two players start a normal scene. Whenever it fits in the further course of the scene, two other players speak now the conscience of the ...
Three dead characters
Three (or four) players stand in a row on the stage and the host asks the audience for a type of death for each of them. The players now ...
Throwing light
This exercise is for more than 4 players. Two players choose a topic of conversation and the other players have to guess the topic. The ...
Worlds worst
A game for quick jokes and short laughs. The Moderator asks the audience for e. g. - a profession (i.e. police officer) - a hobby (i.e. ...
Switches 13
Animal Rollercoaster
The scene is played with 2-3 players. Before the game the audience will shout different animals to the leader. As in the games Roller ...
Bingo
A scene that is played with three people. As soon as a number is spoken by the performers in the scene, they switch positions and play t...
Color Change
Three colours are given to the audience e.g. - red - yellow and - blue. Now they are asked to invent locations matching the colors, s...
Cut and paste
The players play a normal scene, based on the suggestion of the audience. At any time, the moderator can call "Cut" to remove ("cut out")...
Freeze Tag
Freeze Tag: When the picture stands still and everything starts over The Freeze Tag game is basically adrenaline turned into an art form...
Monkey in the Middle
Three players do two scenes. Player A is called the "Monkey". He plays a scene with player B. When the host calls it (calling "Switch"...
Multiple personalities
Silly, funny little shortform game. Played by 3 players. The host asks the audience to hand over three props. Then the host ask for a su...
Potpourri
Any scene with any guideline will be played The catch is: the moderator interrupts repeatedly and demands a decision about the show. Ther...
Radio Mix
The players stand in a line in front of the spectators. Each player is assigned a radio station. Now, the channels (players) change...
Role reversal
Role reversal is a game for two or three players At the interjection, players must exchange roles among one another. Player A takes the p...
Roller Coaster
Before the scene begins, the audience is asked for feelings or genres. The emcee makes sure that there are enough positive and negative f...
Slideshow
Several actors depict a scene in mime. A presenter then spontaneously describes what can be seen in that picture On a given command t...
Trizophrenia
A game for four players. However, only two people at a time play it on the stage. One of the two is a trizophren. That means he has mult...
Talking 9
Alliteration
A free scene is played. However, one asks the audience for a letter before the game starts. All players must now start each word with thi...
Backwards Interview
This game is based on a fictional interview. The twist is that you start with the last sentence, and end with the first sentence; thereby...
Conducted Story
Introduction Let’s get four or five players in a line and one person to conduct a story. Description The goal of the conducted story i...
Dr. Know-It-All
Dr. Know-it-all is an amazingly intelligent man, who will be interviewed on a special topic, and is played simultaneously by three player...
One word story
One-word stories come in several forms: All in a row 4 or 5 players line up in a row. The audience dictates the title of the story and ...
Pen Friends
Two players are sitting on stage. They ware pen-friends for many years know and they meet for the first time. After they greet each oth...
Press Conference
One player A leaves the room / venue. The host asks the audience for a famous person or character and an announcement this character has ...
Questions Only
In this exercise the player's dialogue takes place only in a form of a question. Nevertheless the fundamental information is given and it...
The Conscience
Two players start a normal scene. Whenever it fits in the further course of the scene, two other players speak now the conscience of the ...
3 X different
Two people face each other. Round 1 They mutually count repeatedly "one", "two", "three". Automatically the start with "one" changes: ...
Accept
The most important rule of improvisation is: accept offers of players. Rejecting automatically stops, disrupts, or impedes every improvis...
ACME Comedy Theatre
The ACME Comedy Theatre is a sketch comedy and improvisational theater located near Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, ACME was started...
Action and Reaction
Improv rarely fails for lack of ideas, usually it fails for the exact opposite. Whoever feels they need to deliver right now keeps pushin...
Action emotion detail
A player tells a story. Three other players give the narrator a sign (touch, sound, gesture) if they want to hear more action, more emoti...
Advance and Expand
Introduction This exercise focuses on raising the stakes and exploration of the environment. Please set up a scene. Description The pl...
An illustration
In this game, two or three players are involved. So the game begins with a member of the audience go on the stage, and a second or thi...
Apartment Building
The form apartment building all the scenes within a house play in different apartments. In these three to four storylines, stories with s...
Ask For
Ask Fors are concepts, facts or things which the improv player or the moderator ascertains or receives from the audience, before beginnin...
Atlas Improv Co.
Atlas Improv Co. is a professional improvisational theatre company in Madison, WI. The company was formed in 2004 by a group of former C...
Attitude
In improvisational theater attitude can have several meanings. An attitude, a personal opinion, or a feeling about something: a personal...
Audience
The audience has several tasks and functions in improvisation theatre. conventional theatre In conventional (staged) theatre, the audie...
Ball Metamorphosis
The players are standing in a circle. An imaginary ball is thrown by the moderator. Each time a player receives the ball and throws it to...
Bang
A warmup for concentration. All players position themselves in a circle. In circle will now be counted upwards, player 1 says "1", playe...
Barcelona Improv Group (BIG)
Barcelona Improv Group was founded in January 2011 by a couple of avid improvisers with no one to play with. An outgrowth of the New Engl...
What is an improv game?
An improv game is a structured format with simple rules that focuses an improvised scene. Some games are designed to teach a specific skill (listening, status, narrative). Others give the audience a clear way to participate, like calling out suggestions or stopping the scene. A few are pure performance pieces: fast, funny, hard to mess up.
Improv games are usually short (2 to 5 minutes). They sit in the middle ground between warm-ups (group drills with no audience) and longer scenic work (open-ended scenes or long-form structures). Most improv groups mix games freely with scene work in a show.
Types of improv games
Short-form games are the staples of Whose Line Is It Anyway?-style shows: discrete units of 2 to 5 minutes with a single comedic constraint. Examples: Freeze Tag, New Choice, World’s Worst.
Audience-participation games invite the public to suggest, vote, or join in. Examples: Press Conference, Story Story Die, Big Booty.
Format games are larger structures that shape a whole sequence of scenes. The Harold, La Ronde, and the Armando are sometimes treated as “games” even though each is really a long-form format.
Training games are played in workshops rather than shows. They build a specific skill: listening, status, character commitment, group focus. Many can graduate to the stage once a group masters them.
Game or exercise? The boundary is fluid
The line between an improv game and an improv exercise is rarely sharp. The same activity can be a quiet training drill in a workshop and a show-ready piece on stage; what changes is the focus and the framing. A simple Yes-And exercise becomes a comedy game when two strong characters take it in front of an audience. A high-status/low-status scene from a status workshop can headline a Theatresport match. Many of the “games” listed below started life as Spolin exercises and only later picked up an audience.
Category labels on this page are pragmatic, not definitive. If a piece works best in training, we call it an exercise. If it has a clear audience hook (a constraint, an interaction, a payoff), we call it a game. A handful of entries appear in both lists with a slightly different framing.
How to choose the right improv game
A few questions help narrow down the list:
- Who is in the room? Beginners need games with clear rules and forgiving structures. Experienced players can handle more abstract or open-ended formats.
- What is the goal? A workshop on listening calls for different games than a show that needs to start big and loud.
- How much time do you have? A 90-minute training has room for setup, repetition, and reflection. A five-minute opener does not.
- What is the group energy? A quiet room benefits from a high-energy warm-up-style game. A wound-up room may need a focused, slower game first.
When in doubt, pick a game everyone in the room has played before. The point of improv is not to learn rules in front of the audience.
How to use this collection
Each game has a card showing the group size, energy level, and recommended experience. Click into any game for the full instructions, common variations, and community notes.
You can filter the list below by category, number of players, energy level, or skill focus. The category filter is the fastest way to find games that match a specific show or training goal.
If you are running a show, mix energy levels. Two high-intensity games in a row will tire the audience. Pace yourself: open with something visual and warm, build to a sharp middle, and close with a piece that lets the cast breathe.
Frequently asked questions
Are improv games and improv exercises the same thing? They overlap, but most teachers use “exercise” for training-room drills (often without a story arc) and “game” for anything that could be shown to an audience. The boundary is fuzzy and the labels vary by tradition.
What are the best improv games for beginners? Yes And, The Story Spine, and One-Word Story are starting points in most introductory classes. They teach the core principles (accepting offers, building together) with very few rules to remember.
Which games work without a stage? Plenty. Bus Stop, Park Bench, Three Things, and almost any name game work in a circle, a classroom, or a living room. Improv was born in basement workshops, not on big stages.
How many improv games exist? Hundreds, many of them variations of the same core formats. improwiki currently lists hundreds of active games in English, with descriptions, variations, and links to source traditions where known.