Skip to content

Improv Encyclopedia

In this encyclopedia you'll find games and exercises, as well as other interesting things about improv theatre.

Ask Fors 3

Genre List 39

Genre

Genres classify works by shared content or formal traits. In improv theatre, the genres usually played come from film, TV, theatre, music...

Genre Action Film

The action film is a film genre in which conflicts are settled mainly through fights, violence and chases. At its centre is usually a sin...

Genre Adventure Film

The adventure film sends its hero on a great journey into distant, exotic or dangerous worlds. At its centre lie courage, the spirit of d...

Genre Bollywood Film

Bollywood films are productions of the Hindi-language film industry in Mumbai (formerly Bombay) and the most prolific cinema segment in t...

Genre Brechtian Theatre

Epic theatre Theatre in Brecht's style is so-called "epic theatre". It aims to depict large-scale social conflicts — war, revolution, ec...

Genre Children's Film

The children's film tells stories for a young audience with children as protagonists, clear morals and a tone built on wonder, warmth and...

Genre Cooking Show

The cooking show is a TV genre in which the preparation of food is publicly staged. Depending on the format, the focus may lie on pure kn...

Genre Crime Film

In a crime film, a crime is always committed — usually a murder. It is solved as a rule by the lead character(s), most often a police off...

Genre Eastern

The Eastern is the Asian counterpart to the Western: an umbrella term for action films from East Asia in which honour, the sword, martial...

Genre Epic

The epic (German "Monumentalfilm") is a large-scale film with historical, mythological or religious subject matter, distinguished by extr...

Genre Erotic Film

The erotic film tells of desire, seduction and sexual tension. It occupies its own genre field next to pornography — where the latter sho...

Genre Fairy Tale

The fairy tale is one of the oldest and most rewarding genres for improv theatre. It tells, in simple language, of magical events, sharpl...

Genre Fantasy

Fantasy tells of worlds in which magic, mythical creatures and myth are as self-evident as electricity and cars are for us. The heroes us...

Genre Fassbinder Films

Rainer Werner Fassbinder (1945–1982) is one of the defining directors of New German Cinema. In just thirteen years he made over forty fil...

Genre Film Noir

The classic film noir, also called "Black Series", is marked by strong light-and-dark contrasts, alienated or embittered protagonists and...

Icebreaker Games 6

Improv Exercises 165

3 X different

Games

Two people face each other. Round 1 They mutually count repeatedly "one", "two", "three". Automatically the start with "one" changes: ...

2–2 lively Beginner

4 Sentence Story

Exercises

Players stand in a circle or a line to tell short stories. Each player contributes exactly one sentence. The four sentences follow this m...

4–15 calm Beginner

5 Sentence Story

Exercises

Simple storytelling in 5 steps, playable in pairs or small groups: Character and place — introduce a person and where they are Second c...

2–6 calm Beginner

Active Post

Exercises

A mix of charades and telephone. For 5 players: The facilitator shows Player 1 a compound word (e.g. 'anthill'). Player 1 must act it ou...

5–5 lively Beginner

Advance and Illustrate

Exercises

The players begin a scene. From outside, either only by the trainer or also by everyone watching, two commands are called in depending on...

3–8 calm Beginner Intermediate

AED (Action Emotion Detail)

Exercises

One player tells a story. Three others give signals when they want more Action, more Emotion, or more Detail. Each is responsible for one...

4–4 calm Beginner Intermediate

After the Catastrophe

Exercises

Two players sit at an angle, visible to each other and the audience. Their task: without speaking, using only facial expressions and gest...

2–2 calm Intermediate

An illustration

Games

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...

2–3 calm Beginner Intermediate

Assertion Marathon

Exercises

Two players must pack as many assertions as possible into a scene. Every assertion must drive the scene forward. This trains bold offers...

2–2 lively Intermediate

Association Circle

Exercises

All players form a circle. One in the circle says a word to their neighbour. The neighbour associates a new word with that term and says ...

4–20 calm Beginner

Association Circle with Recall

Exercises

In the first phase, several rounds of free association go around the circle (as in the basic Association Circle). In the second phase, e...

4–15 calm Beginner

Association Walk

Exercises

Everyone walks through the room. One player suddenly stops with a loud stomp and points at someone. Everyone freezes. The stomper says a...

4–20 lively Beginner

Being Positive

Exercises

A normal scene begins. The players must be relentlessly, persistently positive throughout. The moment any player shows a hint of negativi...

2–4 calm Beginner

Bell Tower

Exercises

The group forms a circle, everyone puts their arms around their neighbors. All look down at the center of the circle. Swaying gently in r...

5–20 calm Beginner

Bench takeover

Games

The park bench is the ultimate test for any improviser. Two worlds collide here: the pure openness of the person sitting and the creative...

3–3 lively Beginner Intermediate

Improv Forms 17

Apartment Building

Games

The form apartment building all the scenes within a house play in different apartments. In these three to four storylines, stories with s...

4–8 calm Intermediate Professional

Books Parade

Games

This long form can be played two different ways. In both variations the audience would be asked beforehand to bring books of poetry, shor...

3–8 calm Intermediate Professional

Bring your thing

Games

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...

2–6 lively Beginner

Camp Fire

Games

Basics Campfire is a narrative long form. It belongs to the horror stories genre. The stories are based on tales from the audience. Camp...

3–3 calm Intermediate

Found Objects

Games

In the long-form Found Objects the player brings everyday objects with them onto the stage. I deals with completly usuual objects but tha...

3–8 calm Intermediate Professional

Harold

The Harold is a Longform developed by Del Close. The original form is described in "Truth in comedy" by Del Close and Charna Halpern. Bas...

Lotus

3 players form 3 pairs. Players A and B : pair 1 Players B and C : pair 2 Player C and A: pair 3 Pair 1 begins and establishes their ...

Online Improv Show Technical Guides

Games

There are various possibilities to create a live online impro show. There are multiple variations of technical setups with different Too...

1–1 calm Beginner

Peekabooker

Peekabooker is a long format developed by Peekaboo. It is also know as ImproPoker. The basis is a simple deck of cards, originally wi...

Slumdog Impronair

The game Slumdog Impronair is a long form game, inspired by the movie Slumdog Millionaire. The game begins with six contestants and a pr...

Spokes

The name of the game Spokes is derived from the basic structure of this long form. A large number of scenes are grouped around a basic sc...

Stage Directions

Games

Players 3+ Rules Players perform an ordinary scene based on an audience suggestion. A player outside of the scene will occasionally in...

3–6 lively Beginner Intermediate

Superscene

Games

Three to five people can take part in this game. Each of the players is responsible for one of the stories, as its director. He introduce...

3–5 lively Intermediate

The Butterfly Effect

Games

a modification of anti-freeze tag where the plot* begins by going in reverse chronological order and then the first scene (in terms of st...

4–8 lively Intermediate Professional

The Milano

Games

The Milano, composed and first played by the Belgian improvgroup; Salamie. It is a composition which contains 4 existing formats (games, ...

4–8 calm Intermediate Professional

Improv Games 42

Countdown

Games

Actors any number Suggestions variable, often a location, conflict, possibly characters/quirks, or none Premise With or without suggest...

2–6 lively Beginner

Customer Service

Games

Actors 2 or more Suggestions object, what's wrong with it, and a celebrity who previously owned it Premise One actor serves as a cus...

2–4 lively Beginner

Drop A Line

Games

Actors 2-4 Suggestions squibs with lines of dialogue, quotes, phrases, etc. Also location, setting, characters, etc., as necessary Pr...

2–4 lively Beginner Intermediate

Emotional Workplace

Games

Three actors are playing at working places given by the audience. Each player gets a related feeling. Example: Player A has sadness as ...

3–3 lively Beginner Intermediate

Family Dinner

Games

A game where audience members can be involved. Get an audience member to describe several members of their family. Do a scene about a di...

3–6 lively Beginner Intermediate

F.I.S.H.

Games

Players 2+ Description Ask for a short word. Players act a scene in which each line of dialogue starts with successive letters of the ...

2–4 lively Intermediate

Hat off

Games

This game is particularly suitable for theater sports matches as there is a winning and losing team. Prerequisite is a hat from the props...

4–8 lively Beginner Intermediate

Help!

Games

2-4 players improvise a scene according to any guideline. The rest of the players look on and hold themselves ready. Whenever a player fe...

4–10 lively Beginner Intermediate

Horoscope

Games

The moderator asks for a zodiac sign and then reads the current horoscope prediction from a magazine. The players then play a scene in wh...

2–5 lively Beginner Intermediate

Job Center

Games

A player leaves the room. The public is asked to name an extraordinary profession. The player is invited back in, sits behind his desk an...

3–6 calm Beginner

Last word - first word

Games

Two players can participate in this game A random rule is added. The tricky part is, that in the dialogue between the two, the last w...

2–4 calm Intermediate

Living Scenery

Games

Another funny, silly shortform game. The host asks for a suggestion of a situation or a daily routine at a location. Two players then ac...

3–6 lively Beginner

MacGyver

Games

Summary MacGyver is an improv game for two players in which the audience throws them into a life-threatening situation — and gives them ...

2–2

Marriage Guidance

Games

A game for three players. One player is the therapist, the other players are the couple for treatment. The first couple is sent out and t...

3–3 lively Beginner Intermediate

Multi-headed Expert

Games

At least three players form a character, the multi-headed expert. To achieve this they stand next to each other and put their arms around...

3–5 calm Beginner Intermediate

Improv Glossary 48

Accept

Games

The most important rule of improvisation is: accept offers of players. Rejecting automatically stops, disrupts, or impedes every improvis...

2–6 calm Beginner

Action and Reaction

Games

Improv rarely fails for lack of ideas, usually it fails for the exact opposite. Whoever feels they need to deliver right now keeps pushin...

2–6 calm Beginner Intermediate

Ask For

Games

Ask Fors are concepts, facts or things which the improv player or the moderator ascertains or receives from the audience, before beginnin...

2–8 calm Beginner

Attitude

Games

In improvisational theater attitude can have several meanings. An attitude, a personal opinion, or a feeling about something: a personal...

2–6 calm Beginner Intermediate

Audience

Games

The audience has several tasks and functions in improvisation theatre. conventional theatre In conventional (staged) theatre, the audie...

2–8 calm Beginner

Authenticity

Authenticity: The art of getting out of your own way We talk about it all the time in training, we go after it in every scene like it's ...

Beat

Picture this: you're at a party telling a joke. You hit the punchline, everyone laughs — and then you just keep talking about the weather...

Blocking

Blocking: When we steal the show from ourselves Blocking — or just "blocking" — is honestly the classic improv mistake we all make on st...

Break

Games

Taking a break during a performance is always recommended when the whole performance lasts longer than about one hour. If the group has d...

1–1 calm Beginner

Cancel

Games

During a performance, the host may, in exceptional cases, call off an ongoing scene — that is, end it definitively when it has completely...

2–6 calm Intermediate

Chairs

Games

Chairs are usually the only real prop, which is present from the outset or at the edge of the stage and actually used when needed for gam...

2–8 calm Beginner

Character

Games

The character in improv theater is the represented fictional being that does not exist in reality. This being can be a human or animal or...

2–6 calm Beginner Intermediate

Clapping

Games

The clapping of a player not involved on the current scene, or of the moderator, is the common way to signal the currently active players...

2–8 calm Beginner

Clothes

Games

A theatre group can agree to wear items of clothing of one color or several colors during an appearance For example, it is common (also f...

2–8 calm Beginner

Conflict

Games

It is often the conflict that makes a scene interesting. For example, when the room is set up and the routines are established, thus th...

2–6 calm Beginner Intermediate

Improv Groups 15

Barcelona Improv Group (BIG)

Games

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...

1–1 calm Beginner

Cachorrada Impro Clube

Games

Fan page: https://www.facebook.com/CachorradaImproClube Country: Brazil (Brasil) City: Rio de Janeiro Since 2011, the group is formed ...

1–1 calm Beginner

Dangerbox Improv

Games

Dangerbox is a longform improv team hailing from New York University. They play free monthly shows for the NYU student body, as well as p...

1–1 calm Beginner

Dirty Scoundrels

Games

Dirty Scoundrels are an improvisational theatre troupe, based in Maribor, Slovenia. They've been doing impro actively since 1998 under di...

1–1 calm Beginner

Improv.pl

Games

Improv.pl has been entertaining audiences in English since 2013. The team is one of the few organic/dynamic teams in the world. This mean...

1–1 calm Beginner

Imprudentes

Games

Founded in 2011 in Rio de Janeiro , Brazil , Imprudentes began doing TheaterSports. The group consists of one actor, one chemical enginee...

1–1 calm Beginner

ITC Impro Training Center

Games

ITC Impro Training Center es mucho más que una escuela de improvisación en Barcelona al uso. Es un centro integral de formación y entrena...

1–1 calm Beginner

K.A.R.L. Improv

Games

K.A.R.L. Improv is a short and long-form improvisational comedy group out of Washington University in St. Louis, in St. Louis, Missouri. ...

1–1 calm Beginner

Kolektiv Narobov

Games

About Kolektiv Narobov is a performing arts collective from Ljubljana, Slovenia. In their very beginnings, the members of the collective...

1–1 calm Beginner

Laugh-Masters Academy - "Chicago Style" Long Form Improv & Sketch Comedy School in Australia

Games

Laugh-Masters Academy is Australia's first and only not-for-profit "Chicago Style" Long Form (Longform) Improv and Sketch Comedy School t...

1–1 calm Beginner

Rapid Fire Theatre

Games

Rapid Fire Theatre (RFT) is an improvisational theatre company based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. History The origins of the company s...

1–1 calm Beginner

TAMTi

Games

An improv group based in Brno, Czech Republic. TAMTi were founded in 2011 by a couple of strangers who found each other trough an ad and ...

1–1 calm Beginner

Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre

Games

Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre is home to all things comedy and we offer improv classes in Los Angeles and New York City. Our extensive...

1–1 calm Beginner

Waiheke Comedy Show

Games

A troope of 10 Improvisors and Stand Up comedians enjoying playing together, performing and learning the gloriously ridiculous craft of c...

1–1 calm Beginner

Yes, Chef!

Games

Yes, Chef! is an improv House Team at The People's Improv Theater that performs as part of Super Free Monday. Their first show was on Jul...

1–1 calm Beginner

Lists 7

Long Forms 27

Apartment Building

Games

The form apartment building all the scenes within a house play in different apartments. In these three to four storylines, stories with s...

4–8 calm Intermediate Professional

Armando

Armando (named after Armando Diaz, based on an idea by Del Close) The Armando is similar to the format Melanie. An Armando might follow...

Books Parade

Games

This long form can be played two different ways. In both variations the audience would be asked beforehand to bring books of poetry, shor...

3–8 calm Intermediate Professional

Camp Fire

Games

Basics Campfire is a narrative long form. It belongs to the horror stories genre. The stories are based on tales from the audience. Camp...

3–3 calm Intermediate

City Lifespacer

City Lifespacer is a long form played by Randy Dixon and Unexpected Productions when on tour in unfamiliar cities. City Lifespacer is a ...

Found Objects

Games

In the long-form Found Objects the player brings everyday objects with them onto the stage. I deals with completly usuual objects but tha...

3–8 calm Intermediate Professional

Harold

The Harold is a Longform developed by Del Close. The original form is described in "Truth in comedy" by Del Close and Charna Halpern. Bas...

Lotus

3 players form 3 pairs. Players A and B : pair 1 Players B and C : pair 2 Player C and A: pair 3 Pair 1 begins and establishes their ...

Melanie

The Melanie game was also developed by Del Close. At the start, a single player stands in front of the audience and takes a suggestion. ...

Peekabooker

Peekabooker is a long format developed by Peekaboo. It is also know as ImproPoker. The basis is a simple deck of cards, originally wi...

Props Vault

For this long form, various objects from the theatre's prop collection (or from your attic, basement, second-hand shop, etc.) are placed ...

3–8

Reigen

Origin The Reigen takes its model from the play of the same name by Arthur Schnitzler. In the play, different characters appear one afte...

Santa is Dead, Long Live Santa

Santa Claus is dead and he needs a successor — that is what this evening is built around. Rough timeline Time in minutes — activity 00...

Slumdog Impronair

The game Slumdog Impronair is a long form game, inspired by the movie Slumdog Millionaire. The game begins with six contestants and a pr...

Spokes

The name of the game Spokes is derived from the basic structure of this long form. A large number of scenes are grouped around a basic sc...

More Improv 1

Organisation 5

Rules & Tips 3

Warm-ups 129

Alien, Tiger, Cow

Warm-ups

Alien, Tiger, Cow: The Quick Group Wake-Up The short version: Alien, Tiger, Cow is basically the group take on "Rock, Paper, Scissors" —...

5–20 lively Beginner

Alliterative Names

Warm-ups

A name game for new groups to get to know each other. Players stand in a circle. One steps forward, makes a gesture or movement, and say...

Ball Metamorphosis

Games

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...

4–15 lively Beginner

Balloons

Warm-ups

Which group has the most breath? Find out which group has the strongest lungs by trying to keep your balloon in the air longer than the o...

6–30 lively Beginner

Barney

Warm-ups

A silly but nice little warmup game which requires quick reaction and a group rhythm. All players form a circle. One player stands in th...

Be my fan

Warm-ups

The players walk through the room and play rock-paper-scissors with the first person they meet. Whoever loses becomes a fan of the winner...

Bippity Bippity Bop

Games

In this slightly macabre warm-up game, players stand in a circle with one person in the middle. The player in the middle walks up to any ...

6–20 lively Beginner

Blind Stalker

Games

Synonyms Screamers, haunted house, vampyre game Introduction This warm-up builds trust amongst workshop participants and helps break t...

8–20 calm Beginner

Blinking place change

Games

One (A) is in the middle of a large circle formed by all other players. Now the players are looking for eye contact with each other in a ...

6–20 lively Beginner

Block of ice

Games

This is a warm-up practice for the beginning of a rehearsal. The players stand quite stiff and immobile like in a block of ice frozen. H...

3–20 calm Beginner

Bunny Bunny

Warm-ups

Bunny-Bunny: When the Rhythm Calls the Shots Picture this: you're standing in a circle, everything's chill — and then "Bunny-Bunny" gets...

5–20 lively Beginner

Call and Reply

Games

Call and Reply All players form a circle. Then they all make a change of pace together with clapping, which sets the basic beat and is ma...

4–15 lively Beginner

Call and Response

Warm-ups

All players form a circle and establish a shared rhythm with a step-clap pattern. One player sings a line in gibberish. The whole group ...

Car Wash

Warm-ups

This is less of a warm-up and more of a cool-down to enjoy at the end of a training session. Players stand in two rows facing each other...

Catch Me If You Can

Warm-ups

A classic running game for larger groups. One player is the catcher, standing on one side of the room. All other players stand on the op...

Who is Who 4

185 xxx walk into a bar

Games

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: ...

3–8 lively Beginner

"3 free" - Three sentences free

Games

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...

2–6 calm Intermediate

ACME Comedy Theatre

Games

The ACME Comedy Theatre is a sketch comedy and improvisational theater located near Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, ACME was started...

1–1 calm Beginner

Action emotion detail

Games

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...

4–4 calm Beginner Intermediate

Actor’s Nightmare

Games

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...

2–2 lively Intermediate

Acts of god

Games

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...

3–6 lively Beginner Intermediate

Advance and Expand

Games

Introduction This exercise focuses on raising the stakes and exploration of the environment. Please set up a scene. Description The pl...

2–5 calm Beginner Intermediate

Alliteration

Games

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...

2–5 calm Intermediate

Alphabet Game

Games

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...

2–4 lively Intermediate

Anette, the nice one

Games

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...

3–6 lively Beginner

Animal Rollercoaster

Games

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 ...

2–3 calm freshman
switches

Animatronics Jamboree

Games

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,...

6–10 lively Intermediate

Anything Fabric

Games

Time: 5 Minutes *Number of Participants: * Preferably for groups of about 10-15 people. *Required Equipment: * A piece of fabric large ...

10–15 lively Beginner

Asserting

Asserting: Creating the world instead of just managing it If blocking is the handbrake of improv theatre, then asserting (often called "...

Atlas Improv Co.

Games

Atlas Improv Co. is a professional improvisational theatre company in Madison, WI. The company was formed in 2004 by a group of former C...

1–1 calm Beginner

Follow group

When this group creates new events, they'll automatically appear in your personal event list. You need to be logged in for this.

Log in now