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Games

A comprehensive collection of games that can be performed in an improv show in front of an audience.

185 xxx walk into a bar

game

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

game

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

3 X different

game

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

2–2 lively Beginner

Accept

game

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

game

The principle of action and reaction means that an actor who is in dialogue and/or in another (pantomime) interaction with another actor ...

2–6 calm Beginner Intermediate

Action emotion detail

game

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

game

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

game

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

game

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

game

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

game

This game is also known as ABC Game Rules Two Players perform a scene in which each line begins with the next sequential letter of the ...

2–4 lively Intermediate

Anette, the nice one

game

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

An illustration

game

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

Animal Rollercoaster

game

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

apartment building

game

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

Ask For

game

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

game

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

game

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

2–8 calm Beginner

Authenticity

game

Authenticity related to people means that the action of a person is not determined by external factors, but is due to the person himself/...

2–6 calm Beginner Intermediate

Avoid a letter

game

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...

2–5 calm Intermediate

Award ceremony

game

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...

3–8 lively Beginner Intermediate

Backwards Interview

game

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...

2–2 calm Intermediate Professional

Ballad singer

game

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...

2–3 calm Intermediate

Ball Metamorphosis

game

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

Before or after

game

In this game, the audience directs indirectly by making decisions. 2 or more players play a free starting scene. After the scene the au...

2–6 calm Beginner Intermediate

Bench takeover

game

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

Bingo

game

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...

3–3 calm advanced
switches

Biographical song

game

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...

3–4 lively Intermediate

Blind Lead

game

These are different pair exercises in which one player closes his eyes and is led through the room in different ways. The aim is to fully...

2–20 calm Beginner

Blindline

game

Players 3+ Type Scene Rules Players leave the room while the Host collects lines of dialogue. These lines are written on small slips...

3–6 lively Beginner Intermediate

Blind musical

game

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...

2–5 lively Intermediate Professional

Blocking

game

Blocking is one of the most common Failures that can happen to improvisers. Blocking means that one player' s Game Offer is not accepted ...

2–6 calm Beginner

Block of ice

game

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

Books Parade

game

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

Boris

game

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...

2–3 lively Beginner Intermediate

Bring your thing

game

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

Buzz

game

Actors 2-4 Suggestions location, conflict, characters Premise A scene is built from the given suggestions, but at any point, either fol...

2–4 lively Beginner

Call and Reply

game

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

Camp Fire

game

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

Cancel

game

During an appearance, the presenter may cancel the current scene, if she has totally failed, and is completely out of control. The bar mu...

2–6 calm Intermediate

Category Die

game

This is useful as a warm-up and it is also useful in performance even. The exercise forces you to be spontaneous and it also helps you ...

4–15 lively Beginner

Category Snap

game

Video example Improv Warm-Ups: Category Snap

4–15 lively Beginner

Chain Murder Death

game

aka Murder Death Kill, Chain Death, Telephone Murder Actors 2-3, one patsy Suggestions location, occupation, murder weapon Premise Thi...

3–4 lively Beginner

Chairs

game

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

game

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

Character exercise (character switch)

game

All go through the room, each with a certain character. Whenever you meet, you speak two sentences together, and the character is slowly ...

4–15 calm Beginner

Circle Up

game

During this warm-up exercise, the arms are stretched diagonally upwards and the legs, which are stretched out a little bit off the ground...

4–20 lively Beginner

Clapping

game

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

game

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

Color Change

game

Three colours are given to the audience e.g. - red - yellow and - blue. Now they are asked to invent locations matching the colors, s...

1–5 calm freshman advanced

Conceptual circle

game

Different terms of a family of concepts,such as vegetables, sports, city names are exchanged crisscross form from player to player in a c...

4–15 calm Beginner

Conducted Story

game

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...

4–8 lively Beginner

Conflict

game

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

Countdown

game

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

2–6 lively Beginner

Counting together

game

The players are standing in a close circle with their eyes closed or all of them are looking at the ground. Now the group counts up to 21...

4–20 calm Beginner

Country saying

game

A game to practice rhymes and rhythm in the group. All players line up in a circle. Now a country rule (country saying) is recited in a ...

4–15 calm Beginner

Curtain

game

Since improvised theatre usually does not require props and the end of the scene is determined by the moderator or the players, the curta...

2–8 calm Beginner

Customer Service

game

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

Cut and paste

game

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")...

3–6 lively Beginner Intermediate

Digits

game

Synonyms Shared counting, countdown, synergy Introduction This exercise is designed to get us all in synch. Get into a tight circle. ...

4–20 calm Beginner

Dissociation

game

The player "associates" words one after the other that have "nothing" to do with each other. If a suitable word is associated or if the p...

4–15 calm Beginner

Dr. Know-It-All

game

Dr. Know-it-all is an amazingly intelligent man, who will be interviewed on a special topic, and is played simultaneously by three player...

3–4 lively Intermediate

Drop A Line

game

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

Dubbed commercial

game

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...

3–5 lively Intermediate

Duet

game

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...

2–4 calm Intermediate

Dutch Square

game

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...

4–4 lively Intermediate

Emotional Fruit Salad

game

Video example Improv Warm-Ups : Improv Warm-Ups: Emotional Fruit Salad

4–15 lively Beginner

Emotional replay

game

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...

2–4 lively Beginner

Emotional Workplace

game

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

Encore

game

As a rule, it is advisable to schedule the addition of the program during program preparation. Sometimes it is advisable not to comply w...

2–8 lively Beginner

Expedition

game

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...

4–4 lively Beginner Intermediate

Fail

game

Fail happens at the improv theater, when one has made mistakes, which has led to, that the scene has been a failure or the scenes have be...

2–6 calm Beginner

Fairytale Replay

game

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...

2–5 lively Beginner

Falling

game

Synonyms Group gravity, trust game Introduction This is a trust game that requires careful listening skills and quick reactions. It is...

3–15 calm Beginner

Family Dinner

game

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.

game

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

Focus

game

Focus refers to the attention of the audience (and the actors, too) on certain people on the stage. If there are two people, then the att...

2–8 calm Beginner Intermediate

Found Objects

game

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

Four Corners

game

Here is another good ice-breaker for the start of the school year or as a funny way to better introduce people with each other. Four Corn...

4–30 calm Beginner

Free Association

game

Introduction This warm-up will help us get into the moment for improvisation, and help us feel easier about being silly. Description T...

4–20 calm Beginner

Freeze Tag

game

Everyone is involved, each scene is usually a two person scene. Two players start and play a short scene. When a beat is reached, one of...

1–4 calm freshman
chain games status switches

From the viewpoint of

game

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...

3–6 calm Intermediate

Genre replay

game

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...

2–6 lively Beginner Intermediate

Gentle manipulation - dressage

game

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...

4–15 calm Beginner

Gibberish

game

Gibberish (also gromolo) is a kind of pretend language which consists of a series of imaginative, but meaningless letter and word sequenc...

2–6 lively Beginner

Gibberish Circle

game

All players form a circle. One of them steps into the center and explains through some gestures something in gibberish. After the player ...

4–15 lively Beginner

Gossip

game

Gossip means that a player talks about something that is taking place or has taken place elsewhere. No interactions takes place. Example...

2–6 calm Beginner Intermediate

Growing and shrinking

game

The first player establishes and plays a scene alone. A second player comes in, establishes and plays a completely new scene with the oth...

3–8 lively Beginner Intermediate

Guess status

game

In this exercise, the expression of a status is practiced and one gets feedback whether the others have actually perceived the status as ...

4–15 calm Beginner

Guiness Book

game

Pick an entry at random from the Guinness Book of World Records. Do a scene illustrating how this record was broken.

2–5 lively Beginner Intermediate

Hat off

game

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

Headline

game

Ask for a headline (or get a headline at random from the newspaper). Do a scene that could have lead to that headline.

2–5 lively Beginner Intermediate

Help!

game

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

He said, she said

game

Each player describes the action of their partner. Ex: player 1, "I'd like to talk to you, Mabel." Player 2, "He said, standing up and pu...

2–2 lively Intermediate

Hobbies

game

Hobbies approach manias, but are not quite so obsessive. Example: Passionate Angler (talks about fishing rods constantly, is busy with i...

2–6 calm Beginner

Horoscope

game

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

I am a tree

game

A very popular exercise, suitable for beginners of improvisation The players stand on the stage/around the room. Player A goes to the mi...

4–15 calm Beginner

Ignoring

game

Similar to blocking, though here other people's offers are not directly blocked, but simply not paid attention to. This can happen throug...

2–6 calm Beginner

I got a better idea!

game

I got a better idea! 3 players stand side by side, slightly in a semicircle. The middle one starts to tell a story. Every action, every ...

3–3 lively Beginner

increase

game

The players are in a circle. One of them makes a discreet gesture or movement to his neighbor, if necessary. accompanied by a word or sou...

4–15 calm Beginner

Interruption

game

The interruption of a scene means (as opposed to a cut) that the actor from the current scene only inserts a brief pause where their moti...

2–6 calm Beginner

Irish Drinking Song

game

Four players stand in a row, singing a song about a subject given by the audience. The song has a typical Irish-style, one line at a tim...

4–4 lively Beginner Intermediate

Job Center

game

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

Kissing

game

One has to be clear in the theatre group how one creates kissing scenes. In particular if the group members still do not properly know th...

2–6 calm Beginner

Klapphörnchen

game

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...

4–8 lively Intermediate

La Ronde

game

The Round Dance follows the model of the same name from Arthur Schnitzler. In this play, different characters appear on the stage one aft...

4–8 calm Intermediate Professional

Last sentence

game

The public is asked to provide a sentence in advance, which later must be incorporated as the last sentence in the scene. It is followe...

2–5 calm Beginner

Last word - first word

game

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

game

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

Long Form

game

Long forms are more or less closely connected sequences of scenes, usually from 20 to 45 minutes in length, but also full-length formats ...

3–10 calm Intermediate Professional

Machine

game

The name of a "crazy" machine, a machine that does not exist, is requested. In quick succession, the players construct the machine by ea...

4–15 lively Beginner

Marriage Guidance

game

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

Microphone

game

The use of microphones can be sensible in certain situations, to some extent even necessary. In smaller, enclosed spaces (lofts) their u...

2–8 calm Beginner

Monkey in the Middle

game

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"...

3–3 freshman advanced
switches

Mousetraps

game

The stage will be prepared with mousetraps. There may well be a whole lot, such that it will be difficult to walk on the stage without st...

2–6 lively Beginner Intermediate

Multi-headed Expert

game

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

Multiple personalities

game

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...

3–3 lively Beginner Intermediate

Music-Café

game

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...

3–6 calm Intermediate

New Choice

game

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...

2–3 lively Beginner

Newscast

game

Actors 4 Suggestions characters, scenarios, conflicts as necessary Premise Four typical spots in this scene are the anchor, co-ancho...

4–4 lively Intermediate

noise ball

game

The players are in a circle. They throw themselves an imaginary ball. The thrower makes a sound with each throw. The catcher repeats this...

4–15 lively Beginner

Offer

game

An offer is an activity or a comment of a player, which refers to a teammate or is directed at him, and requires a gestural/mimed or verb...

2–6 calm Beginner

Old Job - New Job

game

Ask for two professions that have nothing to do with one another. Someone in the scene plays a character that is now doing the second job...

2–4 lively Beginner Intermediate

One for all

game

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...

3–6 calm Beginner Intermediate

One word story

game

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 ...

4–8 lively Beginner

Opposites

game

Opposites among the characters are helpful for a scene's success. From opposites can easily arise "friction", it can by itself easily dev...

2–6 calm Beginner Intermediate

Orlando Alliteration

game

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...

2–5 calm Intermediate

Pan Right - Pan Left

game

Pan Right / Pan Left Players: 4 – 8 (Can be played with any number of players, but should be played with two evenly sized teams in shows)...

4–8 lively Intermediate

Party Quirks

game

Time: 10 Minutes Number of Participants: Best in groups of 4 or 5 Required Equipment: The only equipment needed are pieces my paper wit...

4–5 lively Beginner

Pearl string

game

A game for any number of players, but preferably more than 3 to tell a little story. All players line up in a line. Player 1 takes two...

3–10 calm Beginner

Pecking Order

game

An exercise i.e. a game for three players. The players form a hierarchy (A has the highest status, B the middle, C the lowest). It's gove...

3–3 calm Intermediate

Peculiar neighbor

game

The players stand in a circle. In turn, each one respectively turns to his neighbor and says anything unusual/absurd /incredible that wil...

4–15 calm Beginner

Pen Friends

game

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...

2–2 calm freshman
dialogue form direction games talking

People Watching

game

This is best explained by an example involving players A, B, and C. A waits for B and C to leave before asking for a suggestion. A ask...

3–3 calm Beginner Intermediate

Performance

game

A performance gives the group the opportunity to implement the experience of the exercises in front of an audience. Beginners Generally...

3–10 lively Beginner

Picking gifts

game

The players are in a circle. One begins and picks any object from the air. He holds it in a certain way and presents it to his neighbour ...

4–15 calm Beginner

Poets with Feeling

game

Three or four players are involved. The moderator asks the audience to provide a random sentence. Additionally, he lets each of the three...

3–4 calm Intermediate

Pootie Tang

game

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...

3–3 lively Intermediate

Potpourri

game

Any scene with any guideline will be played The catch is: the moderator interrupts repeatedly and demands a decision about the show. Ther...

2–6 lively Beginner Intermediate

Presence

game

Presence means the active Charisma of a person on the stage perceived and felt by the audience, it is present as a person for the viewers...

2–6 calm Beginner Intermediate

Press Conference

game

One player A leaves the room / venue. The host asks the audience for a famous person or character and an announcement this character has ...

4–6 lively Beginner Intermediate

Prison visitor

game

A musical game. The host asks for two suggestions: a country (where the one player is in prison) and a crime the player committed. The ...

3–4 lively Intermediate

Puppets

game

Two actors stand motionless on the stage and are controlled by two people from the audience. Among other things, they have to respect tha...

2–4 lively Beginner Intermediate

Questions

game

Questions can have multiple meanings in improvisational theatre. Ask for As a moderator I can ask the audience for guidelines. It may b...

2–6 calm Beginner

Questions Only

game

In this exercise the player's dialogue takes place only in a form of a question. Nevertheless the fundamental information is given and it...

2–4 calm Intermediate

Quick Death

game

A (slightly macabre) exercise for in between times to drive away the tiredness of the players by speed: The players are in a circle. One...

4–15 wild Beginner

Quintet

game

At first five different scenes are played. The audience then decides on one of these scenes to be removed. The remaining four scenes cont...

3–8 lively Intermediate

Radio Mix

game

The players stand in a line in front of the spectators. Each player is assigned a radio station. Now, the channels (players) change...

3–6 lively Intermediate

Rebrand things

game

The players walk around the room and name the things in the room. They should touch the corresponding objects. For example, "wall." "Corn...

3–15 calm Beginner

Reclamation

game

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...

3–5 lively Beginner

Replay of the high arts

game

Neutral scene, ask for can be a place, an object or a relationship . Scene is repeated. Peculiarity: it is spoken in rhymes. Scene is ...

2–4 lively Intermediate Professional

Requisite

game

Stage props are real objects on the stage. As a rule improvisation theater takes place without props. Usually only chairs are allowed. A...

2–6 calm Beginner

Revolving Door

game

A game for 4-5 players. A player stands in the center and will quickly exchange places with where the other players started. The player ...

4–5 lively Beginner Intermediate

Rhymes

game

Improvised plays, songs or scenes can have a special allure and effect when they rhyme. Rhyme means that words connect with similar soun...

2–6 calm Beginner Intermediate

rhythm exercises

game

The rhythm exercises include exercises and warm-up games, which contain a rhythmic element. Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves In this conc...

4–20 lively Beginner

Road Trip

game

Info 10 + Minutes Groups of approximately 10 to 15 people. Enough objects for the entire group except for one participant. Recommended Ag...

4–15 lively Beginner

Role reversal

game

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...

2–4 lively Intermediate

Rollback

game

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...

2–4 lively Beginner Intermediate

Roller Coaster

game

Before the scene begins, the audience is asked for feelings or genres. The emcee makes sure that there are enough positive and negative f...

2–6 lively Beginner Intermediate

rumours

game

All players in the circle. A quick warm-up game to practice making offers, accepting and enlarging them. Player A asks his neighbour pla...

4–15 lively Beginner

Scene with a wall

game

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...

4–4 calm Intermediate

Serenade

game

(For as many people as desired) The first sings the chorus as far as possible simply to denote the text , one, maximum two lines. This ...

3–8 calm Intermediate

Seven Things

game

Seven Things is a warm up in which players ask each other to name seven things that fall into a made up category. Anybody may start by ca...

4–15 lively Beginner

Shortform

game

"Short Forms" are games that consist of one Scene or a few scenes and, due to their basic conception, only last a few seconds or a few mi...

2–6 lively Beginner

Silent post

game

The gamemaster and two players are in the room Player A gets now a guideline and has to improvise a monologue straight away. Player B wa...

3–6 calm Beginner Intermediate

Sing a dialogue

game

A teams of two players starts a dialogue about something (weather, everyday life...) After a short time the music begins and the 2 player...

2–4 calm Intermediate

Sit, Stand, Lay

game

Actors 3 Suggestions location, conflict, characters as necessary Premise Within the provided framework of the location and conflict,...

3–3 lively Beginner Intermediate

Slideshow

game

Several actors depict a scene in mime. A presenter then spontaneously describes what can be seen in that picture On a given command t...

3–6 calm Beginner Intermediate

Slow-motion Rumble

game

The players are having a pantomimic brawl in slow motion. The gestures and facial expressions are expansive and often a little exaggerate...

2–4 calm Beginner

Stage

game

The stage is a place, on which a theatrical play occurs. In Improvisional theater, it is the custom to act in a suitable open area that i...

2–8 calm Beginner

Stage Directions

game

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

stage hog

game

As stage hog is referred players who always play in the foreground. This type of player is more often than others on the stage to see and...

2–6 lively Beginner

Status Battle

game

A status battle is when two players fight as part of their playing to the higher or lower status. Status fights must be played finely and...

2–4 lively Intermediate

Steal the Hat

game

Deux joueurs ou plus sont sur scène et développent une scène simple. Chaque joueur porte un chapeau. L'objectif des joueurs est de voler ...

2–5 lively Beginner Intermediate

Step by step

game

On the floor 9 cards are distributed in 3 x 3 rows at the same distance. Two players place themselves on each one of the notes. Principle...

2–2 calm Beginner Intermediate

Storytelling with movements

game

This exercise is played in groups of three. Two players face each other, while a third one stands next to the first player. The first p...

3–3 calm Beginner

Stringency

game

Stringency is a component of the dramaturgical list of ingredients of improvisation theater. Stringency means that the happenings on the ...

2–6 calm Beginner Intermediate

Superscene

game

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

Swinging Pendulum of Death

game

Actors 3 Suggestions 3 locations, 3 conflicts, 3 characters Premise This game is complicated but can be extremely entertaining if do...

3–3 lively Intermediate

Sword of samurai

game

Slow motion exercise for 2 or more players. The arms of each player are swords with poisonous points. If a player is hit elsewhere than ...

4–15 lively Beginner

Synchro Replay

game

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...

2–6 lively Beginner Intermediate

Taboo

game

Taboos in improvisation theatre mean that games, game ideas, specifications or behaviours are deliberately avoided or ignored for certain...

2–8 calm Beginner

Talkativeness

game

Verbiage or talking too much is a common mistake in improvisational theatre. Talkativeness means that more is spoken than does good to th...

2–6 calm Beginner

Talk at touch

game

A scene is played by two players, if necessary with input from the audience. However, it is only allowed to speak if one player touches ...

2–2 lively Intermediate

Talking animals

game

The players receive a species of animal from the audience. Then they play a scene in which they both play the part of this animal. (F...

2–4 lively Beginner Intermediate

Taxi Drive

game

Four chairs stand in a square and form a taxi. In the beginning there are three actors sitting in that taxi. Player A is sitting in front...

4–5 lively Beginner Intermediate

Telling a story

game

Form two-person teams - both players tell a story together. The first one starts, like, "Let's take a vacation." The second one always ...

2–2 calm Beginner

Terrorist

game

One player leaves. Ask for a mode of transportation, an object, and a desire. The returning player is a terrorist who must be manipulated...

2–4 lively Beginner Intermediate

That sounds like a song

game

It can be played in any scene, with or without suggestions from the audience. When a meaningful sentence is said, the game leader stops ...

2–5 lively Intermediate

Theatresport

game

Theatersport (TM) is the term coined by Keith Johnstone for a popular form of improvisation theatre, in which two teams of actors compete...

3–10 lively Beginner Intermediate

The Butterfly Effect

game

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 central theme

game

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...

2–6 calm Beginner Intermediate

The Conscience

game

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 ...

4–4 calm Intermediate

The Evil Twin

game

The moderator provides a relationship between two people or an activity. Two players begin to act out the scene. The scene can be stopped...

3–6 lively Beginner Intermediate

The Excuse

game

One of the Improv-players must leave the room for a short time. In the meantime, the audience  decides on a reason why the player wa...

3–4 lively Beginner

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

game

The audience is asked for a problem or an Issue, for which the audience would like to have a piece of advice or information. In the follo...

3–6 lively Beginner

The hitch-hiker

game

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...

3–4 lively Beginner Intermediate

The Milano

game

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

The Prophet

game

One player leaves the room. This will later be the prophet, who must guess the prophecy which is made up by the audience. There will be t...

3–5 lively Beginner Intermediate

The strict Boss

game

Three actors sit side-by-side on three chairs. The boss sits in the middle, his subordinates sit on the left and the right. The boss is n...

3–3 lively Beginner Intermediate

The Talkshow

game

There are 2 main types of Talkshows. The "serious discussion" type programmes, which generally go out evenings (experts/politicians di...

3–6 lively Intermediate

The Voice

game

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...

2–2 calm Intermediate

Thing on Thing

game

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...

2–6 lively Beginner

Three dead characters

game

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 ...

3–4 calm Intermediate

Three Rules

game

The moderator asks for three personal rules for the players in the scene to observe. For example, that they have only one arm, may not...

2–4 lively Beginner Intermediate

Three Way Dubbing

game

Synonyms Cross dubbing Introduction In this scene there will be three characters, and each of the character’s voices will be supplied ...

3–3 lively Intermediate

Throwing light

game

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 ...

4–10 calm Beginner

Time travel

game

We will first present a simple neutral scene that is based on a suggestion from the audience. Then we will see a series of scenes that le...

3–6 lively Intermediate

Toaster

game

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...

4–6 lively Beginner Intermediate

touch palms

game

Two players are involved in this exercise. One goes first, the other follows. Again and again, the one in front stops (and of course the ...

2–2 calm Beginner

Translator

game

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...

3–4 lively Beginner Intermediate

Trizophrenia

game

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...

4–4 lively Intermediate

Trust

game

A scene will not succeed, if an actor tries to assert his own ideas. It is important with an clear head to step on the stage and to trust...

2–6 calm Beginner Intermediate

Typewriter

game

The title of a book that does not yet exist is queried. One of the players is the narrator. He is located at the edge of the stage. He si...

3–6 calm Intermediate

Walking with speed levels

game

Players are distributed in the room. The task is to walk every which way through the room at increasing speeds. The leader announces "Ste...

4–20 calm Beginner

What Are You Doing!

game

Players This exercise is played with two players. Rules Player 1 begins miming some action. Player 2 shouts, "What are you doing?" ...

2–10 lively Beginner

What is a what?

game

A warm-up game in which rhyme is played quickly. All players line up in a circle and slowly flip a rhythm with their fingers. Player A ...

4–15 lively Beginner

What's on TV?

game

Quick, change of scene based improv game. Audience have control of 'TV' - two characters to represent the media on TV. Audience can 'chan...

2–4 lively Beginner

Whose line

game

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...

2–5 lively Beginner Intermediate

Word replay

game

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...

2–4 lively Intermediate

Words that change the world

game

"Words that change the world" is a long form. At the beginning the audience can be asked for a place where the story begins. The audience...

3–8 calm Intermediate Professional

Work Exhibition

game

A work show is suitable for new groups or for new members of existing groups, if they have gained their first knowledge and experience in...

3–10 lively Beginner

Worlds worst

game

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. ...

3–8 wild Beginner

Yes, and because

game

An exercise for 2 players. The two of them sit shoulder to shoulder on two chairs and play a kind of* one* person, namely an expert who t...

2–2 calm Beginner Intermediate

Yes, and then

game

An exercise for 2 players. The two of them experienced something together and told each other about it while they were replaying it. The ...

2–2 lively Beginner Intermediate

Yes, let's

game

A great warmup for group collaboration and to practice saying yes especially for improv beginners. Everybody walks around the room. One ...

4–20 lively Beginner