For those of you, like me, who have been seduced by the natural side of pick-up. Something that has helped me and continues to help me, in social, professional, and personal development, is improv. I can't recommend it enough.

I thought I'd create a list of improv games and how to play them so that people can learn and grow by playing them with friends or even start their own improv group as we here in Manchester have and as the guys in Bristol are doing right now.

All the games in this list have been repeatedly tried, tested and enjoyed.

The next three posts in this thread are indexes for different types of game warm-ups, competitive games and scene games. A guide will be written on how to play each game and the posts will be linked to the title in the relative index for quick reference.

I intend for this to grow fairly organically so if anyone knows of a good game that is not on the list or wants to write a guide to one of the games I have yet to get around to, please do. I will add / link it to the approprite index. I'd ask only that you copy as closely as possible the style of guide I have used so there is consistency.


Enjoy.


Peace,

kowalski

Warm ups
7 Alterntative
Animal Sounds
Animal Kingdom
Big Booty
Big Box of Everything
Introduce Your Neighbour
Pass Clap
Robot
Samurai

Competitive Games
Drop The Filth
Questions
Story Story Die
Story Tag
Top That
What Are You Doing?

Scene Games
Blitz
Change
Film Dub
Glad, Mad, Sad and Afra(i)d
Meanwhile Elsewhere
Mystery Shopper
One Line Story Scene
Replay
Round The World (in bad accents)
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Who's Line?

7 Alternative

Players in a circle
Player1 asks Player2 to list 7 alternatives to x, 7 alternative uses for x, or similar.
Player2 provides 7 possibilities while the group count them out.
Player2 then asks Player3 for 7 alternatives and so on around the circle.

Example:
P1: P2 give us 7 alternative uses for rabbits.
P2: Mowing the lawn
All: 1
P2: Worn as shoes
All: 2
...
P2: Foot-pump operator
All: 7
P2: P3 give us 7 alternatives to bricks
P3: Fruit loaf
All: 1

... and so on.


Peace,

kowalski

Animal Sounds

All the players in a circle, except Player1 who stands in the centre.
Player1 points his arm at whichever player he is facing, closes his eyes and starts to spin around on the spot.
All the other players walk around in the opposite direction to Player1's spin.
When Player1 stops all the players stop.
Whoever Player1 is pointing at becomes Player2.
Player2 grips Player1's outheld finger.
Player1 names an animal and Player2 makes their interpretation of the sound of the named animal.
Player1 can repeat the name of the animal as many times as they like, Player2 must respond with their interpretation of the sound of the named animal each time.
Player1 has 3 guesses at the identity of Player2.
If Player1 guesses incorrectly once or twice, everyone should remain silent.
If Player1 guesses correctly, Player1 joins the circle and Player2 becomes Player1.
If Player1 guesses incorrectly 3 times, Player1 spins again.

NB: Player1 must keep their eyes shut throughout the game.


Peace,

kowalski

Big Box of Everything

All the players in a circle,
On a table or the floor in the middle of the circle is an imaginary big box, everything imaginable is in the box.
Player1 starts to mime taking things out of the big box and announcing each item.
The items Player1 imagines must be unconnected.
Player1 must not pause for too long.
If Player1 names related items or pauses too long, they join the circle.
Player2 starts to mime taking things out of the big box and announcing each item.
And so on.

Example:
P1: Blue cheese, dog poo, a grand piano, a hot air balloon, hate, David Lynch, a table lamp, Sunday, a dildo, Dido ... shit I'm out.
P2: Jesus, a potato
... and so on.


Peace,

kowalski

Top That

The players form 2 queues leading to the performance area.
The players at the front of each queue step up to the performance area.
Player1 mimes an action and describes what he is doing then says 'Top that!'.
Player2 copies Player1's action and provides an alternative interpretation of the mime then says 'Top that!'.
Both players continue to repeat the action and take it in turns to provide alternative interpretations until one player pauses, repeats an interpretation, announces an interpretation that doesn't match the action.
The first player to fail one of the conditions above leaves the performance area, joins the back of the queue they came from and is replaced by the player at the front of the queue.
The 'winner' of the last round usually provides the mime and first interpretation for the new round, although this is not a law.

Example:
P1: *mimes throwing a dart* I'm throwing a dart. Top that!
P2: *copying P1's throwing a dart mime* I'm yanking my eye out of it's socket. Top that!
P1: *still mimeing throwing a dart* I'm ... fuck knows *leaves stage*

... and so on.


Peace,

kowalski

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

The scene is an advice show.
You need 4 seats in the performance area.
3 in a row on one half, the 4th facing them on the other half.
Player1 sits in the lone chair.
Players2, 3 and 4 sit in the other 3 chairs.
Player1 is asks the other players for advice on any subject.
Player2 is The Good and must give good advice.
Player3 is The Bad and must give bad advice.
Player4 is The Ugly and must give the ugliest advice. The worse the better.
Player3 can give really terrible advice in order to force Player4 to put out some trully ugly advice.
Player1 becomes The Good.
Player2 becomes The Bad.
Player3 becomes The Ugly.
Player4 exits.
A new player occupies the lone chair and asks the panel for advice.
... and so on.


Peace,

kowalski

Drop The Filth

All the players in a circle.
Player1 mimes a sex act.
Player2 has to describe to the group what Player1 is doing interpreted as something totally innocent.
Player2 then mimes a sex act for Player3 to interpret innocently.
... and so on.
From the moment the game begins anyone who smiles or laughs is out.

Example:
Player1: *mimes fucking a sheep*
All The Players: *laughs*
Game over.


Peace,

kowalski