I’ve noticed that some impro games can be played in a group unrelated to impro (e.g. work colleagues at a party). Here is my compilation of such games.

Prelude

For many impro games one needs a special crowd, which won’t judge and so on (for more details see my post-reflection about impro in general). However, there are many other games, which are just fun and would work even for people outside of impro. The main requirement is that they don’t require too much free-form input. E.g. if it is a work party and you suggest to make a scene, either everyone will feel uncomfortable (the context is wrong) or someone will say something too dramatic and this will be misunderstood.

By the way, I have previously collected impro games for two people, which might be of interest.

UPD 2019-07-03: Added more games from improvencyclopedia.org.

Disclaimer about the source

I don’t make up any games here, I just reference them from improwiki.com and improvencyclopedia.org.

Compilation

  • Alien Tiger Cow - on count of 3, everyone represents one of 3 figures. The goal is to converge to one figure.

  • Be My Fan - people play Rock-Paper-Scissors, the one losing becomes a fan of the winner and cheers them up.

  • Blind Stalker - people wander around the room (with people-bouncers at the walls) with closed eyes, there may be a vampire (when they catch someone that person should shout and stop) and person reviving (they can revive someone who was caught).

  • Bunny Bunny - pass the bunny with a special hand-finger motion (people around the bunny can do something special as well).

  • Digits - count to 21 without any synchronization.

  • Human Knot aka Hand Loops - everyone gets into a circle and looks down. Then people go towards each other with their hands in front of them. They hold on one other hand with each hand. Then they try to undo “the knot” without releasing the hands.

  • Forming molecules - everyone wanders around, a leader shouts a number, everyone tries to form groups of this size. When the group is formed they hold hands and sit down.

  • Group Stop - everyone wanders around, when someone freezes, everyone should freeze. When all freeze, everyone starts wandering around again.

  • Triangle - each player takes two other players as references without telling anyone. Then they try to form an equal triangle with them. Another variation - try to keep one selected person in the middle between you and the other person (like a bodyguard and a killer).

  • You - define a chain randomly. Pass “You” across the chain. Define another chain e.g. with fruits. Pass “fruits”. Add more chains (e.g. sounds, movements).

  • Samurai - one establishes eye contact with someone, raises their sword with “Heeee!”, the other person catches the sword with “Hu!”, then they do their “Heeee!” and people around them “cut them in half” synchronously with “Haaaa!”.

  • 3 X different - two players count 1, 2, 3 one by one. Then they replace 2 with a movement. Then they replace 3 with e.g. saying a name of a famous person (each time different).

  • Cat & Mouse - people form pairs and disperse themselves across the room. One person is a cat and another is a mouse. The cat needs to catch the mouse. The mouse can join one of the pairs and then the third person in the pair (not the central one) becomes a cat and the old cat becomes a mouse (i.e. the old cat needs to run away now).

  • I screwed up (no source, played at a workshop) - people form a circle. Each person (one by one) goes into the center and says “I screwed up”, “I made a mistake” or something similar. Everyone else cheers and applauds them. They have to accept it sincerely.

  • Sending signals with hands (no source, played at a workshop) - people form a circle and hold hands. The moderator presses their neighbor arm. The neighbor has to squeeze their neighbor arm (i.e. pass the signal). And so on. The moderator can start multiple signals even in multiple directions.

  • [Blind] Line Up - people wonder around (optionally with closed eyes). The moderator gives a signal and names a criteria. The group has to order themselves by that criteria. They cannot talk. The criteria can be - age, weight, shoe size, blue. The goal of the game may be not to form a perfect order, but for the group to agree and to accept.

  • Sound Circle Up (no source, played at a workshop) - people form a circle. Everyone produces a repetitive sound (worth pointing out that one should be able to repeat it for minutes). Everyone remembers sounds of their neighbors. Everyone closes their eyes. The moderator shuffles people randomly. They each produce their sounds. The goal is to form the circle again.

  • Tug-O-War - Tug-O-War with imaginary rope that does not stretch or shrink. One group has to win. Variations: 2 by 2 or men vs women.

  • Catch`em - one player faces the wall. All other players stand behind them at a distance. The first player can turn at any moment. The goal of other players to reach the first player without ever being seen moving. I.e. when the first players turns, everyone should freeze. Who gets caught - leaves the game.

  • House, Creature, Flood - some people form houses (pair up and hold hands like a roof), others become creatures and live in these houses (just stand under “the roof”). When the moderator says “house”, houses (people making them) have to move and form houses around a different creature. Creatures don’t move. Similarly when the moderator says “creature” - creatures have to find a new house. When the moderator says “flood” - everyone moves.

  • Deadly Eye Contact (no source, played at a workshop) - people form a circle and look down. When the moderator gives a signal, they raise their eyes and look someone else into eyes. If they form an eye contact with that person, they both shout and leave.

Names

  • Cross Circle - ones names someone, when the receiver acknowledges, one starts walking towards them. The receiver has to name someone else and start walking before the first person reaches them.

  • Name Pointing (no source, played at a workshop) -
    • (level 1) point at someone, say your name.
    • (level 2) point at someone, say their name.
    • (level 3) point at someone, say third person name, the second person has to point at the third person.
  • Bippety Bop (names) - people form a circle. One person is in the middle. They name another player and say ‘Bippety Bippety Bop’. The named person has to say the names of their neighbors before the player in the middle finishes saying the sentence. Who finishes first - wins. If the central player wins, they swap with the named player.

No interaction

  • Circle Up - shake each hand and leg 7 times, then 6 and so on.

  • Hakuna Matata (no source, played at a workshop) - people form a circle. One person starts saying “Hakuna-a-a-a-a” with raising voice and raising their hands up. Soon (around “a-a-a-a”) another person does the same. All people do these one by one. The people who said “Hakuna” continue saying “a”. When everyone says “a” and has their hands raised, everyone in one voice says “matata” and drops their hands down.

  • Fuzzy Ducky (or Fizz Buzz) - people form a circle and count numbers one by one. Any number divisible by 3 (like 12) or having 3 (e.g. 13) becomes “Fuzzy”. Similarly for 7 (e.g. 14 or 17) - “Ducky”. Both 3 and 7 together (e.g. 21 or 73 or 37) - “Fuzzy Ducky”.