Improv Games for Beginners: Start Your Journey Here

The best way to understand improv isn't to read about it - it's to do it. Improv games, or 'exercises', are the building blocks that teach core skills in a fun, low-pressure way. They're designed to get you out of your head and into the present moment. Here are some foundational games we play in our beginner workshops that you can even try with friends.

Why We Play Games

Improv games aren't just random, silly activities. Each one is designed to isolate and strengthen a specific improvisational muscle, from listening to character creation to storytelling.

"Don't worry about being funny! That's the biggest mistake beginners make. The goal of the game is never 'be funny.' The goal is to listen, support your partner, and commit. The humour is a byproduct of that process."

— Kavitha Reddy, Beginner Workshop Instructor

Essential Beginner Games

1. One-Word Story

How to Play: A group stands in a circle. Together, you tell a story, but each person can only contribute one word at a time.
Skill Learned: This is the ultimate exercise in listening and letting go of your own ideas. You can't plan ahead; you must accept what the person before you said and add the next logical word. It builds 'group mind'.

2. Zip Zap Zop

How to Play: Players stand in a circle. One person starts by clapping their hands, pointing at another person, and saying "Zip!" That person must then immediately point to someone else and say "Zap!" That person points to another and says "Zop!" The pattern (Zip, Zap, Zop) continues. The goal is to go as fast as possible.
Skill Learned: Focus, concentration, and passing energy. It gets you out of your head and connected to the group.

3. Party Quirks (or 'Mehfil Mein Ajeeb Log')

How to Play: One person is the 'host' of a party and leaves the room. The audience gives the remaining players 'quirks' or strange characters (e.g., "Thinks he's a chicken," "Is secretly in love with the host," "Cannot stop speaking in rhymes"). The host returns and must guess the quirks of the guests as they interact with them.
Skill Learned: Character, justification, and observation.

4. Scenes from a Hat (or 'Chitthi Se Scene')

How to Play: The audience writes down scene suggestions on slips of paper which are placed in a hat. The host pulls out a suggestion (e.g., "Things you shouldn't say to your boss," "The worst possible name for a superhero"), and the improvisers act out a quick scene based on the prompt.
Skill Learned: Thinking on your feet and establishing a clear Who, What, and Where instantly.

5. Freeze

How to Play: Two players start a scene. At any point, anyone on the sideline can yell "Freeze!" The players on stage freeze in their exact physical positions. The person who yelled freeze taps out one of the players, takes their exact physical position, and starts a completely new and unrelated scene inspired by that position.
Skill Learned: Physicality, justification, and creative inspiration.

Tips for Your First Time Playing

• Commit 100%: Whatever you do, do it with confidence. It's better to make a bold choice that's 'wrong' than a hesitant one.
• Listen More Than You Talk: The best improvisers are the best listeners. Your brilliant idea is useless if it ignores what your partner just said.
• There Are No Mistakes: If you trip, your character is clumsy. If you forget a name, your character is forgetful. Everything is a gift.

These games are just the tip of the iceberg. They are the 'scales' and 'chords' we practice to be able to create beautiful music together on stage. The most important thing is to have fun and support your fellow players. Ready to play? Join one of our drop-in classes and experience the joy for yourself!