After watching some of my funniest friends perform in an improvisational comedy show tonight, I'm inspired to share the gift of improv with y'all Internet browsers. So here are three improv comedy games complete with thorough explanations! You can try 'em out with your friends, your enemies; I don't care. But definitely try them.
Themed Restaurant
In this game, two players sit down and try to have dinner at a themed restaurant. But their server will give them trouble, because he didn't always work there, and his past profession is going to get in the way of his restaurant work! So the restaurant patrons will ask to see the manager. However, the manager has the same problem as the server! Maybe it's even worse!
There are obviously a lot of elements at play, so there are a lot of places the comedy comes from. Every time you play this game, different elements (such as the theme, the past professions of the servers, the original characters of the restaurant patrons, or the specific conflict between the past and present jobs of the servers) jump to the spotlight or the background, so you don't necessarily have to worry about equivocating. There are lots of ways to have fun with it.
But where do we get the theme of the restaurant and the past professions of the restaurant workers? They come from the audience, from prompts!
Step 1. Asking the audience for a prompt can go any way you'd like. If I wanted a prompt about a restaurant theme, I might get the audience to imagine along with me: "You're walking around IKEA, looking for a simple flower vase, when you are shocked to see that IKEA has added a new part of the store. What is this part of the store called?" People might shout out anything, and something theme-ish (like "Pirate Land," "Medical Center," or "Summer Camp") might be useful.
Step 2. The two players who are restaurant patrons take a seat. They may converse and establish character. Soon they'll interact with the server, who must exhibit traits that reflect their old job. Conflict will arise because this isn't the place for their old job.
Step 3. At a certain point, a player asks to see the manager. The server goes and gets the manager. The manager exhibits traits that reflect their old job, too!
Step 4. The scene must end in some way. The restaurant patrons usually leave.
Film & Theater Styles
This game relies on two players who can elaborate on a plot and play with the idea of genre. There's also another player with a very important job: They must command a vast knowledge of "film and theater styles." Some examples of these styles: documentary, children's TV, musical theater, rom-com, soap opera.
Step 1. The individual Master Player asks the audience for some examples of film and theater styles. They get inspired and keep the ideas stored in their brain. Then, they ask the audience for a general prompt to begin the scene.
Step 2. The other two players start a scene, establishing characters, setting, and conflict. At any time, the Master Player may shout out, "Freeze! Kung Fu," or "Freeze! Sci-fi," or "Freeze" and any other style, and from that point, the scene is supposed to pertain to the characteristics of said style. For instance, after the Master Player declares "Stand-up comedy," my friends in the improv show tonight adopted slightly obnoxious personalities and directly tried to get the audience to laugh with self-disparagement and desperation. When it was "Teen drama" time, they highlighted the theme of rebellion and the feelings of angst.
Step 3. But remember: The original scene goes on and on! Let the changing styles guide it, because they can take it wild places... but don't forget about the scene altogether at the cost of incorporating styles. At some point, the story will seem to come to the end. That means the game can be over! Applause ensues.
Blob
This game's description whips the audience into a daze when it is quickly explained, which makes the ensuing 'prov seem super impressive. But it's actually quite simple! You need four players. The game begins with a prompt.
Step 1. A single player begins their own prompt-based scene by stepping forward. They should vary their physical position, to give the next player more opportunities.
Step 2. Another player says, "Freeze!" and Player One freezes. The freezer, or Player Three, steps forward and initiates a totally different scene. For example, if Player One froze while sharpening their imaginary vampire teeth with a stake, that context doesn't matter anymore. When Player Two enters, maybe they establish that Player One is actually a rabbit now. How? Maybe by hopping over and saying, "Hey, buddy, that's not a carrot; that's an extension cord! You need to stop sleep-eating." Players One and Two take some time to develop this new scene.
Step 3. The same thing happens, but with Player Three freezing, entering, and starting anew.
Step 4. Can you believe it? Does this madness ever end? Player Four does the same thing! But actually, if not the end, this is the turning point of the madness. Player Four must find a way to exit their scene at some point. So if they entered and created a scene about pretentious rich people playing doubles tennis, they should pay attention to some conflict within the scene that might intensify... and thereby give their character a reason to exit, i.e. "I'm fixing this tainted statue of my ancestor John C. Rockefeller if I have to transplant my own parts onto it!"
Step 5. When Player Four exits, Scene Three is back. That's the scene that Player Three created! When the players return to playing the characters they played in Scene Three, perhaps time has passed and new elements have surfaced. However, the initial conflict should quickly get solved and Player Three should exit.
Step 6. Yep, we're going backwards! Scene Two gets resolved, and Player Two exits.
Step 7. Now, Player One finishes the scene that started it all. When they exit, the audience will clap!