If you are new to FNI you may be unfamiliar with the rules of our games. It seems that while most improv groups play games that are very similar, the rules for any given game change from group to group. Here is a list of the most common games we play at FNI - by clicking on a game title, you will see the specific rules we use at the show.
This is a very basic game. Two players are given a situation
and a task to complete. The game begins by letting the players
set up their environment and start the task. Every so often (about
every min. or so) the host will stop the action by yelling "freeze!".
The players freeze in their physical position and the host asks
the audience for an emotion. The players then resume the game,
playing the suggested emotion.
The game of Freeze is one of the most common improv games, and is the only constant at FNI. The game begins by bringing two players up on stage and having the audience suggest a situation and relationship. The two players then begin a scene based on that information. Hopefully the scene will progress from a beginning introduction, onto a middle (with conflict), and then towards some end resolution.
As the scene reaches it's end, anyone from the audience can yell "Freeze!" Both players must then freeze in their physical position. Whoever has called "freeze" can come down on stage, and "tag" one of the two players out of the game. This new player assumes the exact same physical position of the person tagged out, and can now begin an entirely new scene (based on a new situation and relationship).
There are only two "special" rules to the game of Freeze. One is the "three person" rule. When the game reaches it's mid-point (and typically we play Freeze for approx. 30 minutes - so about 15 min. into the game) the host will call out "The next is a three person!" The next time an audience member yells "Freeze!", rather than tagging-out one of the two players, the new player simply starts a new scene (now with a total of three players, rather than just two). The game continues as before, but now each new scene is played with three performers.
The second special rule is the presidential veto of the "Nib!" rule. Sometimes, an overzealous audience member will yell "Freeze" before the scene has reached a conclusion. When this happens, the host will shout out "Nib!", which in essence blocks the call for "Freeze" and the current scene continues. "Nib!" is not a bad word - at FNI we want you to play our little raindeer games. But sometimes it's only fair to let a scene reach it's natural end. If you get Nibed, just wait for a minute or two, let the scene reach an end, and then try calling "Freeze!" again - chances are good you will be given the green-light to play.
Genre Jump is a simple game - but one that takes a little confidence to play. Two players are chosen from the audience and given a task to complete. The only hitch is that two people (the host of the game and a chosen partner) will sit off stage and be the moderators. At any time during the game either of the two moderators will call out a genre (a theme, or type of story). The two players must immediately continue the scene in the style of the called genre.
Unlike similar games, the genre called out by the moderators does not have to be a "real" genre. At the beginning of the game, the genres are typically easy - i.e., Western, Soap Opera, children's show, etc. But as the game progresses, the genres will become progressively harder. Expect calls such as Amish-Erotica, Cajun 70ies cop drama, Shakespearean-rap, etc.
The game of Occupations is yet another "changing" game. Two players are chosen from the audience and given a task to complete. Every so often, the host will freeze the scene and ask the audience for an occupation (doctors, lawyers, mad-scientists, etc.).The players must then continue the game endowed with the suggested occupation.
Producers, Directors, Playwrights:
PDP is much like other "changing" games. Two players are chosen from the audience and given a task to complete. Throughout the game, the host will freeze the action and ask the audience for the name of a producer, director, or playwright. The players must then continue the game in the style of the suggested name.
The game of Radio Call-in requires 5 players, but can be played with more. There are two principle players; a host of a radio talk show, and a special guest. Typically, the special guest is the author of a best-selling book, the title of which is suggested by the audience. The three remaining players are "callers" that will call into the show to ask the author question (perhaps about the book, perhaps not). Between callers, the host will also interview the author.
The game of Sportz Center is played with three performers; an athlete and two sports commentators. A common household task is suggested by the audience (such as cleaning the cat's litter-box), and the goal of the game is to see what would happen if that task were an Olympic event.
During the game the athlete performs all the physical action, and the two commentators give all the dialogue. It is the job of the athlete to "mime" the task. The commentators must justify and explain the actions of the athlete to the audience.
Inevitably, the athlete has some kind of horrific "accident". The commentators may then ask to see the accident is various ways ("instant reply", "slow-motion", "reverse angle" etc.) The athlete must repeat his last action as the commentators have asked.
The game ends with the athlete either winning or loosing the event. The commentators may then "go to the field" and interview the athlete to hear his/her reaction.
The game of Story Telling requires a narrator and a cast (the cast can be any number of players). A genre of story is suggested by the audience (fairy tale, science fiction, romance, etc.). The narrator can also (at his or her discretion) ask the audience for key plot information (the name of a main character, a natural disaster, etc.). The narrator then begins telling a story. As the narrator introduces characters into the story, the performers come on stage. The narrator can manipulate the players in any way - the players must perform whatever action the narrator orders.
The narrator's job is to set up scenes, and then turn the action over the players. This is typically done in the form of ; (Narrator) "And then the king told of his evil plan", (King) "Why, my evil plan is to....."
The hardest part of the game is when the narrator decides to really "play" with the characters. It is not uncommon in this game to see something like the following; (Narrator) "And then the queen recited the names of all the Great Lakes - in alphabetical order!!"
Hopefully, the story will have a beginning, middle, and end - and all the audience suggestions will be incorporated.
This game requires several players to tell a single story. Five players sit in a line of chairs. Each player will be given an audience suggestion for a style of story (typically, this is done in the from of (host) "Can I please have the title of a magazine?", (audience member) "Guns & Ammo!" - this is the "style" of the story for the given player).
When all the styles are suggested, the audience will also suggest the name of the main character and (perhaps) a single plot point. The story can now begin.
The host (standing behind the row of players) will tap one of the players on the back. That player will begin telling the story in his or her style. At some point the host will tap that player again, at which point the player must stop. Simultaneously, the host will tap another player on the back - who must pick-up at the exact word the pervious player left off, and continue the story in the approate style.
At any time the audience can take a player out of the game by yelling "DIE!!". When a player is "killed", he or she must leave the game, but must do so by moch-suiside in the style of his or her genre (for Guns & Ammo, a simple .45 to the head would suffice).
Typical mistakes that will cause the audience to yell "DIE!!" are; Stuttering or taking long pauses, not picking up where the pervious player left off, repeating the last word said by the pervious player.... but the audience is free to kill a player for any reason at all.
The last surviving player must then tell the audience the moral of the story.
Supprize Party is a guessing game. An audience member is chosen to host a party - and is promptly taken out of listening range. Five "guests" are then chosen. Each guest is then endowed by the audience with some odd-quirk or physical deformity (examples: has three legs, is cheese-a-phobic, orgasms whenever verbs are spoken, etc.)
The host then returns and, one by one, the guests arrive. It is the task of the host to guess the quirk of each guest. The guests must act out their personal quirk, but are forbidden from directly mentioning what it is. This rule holds for any part of the quirk (i.e. a guest with three legs cannot say "Look! I'm wearing three shoes!!")
When the host correctly guesses the quirk of the guest, that guest leaves the party and the next guest enters.
The only special rules are 1) If the host guesses part of the quirk, then the guest can directly mention that part (i.e. (Host) "You have three feet??" (Three legged guest) "No, but I have three of something below the waist.") - 2) if the host is having a particularly hard time guessing the quirk, another guest can enter the party to help give clues. The game ends when the host has correctly guessed all the quirks.
The game of Tag-Line is an excellent game for someone who has never played an improv. game before.
Four players are chosen from the audience to play Tag-Line. Two of these are the performers, and two are "partners" - Each performer is paired with a partner.
The performers are given a relationship and a task to complete, and the game begins. As often happen with improv, sometimes the performers will go "blank" (i.e. have no idea what to say next). When this happens, the performer will tap their partner on the shoulder. It is the job of the partner to shout out the very first word that they can think of. The performer must then use that word to start the next line of dialogue, justifying it's use in the context of the scene.
The job of partners is very easy and usually reserved for audience members who has never played an improv game before. Preferably, the words given by the partners have nothing to do with the context of the scene. A quick example..... (Performer) "So then mommie got mad and she stabbed me with a sharp ......" -TAP- (Partner) "Trout!!"
Note: "Trout" has the probability of being funny, as opposed to "knife!!" which is not funny (just ask John Wane Bobbit).
Worlds Worst is a competition game. Eight players are chosen from the audience, and take the stage forming two rows of four players.
The host will ask the audience to provide some topic (a historical event, a geographic location, a current event, etc.) In turn each of the two players at the front of the line must tell the audience the worlds worst "thing" you could say at that historical event, location, or event. The audience will then vote, by applause, to determine the winner. The victor goes to the back of the his/her line and continues to play - the looser must leave the game.
The game ends when there is only one survivor.