Virtual Team Building, 10 Improv Games you can play on Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, or any Virtual Classroom

Prior to 2020, two things were true.

1. I had never heard of Zoom
2. #1 question I got was, “How do we play these games online? Except for this week in New York City, we are scattered around the world.”

By August of 2020 I had logged 3000 hours of teaching and performing Improv from the comfort of my home office via Zoom or other platforms. As a result, to help my team, students and clients adjust and maneuver, I wrote the book, Improv on Zoom, still available on Amazon.

Now we are busier than ever delivering live corporate team building and leadership workshops at our Times Square NYC theater and touring DC to Boston and beyond. NOW when I get that question, I have an answer.

Here are 10 Improv games you can play with remote teams. We are happy to hop online for an hour or so and help introduce Improv to the team. EMAIL for dates and rates booking virtual or live Improv comedy shows and / or workshops.

Zoom Improv requires some extra steps to make connections and allow for lag times. Be patient. While challenging, we created some very magical moments with students, clients, and colleagues spread around the world. Personally, the level of focus required for virtual teaching and performing has amplified my live work to new heights in the years since.

I HAVE A KNIFE

1. Player one calls another’s name, holding up an imaginary knife.
2. When you hear your name simply say YES
3. Player one now says I HAVE A KNIFE and throws the knife, aiming for their eyes.
4. Catch the imaginary knife with a clap in front of their face and say THANK YOU

Repeat this transaction around the room. Pay attention to players that have not had a turn, as it is all our job to make sure everyone is included.

STAGE TWO

Turn the knife into something else. I like a baby, or somwtimes BABY YODA (Grogu) to be cute. This creates a new physicality, hopefully (don’t hurl the baby at someone’s face, pass gently 😆)

STAGE THREE

Allow each player to create a new object on every turn. Catch the obect thrown to you, respecting/matching imagined size, weight, texture, force, etc. Then mold space, as if clay or molten metal, into new object. Remember to always start by calling the next player’s name to establish the connection.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

Let’s get physical. You can do this sitting, but we recommend get up and move a little, at least when it’s your turn.

1. Establish an order of players. Simply list all the names of participants and place in chat. If running a full session, you can keep the same order for subsequent games; just change the starting point to mix things up a bit. Each player should pay attention to whom they follow.
2. Player one, ask room for an activity suggestion. Then act out that activity to the best of your ability. No matter what it is, think I GOT THIS. Skip the step of judgement, insecurity, questioning your abilities etc. Simply HAVE FUN (Our #1 rule! HAVE FUN but never at another’s expense!!!)
3. Player two, within seconds of player one establishing their activity, say WHAT ARE YOU DOING? (Great tip, include players name to increase outreach connection).
4. Player one, continue YOUR activity while you say something new. The instinct will be to stop and think OR start acting out the new activity. Fight the instinct. Stay present in YOUR activity. NO RUSH, when something pops in, say that.
5. Player two will now act out THAT activity.
6. Repeat around the room 3-4 times.

ONE WORD STORY

Let’s tell a story. Pick a new starting point on the established group order. Each player says ONE word to add to the story. LISTEN WITH YOUR EYES. Listening is the #1 skill in comedy (theater, dance, art, leadership, life etc).

Visualize the story. Look past the grid of colleagues and the room you sit. With your mind’s eye, SEE the WHO (Character, Relationships), WHERE (Location) WHAT (Action, Story) unfold like a 3d movie around you.

Don’t judge, edit, etc. Simply say the next word in the sentence. Don’t TRY to be funny, clever, perfect, etc. Those are all functions of ego and insecurity. Instead trust the first word that pops into your head. Trust your team. Let the story be terrible. Chances are it will be amazing. If it’s not, who cares.

YES AND… ONE SENTENCE STORY

Now let’s tell a new story, with a new starting point on the list of players. Player one offers a sentence that starts a new story. Each player adds a full sentence starting with the words YES AND….

YES AND… is the #1 rule governing Improvisation. Always say/think YES!!! Accept your team, every individual, who they are, what the say, where they come from, how they talk etc etc etc. Suspend judgement. AND… follow with ideas that build upon your team’s offers.

The real secret to great teams (and great Improv) YOUR job is to make your team look amazing. AND… you never have to worry about self as the entire team as your back.

Rememeber, don’t TRY to be funny, clever, perfect, etc. Instead make simple choices about WHO (Character, Relationships), WHERE (Location) WHAT (Action, Story)

TRAIT PLATE

For the previous two games, the team has been speaking as ONE voice, narrating a story. Now, we start to break into individual characters but still speaking in order. This game focuses on THE WHO (Characters and Relationships of a story)

1. Player one starts introducing their character and where the story takes place. Don’t monologue, but maybe 2-4 sentances tops. Pass the story along to player two by assigning their character a trait, usually first time around focusing on the relationships to each other – Job or function in community/family/workplace, maybe suggesting status (they are a boss, employee, assistant, etc)
2. Player two accepts (YES AND…) offer, adds something new about their character then passes to player three, introducing their character.
3. Continue around the circle 3-4 times. When it’s your turn, add to the plate one new trait about YOUR character and then one new trait about the next player’s character. By the end we have a rich community of characters.

Character traits can include physical, mental and emotional qualities. Consider all the things that define us to others. Visual appearance, dealing with current or past injury, bad habits, temporary mood versus more permanant personality, likes and dislikes, something the character wears (costuming) or carries (props), past action good or bad etc.

CATEGORIES

Teacher / Moderator selects a category, or gets suggestion from the crowd. One at a time call out a players name. When your name is called, simply say ANYTHING in that catagory.

STAGE TWO – ELIMINATION Once the team gets the gist, you can start playing for real. If a player delays too long or repeats an answer already given, they are out.

PRESS CONFERENCE

1. Select a player to be guesser, the star of the press conference. Send them to waiting or breakout room so as not to hear the set up.
2. Select THREE things. Usually WHO (Who is the guesser playing? Usually this is a celebrity or famous fictional character), WHAT (What is the purpose of the press conference? Usually announcing a new project, product launch, important news etc.) WHERE (Where is this press conference taking place?).
3. Invite the guesser back into main room. The rest of the team plays press core. Announce your name and publication (magazine, news channel, blog etc).

EMOTIONAL ZOOM CLASSROOM / MEETING

1. A version of Hitchhiking Emotions (emotional carpool, bus stop etc), assign each player with an emotion. Establish a reason for meeting (Is this a particular class, is there an issue at the office etc)
2. Player one is the team lead or teacher. They start off establishing their emotion and scene.
3. As each player joins meeting, one at a time, their emotion becomes the emotion of the full room.
4. Like a stack, once the scene climaxes with all in the room, start to leave, last in – first out order. The emotions reverse order until the team lead/teacher left alone with their original emotion.

EXPERTS

3-4 players form THE PROFESSOR. Speaking as one, they answer questions one word at a time. THE PROFESSOR sometimes can even sing a song or two.

PARK BENCH

Let’s now create a one act play. This game is for the whole team, 2 players at a time. Establish a player order, or reuse from above games if in same session.

1. Player One starts a scene with Player Two both sitting on a bench. (In the park OR anywhere else). After 1-2 minutes (tops) player one makes excuse to leave.
2. Player three enters. Respecting everything established thus far (YES AND) including Player Two’s character, establish new relationship etc. It’s always best to play characters that have history. The conversation explores this history, past troubles, conflicts, successes etc. After 1-2 minutes (tops) player two makes excuse to leave.
3. Player four enters. Etc etc etc … continue until every player has had a chance to play. For the final scene, player one returns for a scene with the last player.

The New York Improv Theater is a one stop edutainment center for corporate team building, office / holiday parties and more. Our comedy shows and workshops deliver high impact results. Clients include Google, TD Bank, Mercedes Benz, Estee Lauder, META /Facebook, TikTok, JP Morgan Chase, Accenture, Morgan Stanley, Twitter, Roblox, Rimowa, EI Digital, Accenture, Datadog HQ, Milbank, BING/Microsoft, Band of America – Merrill Lynch, Home Depot, Ernst & Young, Johnson & Johnson, Louis Vuitton, Coach, UBS, BDO, AMEX, Master Card, Macy’s, 360i, IBM, GM, Kraft, UNILEAVER, HBO, Prudential, Convene, Conference Board and many more…

Walt Frasier’s international credits include 25+years of professional theater, comedy, music and TV (Blacklist, Billions, Blue Bloods, Letterman, HBO, MTV etc)