Bear, Fish, Mosquito
Bear, Fish, Mosquito is a full-body variation of rock-paper-scissors in which two teams face each other and simultaneously perform one of three creatures. Bear eats fish, fish eats mosquito, and mosquito bites bear. The losing team runs to avoid being tagged by the winners. The game combines quick decision-making with physical energy.
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Alien Tiger Cow
Alien Tiger Cow is a full-body version of rock-paper-scissors played in a circle. On a count, each player strikes one of three poses: alien (fingers on head), tiger (claws bared), or cow (udders mimed). Players who choose the minority pose are eliminated. The exercise is a fast physical warm-up that generates laughter and group energy.
Evolution
Evolution is a high-energy physical warm-up game in which players begin as a simple organism and progress through stages of evolution by winning rounds of rock-paper-scissors against other players at the same evolutionary level. Players physically embody each stage (amoeba, chicken, monkey, human), creating a chaotic, noisy environment in which everyone is playing simultaneously. The game is self-organizing, requires no improv experience, and works well with large groups as an icebreaker. Evolution builds physical commitment, willingness to look foolish, and the social bonding that comes from shared silliness.
Commando
Commando is a high-energy physical game in which players navigate an imagined obstacle course or battlefield, reacting to called-out hazards and commands. The exercise demands full physical commitment and rapid shifts between actions. It raises group energy and breaks down self-consciousness through shared physical absurdity.
Hot Potato
Hot Potato is a circle game in which an imagined object is passed rapidly around the group, and whoever holds it when a signal sounds must perform a task, answer a question, or be eliminated. The exercise raises energy and adds stakes to simple passing games. It builds speed and the comfort with being put on the spot.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Bear, Fish, Mosquito. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/exercises/bear-fish-mosquito
The Improv Archive. "Bear, Fish, Mosquito." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/exercises/bear-fish-mosquito.
The Improv Archive. "Bear, Fish, Mosquito." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/exercises/bear-fish-mosquito. Accessed March 17, 2026.
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