Speedy Get to Know You
Speedy Get to Know You is an icebreaker exercise in which players pair up for rapid rounds of conversation, switching partners every thirty to sixty seconds. Each round may include a specific prompt or question. The exercise quickly builds familiarity across a large group and lowers the social barriers that inhibit collaborative creation.
Worth Reading
See all books →
Business Improv
Experiential Learning Exercises to Train Employees
Val Gee
The Improv Mindset
How to Make Improvisation Your Superpower for Success
Keith Saltojanes
The Improvisation Book
How to Conduct Successful Improvisation Sessions
John S.C. Abbott
Improv to Improve Your Leadership Team
Tear down Walls and Build Bridges
Candy Campbell
Group Improvisation
The Manual of Ensemble Improv Games
Peter Campbell Gwinn; Charna Halpern
The Comedy Improv Handbook
A Comprehensive Guide to University Improvisational Comedy
Matt Fotis; Siobhan O'Hara
Related Exercises
New Object to Talk
New Object to Talk is a warm-up exercise in which a player picks up or mimes a new object each time they wish to speak. The constraint forces performers to justify constant physical activity while maintaining conversational coherence. The exercise trains object work skills and teaches players to integrate physicality with dialogue.
Eye to Eye
Eye to Eye is a connection exercise in which pairs of players maintain sustained eye contact while performing various tasks or simply standing still. The exercise builds comfort with direct human connection and the vulnerability of being truly seen. It develops the focused attention that strong scene partnerships require.
Back to Back
Back to Back is a trust and connection exercise in which two players sit or stand with their backs pressed together and work together on a physical or verbal task without the benefit of eye contact. Common tasks include standing up simultaneously from a seated position, telling a collaborative story, or mirroring each other's movements through physical pressure alone. The absence of visual cues forces participants to communicate through weight, pressure, breath, and vocal tone, developing a physical listening channel that operates independently of sight. The exercise appears across multiple performance traditions, from Augusto Boal's Games for Actors and Non-Actors to John Abbott's The Improvisation Book, and is one of the most widely used partner exercises in both improv training and applied improvisation settings.
Mind Meld
Mind Meld is a convergence exercise in which two players simultaneously say unrelated words, and the group then attempts to find a single word that connects the two. Players count down and speak at the same time, narrowing toward a shared answer through successive rounds of association. The exercise trains group mind, lateral thinking, and the trust required to commit to a choice without hesitation.
Finish the Word
Finish the Word is a verbal agility exercise in which one player begins a word and a partner must complete it, then begin a new word for the first player to finish. The rapid exchange prevents pre-planning and trains verbal reflexes. The exercise builds the split-second language skills needed for smooth collaborative dialogue.
Friendly Hands
Friendly Hands is a trust and connection exercise in which players reach out to shake hands or make physical contact with as many people as possible in a short time. The exercise breaks the physical barrier between participants and establishes a baseline of comfortable touch. It warms up the group's willingness to engage physically.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Speedy Get to Know You. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/exercises/speedy-get-to-know-you
The Improv Archive. "Speedy Get to Know You." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/exercises/speedy-get-to-know-you.
The Improv Archive. "Speedy Get to Know You." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/exercises/speedy-get-to-know-you. Accessed March 17, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.