Mousetraps
Mousetraps is a slapstick performance game in which the stage is covered with spring-loaded mousetraps and two blindfolded performers must navigate the space barefoot while playing a scene. The anticipation of stepped-on traps and the performers' genuine reactions drive the comedy. The game is a spectacle piece that rewards physical bravery and the ability to stay in scene under duress.
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Now You See Me
Now You See Me is a performance game in which one or more players must make themselves invisible to the scene while remaining onstage. The visible performers interact with the audience and each other while the hidden players find opportunities to affect the scene without being acknowledged. The game rewards stealth, timing, and creative physical choices.
Blindfolded Scene
Blindfolded Scene is a scene game in which performers play a scene while blindfolded, unable to see their partners, the audience, or the space. The restriction heightens all other senses and forces players to listen, communicate position verbally, and trust their partners completely. The game reveals how much performers normally rely on visual cues.
Crisis Situation
Crisis Situation is a scene game in which performers are placed in an extreme or emergency scenario that demands immediate action and high-stakes decision-making. The urgency of the premise drives fast-paced, committed play. The game rewards performers who raise the stakes rather than defusing the tension.
Stunt Double
Stunt Double is a short-form game in which a performer has a designated stunt double who steps in whenever the scene requires physical action, danger, or emotional extremity. The main actor and their double must coordinate seamlessly, and the comedy comes from the abrupt transitions between them. The game rewards precise physical continuity and deadpan switching.
Human Props
Human Props is a short-form game in which audience volunteers are used as physical props within a scene, shaped and positioned by the performers to serve as furniture, doors, vehicles, or other objects. The game creates comedy through the awkwardness and absurdity of using real people as inanimate objects. It is a staple of audience-participation shows.
Poison Arms
Poison Arms is a game in which a performer stands with their arms behind their back while another player reaches through from behind to provide the arms. The front player must speak and react while the back player gestures, creating a comic disconnection between intention and action. The game rewards commitment from both players and generates physical comedy from the mismatch.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Mousetraps. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/games/mousetraps
The Improv Archive. "Mousetraps." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/games/mousetraps.
The Improv Archive. "Mousetraps." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/games/mousetraps. Accessed March 17, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.