Other Choice
Other Choice is a short-form host game in which a host interrupts performers mid-scene and prompts them to replace their most recent line or action with an alternative. Unlike New Choice, which accepts any substitution, Other Choice may impose a constraint on the replacement: the new choice must match a specified genre, emotional register, or style. The game tests verbal flexibility and the ability to generate alternatives under specific conditions.
Structure
Setup
Two or more performers begin a scene. A host stands outside the scene and monitors for moments to intervene.
Game
The scene proceeds normally. At any moment, the host calls "Other Choice" (or an equivalent prompt). The performer who most recently spoke or acted must immediately replace that line or action with a different one. The scene then continues from the new choice as if the original had never occurred.
In the constrained variant, the host specifies what kind of other choice is required: "Other Choice -- in the style of a soap opera," "Other Choice -- make it a question," "Other Choice -- whisper it." The performer must comply with the constraint while maintaining the scene's momentum.
The host may call for repeated substitutions on the same moment, forcing performers to generate multiple options before continuing.
Relationship to New Choice
Other Choice belongs to the same game family as New Choice. Both use the interrupt-and-replace mechanic and share the same core skill demand: rapid alternative generation without losing scene logic. Other Choice distinguishes itself by applying external constraints to the replacement rather than accepting any substitution.
How to Teach It
How to Explain It
"Play a scene. When I call other choice, whoever just spoke or moved must immediately make a different choice: a different word, a different action, a different emotion. The alternative is not worse than the first. It is different."
Objectives
Other Choice develops verbal flexibility and rapid alternative generation under constraints. It trains the specific skill of holding multiple possible choices simultaneously and selecting among them under time pressure. This skill transfers to scene work in which a performer realizes mid-sentence that their initial direction is not serving the scene and must pivot.
Using Constraints Pedagogically
The constrained version of the game is more valuable pedagogically than the unconstrained version. Specifying a genre, emotional register, or formal constraint forces performers to demonstrate whether they have internalized performance vocabulary beyond their default register. A performer who can produce five different "other choices" at five different emotional registers has a richer toolkit than one who can only generate alternatives at a single pitch.
For beginning students, start with simple binary constraints (louder/softer, faster/slower) before moving to genre constraints (soap opera, horror film, documentary).
How to Perform It
Generating Alternatives Quickly
The game demands immediate replacement without visible searching. Performers who pause conspicuously or who demonstrate that they cannot produce an alternative undermine the game's energy. The audience should see ease, even when the constraint is difficult.
The most effective strategy is to commit immediately to whatever comes first and trust that commitment will carry the replacement. A poorly conceived choice delivered confidently is more successful than a better choice delivered haltingly.
Working with Constraints
When the host specifies a genre or emotional register, performers must make the constraint visible rather than subtle. An "other choice in the style of a soap opera" should be unmistakably melodramatic; a whispered other choice should be genuinely whispered. Half-compliance with the constraint misses the comedic opportunity.
Partners who are not the target of the "Other Choice" call must also adjust: they receive a new line from their partner and must respond to it as if it were always what was said.
History
Other Choice belongs to the short-form interrupt game tradition that includes New Choice and related host-driven substitution games. No specific origin or first documented use has been identified in published improv sources. The game appears to have developed within short-form performance contexts where hosts look for ways to vary the New Choice mechanic by adding genre or style constraints.
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Related Games
New Choice
New Choice is a short-form game in which a caller interrupts performers mid-scene by shouting "New Choice," forcing the last speaker to immediately replace their most recent line or action with something entirely different. The caller may fire multiple calls in rapid succession, pushing performers through a cascade of alternatives under pressure. The game trains verbal agility, commitment to offers, and the capacity to abandon choices without hesitation.
Change
Change is a short-form game in which a caller says "change" at any point during a scene, forcing the last speaker to replace their most recent line with a new one. Repeated calls on the same line demand increasingly creative alternatives. The game trains verbal agility and the ability to generate multiple options for any moment.
Alter Ego
Alter Ego is a short-form scene game in which each main character has a second performer standing directly behind them who voices the character's inner thoughts. Two players perform a scene with dialogue and action while their respective alter egos narrate the unspoken subtext: desires, fears, judgments, and contradictions that the characters would never say aloud. The contrast between what a character says publicly and what they actually think generates natural comedy and dramatic irony. The game highlights the role of subtext in scene work and rewards performers who create clear, exploitable gaps between surface behavior and true feelings. Alter Ego appears across multiple improv traditions and is documented in Andy Goldberg's Improv Comedy among other sources.
Actor Switch
## Actor Switch: Content Actor Switch is a foundational improv structure, frequently utilized as both a game and an exercise. It centers on the rapid and unexpected exchange of character traits or roles between performers. The core mechanic involves one player initiating a switch by verbally or physically signaling another player to adopt a specific characteristic, emotion, or even a complete persona from the initiating player. This creates a dynamic shift in the scene, demanding adaptability and responsiveness from all involved. The origins of Actor Switch, like many early improv games, are challenging to definitively trace. It likely evolves organically within the burgeoning Chicago improv scene of the 1960s and 70s, drawing from techniques explored by Second City and Del Close. No single individual receives credit for its invention, but its consistent presence in improv training materials suggests early adoption and subsequent refinement by numerous practitioners. It serves as a crucial tool for developing active listening and quick thinking. To execute Actor Switch, a scene begins as usual, with performers establishing a baseline scenario. At any point, a player can declare "Actor Switch!" and then specify the element to be transferred, for example, "Actor Switch: Your frustration!" The targeted player immediately embodies that element, integrating it into their existing character or behavior. This process repeats, with players continually switching elements, creating a layered and unpredictable performance. The goal is not necessarily to create a coherent narrative, but to explore the possibilities of character and reaction. Actor Switch offers several benefits. It encourages performers to observe and react to their scene partners, fostering a heightened sense of ensemble awareness. The rapid shifts challenge performers to abandon preconceived notions and embrace spontaneity. Ultimately, Actor Switch cultivates a playful and dynamic approach to improvisational storytelling.
Rewind
Rewind is a short-form game in which a host calls out during a scene, causing performers to physically and verbally reverse their actions back to an earlier moment, then replay forward with different choices. The game rewards strong physical memory, comedic timing at the point of replay, and the ability to generate distinct alternatives quickly when the scene resumes.
Understudy
Understudy is a scene game in which performers replace one another mid-scene and must instantly continue as the character just vacated, adopting their voice, physicality, and emotional state. The replacing performer must observe closely while waiting and commit to a specific replication rather than a generic impression. The game trains character observation, physical specificity, and the ability to enter mid-scene without disrupting its reality.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Other Choice. Retrieved September 28, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/games/other-choice
The Improv Archive. "Other Choice." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/games/other-choice.
The Improv Archive. "Other Choice." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/games/other-choice. Accessed September 28, 2026.
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