Icebreakers · Jokes & punchlines
Joke icebreaker game: Joke Warm-Up
One round, five minutes, before the real game: a setup from the room's bowl, everyone writes the punchline, one judge tries not to laugh.
- ~5 min
- 3–10 people
- One device, or phones
- Free
- Ages 8+
What it feels like
Right. Before the real game, a quick one to loosen everybody up. Here's how it works. Everyone drops two words in the bowl. One of you is the judge. A setup goes up with a word from the bowl, and everyone else writes the punchline. Judge, keep a straight face. Pick the best, guess who wrote it, and then on to the night's game.
How to play
- Everyone drops two words in the bowl. Strange ones are better.
- One judge. A setup goes up, finished with a word from the bowl, and everyone else writes the punchline.
- The punchlines go up one at a time. Then the judge picks the best and guesses who wrote it. That's it: on to the night's game.
You'll get prompts like
- “An animal”
- “Something in your fridge right now”
What you need
3 to 10 people and one phone, tablet or laptop to pass around — or everyone on their own phone in a room. Nothing to download, no accounts. The best lines can be sealed into your group's Almanac and come back in later games.
