Guess the Action
One person turns away. The screen shows the room an action. They turn back to a room already doing it.
The guesser turns their chair to the back wall, the screen shows everyone else an everyday action, and when they turn back the whole room is already doing it. They have to work it out from the room alone. What makes it good is how differently forty people act out the same simple thing.
Whoever's nearest the door is the guesser. When the screen says so, turn your chair to face the back wall. The screen shows everyone else an everyday action, and we all start doing it. The guesser turns back round and gets three guesses.
A room that has warmed up needs something with a bit of thinking in it, and you have a door people can step outside.
Props: None
Run this when…
If none of these is your room, pick another.A group who have already done something loud
Before anything about observation or assumptions
A session where you want two or three people to lead in turn
How to run it
Written to be glanced at mid-room, not memorised.
- Whoever is nearest the door is the guesser. On the face-away card they turn their chair to the back wall.
- The next card shows the room the action. Everyone starts doing it straight away.
- The guesser turns back and watches. Everyone keeps going — freezing gives them nothing to read.
- Three guesses. Halfway, the back row goes twice the size.
- The screen reveals it. The person to their left is the next guesser, with a new action.
Running it well
Only the host sees these. Participants never do.
- Nobody leaves the room any more. Facing the back wall does the same job three feet away and keeps the guesser part of the game.
- Tell the room to keep doing it while the guesser is watching. A room that freezes to watch the guesser gives them nothing to read.
- Ask what gave it away. The answer is almost always one person doing it much more clearly than everybody else, which is a nice thing to notice out loud.
Watch out for
Space, safety and the traps worth knowing before you start.
- The guesser must fully face the wall — the action is on the screen behind them.
- Keep the actions standing-on-the-spot. Anything that needs walking around turns forty people into a collision.
Seated version
“Everybody stand up” is not a neutral instruction. Offer this alongside, not instead.
The room mimes from their chairs and the guesser stands at the front. Nothing else changes, and seated mimes are often clearer.
On a video call
The cards work as they are. This is what changes about how you call it.
The guesser looks away from their screen — turning the camera off is not enough, because the action is on the shared screen. Everybody acts it out from the waist up. Tell the room to keep going while the guesser watches; on a call the temptation to freeze and stare is much stronger.
Run it yourself
Free for thirty days, no card. Put it on the projector and step through it — nobody in the room needs a phone.
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- Where
- Remote or in person
- Props
- None
- Big screen
- Required
- Teams
- Individual only