Arms
Arms is a short-form game in which one player stands behind another, extending their arms through the front player's sleeves to serve as their hands. The front player speaks and reacts while the hidden player's arms create unpredictable physical business. It is one of the most recognized and widely performed short-form games.
Structure
Setup
- One player stands in front, tucking their arms inside their shirt or clasping them behind their back.
- A second player stands directly behind, threading their arms through the front player's sleeves or around their sides to act as their hands.
- Both players commit to the illusion before the scene begins.
The Constraint
- The front player speaks, reacts, and provides all facial expressions.
- The back player controls everything done with the hands: picking up objects, eating, shaking hands, pointing, and any physical business.
- The two performers do not coordinate in advance. The hands must behave as though they belong to the front player.
How the Scene Works
- The audience suggestion typically sets up a situation where hand use is unavoidable: a job interview, a cooking demonstration, a first date, a press conference.
- The comedy arises from the gap between what the front player says and what their hands actually do.
- The back player watches for moments when surprising hand behavior will land most effectively.
- The front player must react honestly to whatever their hands do, selling the illusion and the breakdown of the illusion simultaneously.
Wrap-Up Logic
- The scene runs until the host ends it or a clear button lands.
- Two to four minutes is the natural range. The game has a shelf life: once the initial premise is established, the scene needs escalation to sustain it.
- A strong button often arrives when the hands do something the front player was completely unable to predict or control.
How to Teach It
How to Explain It
"One player will be speaking and reacting to a scene. Their partner's arms do all the physical work : the speaker's own arms are out of action entirely. The two of them are going to have to figure out how to share one body."
Common Notes
- The front player must not try to guide or signal the back player. Reacting honestly to whatever the hands do is the entire game.
- The back player should look for moments of maximum inconvenience. Hands that make everything easy are not interesting. Hands that make everything harder are the game.
- Both players should agree on the physical setup before the scene begins. Sleeves pulled over hands, arms crossed behind the back, or a jacket worn backwards all work.
Common Pitfalls
- The back player becomes passive and only moves hands when directly cued. The game works when the hands have their own agenda.
- The front player breaks focus by looking at their own hands, which dissolves the illusion. Eye contact with the scene partner or audience should be maintained.
- The scene has no situation. Without a scenario that demands hand use, the game has no engine. Make sure the setup involves something physical from the first moment.
How to Perform It
Audience Intro
"In this game, [name] is going to be speaking and reacting in a scene : but [partner]'s arms will be doing all the physical work. [Name]'s own arms are completely unavailable. Let's see how well these two can share one body."
Cast Size
- Ideal: Two performers.
- Variations with a performer hidden behind a curtain exist but the visible two-person arrangement is standard and more theatrically effective.
Staging
- Face the pair toward the audience so both the front player's face and the back player's arms are clearly visible at the same time.
- Avoid diagonal staging that hides the arm mismatch, which is the visual center of the game.
Wrap Logic
- The host should let the scene develop a real situation before the arms create their most extreme moments.
- Once the arms have topped themselves once or twice, the scene is ready for a button.
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Related Games
Hands
Hands is a short-form game in which one player stands behind another and provides their arms, creating the physical mismatch between one performer's body and another's hands. The front performer speaks while the hidden performer's hands create unpredictable gestures and activities. The game is one of the most recognizable and widely performed short-form games.
Arm Game
Arm Game is a short-form performance game in which one player stands behind another, supplying the arms while the front player provides the voice and head movements. The disconnection between speech and gesture creates physical comedy as the front player must justify whatever the arms do. The game is a staple of short-form shows worldwide.
Helping Hands
Helping Hands is a short-form game in which one performer stands in front of another and extends their arms through the front performer's sleeves or from behind, so that the back performer's hands serve as the front performer's arms. The front performer speaks and reacts while the back performer's hands gesture, handle props, and physically enact whatever the scene requires. The dissonance between speech and gesture -- and the unpredictable behavior of the "helping hands" -- generates the game's comedy.
Siamese Twins
Siamese Twins is a physical scene game in which two performers stand side by side and operate together as a single character, each using only their outer arm. The constraint requires close physical coordination and continuous nonverbal negotiation about every action, gesture, and movement. The game generates comedy from the inevitable mismatches between the two players' intentions and from the absurdity of watching two bodies attempt to function as one.
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.
Puppets
Puppets is a physical game and exercise in which one performer manipulates another as a puppet, controlling their body positions and movements by touching or guiding their limbs. The puppet commits fully to whatever position they are placed in and speaks only during or just after the manipulation. Also known as Moving Bodies, the game creates comedy from the disconnect between the puppet's physical situation and their dialogue, while training physical surrender and trust.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Arms. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/games/arms
The Improv Archive. "Arms." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/games/arms.
The Improv Archive. "Arms." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/games/arms. Accessed March 17, 2026.
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