How We Met
How We Met is a scene game in which two characters tell the story of how they first met, often contradicting each other or revealing conflicting versions of events. The game builds relationship history in real time and creates comedy through competing narratives. It rewards strong character choices and attentive listening.
Worth Reading
See all books →
Improve
How I Discovered Improv Comedy and Conquered Social Anxiety
Alex Graudins
The Triangle of the Scene
A Simple, Practical, Powerful Method for Approaching Improvisation
Paul Vaillancourt
Acting Through Improv
Improv Through Theatresports
Lynda Belt; Rebecca Stockley
Group Improvisation
The Manual of Ensemble Improv Games
Peter Campbell Gwinn; Charna Halpern
Improv Ideas
A Book of Games and Lists
Mary Ann Kelley; Justine Jones
The Upright Citizens Brigade Comedy Improvisation Manual
Matt Besser; Ian Roberts; Matt Walsh
Related Games
When Harry Met Sally
When Harry Met Sally is a scene game inspired by the romantic comedy film structure in which two performers play characters who meet, separate, and reunite over the course of several time jumps. The game explores how relationships evolve and rewards emotional authenticity within a comedic framework.
He Said While She
He Said While She (also called Two-Headed Expert or Narration Game) is a scene game in which narration and action interweave: one performer narrates what a character says while the other physically performs and voices the character's actions. The split between narrator and performer creates a dual-track reality in which the narration and the physical performance can align, diverge, or generate irony through contrast. The game rewards physical specificity and the narrator's ability to use the performer's choices.
Rendez-Vous
Rendez-Vous is a scene game in which characters arrive at a prearranged meeting point, each with a different assumption about why they are there. The comedy arises from the collision of incompatible expectations as the characters try to make sense of one another's behavior. The game rewards strong commitment to individual character objectives.
Switch Gibberish
Switch Gibberish is a scene game in which performers alternate between speaking coherent dialogue and gibberish on command. Scene partners must maintain the scene's emotional arc and narrative logic regardless of which mode they are in. The game demonstrates how much communication happens through tone and physicality independent of words.
Curveball Story
Curveball Story is a collaborative storytelling game in which a narrator tells a story and other players periodically throw in unexpected words, phrases, or events that must be seamlessly incorporated. The narrator cannot reject or ignore the curveball but must weave it into the narrative immediately, maintaining story logic and momentum while accommodating the interruption. The game trains narrative flexibility, acceptance, and the ability to make any new element fit.
Story Time
Story Time is a collaborative storytelling game in which performers take turns contributing to a shared narrative, each picking up exactly where the previous teller left off. The story may pass on a word, a sentence, or at the tap of a facilitator. The game trains narrative listening and the discipline of serving the story rather than steering it.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). How We Met. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/games/how-we-met
The Improv Archive. "How We Met." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/games/how-we-met.
The Improv Archive. "How We Met." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/games/how-we-met. Accessed March 17, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.