Late
A comedy guessing game about a reason for being late to work: the latecomer gathers clues from the boss's questions and their partner's pantomime to formulate an absurd explanation. Good for the start of a course: sharpens status, support, and reading physical offers.
Players
3–8
Difficulty
Beginner
Full description
Setup and Launch
Assemble a trio: the latecomer, the boss, and the hint partner. The latecomer doesn't hear the agreement (turns away or steps out), and the other two agree in advance on an absurd reason for being late. Clarify the rules: the hint partner communicates only through gestures; the boss combines a reprimand with leading questions; the goal is for the latecomer to formulate the precise reason themselves.
Flow
1) The Secret
The latecomer turns away. The boss and hint partner quickly agree on an "impossible" reason for being late and confirm that voice hints are forbidden — only pantomime is allowed.
2) Called to the office
The latecomer returns. The boss opens the scene with a work context and starts the conversation, asking the first leading questions and establishing high status.
3) Silent hint
The hint partner stands in the latecomer's field of vision and silently acts out elements of the reason. They repeat and develop gestures without resorting to letter codes or sounds. The boss picks up on what they see and formulates clarifying questions.
4) Formulating a version
The latecomer proposes intermediate hypotheses aloud, progressively clarifying "who/what/where/why/how" until they assemble a complete formula for the absurd reason.
5) Finale and rotation
When the formulation is precise enough, the boss draws a conclusion and ends the scene. Swap roles and launch the next trio.
Key rules
The hint partner stays silent and avoids "alphabetic" gesturing; keep gestures large and repeatable so the latecomer can notice and test a hypothesis.
The boss controls the pace and holds high status: alternate reprimand with clarifying questions; if the scene stalls, narrow the focus (who? where? with what?).
The latecomer speaks hypotheses aloud and moves from general to specific; avoid instant "guessing" without a reasoning process.
Stop the scene when the reason is named specifically enough; agree in advance as a group on what counts as "specific enough" for a win.
Context
What to try next
Similar formats, so you can keep the rehearsal moving without stopping to search.
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