The Blabbi Game Show

What it was

I was a fan of the board game and thought that with a few adjustments it would make a great improv show, so I pitched it to them. Two teams of improv comics go head to head pitching the most absurd new words they possibly can, the other team gets a chance to argue back, and the audience votes on a winner. We developed it over a few months, translated the game for a live room, and recorded it so Blabbi could use it for social later.

Blabbi was pretty new at the time, so this was a good way for them to get their name out, teach people how to play, and line themselves up with an audience into comedy. Their brand already leaned into meme culture and they knew a lot of comedians and influencers, so a silly, casual game show made sense. They gave Evan and me the thumbs up, and I handled most of the creative concepting and technical solutions.

What we wanted

A comedy show people actually enjoyed, footage Blabbi could use later, and something that felt like a real game show instead of an ad for a board game.

The challenge

• The game was designed for individuals, so the rules had to work for teams.
• The audience had to be able to see the board while the comics handled the tiles.
• Blabbi was an indie startup, so this was a micro-budget.
• We wanted the audience to be part of the show.

What we did

Blabbi already had a points system, so we kept it and applied it to each team, but we gave the teams a couple of minutes to argue with each other so the audience had time to make up their minds before voting.

We put a camera over the board and projected it on stage as a live feed, with a graphics layer on top for a scoreboard. Each team member walked up from their table to a center mic, pitched their new word to the room, and put their tiles down on a game table in the middle.

For gear, we used what our team already had (a couple of DSLRs and some broadcast equipment) and borrowed the rest from people we knew. Not ideal, but it was free. And instead of a moderator picking winners, everyone in the audience got an auction-house paddle to flip to "Yes" or "No," so they decided every round.

How it went

We recorded 5 cameras and 6 audio inputs without paying a cent for equipment. That freed up money to rent a popular comedy venue for the night, which made the whole thing feel a lot more legit to a comedy crowd. The audience interaction was a hit, to the point where people started shouting arguments at the comics, which made it even better.

The rule changes made Blabbi fun to watch other people play. If we did it again, I'd change how long each team gets to pitch and argue back, and how the points add up each round, but for a casual night it kept people into it.