Ways to use this list
- Guess the impression: one player spins in secret and performs, and the first person to guess right takes the next turn. Animals and machines are sounds only, no words.
- Drama warm-ups: the whole class walks around the hall as the character on the screen, then freezes when you spin again.
- Voice acting practice: record three characters on your phone, play them back, and push each one further than feels comfortable.
- Between party games: whoever lands an impression gets 20 seconds in the middle of the room, and the group scores it with claps.
- Storytelling: spin three characters and tell a short story in which they all meet, using each voice as they speak.
Press Spin the wheel, tap the game or press the Space bar. Change the list in the box as you
like: add your own, delete what doesn't suit you, or write *2 after an entry to give it double the
chance. The game buttons switch the same list to a duck race, hat, claw machine and more.
The full list (52 entries)
- A grumpy pirate
- A robot running out of battery
- A sleepy cat
- A dog seeing snow for the first time
- A printer that keeps jamming
- A washing machine on spin
- A microwave that won't stop beeping
- An airline pilot making an announcement
- A sports commentator at a snail race
- A nervous tour guide
- A villain explaining the plan
- A wise old wizard
- A news reader with breaking news about a sock
- A lost sat nav (GPS)
- A royal guard trying not to laugh
- A seagull stealing chips
- A duck at the pond
- A lion who has lost its roar
- A T. rex with tiny arms trying to clap
- A ghost who is scared of people
- A vending machine with opinions
- A car alarm
- A teacher on the first day of term
- A waiter announcing today's specials
- A superhero landing badly
- An opera singer
- A cowboy ordering a glass of milk
- A fly stuck at a window
- A kettle coming to the boil
- A squeaky door
- A shopkeeper in an old-fashioned sweet shop
- An alien visiting Earth for the first time
- A detective on the case of the missing biscuit
- A goat
- A sheep with something to say
- An elephant
- A frog in the rain
- A snake who can't stop hissing
- A game show host
- A weather presenter in a storm
- A knight in squeaky armour
- A cat who wants breakfast at 5am
- A bee who has lost the hive
- A toaster about to pop
- An excited puppy
- A chicken who has just laid an egg
- A monkey at the zoo
- A creaky old ship
- A baby tasting a lemon
- A sloth in a hurry
- An owl at midnight
- A walrus sunbathing
📖 Related guide: Who goes first? 12 fair ways to decide
Questions people ask
What are easy impressions to do?
Animals and machines are the easiest because you only need a sound and a bit of body language: a sleepy cat, a kettle coming to the boil, a seagull after chips. Characters such as the grumpy pirate take a little more acting.
How do I do a good voice impression?
Choose a pitch, a speed and one catchphrase, then exaggerate all three. A pilot speaks slowly and calmly, a nervous tour guide rushes, a wizard drags out every word. Big and clear beats accurate.
Why are there no celebrity impressions?
Impressions of real people can feel unkind and go out of date quickly. Animals, machines and made-up characters are funnier for mixed ages, and nobody in the room or on the news is being copied.
How do you play an impressions guessing game?
Spin on one phone so only the performer sees the idea. They get 30 seconds to act it out, the guessers shout answers, and a correct guess scores a point for both the guesser and the performer.