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Screaming Viking

One player stands in the circle's middle, points to someone, and calls out an action — Screaming Viking, Smurfs, Chia Pet, or Jello — that the target and both neighbors have 10 seconds to nail together. It works because nobody just watches: every call needs three people committing to the same silly noise at once, so hesitation is the only real way to lose.

15 min16–30 peopleEasyNo materialsClassroom ✓
By Jon Zajac · Founder & Chief Icebreaker · Last updated February 19, 2024

What is Screaming Viking?

Screaming Viking is a circle game built on a three-person scramble: the player in the middle points to someone in the ring and calls an action, and that person plus both neighbors have 10 seconds to perform it together — a Screaming Viking war cry with rowing arms, a huddled Smurfs chorus, a chanted Chia Pet, or a wobbling Jello. Whoever fumbles the action swaps into the middle.

It works because nobody gets to sit this one out quietly. The middle player can point at anyone, anytime, so the whole circle stays alert between turns — and getting three people to land a strange noise and a stranger gesture together, cold, in under 10 seconds, is funnier than any one person performing alone could ever be.

It's built for a group that's already warmed up and ready to be loud — a party, a large team offsite, a room past the awkward-silence stage. For a first meeting or a group still sizing each other up, the noise and physical comedy can read as exposing rather than playful; start with something quieter and save this one for round two.

The rules

  1. Sit in a large circle, everyone facing in.
  2. One player stands in the middle and points to someone in the circle.
  3. The middle player calls an action; that person and both neighbors must perform it.
  4. All three have 10 seconds to nail it — the middle player is the judge.
  5. Actions: Screaming Viking (horns and a scream, neighbors row), Smurfs (arms locked, singing), Chia Pet (chanting, one plant and a pot), and Jello (wobbling, neighbors form a bowl).
  6. Miss the action or blow the 10 seconds, and you become the new middle player.

Before you start

  • Group size: 16–30 players. This one wants a real crowd — enough neighbors on every side that no single player is ever performing alone.
  • A big, open circle. Chairs or floor space, with enough room between people to throw their arms around without hitting anyone next to them.
  • Pick a facilitator who knows the moves. Someone needs to teach the actions and judge mistakes — walk them through Screaming Viking, Smurfs, Chia Pet, and Jello before anyone sits down.
  • Demo it live before you play. Showing each action once, in person, beats explaining it — everyone should be able to do all four before the first round starts.
  • Zero materials, zero setup. Nothing to gather beforehand — just the circle, the facilitator, and a willingness to look ridiculous.

How to run it

  1. Circle up and set the goal 1 min

    Seat everyone in a large circle, facing in. Say the one rule that matters: don't be the one who ends up in the middle.

  2. Teach the four actions 3–5 min

    Demonstrate Screaming Viking, Smurfs, Chia Pet, and Jello — the moves and the sounds — until the whole circle can do all four.

  3. Pick the first person in the middle 30 sec

    Choose anyone to start. From the middle, they point to someone in the circle and call one of the four actions.

  4. The three-person scramble 10 sec

    The person pointed to and both neighbors have 10 seconds to perform the action together. The middle player judges whether they nailed it.

  5. Swap and go again 5–8 min

    Whoever fumbles the action takes the middle. Keep going until the group has had enough or time runs out.

← no one wants a second turn as the viking.

Facilitator tips

Judge like you mean itThe middle player's call is final. Hesitating just drags out the scramble and invites arguing instead of laughing.
Watch the neighbors, not just the targetMost mistakes happen on the sides, not from the person pointed to — the two neighbors are usually the ones caught off guard.
Keep the pace briskLong pauses between rounds are where the energy leaks out. Point, call, judge, repeat.
Let the room invent a fifth actionOnce everyone's got the original four down, ask players to pitch a new one. A rotation the group built themselves holds attention longer than a fixed set of four.

Why it works

Attention has a deadlineEvery call puts three specific people on a 10-second clock, so nobody gets to zone out between turns — the middle player might name them next.
You're never scored aloneThe two people beside you can save your turn or blow it, so watching your neighbors matters as much as watching the middle.
Silly is the whole coverScreaming a war cry or wobbling like Jello in front of the group takes nerve the first time. It stops feeling that way fast, because everyone else already went first.
HELLO, MY NAME ISJon

"I reach for this one at parties because it needs zero setup and it's loud in the best way — even the person who swears they won't do the actions is doing them by the second round."

Jon Zajac · Founder & Chief Icebreaker

Reflection questions

For groups that want the debrief — five questions that turn the scramble into an actual conversation.

  1. What was your favorite action to perform during the game?Surfaces which moves actually landed with the group — useful if you plan to run it again.
  2. Did you feel nervous or self-conscious when it was your turn in the middle? Why or why not?Gets at what it costs to perform in front of the group — a way into talking about vulnerability without naming it directly.
  3. How did you feel when someone made a mistake and had to go into the middle?A quick check on how the group treats mistakes — kindness here sets the tone for the next round.
  4. Did you notice any patterns in which actions got called the most?A light attention exercise — it rewards whoever was actually watching instead of just waiting for their own turn.
  5. What did you learn about yourself or others during the game?An open close — usually surfaces whoever surprised the room by fully committing to Jello.

If this fits, so will these

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Everyone draws a name, then spends the week quietly buying and delivering gifts to that person before the group gathers to guess who had who.

Jon Zajac

Founder & Chief Icebreaker

I started IcebreakerSpot because I believe strong connections are the foundation of successful teams. This site exists to make it easy to find and share the icebreakers and team-building activities that build trust, spark collaboration, and help groups do great things together.

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