Pattern Game
1970s-present · Chicago / global
Also known as Pattern Opening, Word Association Pattern
Ensemble opening for a Harold — one player offers a word; others layer associations, building patterns the team will pull from all show.
Known for
- One of the three classic Harold openings alongside the Invocation and the Monologue Opening.
- Not a game for points — a live ritual that generates material for the scenes that follow.
- Patterns look like: car → wheel → spin class → spinning out → control freak → pilot → Amelia Earhart.
- Teams that listen to their own opening get callbacks free; teams that don't are scavenging all show.
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