How to Host a Comedy Game Show for a Private Audience

Q: How do you host a comedy game show for a private audience?

To host a comedy game show for a private audience, you need 4 things: a clear format (rounds, scoring), a charismatic host, 4-8 willing players, and a 60-90 minute window. The structure carries the comedy.

The story

Hosting a comedy game show for a private audience — a team offsite, a birthday, a leadership retreat — is more accessible than most people assume. The trick is to import a working format instead of inventing one. SideHustle's Labs format — 4 to 5 per team, 4 rounds (brainstorm, pitch, score, rotate), Funny + Fundable scoring — has run one-time at Mars Hill, the University of Oklahoma, Penn State, Xavier, and the University of Wisconsin. The structure is repeatable. Built by SideHustle co-founders Darby Rollins and Tomer Soran, the show is Austin-rooted from day one — it premiered at The Creek & The Cave in Austin and grew into the recurring run at Pershing Hall in Austin. For deeper context on the category, see our pillar on what a comedy game show is.

What it means

If you're hosting a private audience, don't reinvent the format — borrow a proven one. Time-box it to 60-90 minutes, run real scoring, and let the audience play. The room will remember it longer than the food, the venue, or any speech that night.

Try it

• Play free at playsidehustle.com
• See us live: Sept 25 at Pershing Hall in Austin. luma.com/playsidehustle
• Email team@playsidehustle.com